Page 83 of The Haunting Plot

“No.”

“Can I take your pants off?”

“Please.”

I hook my fingers into the waistband, expecting her panties to come off with her pants, but they’re still there when I look down, stretching up past her belly button. “Fuck me, those are some tall panties.”

She playfully swats my chest and lifts her hips as I pull them off her.

A small groan of appreciation escapes me as I take her in. Her body is breathtaking. Beautiful in its unique imperfections. A birthmark on her hip. Faint stretch marks around her navel from the children she’s carried. The soft rolls of her stomach that she’s constantly trying to hide. A small thatch of curls surrounding that perfect pussy I want to devour every inch of.

My mouth hovers over her navel as I slowly tease it with the tip of my nose. I press a tender kiss on one of her stretch marks, and she arches slightly as I take my time kissing her stomach. Then I hover over her hip, kissing my way up until I reach the flesh of her breast, remembering what she told me about how she likes her nipples played with.

Every flick of my tongue against her hard peak makes her writhe, and I delight in the effect I have on her. The way she feels under me. The moans she can’t contain at my touch.

Fuck, I want more moments like this with her. My chest swells with pride at the fact that I can bring her this kind of pleasure. It makes me wish the ghost haunting us would destroy parts of the house so I’d have an excuse to stick around longer, because I can’t imagine she’ll want me to stay once this is over. Shit, I hope that’s not the case.

“Are you okay?” Raven’s head pops up, her big blue eyes peering down at me with concern.

Get it together, man. “Yeah. Why?”

“Your tongue is stroking the same spot over and over again, and your eyes are glazed over. Are you in your head?”

“How did you know that?” I ask, surprised.

“I told you, I’m excellent at pattern recognition. Plus you have dozens of tells.”

“Sorry, I’m just really fucking excited, and I’m trying not to finish too soon, so I started thinking about shit, and then I fell down a rabbit hole.”

She reaches down and cups my cheek. “I never thought I would admit this out loud, but I like you, Sawyer. You intrigue me, and I want to explore this with you.”

“So you don’t just want me for my body?” I tease.

“It’s more than that, and you know it.”

Her admission stuns me.

“Do you think I’d let you in my house, into my life, my children’s lives if this was just a quick fuck?”

“No.”

“When you showed up at my house fire, there was something in your eyes that stuck with me. A warmth, a kindness. Everything was so chaotic, but you were this steady, calming presence. You showed up for me that day because it was your job, but then you kept showing up. I didn’t scare you. My snark turned you on.”

“It still does.” I smile down at her as I inch up her body.

“Trusting men is really hard for me. My dad skipped out on us when I was young. Most men I dated before Kris were threatened by me and never stuck around. Even my brother moved away.”

I sit back on the bed, still between her thighs, listening to her confession. “Are you why he moved back a year ago?”

“I think he was worried about me after Kris passed. Even though we weren’t in love, Kris was the only person who truly chose me. And losing him was the hardest thing I’ve endured.”

No wonder she’s always on the defensive. Every man that’s important to her has left her in one way or another.

I lean down and place a kiss on her forehead, my lips brushing against her skin as I speak. “Is that why you always ask me where I’m going?”

She shoves at my chest. “I do not.”

“You do. It’s cute.” I lean on my arm, using the other to tip her chin up to mine. Our eyes lock, and something shifts in my chest. “Just know that if I leave, I’m coming back. I’m not going anywhere. I will keep showing up for you.”