Page 48 of Proof

I’d wanted JJ in a way I’d never wanted anyone in my entire life. By some miracle, I’d kept my hands to myself as his hands had begun massaging my ass but by the time he’d slid his fingers in my crease, I’d been lost. I’d wanted nothing more than to explore his body the way he’d been exploring mine. I’d wanted to taste, lick, feel every part of him. I’d wanted to hear his deep, throaty moans as I brought him to the edge of release over andover again. I’d wanted to bury myself inside of him in a way that no one could ever tear us apart again.

“Fuck,” I muttered to myself as my dick began to get hard all over again.

None of it should have happened. What I’d begged him to do to me in that shower, crawling into bed with him afterwards, falling into a deep sleep because I knew JJ was right there beside me—none of it should have happened because I hadn’t brought him up here for that. I’d brought him to the cabin for two things.

To keep him safe.

And to find the proof he needed that would make him finally believe I wasn’t the monster he thought I was.

I’d promised myself—not to mention Sully—that the time we spent at the cabin would only be about focusing on the case. Since Sully apparently had some kind of third eye when it came to my attraction to JJ, the chances were high that his big brother wouldn’t give a shit if JJ found the proof he needed to finally believe me.

Either way, I was leaving the cabin in a body bag or as an innocent man. Hell, knowing Sully, it could be both. The asshole would probably be thrilled to learn that his little brother no longer believed I was a soulless murderer, but he’d kill me anyway because I’d done things to JJ that I’d promised I wouldn’t.

Since I was probably a dead man either way, I regretted that I hadn’t at least followed through on all the things I’d wanted to do to JJ in that bed before we’d fallen asleep.

I hadn’t kissed him again.

I hadn’t touched him.

I hadn’t even spoken to him when he’d taken my hand in his and led me to the bed.

Nothing had been said as we’d slid our still damp and very naked bodies beneath the sheets. It had taken only one move after that to know JJ regretted what had happened.

He’d turned his back on me. He’d gotten in that bed and faced the opposite direction. His message couldn’t have been clearer.

It had been a mistake.

All of it.

From the moment I’d kissed him after he’d confronted me on that canyon road to the second our bodies had slid beneath the covers just a handful of hours ago, JJ regretted it. He’d turned his back to me, so I’d done the same.

That hadn’t been the case when I’d woken up a little while later. Since we’d lain down in bed while it was early in the morning, it had still been light outside when something had stirred me awake. It’d been JJ draping his upper body over mine, his warm breath drifting over my nipple and both his arms wrapped around my body as far as they could reach.

Holding me.

So I couldn’t leave him.

I’d fallen back to sleep more quickly than I would have liked and now here I was.

Empty bed.

No naked JJ.

No arms snaked around me because I was wanted right where I was.

I forced myself to swing my legs over the side of the bed. My clothes were sitting neatly folded on a small nearby table. I tried to tell myself to take my time getting dressed because JJ was still in the house, but shards of doubt were invading my thoughts.

What if he’d left? I doubted he could have figured out the code for the wall safe that held my gun and the satellite phone that would be the only way to get reception in the area. What ifhe’d left on foot even though I’d warned him not to? I’d grown up in these woods, so I knew them like the back of my hand, but JJ didn’t. He’d get turned around in a matter of minutes, and it would take him days to find his way back to the cabin or reach the road for help.

I quickened my pace as I pulled my clothes on and then I rushed down the stairs. I nearly slipped on the linoleum floor when I reached the kitchen but managed to catch myself before I landed on my ass.

“Sorry,” I heard JJ murmur distractedly. He was sitting at the table, his eyes glued to a file. “When you got that pack of frozen vegetables for me, I think you forgot to close the freezer, so water leaked all over the floor. I toweled it dry but apparently not dry enough.”

His voice was disinterested at best, but it wasn’t the tone of someone trying to shoo another person away as if they were a pestering gnat. Instead, he sounded like someone deep in thought but also at the ready.

He definitely had his cop hat on.

Before I could even respond, JJ rose to his feet and with the file still in his hand, he went over to the kitchen door and opened it all the way before returning to the table.

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