Page 18 of Inarticulate

“I’m sorry,” she murmured. Sorry for following him in there. Sorry for being unable to deny his kiss. And sorry for still wanting more.

He made no move to console her. Instead, he stole her voice with his scrutiny. Even though his expression was blank and his lips flat, his eyes crackled with denied pleasure. She wanted to believe that look was his way of begging her to stay. Wanted to believe it and had to deny it at the same time because the narrowed stare was too harsh to be kind.

With her heart pounding in her throat, she winced in apology, snatched her jacket out from in front of him, and rushed from the alcove, not allowing herself to look back.

Chapter Eight

Savannah triedto control her panted breaths as she ran on the tips of her toes to the back door. Her boots were still waiting for her, while her sanity was left somewhere inside the bathroom.

She flung her jacket over her left arm and clutched the footwear under her elbow. With the flick of her wrist she opened the door and snuck outside. Freezing air infiltrated her lungs as she rushed along the path in sock-covered feet. The smell of bonfire smoke flittered on the breeze, the brief wisps of white ascending into the sky above the head-high hedge she approached.

She increased her pace toward the drunken chatter, breaking into a run along a barely visible path. She was gasping by the time she reached the small break in the hedge and slammed straight into a chest that almost set her on her ass.

“Dominic.” She clung to the arms of her cousin’s jacket to stop from falling.

“Where the hell have you been?” He glowered at her, taking in her appearance and stopping at her socks.

Her toes were ice, mere seconds away from falling off. “Don’t ask.” She placed her boots on the ground and yanked on her jacket. Warmth slowly heated her veins, but it wasn’t from the added layer of clothing. It was entirely from the images of Keenan in her mind. She’d followed him into that house, stumbling over her expanding libido along the way. He was the exact opposite of every business orientated, straight-laced man she’d ever slept with, and the favorable taste that still lingered on her tongue made it clear her previous appetite would no longer satisfy.

“Have you seen Keenan?” Dominic crossed his arms over his chest, annoyance personified.

“Um…” She leaned over, shoving her feet into her boots to buy time.

“Savvy?” His voice was a growl.

“Look, I’m sorry I disappeared.” She fiddled with her socks, still unable to look at him. “But you don’t need to worry about me.”

“I don’t care that you disappeared. But disappearing with Keenan is a bad idea.”

She bristled. Straightened. “Because?”

“Because he’s not the type of guy for you.”

She opened her mouth, poised to retaliate, then snapped it closed again. Dealing with Penny and the stick up her ass was hard enough. She didn’t want to argue with Dominic, too. He was her only ally. Her only friend in Seattle.

“I’m not trying to be an ass.” He softened his tone. “I’m just looking out for you.”

“Looking out for me?” She gave him a half-hearted smile and raised a brow. “Or maybe inserting yourself into something that isn’t really your business.”

He stared at her for a moment, the weight of thoughts heavy in his eyes, then turned to face the fire. “Women assume Keenan is different because of his lack of speech. They think it sets him apart from other guys, but it doesn’t. He’s the same fuck ’em and leave ’em type. He’ll burn you, just like any other man would.”

A derisive chuckle escaped her lips. He thought she was naïve? Well, she wasn’t. Highly susceptible to charm, maybe, but she had no doubt Keenan wasn’t a safe guy. Trouble flickered in the flecks of his blue-gray eyes, it was forged into his DNA, and she’d willingly followed his lead. She’d do it again, too. “I don’t understand. I thought you said he was family. That he was good people.”

“He is…”

“Then why are you concerned? You know I’m only here for a few months. I’m not in the market for commitment, I’m here to work.” The crunch of heavy footsteps approached from behind and she lowered her voice. “What is this really about?”

Dominic turned to her, but his focus rested over her shoulder, past the hedge. “Keenan,” he muttered, and she wasn’t sure if it was an answer or a greeting.

An unforgettable scent tickled her nose and her spine tingled at the advancing footsteps. The man of the moment stopped beside her, his spiked hair teasing her periphery as she fought to keep a smitten smile from her lips.

“Fancy seeing you out here.” Dominic didn’t mimic her mood. Instead, he scowled.

She waited for a response, needing two seconds of silence to remind her that Keenan wouldn’t fill the awkwardness.

“Penny is looking for you. She was wondering why you disappeared.” Dominic spoke as if Savannah wasn’t there. “You should go and explain where you were.”

Discomfort crawled over her skin, shuddering over her in a wave from her fingers to her toes. She’d never been bad at math, but right now she refused to put two and two together. After what she’d experienced with Keenan, the equation that also involved Penny was impossible to acknowledge.

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