Page 14 of The Negotiator

His laugh vibrated against her collarbone as his mouth dipped lower. “I can fix that in about two seconds.”

She palmed his cheeks and lifted his head so she could see those sexy eyes. The intensity of his gaze stole her breath. He did nothing to hide his emotions. Need, desire, heat... it was all right there.

“Now, Lauren.”

She closed the brief slip of space between them and brushed her mouth over his. “Yes.”

Just as he deepened the kiss, a banging started in her head. She pulled back and tried to identify the sound.

“Who is at the damn door?” Garrett slowly dropped his hands. “Wait here.”

His words ripped her right out of the fantasy and dunked her back into the real world. Slowly the room tilted to rights again and the sounds and smells of the hotel came zooming back to her. Then his words hit her.

“Not going to happen.” As if she were going to start following his orders. She walked right behind him across the room, ignoring the frown he sent her way. “Technically it’s my room.”

“It’s in my name,” he shot back, not bothering to lower his voice.

He looked through the peephole and swore under his breath. Before she could ask, he gestured for her to take a turn.

“Jake.” She mouthed the word, barely making a sound.

Garrett swore again as he pulled down his sweater and put his clothes back in order. “I’m starting to hate everyone in your late husband’s family.”

She unlocked the door. “You’ll like Jake.”

“Probably not now that I know you do.”

Garrett forced his breathing to return to normal as she opened the door. The last thing he wanted was a visitor. Especially one related to Carl. But really, anyone. Not after he’d finally kissed her.

What the hell had he been waiting for? All those wasted months.

The taste and smell of her. The feel of her mouth against his. The way she grabbed on to him. Even now he could feel the bite of her fingernails through his sweater. All he wanted to do was kick this Jake guy out and get her into bed. Then keep her there.

The brother stumbled in. His breathing was labored and his gaze immediately latched on to her. “Lauren, I—”

“Hello.” That’s all it took to turn the guy’s attention. Now that Garrett had it, he came to one easy but annoying conclusion—he hated Jake on sight.

Garrett knew from the intel he’d gathered on Carl and his family over the last few months that Jake was four years younger than Carl. Only a month’s difference separated his age from Lauren’s. Jake also was taller than Carl, lankier and very single. Not to mention blonder with objective good looks that could place him in any city bar with a swarm of younger women around him.

He’d been married and divorced young. He held some sort of lower-level management job. Garrett didn’t care about any of that. He did care about the way he stared at Lauren. That was a problem because there was nothing brotherly about it. His gaze had traveled over her, hesitating on her breasts before returning to her face. Garrett didn’t have a brother, but he couldn’t imagine looking at a brother’s wife or girlfriend like that.

“The guy from DC, right?” Jake held out his hand.

Garrett was tempted not to shake it but he wasn’t a total dick. Still, he glanced at Lauren for confirmation. “Is that how you describe me to other people?”

She ignored him as she ushered Jake inside. “Are you okay?”

Garrett didn’t see that all the touching was necessary, but the guy had just lost his brother. Garrett was willing to refrain from punching him for that reason alone.

“I... We just got him back and now—” Jake’s words cut off as he shook his head.

Grief washed over the room. Jake’s voice was scratchy and his movements slow. Guilt punched into Garrett. Here he was hating the guy for his obvious crush on his sister-in-law and Jake was in mourning. Separating out all that had happened over the last few hours from how much he despised what Carl did to Lauren was harder than Garrett expected.

Garrett gave voice to the question burning in his mind. “How did you know we were here?”

He hadn’t shared that information with anyone but Wren, Matthias and Kayla. Detective Cryer had probably guessed since he was staying down the hall and they passed him when they checked in. They’d exchanged a few words that convinced Garrett the detective knew Lauren wasn’t his answer.

Garrett couldn’t imagine any of those people broadcasting the information about Lauren’s location. Not when a murderer was on the loose and the potential danger to her was still unclear.

---