Chapter 27
Kade
“I’m sorry, Flygirl.” Throat dry, I tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. “It was a figure of speech, that’s all.”
“You said, and I quote, ‘Are you nuts?’ Not a lot of other ways to interpret the phrase.” Her eyes lift to mine—the sparks of anger dissolving.
When her dark pupils widen—my cock stirs. This woman is going to be the death of me.
“What I should’ve said is I care a whole lot about you—how I don’t want you hurt. We should wait until morning.”
Her gaze drops, so I gently lift her chin. “If you go into the woods, let me be clear—I will follow you. I’d take a bullet for you, honey.”
Eyes wide, she searches my face for a lie. Finding none, she slips from my grasp, cupping my cheeks.
“Same.” The soft admission barely rises above the chorus of crickets, peepers, and the mournful hoot of a lonely owl.
Everything around us stays the same—yet my whole damn world just shifted. I’m betting neither of us understands what love is, but hell, we may be getting close.
My body aches to go back to the bedroom, stop talking, and show her how I feel. A few brain cells protest—reminding me we’ve got a killer to hunt come first light.
Clearing my throat, I turn toward the living room. “We need shuteye. You can take the mattress.”
She wrinkles her nose at my lumpy couch. “Don’t be ridiculous. We’re way past separate beds.”
“You don’t understand.” After my feet close the distance between us, I lower my mouth to hers. “I’m on fire for you, Briana.”
“That’s okay.” Her fingers thread through my hair. “I’m not at all tired.”
“Bree…” Use your words, Kade.
I’m a goner the moment she sucks my earlobe.
“Listen,” she whispers, “this—whatever it is—is a terrible idea. We’re way too different. But for now, for tonight, let’s escape.”
A laugh rumbles from my chest. “Different? Bree, we’re too much alike. Bossy. Arrogant. Ex-military…” Tilting my head, I grin. “Want me to keep going?”
My hands find her hips, guiding them to meet the ache straining my sweats. “Still can’t believe someone as beautiful as you would give a guy like me a second glance.”
She rolls her eyes. “Go on now. I’m a seven, at best.”
“Let’s agree to disagree.” Slowly, deliberately, I trace her jaw, my thumb sliding down her cheek.
“Pert nose. High cheekbones. And these lips?” I brush a kiss across them, then I shake my head. “You take my breath away.”
Her scoff makes me close it down with my finger. “Don’t. Honey, I keep staring, hoping to find a flaw.”
“And?” Suspicious eyes narrow under long lashes.
“I can’t.” My hand guides hers to the heat that never goes away when she’s near. “This is what you do to me, understand?”
Nodding, she swallows hard—and wraps her fingers around me, sending lightning through my spine.
“I changed my mind. Let’s do this.” As I drown in her gaze, a moment of hesitation flickers across her face.
Then, she inhales deeply, lust-filled eyes meeting mine. “Copy that.”
Green light given, my lips make love to hers.
We take it deeper. Her moans coupled with her fingernails at the back of my neck, set me on fire.
Mouths busy, I scoop up her ass as I stumble us down the hallway.
Laughing, we bump into the wall. By some miracle, we collapse onto the bed in a tangle of limbs and heated passion.
In seconds, her t-shirt’s gone, tossed somewhere. She yanks my briefs down, freeing me. Her bare skin presses against me, those soft curves massaging hard muscles. Lord help me, I can’t stop touching her. Butt, waist, breasts, thighs—I want all of her—everywhere.
As she arches, our nipples graze.
“Gotta. Slow. Down.” Barely able to breathe, I roll her on her back, pinning her wrists with one hand.
Pupils dark, ribcage heaving, she watches me while my heart pounds. “You are so freaking gorgeous.”
At the tiny shake of her head, my tongue journeys past her chin to her collarbone. Palms traverse her breasts. Calloused fingertips pinch her nipples until they pebble. Job well done, I scoot down the mattress, spread her feet, and toss her legs over my shoulders.
