His hand found her hip, thumb brushing along the waistband of her underwear beneath his shirt. His eyes traveled over her slowly, taking in the way his shirt hung on her frame, the bare skin of her legs. "You look good in my kitchen."
Her face warmed. "Yeah?"
"Yeah." His hand slid to the small of her back, pulling her closer. His voice dropped lower. "Look good in my shirt too."
She smiled and leaned into him, her free hand coming to rest on his chest. She could feel his heartbeat beneath her palm, steady and strong. "I could get used to this."
"Good. Because I like having you here."
Rachel set her mug down on the counter and turned toward the cabinet. "Let me get you a cup."
She reached up for a mug, stretching on her toes. The shirt rode up slightly, exposing more of her thighs. She'd just closed her fingers around a mug when she felt him move behind her.
His arms came around her waist, pulling her back against his chest. His hands splayed wide across her stomach, holding her there, then his mouth found her neck.
Rachel gasped, the mug nearly slipping from her fingers. She managed to set it on the counter as his lips moved against her skin. Soft. Deliberate. Trailing from just below her ear down to her shoulder.
"Logan," she breathed.
"Hmm?" His mouth didn't stop. His hands slid up her sides, thumbs brushing the undersides of her breasts through the thin fabric of his shirt.
She arched back into him, her head falling to the side to give him better access. One of her hands came up behind her, threading into his hair. "You haven't even had coffee yet."
"Don't care." His teeth scraped gently against her pulse point and she shivered. His hands moved higher, palming her breasts now, and she could feel him hardening against her lower back.
Rachel turned in his arms, her hands sliding up his bare chest to his shoulders. His skin was warm beneath her palms. "You're insatiable."
"Only with you." He captured her mouth with his, the kiss deeper this time, hungrier. His hands slid down to her hips, fingers digging in as he pulled her flush against him.
She felt every inch of him through the thin barrier of clothing, his chest against hers, his arousal pressing insistently against her stomach. Her hands roamed over his back, feeling the flex of muscle as he lifted her slightly, setting her on the edge of the counter.
He stepped between her thighs, his hands sliding up under the shirt to grip her bare waist. The kiss grew more demanding. Rachel wrapped her legs around him, pulling him closer, and felt him groan against her mouth.
His fingers traced higher, thumbs brushing against her ribs, moving toward her breasts. She arched into the touch, wanting more, needing,
Her phone buzzed on the counter beside her.
They both froze.
Rachel pulled back slightly, breathing hard. "That's my phone."
Ghost's lips hovered over hers, "Ignore it."
It buzzed again. Insistent.
Her stomach tightened as she picked it up. Another unknown number.
She gasped.
Ghost saw her face change. His hands gentled on her waist, concern replacing the heat in his eyes. "What is it?"
She opened the message.
It was a photo of her apartment, or what was left of it.
The door hung crooked on its hinges. Inside, everything was destroyed. Furniture overturned, cushions slashed, books and papers scattered everywhere. Her camera equipment, smashed. Her laptop, gone. Drawers pulled out and dumped. Every inch of the space torn apart.
Below the photo, a single line of text:
