21. Lottie
Lottie
T eddy’s weight presses against my back. A self-satisfied smile stretches across my face. He stayed the night. Even though he said he would, a tiny part of me worried he’d sneak out after I fell asleep.
There’s a reason I’m still a virgin at twenty-six. It’s not just because I’ve been picky about the guys I’ve dated. It always felt like an all-or-nothing situation. If I didn’t have sex with them, they didn’t want anything to do with me.
Maybe I was putting those feelings onto the guys I dated, but there were enough who made it clear that if I didn’t sleep with them, then there was no reason to keep talking. The experience gave me the confidence to be a decent judge of character.
“Good morning.” Teddy nuzzles into the back of my head, his voice raspy from sleep.
I roll over in his arms to see his face. “Hi.” He doesn’t have a line between his eyebrows this morning, and whether it’s because of me or not, I’m totally taking credit.
He presses his lips against my forehead. “How did you sleep? ”
“Great. What about you?”
“Better than I have in a while. Normally, I have some pretty intense dreams.”
I frown. “Like nightmares?”
“Sometimes. Usually, it’ll be about a mission going FUBAR that went smoothly in real life.”
“That sounds stressful.”
“It is. I feel good this morning, though.”
A smug smile tilts the corners of my mouth. “I think that means you should stay here more often.”
Teddy barks out a rusty laugh. It only makes me more smug. “You might be onto something.” He leans in to kiss me, a soft press of his lips against mine. It’s a slow, lazy kiss perfect for Sunday mornings when you have nowhere else to be. Unfortunately, I do have somewhere to be today.
“I need to get ready. I’m meeting with an investigative journalist today about the Mansgrove case.”
“I thought you were already putting out episodes for that case.”
“I am. I do a ton of prep work, like research, recording interviews with family members and friends, and scheduling meetings with other officials in the case. Then, I’ll start putting out episodes.
I’m usually a few episodes ahead of the one I last posted.
It allows me to rearrange the order of information I put out if something interesting comes up that I want to share, but it also lets the listener feel like they’re investigating the case with me. ”
“Huh. That’s pretty smart. I like listening to your voice.”
I huff out a laugh. “Gia calls it my podcaster voice. Obviously, I don’t speak like that regularly.”
“Can I ask you something?” Teddy’s expression grows serious.
“Anything.”
“Are you a virgin? ”
My eyes widen while my cheeks flush. That came out of left field. I look at Teddy’s chin, unable to make eye contact. “Yeah… I know it’s lame to be twenty-six and still have never had sex, but I never found anyone I felt a connection with enough to?—”
“You don’t have to explain anything to me, Sparkles,” Teddy interrupts.
“How did you know?”
He gives me a bland look. “If a man my age can’t spot someone without experience, they either don’t care or have no idea what they’re doing. Neither option is acceptable.”
I bite my cheek to keep my smile in check at Teddy’s admonishment. “That’s sort of the reason I still haven’t had sex with someone.”
I’ve been waiting for you.
I clamp my lips together to keep the confession from spewing out. That’s one way to make a man run from you. Show your crazy while you’re naked in bed with him. A blush threatens to take over my face. I can’t believe I’m naked with a man in my bed. Do we have time to have a repeat of last night?
“What are you thinking about?” Teddy’s eyes narrow.
I grin. “Just wondering how much time we have.”
The wolfish grin that spreads across Teddy’s face makes my core flutter.
“Not enough for me to properly explore you.” With a quick peck on my lips, he sits up, the blanket sliding down his body.
In the bright morning light, I finally get a good look at his muscled body.
Tattoos cover his chest and arm. They range from military themes to scenic views.
I want to know the meaning of all of them.
Maybe next time, I can trace each one with my tongue.
“Go. Before I make you late for your meeting,” Teddy growls.
I giggle as I race out of bed and into my bathroom.
I take a quick shower and come out in my bathrobe to find an outfit.
Teddy is in his clothes from last night, looking deliciously rumpled.
“I pulled out a new toothbrush for you. It’s on the counter.
” I want to ask if he needs anything for his prosthetic, but I’m not sure if that would make things weird.
He hasn’t said anything about it, and I don’t want him to think it makes a difference to me.
I noticed the adaptions in his bathroom and the crutches against the wall at his house. I figured he’d been injured at some point, but I had no clue it was to the extent of needing a prosthetic. My curiosity is dying to ask questions, but I won’t. He’ll tell me when he’s ready to talk about it.
A few minutes later, I’m dressed and Teddy is done in the bathroom. We walk downstairs to the sounds of Gia in the kitchen. My cheeks flush before I even make it around the corner.
A teasing smile is on Gia’s face as she leans against the counter, sipping coffee from a white mug. “Good morning.”
“Morning,” I say with fake nonchalance. “Gia, this is Teddy. Teddy, this is my best friend, Gia.”
“Nice to meet you.” He holds his hand out to Gia.
“You, too. Glad to see someone’s finally defiled our girl.”
“Gia!” I gasp.
Teddy’s eyes sparkle with humor as he looks at me. “And looking forward to the next time.” He tilts my chin up with his thumb and forefinger. “I’m going to head home. I’ll see you later.” He holds my gaze for a second before pressing a lingering kiss to my lips. “Nice to meet you, Gia.”
