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His smile is just as big and as beautiful as I remember and it widens as I get closer. He's wearing a pair of well-fitting jeans hugging his thighs, an unzipped hooded jacket, and a 49ers T-shirt—all of which are pretty much his standard off-duty attire.
“Aly,” he says when I reach him, opening his arms to me and wrapping me up tight when I step into them.
“This is a nice surprise,” I say, hugging him before shifting back and meeting his eyes. “I thought you weren’t coming back up for a month.”
“Found time to make a special visit,” he replies, his eyes sliding over me from head to toe.
My brows bunch together as I try to read into his words—or more so, what he’snotsaying. “Should I be worried that you’re delivering the background checks in person?”
“I wanted to check that you were okay,” he says, making my heart melt a little. Aiden had always been a sweetheart, albeit one with a sexy masculine edge that he often used to his advantage. But no matter how long we go between visits, he’s always checking in on me.
"I'm a big girl, Aiden. I can handle getting played."
“Believe me,thatI know,” he growls. I go to open the door but look back over my shoulder at him, catching his eyes pinned on my ass. He shrugs when he realizes he’s caught, his knowing smirk unapologetic in its delivery. Suddenly my newfound resolution to stay away from men takes a direct hit and wavers.
Turning, I step toward him, and as soon as I'm within reach, he links his hands around my waist and pulls me in close, the warmth and comfort of his arms instantly relaxing me as he walks me backward until my back hits the door. Unable to stop myself, I melt into him.
“Missed you, Aly,” he murmurs, burying his face into my neck and pressing a light kiss to my skin. “Forgot how good you smell.”
“And I forgot how good you are for me inallways," I whisper, my voice breathy and shaking. My nerves are totally shot when it comes to trusting my instincts.Thanks for that boon, Barrett Matthews.
“You’re good for a man’s ego. That’s for sure.” He pulls back with a grin and a gentle squeeze of his arms. “So, are you gonna invite me in or are we gonna shoot the shit in the hallway?”
“Detective Lawrence,” I gasp in feigned shock, holding my hand over my heart. “Shouldn’t you be warning meagainstinviting strangers into my apartment?”
He dips his head and drops his lips to my mouth, brushing over them before dragging them along my jaw and stopping just below my ear. "I've been inside you more times than I can count, Aly, and still can't get enough. Invite me in."
Every word he rasps and every stroke of his fingers on my hip as he says them sends jolts of electricity through me. My breathing stutters and my heart feels like it's trying to jump out of my chest and into his. Aiden's always had this effect on me and right now, with the tender state my head and my heart are in, maybe it's exactly what I need.
My tongue darts out and I lick the curve of his ear before sucking the lobe between my lips. “Wanna come inside, Detective Lawrence?”
He groans then chuckles, his eyes dancing and I know that whatever payback he has planned will be worth it. with planned payback as he steps back and picks up his overnight bag from the floor. “Thought you’d never ask.”
We stand there staring at each other for another moment or two. “So . . . are you going to do that then?” he asks with a quirked brow.
"What?" I snap out of my Aiden appreciation haze.
He smiles knowingly at me. “Open the door, Aly.”
“Oh, yes. Right,” I say, my hand shaking as I let us in, walking across the open-plan room and dropping my purse on the counter.
“I think I need a drink after the week I’ve had.” I move around to the cabinet where I keep the good stuff and open it, looking back over my shoulder and finding Aiden leaning against the wall with an unreadable expression. “Aiden?”
He glances up and I gulp at the serious look on his face, my bright mood at seeing him disappearing with the next words out of his mouth.
“With what I have to tell you, you better make it two.”
ChapterEight
“Now you can cut the act and tell me how you’vereallybeen,” Aiden says, leaning back on my sofa, his body angled toward me.
"I'm good," I lie as I took a big gulp from my now half-full wine glass.
“You know it’s my job to look for signs of deception, right?” he muses, tapping my knee with his foot.
“Okay,Detective.” I sigh. “I’m good, but I’m also not.” I nod toward the brown paper envelope he placed on my coffee table before sitting down. “And I’m hoping you can help allay my fears about whatever the hell this mess with Gavin and Barrett is all about.”
“I can, but before we get to that. There is another reason why I’m here in person.”
