Page 47 of Tempest’s Torment

She nods. "Mmm."

I level my gaze on her. "I don't."

"You just did."

I huff out a breath. "I was humoring you."

"No." She shakes her head. "That was definitely a smile."

"It wasn't."

"It was."

I hold her gaze. "You keeping score now?"

A grin spreads across her face. "Maybe."

I shake my head. "You're trouble."

Her eyebrows lift. "I thought I was the frightened neighbor."

"You can be both."

She laughs; the sound catches me off guard. "What?" she asks.

I realize I've been looking at her a second too long. "Nothing."

"You're smiling again," she says, grinning.

I stare at her, blinking. "No, I'm not."

"You are."

I shake my head. "You really are trouble."

Her grin only widens, and fuck me, I like that grin. I like the way her whole face changes when she smiles, the way her eyes brighten and her nose scrunches slightly when she’s trying not to laugh. I like that I’m seeing more of it lately, and I really fucking like when I’m the reason for it.

My gaze drops to her mouth. That’s becoming a problem too.

I’ve thought about kissing her more than once, wondered if she’d taste as good as I think she would, if she’d make that little breathy sound she makes when she laughs against my mouth.

I drag my eyes back to hers. She’s still looking at me, she’s still smiling, and for a second, I seriously consider finding out.

My phone starts vibrating on the coffee table, and she glances at the screen before I pick it up. "Ghost?"

I nod. "I'll be right back." I step into the hallway and answer. "Morning, Prez."

"Fingerprints came back, there’s nothing on the envelope. Either he wore gloves or the lab pulled nothing viable."

"Expected," I sigh.

"Rogue's still pulling. He's got a partial match on the Matthew Cole identity. Tax ID tracks back to a shell address in Hartford, but he's working on the connection." I hear Ghost exhale deeply. "Camera outside Petals picked up the SUV again at two in the morning."

“The fuck?” I snarl. Two fucking AM?

"He's not just watching during the day." Ghost's voice is filled with anger. "He's mapping the whole picture. Building a schedule."

I look at the apartment door. "She doesn't know about the night sighting."