Page 89 of Love Undercover
He looked at her, a question in his eyes.
“Pull over,” she said again, infusing the words with the authority she knew how to wield. Not loud but sharp.
He didn’t make a move for a full minute, then he pressed his lips together and slowed, pulling to the side of the road on the desolate highway. She had no idea how long of a drive they had ahead of them, but it didn’t matter. Not when it came to this.
He put the car in park, the engine still running, though it was so quiet, you wouldn’t know it.
She unbuckled. “Look at me.”
He stared at the dashboard, breathing hard.
She leaned over and put her hands on either side of his face, forcing him to look at her. She stared intently into his eyes, thegreen so like the woods that surrounded his cabin. “You are an honorable man.”
His gaze shot down, shame warming his cheeks under her palms.
“Don’t. Sometimes we’re put in positions where we have to do the things we don’t want to in order to contribute to the greater good. It makesyoua stronger man that you make the hard choices, do the harder things. You are not your father. We do better when we know better.”
She kissed him, pressing so hard against his lips with hers, it was almost painful. She put every ounce of her feelings into the kiss, not even hating that there was more behind it than there should have been, more than she even realized until that moment.
At first, he barely reacted to her kiss, but his brow furrowed after a second, maybe sensing what was underneath, and his hands went to her waist. He gripped so hard, the intensity his answer to hers.
Maybe she wasn’t the only one feeling things to the depth that she was.
When they broke apart, she laid her forehead against his, and their breath danced between them.
“You’re doing good, Chase. You hear me?”
He nodded, his eyes still closed.
42
Solicited Advice
Kesterson lived in an ancient brownstone that was as dated as it was meticulously cared for. That tracked with what Chase remembered about the man. He’d been old-school and thorough. Short and squat with a sour expression, it had surprised Chase to find he was as gentle as he was edged.
So when Kesterson opened his door with a glower, Chase assumed it was now permanently etched into his face instead of a grumpy mood.
The folds on Kesterson’s eyelids obscured the color of his irises, but it was still obvious when he narrowed his gaze on Chase’s face, recognition immediate.
“Son of Lundgren,” Kesterson said with a grunt, taking him in from head to toe. “All grown up.”
Chase waited while Kesterson tried to figure him out. The old man’s eyes shifted to Sadie, doing the same once-over he gave Chase.
“Finding you on my doorstep feels a little bit foreboding, but I don’t think you’d bring your girlfriend if this were a revenge visit.”
Cocky old bastard, Chase thought.
“No desire for revenge on my part,” he said. “I’m here for help.”
Kesterson made a quick calculation then opened his door wider, jerking his head as invitation.
Chase took Sadie’s hand and followed the old man inside. He led them through a narrow hallway to the back of the house where a cramped living room opened to a large back window. Despite the view, the room was dark. Dark-wooded furniture, dark-colored walls, and the light that tried to break through was diffused by the encroaching neighboring houses.
Kesterson moved with surprising ease. Chase had no idea how old he was, but he’d been well past middle age when he’d finally taken Chase’s dad in. And that was at least a dozen years ago.
“Refreshments?” Kesterson gestured toward his small galley kitchen.
“We’re fine,” Chase answered, though he hadn’t bothered to ask Sadie.
