Page 71 of Before and After

I was done. I couldn’t fight this anymore. I wanted Allie. “Have dinner with me tonight?”

Her face fell. “I can’t. It’s cocktail night with the girls. Tessa organized it.”

“Ah.”

“That’s right. They’re going to interrogate me.”

“Dinner tomorrow? Ollie as well.”

Warmth crossed her face. “I’d like that. And so would he. He’s staying with Tessa’s aunt tonight. So I definitely want to hang with him tomorrow night.”

“He’s a good kid. We’ll have fun.” I ran my fingers down her neck. Her eyelashes fluttered.

“Now I’m all hot and bothered.” She pushed the sleeves of her sweater up.

I glanced down at her arms. There were bruises on her forearm. Dark smudges that were definitely finger marks. Large ones.

White noise filled my head. I lifted her arm gently. “Did I hurt you?”

“What? No.” She looked down. “Oh, that asshole.”

“Moreland.” My tone was measured, lethal.

Her face changed, her hands pressing to my chest. “Caden, stand down. I’m right here, I’m perfectly fine. You just kissed me like the world was ending.”

I felt a muscle tick in my jaw. I was pissed and she was making me want to smile. I dragged in a deep breath. “You didn’t tell me that he touched you.”

“He grabbed my arm. He suspects something, and he warned me to keep my nose out of his business.”

I growled. Moreland was a dead man.

“Hey.” She pressed a hand to my jaw. “Look at me. You can’t kill him.”

“Yes, I can.”

Her eyes narrowed. “I can’t tell if you’re joking, or not.”

I met her gaze and let her see that I meant it.

“No killing. I want more orgasms, and I have plans to explore this.” She waved a hand up my body. “So no killing.”

“No one would ever find out.”

She huffed. “Caden, I’m counting down to the day that he and his buddies are dragged off in handcuffs. That will be justice.”

“Fine,” I grumbled.

“Good. I have to go.” She rose up on her toes and pressed a quick kiss to my mouth.

I hauled her back and kissed her properly.

“Well, ah…” She pressed her fingers to her lips. “Now, I feel a little dizzy.”

“Dinner tomorrow night?”

She nodded.

“Allie, I’ll be thinking about you tonight. Call me when you get home.”