Page 21 of Easton’s Claim

“Yes, ma’am. So. What else you got?” He settled back against the porch swing. “I’m ready. Shoot.”

It was impossible to think clearly with him touching her, even just her hand. All she could focus on was what it would be like to shed her inhibitions and go for the opportunity he’d offered. To give into the guilty cravings she’d indulged in over the past few months.

Her gaze strayed to the windows at the front of the house, mind racing. “What about your family? It would be so weird for them.” Yeah, she was grasping at straws now, but she was desperate to make him see reason and cringed at the thought of making things awkward for his family.

“Don’t care if it was, but no, I think after the initial surprise, they’d be happy for us. And I know you, so I know you’re already worrying about what other people in town will say. Don’t. I don’t care what anybody else thinks except you. All that matters is whether you feel anything for me beyond friendship. I know I’ve dated a lot of women in the past, but none of them mattered to me.”

She met his gaze again, heart thudding, damn near holding her breath as she waited to hear what he said next.

With gentle fingers he brushed a lock of hair away from her cheek, skimmed his fingertips over the edge of her face, the touch light as a sigh but she felt it all the way to her bones. “Because none of them were you. And once I found out you were single last time I was home, you were all I could think about. I’m not interested in anyone else. I only want you.”

Jesus.

Her pulse drummed in her ears, his words echoing in her head. She was terrified to admit she wanted him too, but he was experienced enough to know that her reaction to the kiss had already told him the truth.Crap.“We just can’t,” she whispered finally, stricken.

Rather than get upset, one side of his mouth lifted in a sexy grin that made her toes curl in her flip-flops. He cupped the side of her face again, leaned in to brush a gentle kiss over her parted lips. “Just sleep on it.”

With that he pushed up from the swing and went into the house as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened, when in reality he’d just turned her entire world upside down.

Piper closed her eyes and buried her face in her hands. She was in hell. The sooner she sold her place and left Sugar Hollow, the better.

Chapter Seven

“Piper Greenlee. She went back to her maiden name when she left him.”

Brandon nodded and poured himself a few inches of vodka over some ice. In prison he’d been denied every luxury and he planned to make up for lost time. “That’s what I figured. What else?” He hadn’t been able to dig into Greg’s ex-wife’s life until now because he’d been in jail until just a few days ago, so he had his guys out doing it for him.

“She’s a local real estate agent. Word is she’s been spotted around town with this guy since yesterday.”

Brandon took the man’s phone and stared at the photo. Recognition flared in his gut. He knew that face. Brandon had seen him before, just couldn’t place him. “What’s his name?”

The man blinked at him. “You know him?”

Brandon nodded. “Don’t know from where. Who is he?”

“Easton Colebrook.”

Colebrook… Something sparked in his memory. Images swirled through his brain like a movie on fast forward. Of the night of the sting when he’d been arrested. A cop? “What have you got on him?”

“His dad has a big spread of property outside of town. Horse farm. Well-respected family. Three sons, one daughter, and the old man had a stroke a few years ago. He and the sons all served in the Marines.”

Brandon stared at the picture, frustration building inside him. He knew he’d met this man the night of his arrest.

He sucked in a breath as recognition hit him. “He’s a fucking DEA agent.”

The man’s eyebrows shot up. “What? Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’m fucking sure. I met him during a deal two weeks before I was busted, didn’t realize he was an undercover agent. Christ. I didn’t find out who he was until I talked to another guy in the joint who’d been arrested that same night.” He shoved the phone back at him and paced away, dragged a hand through his hair. “What the hell’s she doing with a DEA agent?”

“I don’t know, but we’ve been working on his profile all afternoon and haven’t found shit.”

“Because his info is classified, obviously,” Brandon muttered. Hell, this was more complicated than he’d imagined. “How close is she to him?”

The man shrugged. “From what I can tell, she’s just a friend of his family.”

“Nothing more to it?”

“Don’t think so.”

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