Page 21 of Burning Truth

Addie turned and gave him a broad, fake, toothy grin, holding up a box of sugared cereal. Severn winced. "That is all you. I may eat something else."

"Chicken," she said, laughing and reaching for a bowl in the cupboard. "We need to get used to touching each other," she said abruptly.

Severn shot a look at her straight back, but she stayed turned away as she readied her snack, so he couldn't see her face. "Okay," he said carefully. "What do you suggest?"

She straightened and seemed to come to a decision. Turning, she looked up at him, her hands braced on the edge of the counter behind her. "The lady took me by surprise tonight. And I have a feeling it won't be the only time. Someone will want a picture of us kissing, and I would prefer to have the first one out of the way."

Severn blinked as shock rolled through him. "You want me to kiss you."

She tipped up her chin. "Yes."

There was something in her eyes... did she think he wouldn't do it?

Before she could second-guess his actions, he stepped forward and leaned down to take her mouth with his own.

Severn thought he could maintain distance from Addie, though she appealed to him on a personal level. As soon as he tasted her, felt the softness of her dark pink lips, he knew he wasn't strong enough. Hard need slammed through him. She tasted of sweetness and daring, and he knew the peck he planned would not be enough. Cupping her head in his hands, he angled his mouth against hers.

When her tongue brushed against his lips, he wanted to groan. Instead, he opened his own mouth and sank into her. Their kiss turned carnal, and he leaned his hips against hers. Her hands gripped his sides, and he felt her mouth smile under his. She pulled back, her dark brows arching high. "Well, okay, then," she said, her cheeks flushed.

Severn's lips turned up in a half smile. "Kiss one is out of the way," he said, his voice deep. Blood was roaring through his body, and he knew he was in deep shit.

Addie went backto making her bowl of cereal methodically, not really paying attention. The kiss had been more than she ever could have expected.

“If you’re my bodyguard now, does that make protecting me part of your job description? You know...like a workplace hazard?”

He smirked at her cheeky grin. “If that's the case, I’ll want hazard pay, and maybe a cape while we're at it.”

“Only if I can wear a spandex unitard. I mean, who doesn’t love a good superhero vibe?”

Now laughter filled the space again, both giddy about the absurdity but thankful for the fleeting light their banter provided.

“Deal,” he declared. “You can sport the tights; I’ll stick to brooding hero standards.”

Addie’s laughter trailed off as she leaned back against the counter. “We’ll make the best of it—whatever this is.” A seriousness returned to her tone that drew his attention.

“Yeah,” he admitted, meeting her eyes. “We will.”

7

Addie went to bed that night dreaming of Severn’s kiss, and the feel of him against her. This was not ideal timing for any kind of relationship, but it was where her mind went.

Maybe, if they survived all this, they could get together for real. Or maybe it would be nice to have a distraction from all the stress. It had been a while since she’d had decent sex.

She had a feeling Severn would be more than decent. She had a feeling he would be phenomenal. He seemed to have an awareness of his body, and she wondered if he’d ever been a dancer, or had taken martial arts.

When she got up the next morning, Severn was already sipping coffee at the counter. “Do you ever sleep,” she groused, moving to the coffeemaker and slamming in a pod. She stared at the dark brew flowing into her cup and her mouth watered.

“Sometimes,” he said, moving toward the table. He was moving a little stiffly today, and she wondered if his shoulder was hurting.

“Are you okay?” she asked, pouring an unhealthy amount of creamer into her cup. She crossed the kitchen to sit down across from him.

“I’m fine. I didn’t see any fires or bombings in the news overnight.”

Addie huffed out a breath. “I hate this feeling, like we have to tease him out to hurt people. Maybe he’s not really that into me.”

Severn’s dark eyes narrowed on her. “I think you’re being naïve. He’s very into you. He’s just planning his next move.”

Yeah, he was probably right. “As an investigator, have you seen anything like this before? Stalker slash arsonist?”

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