‘I wanted to check on you.’
‘Check on me?’ she snaps. ‘You’ve broken into my house!’
‘Don’t get your panties in a twist again, Little Suspect. The door was unlocked. I told you to start locking things behind you.’ I lean against her marble basin. ‘You were taking forever in that shower.’
A little burst of pink flushes up her neck and into her cheeks, and Christ, I want to eat it up.
‘You know I’ll always come if you call me.’ I smile.
‘I did not call you.’ She storms past me to her bedroom dresser, wrenching it open to rummage about.
‘Yeah,’ I agree. ‘Youmoanedfor me.’
Her movements falter before she whips around. ‘I could kill you.’
My brows rise. ‘Kinky.’
Her eyes flicker to a selenite crystal tower perched on a shelf. I still know her well enough to realise she might make good on her threat and throw it at my head.
‘What do you want from me?’ she asks, giving me a heated gaze that I happily return.
‘Everything.’
‘You can’t have it.’
‘I will.’ I step closer until her dainty fingers reach up to halt my movements.
‘Can you not?’ Her fingers tremble. ‘You suck up all my air when you get this close. I—’
‘You think you don’t do the same to me?’ I retort. ‘You think it’s easy for me to breathe when you’re around?’
Her lips part, a slow stream of air escaping them. I bite down on my tongue just to occupy my teeth with something other than the thought of taking her lips between them.
‘I don’t understand what this is.’ She points between us. ‘Why are you here?’
Sighing, I reach into my back pocket, remembering there’s more at risk here. Back to business. ‘Where’s the Mustang? It’s not out front.’
‘I resprayed the panels today. It’s at the garage, curing.’
‘Great. Next issue.’ Pulling out the piece of paper, I smooth it against the dresser. ‘I need to know who gave this to you.’
I need to know if the blond guy I saw is Landon. Or Erik.
She snatches the paper and crumples it in her hands, attempting to dismiss me.
My fingers wrap around her bicep. ‘Gianna, I need a name.’
‘It’s not your concern.’
‘I’m not fucking around, Gianna. I need his name.’
‘Dang. Alright.’ She shuffles out of my hold. ‘I don’t know what’s gottenyourpanties in a twist, coming into my home like this. FYI, you’re proving the point I was making at the speedway. This is the monster I was talking about.’
She can call me, and this surge of protectiveness, whatever she wants. It doesn’t matter to me – all that matters is that she’s safe and to do that I need her to be honest.
‘Do you trust me?’ I ask.
She flinches, like I’ve just cursed her out. The movement is jarring. Is that what this is? Has she really lost trust in me? Her words from the speedway float around in my mind.You left me.
