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Susan: Jared can’t be guilty. He’s being set up, which means Craig’s the traitor. I don’t know how to prove it, but I will. And if Craig could do something like THIS . . . then what if he really knew who Andrew Cutter was back in the day, and he’s why Rebecca died?
I blinked, then reread her message. My heart was officially racing. Mom showing emotions? She’d never be able to say those words out loud. Hence the text.
Susan: I have a bad feeling. What if Jared’s dead?
Finally remembering I could respond back and not be passive to this conversation, I answered her, not providing the most enthusiastic response, because I honestly had no clue what to say.
Me: He may still be alive.
I blamed the exhaustion for my award-winning response.
Susan: I’m getting pulled into the Situation Room, I have to go. It’s late where you’re at. Don’t forget to sleep. Dad sends his love. He’s proud of you.
“Just Dad, huh?” I groaned, needing a palate cleanser after that brief conversation, and my thoughts landed back on texting Carter. Talking to him would help me reset before getting back to work.
At the sound of the door opening, I turned to see Dallas creeping on me. I leaned forward and motioned for him to come in.
He hurried over, planting his paws on my lap to lick my cheek, and seeing him gave me an idea.
“I bet you’ve never taken a selfie before.” I opened the camera app and held the phone out. “How about we send your dad a picture?” Dallas nudged me in the face with his nose before I snapped a few photos of us together, including one where he’d had me laughing.
Once Dallas was parked alongside my chair, I swiped through the pictures, and he howled as if pleased with how they turned out. At this point, I’d begun to wonder if he was part human. He lifted a paw up, swatting the air as if letting me know that was his favorite.
“That one? All right. I’m hitting send.” He curled up by my chair, and I interpreted that as him being content with my choice.
After a few minutes passed and no response, I did my best to focus back on work and not be disappointed. Headphones back on and music playing, I stood and went to the whiteboard to study my calculations again. I did my best to lose myself to the beats playing, but startled when Dallas abruptly hopped up to all fours.
I whirled around to see Carter in the doorway, standing there like a Titan, a man capable of ruling the cosmos. Those strong arms were encased in dark sleeves that showcased the ridges of every muscle.
Unsure why he kept still, quietly staring at me, it dawned on me he was probably waiting for me to pause the music. It was hard to think straight with those dark eyes fixed on me and all that intense brood pointed my way. Which was exactly why he’d avoided me all day.
Music off and headphones and the MP3 player on the desk, I waited for him to speak.
Still nothing.
Dallas began whacking his tail excitedly against his jeaned leg while Carter’s intense gaze magnified. Pupils taking over the dark brown of his eyes, turning them nearly black.
Wringing my hands together, nervous he’d never answered me because he had bad news, I sputtered, “What’s wrong? Something about Craig? Jared? News from Zoey and Camila?”
He shook his head no in response, then pushed away from the doorway, standing tall as his eyes flew to the table. “Is that the only photo you took?”
Pivoting to the side, I followed his gaze to the phone. “There are a few more. Are you upset with me?” Why in the world would a selfie piss him off?
He went over to the phone, wordlessly picked it up, and knowing him and his overprotectiveness, he probably deleted my photos.
Facing me, the phone back on the table, he surprised me by drawing his fist beneath my chin. “I should go now.” Those four words came out hard and rough, and I felt them scrape over my skin.
I swallowed. “Do you have to?”
My lips parted as I tried not to moan at his hard-on now pressing into me. “Yes,” he gritted out. Cupping the back of my head, he brought his mouth to my ear. “I have to relieve my tension, angel. You told me to do it last night, and I didn’t. But if I don’t do it now, I’ll kill someone.”
Closing my eyes, I whispered, “I do like your teammates, so I’d hate for you to have to do that because you’re tense. Plus, we need their help to find my colleagues, not to mention wrap up this case so we can have our shot at forever.” Shot at forever? Yeah, I said that, and his eyes narrowed on my mouth the moment those words dropped.
Drawing his face back to mine, feeling his lips brush across my cheek in the process, I met his gaze as he rasped, “I’m too damn tense to be this close to you, because I want that shot now.”
“And yet, here we are again, not backing away from each other.”
With grit to his voice, he warned, “Do you have any idea how much I want to set you on this desk and eat you out?”
