AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“No.” Alex dips her head in a way that makes her look demure even as her height surpasses Wayne’s. “I’m hoping to do an analysis on this case. It could help criminal profilers in future cases. A case review and analysis, if you will.”
“Huh.” Wayne’s hand rests on his belly and he rubs up and down. “Sure. I’m a little swamped these days. What with doing everything for Jack and, well, he’s my first priority, but once things calm down, I should be able to work you in.”
“That would be wonderful. Thank you.”
“You must be relieved for Sophia to be found,” Alex says. The hand on Wayne’s belly stills. “I mean, you’ll have Jack back in the office.”
“Oh.” He smiles and steps to the door. “Eventually. He’ll need to be there for Sophia for quite a bit. And that’s fine.” His back is to me now, and his slippered feet slide as he shuffles to the front door. “I’ll cover as long as he needs me to. He’s like family. That’s what you do for family.” He pauses at the front door and looks over his shoulder. “Thanks. For everything. For finding Sophia. Being a good friend to Jack. All of it.” He taps the front door handle. “Lock this up behind me, okay?”
“Goodnight, Wayne,” I say.
After locking the door, I follow Alex up the side staircase that leads to the guest rooms. Our bags are in the center of the living area. In a few hours, morning light will break.
She pauses at the doors to the bedrooms with a questioning expression. She’s unsure, but I’m not. I place my hand on her hip and guide her into the bedroom.
“Let’s go to sleep.”
I remove my shirt and pants and pull back the comforter and sheets. She pauses, then opens her overnight bag, grabs a few toiletries, and steps into the bathroom. We are quiet and methodical, moving through the motions of preparing for bed.
I close my burning eyes. The bed shifts with her weight as she climbs in. She covers her legs with the comforter and lies down beside me. There’s a foot of space between us, and we’re both lying stiff on our backs, looking up to the ceiling. It’s awkward, and there’s no reason for uneasiness.
I reach for her and tug her to me. The smooth silk of her nightdress glides against my side, and one of her long legs covers mine. I press a kiss to the top of her head.
We’re both exhausted, but this position feels natural and right. It’s been an exhausting, emotional day. We both need sleep. We’ll regroup in the morning. Check on Sophia and determine our next steps.
“Sleep,” I tell her. Through her chest pressed up against my side, I can feel the soft thud of her heartbeat. My muscles relax into her warmth, and I ease into sleep.
I sense someone watching me. My eyes are closed, and my hand flattens against a cool surface. My fingers clench down into a surface that gives. A mattress. My eyelids bat open. Shadowed white walls, rays of light piercing through unfamiliar dark curtains. The ornate bedpost triggers my memory. I’m in Jack’s guest room.
My slow train of thought reflects back over yesterday’s events. I rub a hand over my eyes and remove heavy kernels of sleep. The bed dips, and I breathe in coffee.
Alex peers down at me, a white porcelain coffee cup in hand. She’s wearing the silk chemise I curled into last night. The same one that curves around her breasts and rises high on her thighs. But those dark forest eyes drill into me. She’s not here to tempt me. She’s got something on her mind, and the way her focus is on me, it feels personal.
“Morning,” I say cautiously.
“Morning.” She sips her coffee without lifting her gaze.
“Everything okay?” I don’t have a wealth of relationship experience, but I’m not a schmuck. I recognize a woman who wants to talk. Unease in my gut rises because I’m fairly certain talks aren’t good and I thought we settled everything yesterday.
“Are you seeing someone else?” Her tone is light. Steady. Her gaze doesn’t lift from me, because she’s studying me. She’s watching my reactions. She wants the truth.
“I told you, I am not,” I say, but my gaze falls to the lumps of my feet beneath the gold-swirled comforter. I push up and slide back until my back hits the bedframe. It feels a bit like I’m being interrogated, and my defenses rise. “Why?” I practically growl.
Her head snaps back as if my question slapped her. My cottonmouth is heavy, and I push the comforter off my lap and head to the restroom. I close the door, relieve myself, brush my teeth, splash water on my face, and take stock in the mirror. There’s a day’s rough growth covering my jaw, and my eyes are hooded. The skin on the right side of my face is a blustery red from where I was sleeping so hard. Before she positioned herself to wake me by staring at me.
This is bullshit. I brought her into a room with me, and we slept together without having sex. Can’t say I’ve done that before with a woman. Isn’t that a relationship litmus? But the fact is, whenever she’s texting on that phone of hers, I’m always wondering who’s got her in a conversation frenzy. Maybe she’s right. Maybe revisiting to clarify any outstanding questions isn’t the worst idea. I’m not interested in anyone else. She spends her days around single college students.
With one last glance in the mirror, I swing the bathroom door open, prepared to have the talk. But she’s no longer in the bedroom.
I step onto the narrow balcony and find her sipping that little cup of coffee while she leans against the window frame, looking out at the swaying palms. With two long strides, I stand behind her. I brush a loose strand of hair off her cheek and gently tuck it behind her ear. I caress her hip, loving the smooth feel of silk beneath my fingers.
“I’m not interested in dating anyone else.” Her thick eyelashes flutter, and she tilts her head, angling it so she can fix me with her forest gaze again.
“What I stumble on is that Trevor is your close friend, and he believes you are.”
There’s no reason for me to keep my sister a secret. I simply keep family shit close to the vest. Always have, for as long as I can remember. Besides, mental illness isn’t something to flaunt in the military. My mother has never been officially diagnosed, and that probably helped my military career. And a sister with a drug addiction isn’t light conversation. Trevor might be like a brother, but we’ve never had a moment where it felt like the right time to unload something so heavy. Sure, Trevor has hinted that he thought I was dating someone in San Diego. In all fairness, Trevor suspects I’m sleeping with any woman who knows my name. Have never seen a reason to correct him. Those green eyes study me.
“Get dressed. There’s someone you need to meet.”
