Page 34 of Haunted

Hope bloomed in her bloodshot eyes and I prayed I hadn’t just set her up for disappointment.

“He works with us.”

Henley

If I closed my eyes, I could almost picture the scar that bisected her right eyebrow or the way her bottom lip dipped slightly on one side when she smiled.Almost. While I held the greatest memories of my mom in my heart, it wasn’t the same as being able to pull up a picture of her beautiful face.

After the battle with Chase, I’d withdrawn the badly broken phone from my pocket, pissed over not having proof of the attack. Then, reality crashed through the anger, melting it away into utter despair. His selfish, horrifying actions had not only caused physical pain, they’d erased a lifetime of adventures. Every birthday. Every Christmas. Gone in the blink of an eye.

“Do you really think he’ll be able to help?”

I hadn’t moved out of the comfort of Keaton’s hold.There was something indescribable about the way his presence made me feel, which was insane given our short history together, but I wasn’t about to question it.

“There’s only one way to find out. Will you let me take this to him?” He touched the phone still gripped in my hand.

I knew what he was asking and my answer came immediately.

“I trust you.”

“Thank you, baby.” He kissed me lightly.

Most of my life, I’d leapt to conclusions where wealth was concerned; judging people based on the size of their bank account. My warped thought process began when I found out how terribly my maternal grandparents treated my mom when they discovered she was pregnant. Until Keaton, with his ridiculously expensive car and pricey apartment, I’d never met anyone who challenged those deep-seated opinions. Yet here I was, trusting him with not only my past, but my future and maybe even…my heart.

“I’m gonna get out of here and let you ladies get settled.” He rose off the floor, bringing me with him. “Walk me out?”

“I’ve got neighbors, so keep the PDA to a minimum, please,” Lanie spouted.

“I’ll see what we can do.” He winked at me, then threaded his fingers through mine as we exited the townhouse.

“I want to see you again tomorrow.” He crowded me into the side of his SUV, wrapping his arms loosely around my waist. “But I’m not sure how late we’ll be working. This case is brutal.”

“Can you tell me about it? Or is it like, top secret orclassified or whatever it is you FBI guys call it? I mean you don’t have to?—”

He crushed his mouth to mine, silencing me in the best way possible. I groaned when his hands slid down to cup my denim-covered ass, lifting me onto my tiptoes as he kneaded the flesh in time with the strokes of his tongue. The move brought us so close I felt the outline of his hard cock against my stomach.

“You are intoxicating, Henley Graves,” he breathed against my lips. “How can I be so addicted to you already?”

Before I could say I felt the same, he reclaimed my mouth. Desire flamed, hot and heavy, leaving me in a lust-filled haze where nothing else mattered, not even my next breath.

Only Keaton.

Normally, I would have been embarrassed as hell with the way we were more or less pawing at each other out in the open, however, it was dark enough to provide cover from unwanted eyes. I didn’t even recognize the woman I was becoming where this man was concerned, but I liked her. I liked her a lot.

The air sizzled around us, our hunger intensifying to the point we could’ve lit up the night sky with the inferno building between us.

My hands traced a path up his broad chest until my fingers tangled in the hair at the base of his neck. He moaned and the vibration shot straight to my clit. I was so close to exploding, yet he hadn’t even touched me.

“What do you need, baby?” he whispered. “Do you want me to touch you?”

“Please,” I gasped when his teeth grazed the shell of my ear.

“Up,” he grunted, lifting me into his arms while taking astep, putting my back up against his SUV. I circled his hips with my thighs at the same time he reached a hand between us, cupping my center. “So hot. Are you wet for me too, baby?”

“Mmm. Why don’t you find out?”

The bastard chuckled.

“Not out here, Little Bird. The first time I get my hands on your sweet pussy will be somewhere private so I can take my time with you.” His hand moved then, back and forth along the seam of my pants. “But I will make you come.”

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