Page 79 of Chasing Sarah

Sarah is in a ball, cocooned in a blanket on the couch.

My chest expands with happiness at the sight. I could get used to coming home to this woman.

At least you don’t need to tell her tonight.The voice in my head interrupts my small slice of peace.

I stride toward the kitchen to quickly wash my hands and take off my shirt before I move Sarah to the bedroom. Once I’m sure I won’t accidently get any blood on her, I reach for the remote that sits on the coffee table and shut off the TV.

“Rhys?” she mumbles when I scoop her into my arms.

“I’ve got you, baby,” I whisper, tucking her close to my body. She rests her head on my shoulder and wraps her arms around my neck. I smile when she hums in contentment when I lay her on the bed.

After making sure she’s settled, I head toward the bathroom to finishing cleaning the day off.

Steam rises as the water heats. I quickly finish undressing then step under the spray. My mind is in disarray with dark thoughts of what Declan is going through.

We’d come to the conclusion that she’s been targeted by the Bratva through Mark. Being a part of the underground means we’ve seen and done fucked up shit. But flesh trading is something only the vilest of humans could involve themselves in.

What I can’t figure out is why Mark would do this to her. What has happened in Paige’s past that would bring someone like him into her life?

My body is still wound tight when I step out of the ensuite.

I’m feeling too many emotions to sleep, so instead, I head toward the kitchen and pour myself a glass of whiskey. The burn warms my throat and chest as the amber liquid travels down.

Goosebumps spread across my skin as I stand in the room wearing only a towel wrapped around my hips. Water droplets trickle down my chest and down my abdomen.

After I finish off the whiskey and rinse out the glass, I stride back to my room. Sarah remains sound asleep as I dress in a pair of black boxer-briefs and climb into bed. I pull her close and breathe her in. Her back pressed to my front.

A calmness settles inside me, and I drift off to sleep.

* * *

“Hmm.” Sarah’s lip purse as she stares off.

“What?”

Her nose crinkles before she turns to face me. “I was watching those birds and thought about what we’d look like if we could fly.” She shivers in disgust. “Let’s just say, my brain came up with an image of a naked flying squirrel with a human face and no tail.”

I blink, picturing the description in my mind. The laugh that bursts out of me if boisterous. Sarah’s face lights up and then her laugh joins my own.

I love that this woman isn’t afraid to voice her off the wall thoughts. I haven’t laughed this much since Declan and I were kids.

It’s been a few days since we found out about Mark’s deal with the Bratva and since I found out about Bones’ involvement with them.

Sarah hasn’t gone to work yet, and I don’t have the heart to tell her that she won’t be returning. I’ve given her a brief rundown of what’s going on. She knows that Mark made a dangerous deal and that Declan, and I are handling it.

Her phone chimes and she pulls it from her back pocket. Her lips are still turned up in a smile as she types away.

I study her profile. Her slightly upturned nose. Her naturally plump lips. Even her long lashes are perfect.

A strand of hair falls from behind her ear and I reach over, tucking it back into place. Returning her phone to her pocket, she peers up at me through lowered lashes. Those beautiful sapphire eyes of hers are guarded. Uncertainty flickers as we continue to stare at each other in silence.

“Rhys,” she whispers. And just like when we were in the gym, the space between us becomes charged with an addictive energy.

As time passes, I can’t deny the way I feel about this woman. Despite the apprehension she shows, I know she feels the magnetic pull that surrounds us every time we spend time together.

And I’m not even talking about the sex.

That’s explosive. Out of this world. But it’s the little things that speak the loudest. Like the way her eyes soften when she first wakes in the morning and sees me there. The way her breath hitches every time we brush against each other.

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