Page 56 of Dust to Dust

I couldn’t sleep after my make-out session in the backseat of Quinn’s SUV. Instead, I tossed and turned for hours as my mind whirled with out of control thoughts. It wasn’t just the kissing and touching that replayed like a movie reel in my head and sent a tingling between my thighs.

It was more about the things he had said to me, and the feelings he had admitted.

His words echoed through my mind just as strongly as if he were with me and saying them again. I couldn’t remember the last time a man had occupied my thoughts so completely. I’m not sure if one ever had.

It was obsessive.

When I finally did fall asleep, it felt like a mere second when my alarm went off. It was only a few days until classes convened for the fall. I had to head to campus and meet with my graduate advisor. I knew if I was going to make it through the day, I would need a few shots of espresso.

After a quick shower, I threw on a t-shirt and a pair of jeans. Since Henry hadn’t woken up yet, I knew Brooke was still asleep. With Henry’s birth, I’d insisted she take our parents' old room since it was the largest. Thankfully, that meant it was at the end of the hallway, and I didn’t have to be too quiet. I still carefully tiptoed down the creaky hardwoods to the staircase.

Once I got downstairs, I grabbed my purse and headed out into the garage. When I tapped the opener, the door began to rise. Just as Quinn had promised, my car sat in the driveway. When I opened the car door, I was surprised that the key fob was in the front seat. I guess Quinn wasn’t used to worrying about anyone stealing his vehicle. Of course, things like that didn’t happen much around here like they did in the city.

When I grabbed the key fob, I noticed it felt lighter. I realized that my house key was missing. “What the hell?” I muttered.

At that moment, my phone rang. I furrowed my brows at the unknown number. Hesitantly I answered it. “Hello?”

“Good morning,” a velvety deep voice said.

I sucked in a breath. It was Quinn. “Good morning to you, too.”

“I wanted to let you know that I have your house key.”

“Okay, do you have ESP or something?”

He chuckled. “No.”

“Then it’s more than a little spooky that you just called me at the precise moment I was wondering where my key was.”

“Niall just told me that you’d gone to your car. I figured if you hadn’t had time to miss it yet, I would let you know.”

Furrowing my brows, I demanded, “Who the hell is Niall?”

“One of the men who works for me.”

“And just how does Niall know what I’m doing?”

“Do you see the black Escalade down the street?”

Craning my neck, I peered out the car window. Two houses down at the Carmichael’s was a black SUV, which I imagined was the Escalade he was speaking of. “Yes, I see it.”

“Then wave to Niall.”

“I’m not waving to some man who is stalking me.”

“He’s not stalking you.”

“Then why is he watching me while creeping at my neighbor’s house?”

“Because I asked him too.”

“Seriously, Quinn?”

He chuckled. “Yes, Little Dove. I didn’t want to risk your car being stolen, so I asked him to stay and keep a watch out.”

“That really wasn’t necessary. Southborough isn’t Boston.”

“Bad people are everywhere.”

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