Page 60 of Baited

“Don’t worry, babe.” He pinched her chin between his thumb and forefinger. “We’re going to end this shit.”

“Tomorrow, right? We’ll stay at my place?”

“Yeah. But there’s something else I need to do tomorrow.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “Like what?”

He lifted his hand to drag his fingers over the tiny spikey hairs on his jaw. His bicep bulged, blocking the low-laying sun from the window behind him. “I’m going to pay Michael a visit, see if he heard, or saw anything suspicious the night you were gone.”

“I’m sure an officer already spoke to him.”

He nodded. “Yup, and he claimed not to hear anything suspicious. I just want to hear it myself, gauge an opinion on him.”

“That reminds me, why were you looking at the attic access in my closet? I forgot to ask after…well, you know.” She couldn’t think about the damn snake, slithering through her sheets. She wouldn’t sleep a wink in that bed tomorrow night.

He lifted a shoulder; a line creased his brow in thought. “I thought maybe it hadn’t been closed. It seemed tightly sealed though.”

She shook her head. “Only Michael would be on the other end.”

“I know.” His tone was terse.

Her heart rate slowed and her lungs tightened. “You suspect him?” Michael had never crossed her mind as a suspect.

He scoffed. “Hell, I suspect everyone right now. Guilty until proven innocent and all that.” He pushed into a sitting position.“Let’s not worry about that for now, I’ll handle it. How about a shower?”

“That sounds good, but only if you’re in it.”

“You bet I’m going to be.” He tickled her side and she giggled and rolled away from him as he stood from the bed.

“I meant what I said about round three,” she called to his back as he exited the room.

His broad shoulders nearly filled the doorway, the muscles down his bronzed spine clenched as he moved. His high, tight glutes sent a thrill over her skin.

“We’ll see about that.” He turned and winked at her.

She laughed, and followed him to the bathroom.

CHAPTER 17

“What’s that?” Ethanthroat tightened on the words. He wouldn’t sound like a jealous asshole if it killed him. Riley plucked the hem of her dress, lifting it out to reveal her supple thighs as she looked down.

“This?” Her eyebrows rose.

He shoved his hands in the pockets of his shorts and rocked back on his heels. “Yeah, it’s uh… pretty. You look pretty.” He corrected. Fuck. Pretty didn’t cover it.

The light pink linen dress revealed the bronze tone to her sun-kissed skin, the thin straps showed her shoulders and damn, her perky cleavage was barely concealed. He’d kept his promise last night and had kept his hands to himself until midnight. After that, he’d made her scream. His body tingled at the memory.

He’d kill Nate. The bastard wasn’t even here yet, and already Ethan wanted to wrap his hands around his throat and shake the salacious smile from his face. If he so much as looked at Riley—

“Thanks, I’m glad you like it.” She beamed and her cheeks flushed. “Ready to go?” She slipped her feet in low-heeled shoes and threaded her arm through his.

“Yeah,” he ground out. Nate would be landing any minute. After they picked him up and brought him to his hotel, they’d go over the plan for tonight. Ethan led her through the door and locked it behind him.

Her hips swayed gently in the short dress. It took everything he had not to scoop her up and carry her inside for a quickie. He stepped up behind her as she reached the passenger door ofhis truck and grasped the handle before she could. His free hand slid under the material of her dress. His palm settled over her ass cheek, his fingertips dipping along the thin material of her thong.

“Ethan,” she shrieked and clapped her hand over her dress. She spun around and pressed her back to the truck.

His hand rested on the inside of the door, he cupped his free hand around her waist and drew her up so he could nuzzle his face into her neck.

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