Holy shit. Her clit’s swollen. Aching for me.
She tastes incredible—tangy, sweet, pure Bree. As my tongue teases, her heels dig into my upper body. One suck later, her release rips through her. Limbs shaking, she tugs me by the hair.
“Inside me. Marine. Now.”
Already lined up, I plunge. Her body clenches, still trembling from her first release.
“Oh, man.” There’s no holding back. Fierce, steady, I drive us higher.
Ankles locked, hips tilting, she’s relentless as she moves with me. Deeper now, my world narrows. Just her. Just this. Climbing fast. No turning back. As I’m about to come, she grins wickedly and rolls us over.
Upright, head back, boobs bouncing, she straddles my hips.
The tsunami that has been building below rises high to hit the shore. Balls tight, I shout, exploding inside her with a groan.
“Ah fuck, yesss!”
As I come, she shudders, then collapses onto my chest. I don’t remember drifting off, but at some point in the night, she shifts off me to the mattress. An arm around her waist, I tuck her close.
Best night ever.
Sated, I sleep soundly.
Sometime later, before the sun rises, scents of coffee and sizzling pork wake me. Padding into my tiny kitchen, I slide behind my sexy flygirl to hug her. Wearing only my t-shirt, she’s pure temptation.
Today, we will capture the killer, so we can get back to what’s important. Us.
Ignoring my hard-on, I nibble the back of her neck. “Did you sleep well?”
“Like a rock. How about you?” As I’m about to answer my dog bounds in front of the kibble cabinet, whining pathetically.
“Oh, you big faker.” Hands on her waist, Bree laughs lightly. “Don’t let her fool you. I fed her.”
“We both thank you.” Cup in hand, I pour myself some joe.
After taking a gulp, I tug her to me. “I slept better than drinking a whole bottle of Nyquil.”
“So, making love was kind of like cough medicine?” She’s not a giggler, which makes the sound all the sweeter.
The L-word floors me. I probably shouldn’t make too much of it, but dammit… the warmth in my heart? It feels like coming home.
Shaken to the core, I pull my toaster from the hutch, put it on the table, and plug it into the extension cord. Meanwhile, she forks the crispy meat onto one of my grandmother’s blue willow plates.
Sitting, she clinks her ceramic mug against mine. “Bon appétit.”
When the bread pops up, to my horror, she spreads peanut butter before piling on strips of bacon.
With her mouth full, she moans like she did during the night. “Oh-maaaa-gawd, this is superb.”
Holy hell. All I want to do is drag her back to bed which can’t happen until we find the killer.
Wiping my hands on a napkin, I power up my computer. “If you don’t mind, I want us to review what happened in the woods. Even the smallest detail can help.”
She swallows back her last bite while scooting her chair closer. “Let me think… Before I met Andrea, I had a creepy feeling as if being followed. He might be trolling a larger section of the trail than we think.”
I make a note of it. “Go on.”
“Nothing else. Andee and I argued, I hiked, talked to Herman—” Her lids lower. “The night they fired into my tent, it was pitch black. I still can’t believe I fell asleep—the gunshot scared the shit out of me.”
“Wait. That’s it.” Heart hammering, I move closer to her.
“Not following you.”
“Diego Carmine, if it was him in the forest, he couldn’t’ve used your pistol—he hadn’t stolen it yet. He must’ve had his own. The bullet’s probably still lodged in the dirt. If we find it, it might link him to other unsolved murders, which takes the pressure off you.”
I wonder if I ought to call Hunt. He is the one in charge of the investigation. However, if I do, he won’t let her anywhere near the crime scene. If he forbids her, she might try to go it alone. Also, after the parking lot incident, I’m not keen on sharing intel.
Dammit. Clearly, I’m biased. I should hand in my badge—but who would take over as sheriff?
“Oorah.” Determined to put an end to this, I stand. “Let’s go. We’ve got work to do.”