Teddy turns for the front door and is gone soon after. My heart longs to rush out after him and never let him leave, while my brain warns me not to get too attached too quickly.
“I like him. He’ll be good for you.”
I turn to Gia. “What does that mean?”
She pulls my favorite purple mug from the cabinet and pours some coffee into it. I grab the caramel creamer and a spoon before settling onto the barstool beside her.
“He’s going to ground you when your heart starts to soar too high in the clouds.”
I frown. I don’t think I’ve ever thought about myself like that.
Gia’s right, though. My heart tends to get lofty ideals about life, and I need someone to bring me back down.
When I was little, it was my dad, and then Gia helped when I got older.
Could Teddy become that person for me? The muscle in question gives a thump in the affirmative.
I guess we’re going to find out.
Chris runs his fingers through his shaggy blond hair. He looks younger than his forty years, and his charming smile has been honed to weasel information out of every single person he throws it at.
It’s not working on me—much to his annoyance—as we sit across from each other at The Café.
The juxtaposition between the tightness in his eyes and the smile he wields like a weapon fascinates me.
He’s been trying to get just as much information out of me as I am him.
The only difference is that I’m staying professional while he flirts. Thus his annoyance.
“Do you think the boyfriend did it?” I ask him, my hand poised over my notepad while my recorder catches all the details.
Chris shrugs. “The police pushed him hard, and while I was the one to break the story on Craig’s arrest, I don’t believe he was involved. There are too many things that don’t add up. He made the 911 call immediately after realizing Ms. Mansgrove was missing.”
“That’s not unusual for perpetrators.”
“Except they don’t typically open up their entire lives for scrutiny. He gave the police everything. Cell phone records, credit card statements, DNA… He was an open book.”
“True. And they never found anything indicative of problems in their relationship.”
“Exactly.” Chris nods.
“Did you have anyone you thought was a better suspect?”
“A few, but I could never find anything to make me believe they did it.”
“You’ve been doing this long enough to trust your gut. Who did you have on your list?”
Chris’s sly smile gives me his answer before he says the words. “You know I can’t tell you my suspicions without evidence.”
Not true, but I’m not going to argue with him.
“How long have you been podcasting?” he asks.
“A few years now.”
“And you live here in town?” Chris surveys the café. His nose turns up just the slightest bit. He lives in Greensboro now and works for a much bigger news outlet than he did twelve years ago when he was assigned this case. The disdain for my small town could be seen from a mile away.
“I do. I grew up here and have always loved it. I wanted to try to find some of Ms. Mansgrove’s former students. I haven’t dug into any of the school’s records yet. Do you have any suggestions on starting places?”
I don’t need his advice on this, but I want to get off the topic of me.
“Facebook has a few alumni groups you could check out.”
I nod and write it down in my notebook even though I’ve already been messaging with some of her former students.
I take a sip of my coffee, giving myself a moment to decide if I should end the interview.
Chris hasn’t been the most forthcoming journalist I’ve worked with.
Usually, they’re more than happy to help me with my investigation, but I have a feeling he’s gotten too big for his britches and now wants something in return. Something I will not be giving him.
I reach out to stop the recording and smile at him. “I appreciate you taking the time to meet with me. Talking on the phone is great, but I always prefer to speak face to face.”
“I agree with you. And I’m never going to turn down an afternoon with a beautiful woman.”
I tuck my lips into my teeth to keep from making a disgusted expression. I want to roll my eyes, but that would be rude, so I keep a bland face instead.
“Hey, Sparkles.” Teddy’s spicy scent fills my senses, and my shoulders fall, the tension draining away. I lift my head for a kiss, and he obliges me. “Fancy meeting you here.”
I grin at him before I catch Noah’s smirking face across the room. “What are you two up to?” I realize I’ve ignored Chris and turn back to find his shrewd gaze on Teddy. “Thanks again, Chris. I’ll let you have your afternoon back.” I stand with a smile, not giving him a chance to respond.
Teddy takes my hand and leads me to where Noah sits, their table filled with plates of half-eaten food.
“How long have you been here?” I ask, sitting next to Teddy.
Noah reaches across the table to squeeze my arm in greeting. “A little while. We saw you interviewing that slimy asshole but didn’t want to interrupt. When I saw you end the recording, I knew it was time to swoop in before he could make a move.”
“Please tell me you got some information from him,” Teddy says.
“A little bit. Not as much as I was hoping for, though.”
“Noah had to hold me back from charging over there like a raging bull.”
I snort. “I think I would’ve enjoyed that. ”
“No, you would’ve been annoyed that he interrupted,” Noah calls me out.
“Yeah, probably.” I laugh. “Well, I’ll let you finish your lunch.
Thank you for the rescue.” I smack a quick kiss on Teddy’s cheek, then start to pull away, but he pulls me back in for a lingering kiss to my mouth.
He nods as if he’s satisfied now. With a blush heating my face, I say goodbye to Noah.
He winks at me. “See you later, Lottie.”
I scan Main Street as I walk to my car, watching the shoppers lining the sidewalks. Something snags my attention out of the corner of my eye. I stand at my open car door, trying to find what it is, but all I see are people moving in and out of stores.
I know I saw something. But was it an innocent movement that caught me off guard or something more nefarious?