Page 7 of Guarded Hearts

He stepped into the foyer. So many memories.

Harkins’s big shoulders cut off Carson’s view of the living room behind him. He couldn’t see who was sitting there.

“Can you fill me in on the matter?”

Harkins gave a no-nonsense nod. “The owner’s daughter. Age thirty-eight…”

Carson stopped listening at the words “owner’s daughter.” His heart pulsed heavily, almost drumming his ribs.

“Officer, is that the guy from Black Heart Security?”

Fuck.Layne sounded exactly the same. Her voice was soft and dusky, but when she told off him or any of his brothers, it came with a knife’s edge.

Without a doubt, he knew Layne was standing right behind Officer Harkins. The man stepped aside, granting Carson a look at the woman he’d dreamed about for two goddamn decades.

Their gazes met. Her rough sigh rushed past her beautiful, plump lips.

She sucked in another breath, but before she could address him, he spoke.

“Layne.”

“Carson.” His name came out of her lips in a rasp. Almost strangled.

Harkins’s sharp gaze pierced Carson and then swung to Layne. At that moment, his radio rattled off a report of a drunk driver in Willowbrook.

“If you’ve got this under control, I’ll leave you to it, Malone.”

“I’ll take it from here.” Avoiding Layne’s stare, he walked into the living room. Other than a few new paintings on the walls and fresh linen pillows, the place looked exactly the same as the last time he’d seen Layne standing in it.

Saying goodbye.

He listened for Harkins to leave and the sound of the front door shutting before he moved to the tall windows and gazed out over the dark ranch.

“Carson—”

He cut her off. “Tell me your side of the story.”

Silence shook the air, beating like wings of some night creature—a bird of prey swooping in between them, blackening the moment that could be so much more.

Shouldbe so much more.

A fucking reunion.

One that was never going to happen.

Layne circled in front of him, forcing him to focus on her. As if his body didn’t already have everything about her memorized, from the warm whiskey color of her hair to her hazel eyes flecked with green and gold.

He dropped his stare to her body. That wasn’t better.

The girl he knew had possessed a few soft curves that were now filled out into full breasts, a small waist and hips that flared like an old Hollywood star’s.

“I received a package.” Her tone was still breathless.

“You went to the door?”

“No.” She folded her arms, which thrust her breasts forward. “Faye brought it to me in my study.”

His mind swept through the house, already questioning which room she’d adopted as her study.

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