Page 60 of Ride the Lightning
Did he dare believe?
Avery licked his plump bottom lip invitingly.
Yes, goddamn it. He fucking dared.
Jonah walked Avery to his car the following morning, intending to give him a brief kiss before he left, but Avery melted against him. Short and sweet turned into long and lazy. Avery made a happy little humming sound when Jonah broke their kiss.
“Keep making those noises, and you’ll be really late for work.”
Avery’s eyelashes fluttered before opening to reveal a lust-drunk gaze. “You can’t possibly be ready to go again.” Oh, the funny things that came out of those sexy lips.
“You’re pressed against my body, so you tell me.”
Avery closed his eyes again as a full-body shiver rolled through him.
“Aren’t you the one who said you wanted to feel me all day?” Jonah whispered in his ear before biting down on the lobe.
Avery’s sexy gasp drove Jonah crazy. He slid his hands beneath the hem of Avery’s T-shirt. He wanted to kiss that cinnamon-colored freckle once more and was just about to drop to his knees when a sharp whistle split the air, snatching Jonah out of his fantasies.
“Lord, child,” Marla said from her front porch, “take the boy back inside and do it right.” Betty, who’d been squatting to pee, straightened her hind legs and gave two short barks. She agreed with her human, who was dressed like she was going to church.
Jonah narrowed his eyes as he cataloged everything about Marla and this moment, unwilling to forget even a second. The ivory dress with yellow and pink flowers looked terrific against her dark skin. She’d matched it with a yellow cardigan, a straw hat with a pink ribbon and yellow flowers, and high-heel sandals. He thought they were called wedges. “It’s Thursday,” Jonah called out across their yards.”
Marla lifted her white-gloved hands and slowly clapped them. “That’s good, honey. Now tell me what year it is.”
Avery, who’d rested his forehead against Jonah’s chest, laughed hard.
“Don’t encourage her,” Jonah admonished playfully.
“Oh, please, do encourage me, baby,” Marla quipped.
Jonah looked down into Avery’s smiling eyes, and even though he hated to let him go, Avery needed to head across town to get ready for work. He couldn’t afford to be late and give Trexler a reason to make his life hell. “I better see what she’s up to today,” Jonah said, then kissed Avery’s lips once more. “She rarely gets up before noon, and she’s dressed like she has an appointment with the queen.”
“I do have an appointment with my drag mother, but she’s always a queen to me,” Marla said, laughing when Jonah looked at her. “Ain’t nothing wrong with my hearing.”
Avery laughed again. “Good luck today. I hope you blow the case wide open.”
Royce had texted Jerry Locke’s number to him that morning. He’d also said he and Sawyer had plans for Saturday night if the criminals of Savannah behaved long enough for the busy homicide detectives to have the night off. He asked if they could get together the following weekend instead, and Jonah agreed.
He’d shared his enthusiasm over both bits of news with Avery, who seemed more excited about the potential interview than attending the barbecue. Not for the first time, Jonah wondered about Avery’s past with the Savannah Police Department. How had he come to know his aunt and the two detectives who made him as nervous as a whore in church when they visited the GBI offices. He’d seen Royce and Sawyer speaking to Avery in hushed tones more than once. Their body language was always engaging and noncombative. Avery never looked scared, but dark shadows appeared in his eyes for a little bit after each encounter.
He could’ve asked Avery how he came to know his aunt and detective buddies, but Jonah had a good idea. Right before he’d met Avery, a vigilante group called The Purists had pervaded the city of Savannah with chaos. They used arson and various intimidation tactics to terrorize people they felt betrayed those who believed in them. Ellen had sent Royce and Sawyer to meet with Jonah to develop a criminal profile on the mastermind behind the group. The Purists had started off by sending threatening letters to their victims but quickly moved on to the internet when their need for attention grew. Jonah had promptly recognized the person cutting out individual letters from magazines and newspapers wasn’t the same individual who had created an untraceable website. The skillsets and mindsets for the two approaches were vastly different. Jonah quickly realized The Purists had found themselves a very gifted hacker.
Ellie had decided Jonah needed an intern soon after Royce and Sawyer solved the case. Avery was the most skilled hacker Jonah had ever met. The timing could be a coincidence, but Jonah didn’t believe in them. He’d been hesitant to take Avery on as his intern, but then he met Avery and understood why Ellie wanted to help him. Recognizing Avery’s potential, Ellie would’ve wanted to give him a second chance. Jonah was certain thatifAvery had done The Purists’ hacking, he hadn’t done so willingly.
“I better go. Call me later,” Avery said, stepping out of Jonah’s arms to open his car door.
“I will.” Jonah watched Avery back out of the driveway and waved as he drove off. Turning his attention to Marla, Jonah asked, “Why are you dressed up for Sunday church on Thursday morning?”
Marla snorted. “As if. The building would catch on fire if I crossed the threshold.”
“Bullshit,” Jonah countered. “Why are you dressed for the Kentucky Derby, then?”
Marla laughed hard at his remark. “Stop acting like a fool,” she said, stepping off her porch and walking toward him with Betty right on her heels. The French bulldog ran to Jonah, who scooped her up and kissed the top of her head. “You two are going to be just fine,” Marla said. Jonah didn’t hear sadness in her voice; he heard relief.
“Amos will be here in a while to pick me up. We have some business to take care of—things I should’ve done before now.”
“Do you have time for a cup of coffee on the porch?” Jonah asked.