Page 24 of Hunted Temptation
That confuses me. Lifting my gaze up to meet his, I look at him, search his eyes with my own, and then I smile. He wraps his fingers around my wrist, holding my hand against his chest.
“I wasn’t free for a long time, Goldie.”
I don’t ask any questions. I have a feeling that this man wouldn’t answer them anyway, especially if he didn’t want to.No, I don’t think that Vaughn is a man who feels pressured to answer to anyone.
“Like you,” he rasps. “I was not free.”
Like me.
The way his gaze darkens, I know he’s trying to tell me something, trying to tell me something huge. We stare into one another’s eyes for what would otherwise be an uncomfortable amount of time, but it doesn’t feel that way. I’m taking him in, accepting the silent message he’s sending to me.
I don’t know what to say, so instead of trying to say anything, I stay quiet. There’s really nothing I could say, to be honest. All I know is that he shares a darkness with me. He may be a stranger, but I know our experiences are similar.
I can feel it.
Chapter Nine
VAUGHN
Sleep evades me.
I’m not sure why I thought I would be able to close my eyes with this woman just a few feet away in the next bed, sound asleep. But here I am, not sleeping and staring at the ceiling.
I have never wanted to wrap my arms around another person in my entire life.
Cuddling is not my thing, except I want to do that with her. I want to pull her against my body. Feel her weight press against my side. I want to smell her. Taste her. Feel all of her, inside and out. I want it all, and I know I shouldn’t take it from her.
I shouldn’t touch her in any way.
Even though that’s all I want to do… touch and taste.
When my alarm sounds, I turn it off quickly and throw my legs over the side of the bed. Placing my feet flat on the floor, I wince at the rough carpet against my skin. We’re on day two of shit motel rooms.
I hate them.
I yearn for my own bed and my linen sheets. My own pillows. My own showerhead. My own everything, actually. Just a few more days. Just a few more days, and I can close my eyes in peace, knowing we’re both safe.
Boden and Hale haven’t given me any information on the pictures and license plate number I sent them, but I have a feeling they’re waiting until we get back. They’re going to want every ounce of information on the woman lying beside me, like a couple of gossips. And I can’t deny that if the tables were turned, I would want the same.
Standing from the bed, I make my way into the bathroom to take a quick shower, brush my teeth, and throw some clothes on. I’m not ready for another full day in the car, but I don’t really have a choice.
The only way we’re going to get back to Nights is by driving. Flying isn’t an option. Elodie doesn’t exist any longer. Therefore, she can’t get a plane ticket and fly across the country, not until I get a new identity worked out for her.
When I walk out of the bathroom, I smile at the sight of her. She’s still passed out cold. Seeing her eat, sleep, and smile is probably my favorite thing in the whole world. I’m acutely aware of the fact that every minute I’m in her presence, I fall deeper for her.
Making my way over to the nightstand, I grab my phone and put in a mobile order for coffee and some pastries. I usually do avocado toast and fried eggs for breakfast with a side of bacon, but I don’t really give a fuck about that today. I have a hankering for a blueberry crumble muffin.
No clue why, but I’m craving sugar and carbs. Maybe it’s because I can’t fuck and I’m looking for a way to feed that desire, so why not sugar and carbs? Whatever the reason, I need to get home and back to my routine.
“How are you awake?” a sleepy voice grumbles softly.
My lips curve up into a smile as my gaze swings over to her. I watch as one of her eyes cracks open, then the other. She pushes up, straightening her arms, and then shifts around so she’s sitting with her back against the headboard. I watch as she tugs the blankets up to her chest.
“Better get up. Coffees and breakfast will be ready for pickup in twenty minutes,” I announce.
Her eyes widen, her lips part, and she sucks in a deep breath. She shakes her head a couple of times, and then her eyes narrow on me, and her lips purse.
“Twenty minutes?” she hisses.
