Page 20 of Scorched

Chapter Nine

Cassie

I had no idea what to think right now.

Why hadn’t Myles said something sooner? If they were so close, he must’ve been to the house before.

He had to have seen the photos on the walls when he was over.

He had to have known that Mr. Raynor was sending him checks on behalf of Noah.

So why had he waited until now to say something?

I looked at the photo. It was definitely Noah, in his baseball cap and another Hawaiian shirt. I would have recognized him anywhere.

I shook my head. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t know you were his stepdaughter.” Myles swallowed. “I never went to his house. We just hung out at the restaurant. Or here. We…we bonded, you know? Over losing our wives. His wife—your mom, I guess—died about a year before Sylvia. He was a little ahead of me in the grieving process.”

I swallowed. “You really never went to his place?”

“Really. And he wasn’t the one to contract my company to work there.” He bit his lower lip. “I think…I think he knew I wouldn’t have let him pay if I knew it was his house.”

That made sense.

Noah had a lot of money, and he was always generous with it. He always wanted to help people in need. He’d certainly been there for me when I was broke and needed money.

“I…I didn’t know,” I said softly.

“I didn’t, either.” Myles put the photo down. “He used to talk about you, though. He called you Honeybee.”

“That was his nickname for me.” I felt my eyes sting with tears at the memory.

“He always said I’d like you. He was right.”

We both laughed softly.

I liked Myles, too. A lot more than I’d planned to.

And knowing that we had this kind of connection just made me feel better about it.

I reached up for Myles, pulling him into a kiss. He moved to meet me, his arms circling my waist.

I wanted him. So bad.

I stepped out of my pumps. I lowered my hands, now that he was kissing me right, and undid my belt.

He pushed my jacket down my shoulders. I let it drop.

“Unzip me.” I pulled back from the kiss and turned my back on him.

He chuckled and tugged the zipper of my dress down.

I let it fall off my shoulders and slide down my hips, the stretchy fabric only needing a little tug to slide off.

I stepped back, letting Myles see what I’d worn underneath—black lace and green satin. The panties tied at my hips with satin ribbon.

He reached out and untied one side.

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