Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 71095 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 355(@200wpm)___ 284(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71095 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 355(@200wpm)___ 284(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
“I didn’t mean to scare you, Maddie.”
I looked up into his eyes. “I know. It’s just, hell I don’t know what it is Jamie. I’m jumpy and out of sorts, that’s all.”
His brows dipped into a low, concerned vee. “Did something happen? Talk to me.”
I smiled and cupped his cheek because he really was the sweetest man I had ever met, wrapped up in that big, muscular body. “Nothing specific, Jamie. It’s just life in general, I guess.”
“You sure?”
I nodded, feeling my nipples bead against his rock hard body.
“Positive.” I took a step back and grinned. “You’re sweet for worrying.”
“Sweet?”
The word came out on a low growl, and before I could take another step away, Jamie’s mouth crashed down on mine, demanding and intense.
It was a totally unexpected kiss, but holy hell, it was the mother of all fucking kisses. In fact, I was sure that no one in the history of the world had ever been kissed as thoroughly as he was kissing me.
His lips were soft, but his scruff scraped the edges of my lips and chin. He tasted like the cinnamon gum he chewed nonstop, and suddenly, it was my favorite flavor, Jamie and hot cinnamon gum. It was fantastic. My nipples were as hard as diamonds and my panties got wetter by the second, and when Jamie pressed his whole body against mine, I shuddered and let out a sigh.
God, yes. I wanted this kiss and what it was leading to more than anything at that moment. But my brain chose that moment to step up and inject logic into the proceedings.
Jamie’s your friend.
Your best and only friend.
But I like him. A lot.
But relationships don’t last, and you’ll probably lose him.
That reminder was the equivalent of a bucket of ice water mixed with acid all over me, and I took a step back, chest heaving with breathlessness.
“Jamie.” My eyes were wide as I stared up at him. “That was…wow.”
His lips curled into a satisfied smile. “It was.”
“It was also a bad idea.”
“It was?”
I nodded, seeing the future in quick takes laid out before me. From that one kiss, we’d wind up naked and having fun, a lot of fun, but after that would come awkwardness and accusations and eventually, goodbye.
“It was. I should, uh, go.”
Feeling sad and disappointed and so turned on, I wanted to scream. I fled Jamie’s condo like my ass was on fire.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Jameson
Checking something out. Be in a little later. Ellison.
I sent a text to Agent Beck from the lobby of Savannah’s brand new office building. The men in my family were big on asking forgiveness rather than permission, and I was no different. It was easier to apologize if it didn’t pan out than to argue with Beck, who was at times, irrational.
Fine. That was Beck’s response. I couldn’t help but smile. She seemed like a capable agent, but whatever her true motives were, she did a shit job of keeping her emotions in check.
“Ms. O’Connor will see you now.” The almost invisible assistant approached as quietly as a ninja, appearing in front of me like a goddamn ghost. “Ready?”
“Yeah, I am. Thanks.” She led me to the same office where Beck and I had spoken with Savannah last week. “Good morning, Savannah. How are things?”
She looked up, an amused smile on her face. “Things are…better every day, thanks. You?”
I shrugged. “Most days, I’m not sure. Not bad, not good, just moving along.” She motioned for me to take the seat across from her and leaned back in her leather chair, her fingertips pressed together in a steeple formation.
“You’re not here just to check up on me.” It wasn’t a question. Savannah was a smart woman with good instincts.
“Not just, no.” I sighed and sat a little taller, looking her right in the eyes so she would see me as the law and not as Charlie’s younger brother. “I was hoping without Agent Beck around we could talk a bit more openly.”
“Is that so?” Her brow arched in suspicion.
“Yeah. I just want to know anything you know that might be useful to solving the murders. I don’t give a shit about anything else.”
Savannah assessed my words with a slow, thoughtful nod, and she opened her mouth just as the office door smacked open.
“What in the hell do you think you’re doing here?” Charlie glared down at me like he thought of me as the enemy.
I sighed and turned my gaze back to Savannah. “Anything?”
“I’m talking to you, not her,” he growled.
I looked up at my brother with a bored expression. “And this isn’t your clubhouse, and you’re not her attorney, so I don’t need to hear from you at all, Charles.” I knew that would piss him off because it had for as long as I could remember.
“Go away, Jameson.”
I stood and got in my brother’s face. Not because I wanted to fight him, but because sometimes it was useful to impose my height and weight advantage just to remind him that, yes, I could kick his ass. If I wanted.