Page 58 of Kiss of Deceit

I swallowed my laugh. That fact didn’t bother me at all. Ever since Jillian was killed, I’d been looking over my shoulder. No one would catch me by surprise.

“I’m going to bed. I need some sleep before I go to the station tomorrow.” I couldn’t see him in the dark but heard him as he stood from the couch. I bit my lip, his naked image filling my mind. “That was fun, Kole. I might take you up on the offer to do it again.”

With a small giggle, I headed toward the stairs, letting out a cry of surprise when he swung me up into his arms.

“Take up my offer now,” he rasped, climbing the steps. “I want you in my bed.”

Since I had no desire to tell him no, I wrapped my arms around his neck as he carried me up the steps.

“This won’t turn into anything,” I whispered.

I wasn’t sure if those words were for him or myself. This was why I’d been keeping my distance from him. I was strong in so many ways, yet weak in others. While I rarely allowed myself to acknowledge it—the truth swallowed me when I let it.

Utter loneliness. The absence of a soft touch. The connection with someone who made butterflies swarm in my stomach.

“This means nothing,” he agreed, his voice giving away no emotion. “But let’s not pretend you’re not enjoying it.”

“If I wasn’t enjoying it, I wouldn’t be in your arms right now.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

kole

“You didn’t haveto walk with me,” Dani muttered. It was so cold I could see her breath when she continued speaking. “You’re never up this early.”

“I need to prep the bar before it opens,” I lied. After I’d heard her sneak out of my bed this morning, I couldn’t fall back asleep. So here I was, trudging through six inches of fresh snow to the police station. She hadn’t spoken a word about last night, acting like I didn’t spend half the night with my head between her legs. All I could think about was doing it again.

“Are we going to act like nothing happened last night?” I questioned unable to hold back, catching her eye.

Her cheeks were already pink from the cold, but I didn’t miss how they flushed deeper. “I wasn’t aware what we did warranted a conversation.”

I chuckled. “It doesn’t. Your hoarse voice from screaming all night is all the reminder I need.”

She shoved her hands in her jacket pockets. “I’m surprised you’re not going back home.”

Her sudden change of subject wasn’t a surprise. “Why?”

“You didn’t clean up the kitchen,” she said quietly, sneaking a glance at me.

I nearly stumbled over my next step. “What?”

“You made us eggs and didn’t wash the pan…or the plates.”

I frowned, thinking of what I did before leaving the house. Unease crept through me and squeezed. “I’ll do it later,” I grumbled, ignoring the knots in my stomach.

“I bet you’ll go straight home after this. You won’t last all day knowing the kitchen isn’t cleaned.”

I halted in my tracks to stare at her. “Psychoanalyzing me, Dani?”

“It’s hard not to when we live together.” She lifted a shoulder in a half shrug. “You’ve already figured things out about me without me saying a word.”

The resignation in her voice had me chuckling. Her job was to figure people out, but she clearly hated when it was done to her.

In two large steps, I eliminated the space between us. She leaned against the brick wall of the café as she tilted her face up to meet my eyes. Her hands remained buried in her pockets, a small sign that my closeness wasn’t bothering her.

“Profile me,” I murmured, smiling in amusement when surprise crossed her features. “It’s only fair. You revealed your past to me.”

“Not all of it,” she mumbled in nearly a whisper.