Page 40 of Lone Wolf in Lights
He lay there a moment longer, allowing himself to enjoy her sweet presence, before he kissed her shoulder. With reluctance, he peeled himself out of the bed, muscles stretching in protest. As he made his way downstairs to the kitchen, thoughts of the day ahead swirled in his mind.
Reaching the kitchen, he headed for the coffeepot and got that brewing. Last night, he had texted Jaxon to let him know that he would be arriving late to work today. Eli rarely took time off, so he wasn’t surprised by the lack of fuss. He pressed the button to start the brew, the machine gurgling to life, when his cell phone rang. He retrieved it from where it was being charged on the countertop, noting Harris was calling him back.
“Hey, Harris,” Eli spoke into the receiver.
“Morning,” Harris replied. “Sorry, I’m only calling you back now.”
They’d been playing phone tag yesterday. “It’s all right,” Eli said. “I wondered if there were any updates on Samantha. I need to know Willow’s safe.” His gaze drifted out the kitchen window to the mountains off in the distance. The sky was overcast, and even from his spot in the warmth of his house, the air looked freezing.
“She’s safe,” Harris confirmed. “I personally talked with Samantha yesterday. She’s scared of being arrested and she doesn’t want any more trouble. She had a warped understanding of thinking she was protecting her brother, but she understands we’ll charge her if she reaches out again.”
A sigh escaped Eli, the tension in his shoulders easing. “Thanks, man. That’s good to hear.”
“Keep your eyes open, of course, but I don’t think she’ll cause you two any further problems.”
“Appreciate it, Harris. I know this case wasn’t in your department, but I’m grateful for you looking into it.”
“It’s not a problem. Anything else comes up, I’m just a call away.” The line went dead, leaving Eli alone with his thoughts once again.
Relief washed over him as he grabbed two mugs from the cupboard when a whisper of movement caught his attention. Willow glided into his kitchen, wearing nothing but his faded T-shirt, its hem playfully skirting her thighs. Her tousled hair cascaded over her shoulders, and a grin broke across his face. He moved toward her, instinctively drawn by this magnetic thing between them. “Morning, beautiful,” he murmured.
“Morning,” she responded, a sleepy smile tugging at her lips. The distance between them evaporated as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into an embrace. He dropped his mouth to hers. She tasted of sun and sweetness, and he couldn’t get enough.
When he pulled back, she watched him closely. “Last night...”
He frowned. “If you shove me on my ass again, we’re going to have a problem.”
She laughed softly, shaking her head. “I don’t regret it, but I want to make sure we’re clear. I’m not ready for a relationship. I can do friends-with-benefits, but I can’t offer anything beyond that. I’m not capable.”
He cupped her face. “I’m not asking for anything you can’t give. As long as I get to keep kissing you, I’m good.”
Her eyes warmed in their beautiful way. “Better kiss me again so I can see.”
He did as she asked, placing his mouth against hers and putting in everything he had to leave her breathless.
It worked. Her cheeks were pink, and she was breathing heavily when he broke away.
He lifted his brows. “Your decision?”
“You can kiss me any damn time you want when we’re alone,” she said.
He accepted her decision with a nod. “Detective Harris just called,” he told her, turning back to the counter and fixing their coffees.
Willow slid onto the stool at the breakfast bar. “Anything we should worry about?”
“Nah, Harris thinks Buck’s sister won’t be stirring up any trouble,” he explained. He handed her a steaming cup, their fingers brushing—a jolt of heat spiraling straight to his groin.
“Thanks, and that’s good.” She smiled, wrapping her hands around the mug. “Do you know them—Buck and Samantha?”
“Not well,” Eli said, before leaning against the counter and taking a sip of his coffee. “They both went to my high school, but we were all in different grades.” He set his mug down and took the cast iron pan from the bottom drawer on the stove. “I consider myself lucky that they weren’t in my circle of friends.”
“No kidding,” Willow quipped, a wry edge to her voice. “Did Amie go to your school too?”
Eli shook his head. “She didn’t grow up here. She probably ended up here like everyone else, came for a visit and never left.”
Willow laughed. “That seems to happen a lot around here.”
“More than you can even imagine.” He focused on fixing breakfast, glad he had eggs and bread.
