Page 43 of Colton's Last Resort

He rocked back on his heels, pulling a breath in through his teeth. “You talked Adam into letting me stay and investigate,” he said. “I owe you one.”

“Is that a yes?”

“It is,” he admitted.

“We can take my car.”

“At what time does it turn into a pumpkin?”

“Ha.” She gave his shoulder a light pinch. There was no give in the tight-roped muscle underneath his sleeve. He didn’t even flinch.

Rowing, she thought in wonder. Turning away from him and Penny, she looked across the corral. “Oh,” she said as Knox and Joshua looked away quickly. She dropped her voice. “Maybe you should kiss me.”

“Now?”

“We have an audience,” she whispered.

He stopped himself from looking around. Just barely, she sensed, as the muscles of his throat and jaw jumped warily. Somewhere far away, she thought she heard her heart pounding. Or was that his? She didn’t see his chest rise. Was he even breathing?

The chain around her navel heated again. She still held his arm. Of its own accord, her thumb stroked the spider’s spinnerets, soothing the cords of sinew underneath.

He took a half step closer.

Her pulse skittered. Every inch of her was aware of him, tuned to him.

He seemed to hesitate, uncertain. Then his head lowered, angled slowly.

He dropped a kiss onto the corner of her mouth. His hand skimmed the outside of her lace sleeve, and he lingered, head low over hers.

She wished he’d take off his sunglasses. Would the storms reach for her as they had on the sofa this morning? Would his eyes be tender? Were they capable of that?

She wondered what that would look like.

“We should go,” he said.

The words skimmed across her cheek. Then he moved away, and she drew in a stuttering breath.

“This isn’t a car.”

Laura kept her eyes on the road and her hands at ten and two. “What are you talking about? Of course it’s a car. It’s got an engine and tires—”

Noah held up a hand to stop her. “This is a Mercedes G63 AMG. Calling this bad boy a car is like calling Cinderella’s glass slipper a flip-flop.”

Her lips curved. “You should see how she handles off-roading.”

“You off-road?” When she lifted a coy shoulder, he tipped his head back to the headrest. “Don’t take this the wrong way, Colton. But that issexy.”

“I’ve opened her up a couple of times on the interstate.” She bit her bottom lip. “She goes really, really fast.”

Reaching up, he gripped the distress bar. He shifted in his seat. Was shetryingto turn him on? “You’re killing me.”

She snuck a glance at him over the lowered, fur-trimmed hood of her puffer jacket, her smile climbing. She wore large sunglasses that hid her eyes, but the smile may have been the first full, genuine one he’d seen from her. “Maybe we should take this time to keep getting to know each other.”

“We’re only a few minutes from my condo,” he claimed. Their morning session of Twenty Questions had nearly been his undoing. It had exposed more than he’d intended.

His walls were already down, he reminded himself. He may not have completely come to terms with Allison’s death. But he was an open wound, one Laura’s questions had gone poking at without mercy.

“One quick question, then.”

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