Page 24 of Dark Torment

My entire body heats from the closeness, and I have to hold in the shiver that’s trying to make its way through my body.

This man will be my undoing, I swear it. I’ve never felt like this about anyone before, but I like it.

A lot.

“Right.” I clear my throat, giving my head a little shake to make myself focus on the task at hand.

He wants to adopt a dog, Olivia, not a horny woman who doesn’t know the first thing about how to please a man.

Gosh, I hate the voice in my head sometimes. Why can’t he want both?

“Are you alright, Olivia?” His voice filled with concern.

I’m about to answer him when Shelby hollers from the back.

“Oh, my fucking GOD!” she shrieks. “Liv, what was that douchebag’s name again? You know, the one who tried to get all up in your lady business last week!”

I feel Jonathan stiffen behind me but shake it off. He’s a lawyer. He probably doesn’t like the idea of any man trying to push themselves on a woman.

“Uh, I’m busy, Shelbs,” I holler back, looking at Jonathan apologetically.

“Sorry. She probably didn’t hear you come in,” I explain, and he gives me a stiff nod as she bursts through the door, looking frazzled.

“Oh,” she says, more than a little surprised when she sees Jonathan and how close he is to me.

“Jonathan came back to look at the dogs available for adoption at the local shelter!” I tell her proudly, and she looks between us before nodding.

“Cool. But seriously, what was his name again?”

I sigh, giving her a bored look. “Jeff, something. We didn’t exactly exchange last names.” I wince at how stupid that sounds.

Just making all kinds of dumb decisions lately, aren’t you, Liv?

“Right. Is this him?” She turns the iPad around and in the centre is a picture of the asshole who tried to feel me up.

I actually shiver at the idea of his hands on my body and how much of a dick he’d been.

“Yeah, why?” I ask her, getting an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach.

“Because he was just found brutally murdered in his home,” she explains, and I feel like I’m going to be sick.

Her eyes travel to Jonathan and she gives him a look I can’t decipher. “It’s a good thing you were there. If something had happened to her, I think it would kill me.” She shakes her head, batting away tears.

“I’m glad I could be there. What are they saying, though? That’s not a common occurrence around here. That feels like more of a Chicago thing,” he says, looking annoyed.

“Oh my God! You’re trying to get away from work, and this probably isn’t helping,” I gasp, looking at him.

“It’s okay, I’m just surprised by it is all,” he explains, reaching his hand to rub my back in a calming gesture.

It’s definitely too intimate considering we don’t know each other, but it feels good anyway.

“Apparently, they have absolutely no idea who did it. They can’t find a lick of forensic evidence, according to the article,” Shelby states in excitement.

“Not now, Shelbs,” I warn, and she huffs a breath.

“Fine. Do your doggy adoption thing and make that golden heart of yours happy so we can make my dark one giddy later!” she quips before going back the way she came.

“Her dark heart giddy?” Jonathan questions with a raised eyebrow, and I snort.

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