Shouldn’tgo anywhere, she silently amended.
But, mercy, she wanted him bad.
The kiss started up again, deeper this time, slow and hot. Colt’s mouth moved against hers with a need that curled low in her belly. Brenna forgot all about this being a mistake.
Forgot everything, really, except the way he touched her. The way his lips skimmed hers, then slid down to trace the edge of her jaw.
She might have forgotten how to breathe, but she hadn’t forgotten how to feel. And she felt everything. The rush of desire, the warmth of his hands, the heat pulsing through her like a spark hitting dry grass. Her resolve slipped with every passing second.
Then Colt’s phone rang.
The sharp sound cut through the haze, jolting her back to the moment. She pulled back, breath catching, heart racing. Colt swore under his breath and leaned his forehead against hers for just a beat before pulling away to check the screen.
Colt frowned at the screen, then put the call on speaker.
“It’s Noah,” he said, as if Brenna hadn’t already guessed.
“I hope I didn’t interrupt anything,” Noah said. “Tell me you haven’t gone to bed yet.”
Colt glanced at her. Their eyes met. Her lips still tingled. Her pulse was still high.
“Not yet,” Colt said.
“Good. Sheriff Chase just got off a call with Wallace Kemp’s ex-wife. Name’s Fia. She dropped a bomb. Says Wallace and Naomi had an affair. That’s what ended their marriage.”
Brenna stiffened. “Are we sure she’s telling the truth?”
“She sounded solid,” Noah said. “Said the affair didn’t last. But when it ended, Wallace lost it. She begged him to get help. He refused.”
Colt looked at Brenna again. Her thoughts were already spinning.
“The sheriff’s planning to question both of them again,” Noah went on. “Wants to know if the affair plays into what’s happening now. Thought you’d want to be in the loop.”
“We do,” Colt said.
“Good. Get some rest, you two. You’ll need it.”
The call ended, and the silence that followed was heavy.
Brenna exhaled slowly. “Wallace and Naomi,” she said. “That changes things.”
Colt nodded, his expression hardening. “Yeah. It does.”
Brenna turned the new information over in her head, but the pieces were still jagged. Wallace and Naomi. An affair. A breakdown. It could be important. It could be the key. But her body ached and her mind felt like it was grinding in circles. She needed rest.
She stepped back, meeting Colt’s gaze one more time. Her body wanted more. Her lips still felt warm from his. She leaned in, pressed a soft kiss to his cheek.
“Goodnight,” she said, her voice quieter than she meant.
Colt didn’t try to stop her. He nodded, his eyes steady on hers.
She turned and walked down the short hall to the guestroom. The light was soft. The bed neatly made. She closed the door behind her and leaned against it for a second.
Pain meds first. Then sleep.
But when she lay down, she stared at the ceiling and wondered how long she could really stay out of Colt’s bed.
And how soon the killer would strike again.
