Page 34 of Cinnamon Cider Whiskey
“All right. I’d like that.”
“Good. Now, I have something I need to discuss with you,” he said.
“That sounds ominous.”
“It kind of is,” Austin admitted. “Brad called me about an hour ago. It seems tomorrow morning I will be getting a visit from Agent Belmont.”
“Who’s that?”
“The FBI agent who has been investigating Charity’s disappearance.”
“Why would Brad know about that?” Cinnamon asked.
“He has a buddy at the local FBI office who gave him the heads-up.”
“Why is he coming?”
“That’s the scary part. I don’t know. He usually comes out here once a month or when one of Charity’s family members tells a crazy false story about my relationship with Charity. But this time, there’s been nothing in the press. No chatter about someone who thought they saw Charity or a tip that came over the hotline. Nothing. That makes me nervous. However, Brad told me there has been a lot of activity and he won’t tell me what that is. He says he can’t this time, but he said it’s potentially bad.”
“Does this agent act as if he thinks you did something to her?”
“He did in the beginning. Now he goes back and forth between it either being me or Tom. It’s like he plays us off each other. One day he’s all friendly with me, telling me he believes it’s Tom and not me, the next it’s the opposite. He has a job to do, and I get he has to follow all the leads. Brad keeps telling me that if he honestly believed I had anything to do with her disappearance, he’d be coming around more often.”
“Do you think Tom did something to her?” Cinnamon asked.
“I used to, but not anymore. He’s just as distraught over her disappearance as I am. Actually, even more. I think the man loved her. I just wanted you to know that this agent will be showing up tomorrow to have a little chat with me.”
“I’m glad you told me. It would have totally freaked me out if he randomly knocked on the door and I didn’t know.”
He took her chin with his thumb and forefinger, giving her little kiss. “Let’s finish this amazing dinner. Then I’ll do the dishes while you take a nice hot bath. After that, we can watch a movie and go to bed.”
“I like that sound of that.”
So did Austin.
Now matter how much Cinnamon tried, she couldn’t settle her mind. Granted, it had only been twenty minutes since they had climbed into bed. Every night she slept with her back to Austin’s chest and his arms around her body. He would whisper good night in her ear and kiss her shoulder. But when she woke in the morning, she’d be alone. He’d always managed to slip from thebed without waking her and jump in the shower. She had no idea why it bothered her so much, but it did.
She rolled to face him, resting her knee on his legs.
He blinked. “Is something wrong?”
“I can’t sleep.”
Palming her cheek, he leaned in and brushed his lips over her mouth. His kisses were always tender and loving, his embrace protective and warm. She could feel his love with every touch.
But not his passion.
“I know you’re worried about things with Pete and the FBI agent coming. I am too. But close your eyes and think about?—”
“It’s not that.” She ran her hand down his chest, letting her fingers graze across his nipples. She moved over his taut stomach and fingered the elastic of his underwear. She didn’t dare reach inside. That would be too bold. Too forward. She would allow him to move things along. He had to want it too.
He grabbed her wrist. “What are you doing?”
“I feel like another weight was lifted tonight by you knowing everything that happened and that it allows us to take the next step in our relationship.”
He smoothed her hair from her face and stared intently into her eyes. “There’s no rush.”
“Don’t you want me?” She resented the quiver in her voice. She hated how Pete had stolen all her confidence. She’d never had the chance to grow as a woman. She’d been stuck in a cycle of constant fear and denigration.
