Page 67 of The Murder Club

“You have no idea how much restraint it took not to lick it off.” Dom leaned forward, holding her gaze as he closed the space between them. “Like this.”

Swiping his tongue over her chin, he captured the frosting, savoring the rich chocolate before he nuzzled a path of kisses along the line of her jaw. He groaned. Her skin was just as sweet as the cake. And twice as decadent.

Bailey swayed toward him, her lips parting as she released a soft sigh of pleasure. “Dom.”

Accepting her silent invitation, Dom captured her lips in a soft, searching kiss. Raw pleasure scorched through him and he eagerly deepened the kiss, reaching out to stroke his fingers along the slender curve of her throat. He could feel the rapid beat of her pulse and catch the scent of soap that clung to her skin. It helped assure him that she wasn’t a fantasy that had escaped his dreams. Everything about her was real. And he was on fire to finally have her wrapped in his arms.

Dom cupped his fingers around the back of her neck, considering the pleasure of seeing her lying naked on the kitchen table. There was leftover frosting in the fridge that he could spread—

The delicious image was abruptly shattered when a sharp buzz echoed through the kitchen, closely followed by a deafening chorus of barking from the dogs, who’d been sleeping off the massive breakfast they’d consumed at record speed.

With a groan, Dom broke off the kiss. Even if he could ignore the sound of someone buzzing at the front gate, the dogs were creating enough chaos to destroy the mood.

“I have to be cursed,” he breathed, watching as Bailey jumped to her feet and hurried across the kitchen to peer at the security monitor set into the wall. “There’s no other explanation.”

“It’s Zac,” Bailey announced, pressing the button beneath the monitor to open the gates. Then she slowly turned to send him a rueful glance. “The day started out so promising.”

Dom squashed his aching desire and rose to his feet so he could cross the room and brush a kiss over Bailey’s forehead. Right now she didn’t need a lover; she needed a friend to stand at her side and confront whatever new disaster was about to descend on them.

“I’ll let him in,” he murmured, leaving the kitchen and crossing the foyer. He pulled open the door just as Zac was parking in front of the house.

Neither man spoke as Dom led him into the kitchen, where Bailey was brewing a fresh pot of tea.

“Good morning, Bailey,” Zac said, his expression grim. “Sorry to interrupt your . . .” His brows arched at the sight of the plates smeared with the remains of chocolate cake. “Breakfast?”

“There are a couple of slices left.” Bailey handed Zac a mug, nodding toward the pan on the counter. “Do you want some?”

“Don’t tempt me,” Zac protested, heaving a regretful sigh. “I swear, Rachel can smell chocolate on my breath a mile away.”

Dom leaned against the kitchen table, folding his arms over his chest as he prepared himself for a fresh catastrophe. Zac wasn’t there to deliver good news.

“What brings you out here?”

Zac took a gulp of his tea, blinking as he realized it wasn’t coffee with the kick of caffeine he needed.

“Kevin Hartford was found dead this morning,” he announced, setting the mug on the counter.

“Oh my God,” Bailey gasped.

Dom swore beneath his breath, wondering if he really was cursed. They’d just managed to move Kevin Hartford to the top of the suspect list and now he was dead? How bad did their luck have to be?

He grimaced. Obviously, he sympathized with the family who’d lost a loved one, but he was focused on how Kevin’s death affected Bailey and their fumbling attempts to unmask the stalker. It was almost as if the killer was deliberately leading them in one direction only to taunt them with yet another murder. Was it possible? Dom shuddered, horrified by the suspicion that someone was evil enough to play such a sick game.

“What happened?” he forced himself to ask.

Zac looked grim. “The official cause of death is an overdose.”

It wasn’t the answer Dom was expecting. “Kevin Hartford was a drug user?”

“That part doesn’t seem to be in dispute,” Zac informed him. “His wife admitted that he’d been struggling with an addiction to painkillers since he had a motorcycle accident five years ago.”

Dom narrowed his eyes. Zac’s expression was set in cop mode, but there was an edge to his tone that suggested he wasn’t entirely happy with the official report.

“You aren’t convinced it was an overdose?”

“I have questions.” Zac drained his mug and set it on the counter. “Starting with the fact that his body was discovered at his grandmother’s place.”

Bailey sucked in an audible breath. “Pauline’s house?”

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