Page 49 of Little Did You Know

She gathered her damp clothes from the floor, her movements sharp. "Nick. I don't want it to be like that." The fabric twisted in her hands. "I don't want special treatment because I'm sleeping with you."

I leaned against the doorframe, watching the morning light paint shadows across her skin. "You'd get special treatment if you weren't sleeping with me."

She spun to face me, wet clothes clutched to her chest, eyes narrowed to amber slits in the dawn light.

"My clothes are still wet." She lifted the damp clothes off the ground.

"Wrap yourself in one of the towels, and we'll head to the house." I got up and grabbed a towel.

"You want me to walk around outside naked?" She sounded mortified.

"No, I want you to walk in the privacy of my yard to my house in a towel, not naked."

"Nick."

“It's early. No one is here yet except maybe Arlena, and she has a way of making herself scarce. We need to hurry, though."

"Alright," she agreed reluctantly as she wrapped the towel around her.

We made it to the house and upstairs without anyone noticing anything. At the top, I grabbed her around the waist, pulled her hard against me, and kissed her so passionately that she would be reeling from it all day.

"I have to go out of town today," I managed, watching how her lips remained slightly parted, still bearing the imprint of our kiss. The sight made it hard to remember my next words. "I probably won't be back until after dark."

"Oh." The word came out breathless, slightly dazed. A flush had crept up her neck to stain her cheeks, and her fingers still gripped the edge of my shirt, as if she couldn't quite bring herself to let go. Her other hand rose unconsciously to touch her lips, the gesture so innocently sensual it made my chest tight.

My fingers traced the edge of her towel. "Will I see you tonight?"

"I'll wait for you." Her eyes met mine, steady and clear, no hesitation in her voice.

Heat pooled in my chest.

We separated to go to our rooms to get ready for our day. Olivia was all over my mind, but I needed to get it together to deal with Emmett.

Chapter Twenty-Two

It wasn't until I was sitting in the park across from Emmett's house with Walker that I began to get antsy. I'd never considered myself an impatient person before today. I was typically the opposite; however, today, I was ready to confront Emmett, clear everything up, and hopefully bring it to an end.

We settled onto the bench facing Emmett's house. The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the overgrown lawn, highlighting the peeling paint and sagging gutters. Everything about the place screamed neglect.

"Is he alone?" I leaned forward on the bench, fingernails digging into my palms.

Walker's hand tightened on his knee until the knuckles went white. "There's a woman with him."

"Who?"

His shoulders squared, the way they always did before delivering bad news. "Sarah Moore." He kept his eyes locked on the house, scanning for movement. "Though on the streets, they call her Candy." Something in his tone made my skin prickle.

"The streets?" I questioned.

"She's a known prostitute," he replied. "But I believe she's also known to the Regional Bank as Olivia Ryan." Now, that had my attention.

"She's on the move," a voice called out over a speaker.

"Movement," Walker murmured.

A figure emerged from around the corner of the house, and my breath caught. The resemblance hit me like a physical blow—the same high cheekbones, the familiar tilt of her chin. But where Olivia's features held youth and hope, this woman's face was a road map of hard living. Each line, each hollow, spoke of choices and consequences. Of paths that could have been. The sight of her made my stomach turn.

Sarah Moore. A glimpse of what Olivia's life might have become without intervention. Without protection.

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