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“See you Thursday,” I call out as Paigelynn tries to wave, but Rudy pulls her away, his head bent down to whisper in her ear as he guides them away. Winnie climbs up Paigelynn’s shoulder to put her little chin on the crook of Paigelynn’s neck, staring at me.
Why are you letting her go? those little beady dog eyes judge me.
Meanwhile, Butter is licking my knee like it’s an ice cream cone, his long hair brushing against my pants. I bend down and give him lots of scratches, mostly buying myself time to breathe and think.
Nothing about the last thirty-five minutes of my life is akin to anything I’ve encountered before.
And I get the sense that nothing ever will be, again.
Wincing, I turn my phone back on, half-hoping there’s a work emergency to distract me, half groaning inside if there is.
Nothing. No texts.
Whew.
Damn.
Tires squeal on the pavement in the parking lot and sure enough, a late-model black SUV tears out of the lot, screeching past me. A car backs out of a space, forcing Rudy to come to a halt, my smirk impossible to suppress. As I look at the car, Paigelynn’s face is full and stark in the window, my gut tightening with need.
Carefully, I turn my phone in my hand and press what I hope is the camera button, taking as many pictures as I can.
Seconds later, Rudy’s making a right like he’s in hot pursuit of an unknown enemy. All that laying rubber means is that he is pissed.
Good.
Guys like that don’t need any egging on to live in a perpetual state of anger, but I’m glad I’m the one who set him off.
On the other hand, if he takes out his fury on Paigelynn...
Damn it.
Making certain they’re gone, I casually look at my phone, brow dropping as if I’m intensely reading something. Blurry pics of Rudy and Paigelynn greet me, until I hit the jackpot on the eighth one.
Perfect.
She’s so damn perfect.
Bowtie lips. Flaxen hair. A lineless face that is ethereal and fae-like. Her body is lush and tight, I know, from seeing her in class, but the line of her jaw in shadow cries out for a kiss, her worry etched into the way she looks out at me.
Luckily, I got a blurry, but readable, shot of their license plate.
Score.
Something about Rudy Manko makes me want to pull out all the stops investigating him. By the time I’m done, I’ll know which way he dresses, his FICO score, and how many neglected moles he has on his back that need a dermatologist’s attention.
And, of course, I can’t wait to see what I learn about her.
Because making sure I see Paigelynn again is now my number one purpose in life.
Everything in me aches for her.
Touching her again is the only way to make the pain go away.
Chapter Three
Paigelynn
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