Laughter.
“You must be goingout of your mind. What’s the population of that place?” Brian Kelso grinned at Darius through his computer screen.
“Around fifteen hundred. But, really, it’s fine.” A part of Darius couldn’t believe he’d just said that. “There are some quirky people here, for sure, but at least they’re genuine. Most of them are solid—good people who just love the mountains.”
“If you say so.” Kelso glanced at his watch. “You keep working this from your end, and we’ll work it from ours.”
“Thanks.”
Darius closed his laptop, stood, and stretched, satisfied with the day’s progress. With the FBI’s access to better tech, he hoped Kelso would be able to track down Tiger889’s VPN in a matter of days. In the meantime, he needed to speak to the prosecutor on Riggs’ behalf, as he’d promised.
He’d spent the afternoon at the jail, trying not to think about Sasha and searching through climbing-related pages on social media with Riggs. Perhaps because Darius had told Riggs that he believed him, Riggs had been free with his speech, sharing more than he’d realized. Among the details that Darius had found interesting was the fact that Watts had more or less once been Riggs’ stalker. Watts had manipulated his way into Riggs’ life with flattery and illicit drugs, and then he’d used Riggs and his money, while pretending to be his friend.
More importantly, Darius had found the avatar of the middle finger he’d been searching for on a few climbing subreddits, as well as the comments on Dark Web climbing sites and the comments sections of some climbing webzines. All of this person’s comments had focused on Sasha and had been posted in the past six months.
Someone out there hated her with a passion.
Yeah, well, the joke’s on you, buddy.
Darius would find him and take him down.
He drew his phone out of his pocket to send Sasha a text but hesitated. What could she still see in him after last night? They’d had mind-blowing sex, and then he’d poured out all of the broken parts of himself. He’d told her the entire story, and then he’d fallen the fuck apart. But rather than judging him or showing disgust, she’d offered him compassion. She’d eventhankedhim.
Those tears belonged to a nineteen-year-old boy who never got the chance to shed them. Thank you for trusting me with that side of yourself.
Darius had never shared his past with anyone, probably because some part of him was still afraid people wouldn’t believe him. But Sasha believed him, and she’d made a point of telling him so.
What the hell does she see in you?
Darius pushed the thought aside, sent her a text message to tell her he was done for the day, and asking if she wanted him to stop by, giving her a chance to tell him to fuck off. Her reply was quick and to the point.
Are you kidding? Can’t wait to see you.
Her words unleashed a rush of pheromones. He’d spent all day pushing aside thoughts of last night, sure he’d be too fucking turned-on and distracted to do his job. But he didn’t have to worry about that now.
He packed a few personal items in his duffel—toiletries, razor, a change of clothes, his bathrobe. Then he locked up and took the stairs two at a time down to the Inn’s front entrance. In two minutes flat, he stood at Sasha’s front door, a list of potential sex positions that wouldn’t hurt either of them percolating through his mind.
Yeah, well, he’d better get those out of his head, or he’d walk through the door with a boner.
He knocked, and Sasha answered, wearing a short little black dress that made his jaw drop, her arms, legs, and feet bare, her long blond hair hanging loose. “Damn.”
She looked up at him, confused. “Damn?”
Had he said that aloud?
He tried to get a grip. “You look…hot.”
He stepped inside, closed the door, dropped his bag on the floor—and kissed her. Maybe it was the fact that he’d tried to block her from his mind all day, but he wanted her—now.
“The table.” His voice sounded gruff—a measure of his need for her.
“Yes.” She walked backward to the dining table and, without him to steady her, stepped onto a chair, and then sat on the edge of the table.
She pulled that little dress above her hips to expose her panties then spread her legs. “You’re all I could think about all day.”
Geezus!
He pushed the crotch of her panties aside. “You’re everything I triednotto think about all day.”
