Page 25 of Broken: Taylor

Chapter 10

Taylor sleptlike he made love. With reckless abandon.

Currently, he was sprawled across her bed. One arm above his head, the other across his midsection, he’d kicked off most of the blankets and was only covered across the hips with the sheet.

With every breath his chest expanded, calling to her to touch and feel the wide expanse. She gave in and ran her hand over the heated skin, enjoying the valleys and hills of the muscles down his stomach. Although he shifted, Taylor didn’t wake. Instead, he turned his face away and continued sleeping.

Her lips curved as she kissed the dip between his pecs and trailed her tongue down past his flat stomach. Then taking his sex in hand, she licked from the base to the tip, hesitating when his breathing hitched.

After twirling her tongue around the tip, his hips jutted upward, a clear signal to proceed. She opened wide to allow the thickness of him to push past her lips.

Allison made sure to prolong the moment until he lost control and yanked her over atop him and drove into her body.

After another bout of lovemaking, Taylor excused himself to shower and Allison pulled an oversized t-shirt over leggings and went to the kitchen. She pondered what would happen next. Of course he’d try to let her down gently.

Would it be the “I’ve got too much going on right now”, or the “This was a one-time thing”?

She stirred creamer into her coffee and watched as the color lightened. It would be the latter. He’d be nice about it, but it would still be awkward.

A breeze blew in through the open kitchen window chilling the room and she took in a deep breath. These few moments before he came out of her bedroom were perfect. To pretend it was the start of a relationship and that he would admit to wanting to spend more time with her. Yes it was silly, but she did just that.

Just then across the street a man stopped and looked up at her window. For a moment or two they locked gazes. He was young, perhaps thirty and wore a thick blue jacket. Chills traveled up her spine. Could it be the killer?

Was he the man on the dark street two days ago? She looked behind to see if Taylor was there and considered reaching for her phone, but it was on the coffee table.

When she looked back the man was gone. It couldn’t be him. The killer would be long gone by now. It was her imagination at work. Of course, that was it.

“Is something wrong?”

Allison jerked around, coffee sloshing out of her cup. She put it down and wiped the counter with a dishtowel.

“No...I don’t think so.”

When he neared, she could see what made him a good detective. He immediately looked out the window and then met her gaze. “What happened?”

“How did you know I was nervous?”

“I saw you look out the window searching, your right hand across your chest.”

Now she felt even more ill at ease. Taylor had been watching her and she’d not noticed.

She let out a long sigh. “I’m sure it’s my imagination. I looked out and there was a man standing there.” She pointed to a street sign.

“He was looking up here at my window. And then when I looked again, he was gone.”

Taylor came up beside her and put his arm around her shoulders. The gesture made Allison want to cry. “Was there something about him that was familiar?”

“I don’t know. I can’t say. It was strange. We kinda stared at each other for a moment. He didn’t smile or wave or nothing. Is that weird? Am I being stupid? Please tell me.”

“No not at all. It’s natural to be suspicious right now. He could have just been admiring you and got caught.”

She wanted to believe him. However, the man seemed to be mad when she looked at him. Again, probably her overactive brain even less affective since the night before.

Allison hugged him and then moved back. “You should go on to work. I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about coming over. I’m closed today and tomorrow, so I’ll go visit my friend in Billings and stay there until the day after tomorrow. Hopefully this will all be over by then.”

“A friend?” His brow crinkled.

“Yes. Hilda. She took over my flower shop there when I moved here. I’ll contact her and I’m sure she won’t mind me spending a couple days there.”

“Not a good idea. I don’t know that I like the idea of you driving alone out of town.” He motioned to the coffeepot and Allison moved back so he could pour.

He turned and studied her for a moment. “Come on, let’s have breakfast. I want to go to the café and make sure the owner is all right. Looks like it’s open.”

Allison laughed. “Umm, I don’t have any make up on. I don’t want to know what my hair looks like right now and look at my outfit.”

When he took her in, Allison was astounded when Taylor seemed pleased with what he saw. “You look perfect to me.”

“After breakfast, we’re getting your eyes checked.” She rushed to the bathroom and splashed water on her face. Allison then finger combed her hair up into a messy loose bun. When she swiped on lip-gloss Taylor leaned in from the doorway. “Ready?”

She nodded and allowed him to lead her out. While she locked the door, Taylor pressed a kiss to her neck. “Thanks for the wake up.”

The warmth of his breath could not compete with the heat that crept up from that spot and now her face was probably beet red.

That certainly completed her ‘awkward, no make up obviously just rolled out of bed look’.