Page 58 of Deadly Obsession

Brushing his fingertips across the underside of her breast, he rolled out of bed and tugged on his jeans from the night before, yanking open the door to Evie’s nervous face.

“What the hell do you want at this hour?”

Evie’s brows shot up, and she crossed her arms over her chest. “It’s eleven in the morning, and Cait is on her way home. She’s early, and I’m freaking out a little. I need Viv.”

“I’m up,” Viv called from the bed, and he glanced back to see her sitting in the middle of it with the sheet clutched to her breasts. Fuck, she looked good enough to eat.

“I’m sorry to interrupt,” Evie said, voice strained. “I’m just—”

“Don’t be.” Viv waved her words away.

“I definitely think you should be,” Aidan grumbled.

“What my husband means to say is, we’ll get dressed and be right down to help.”

Evie’s face was washed in relief. “Thank you. I’ll be downstairs.”

Viv shoved her hair off her face and smoothed it with her hand, glancing up at him when he closed the door and crossed to the bed.

“I wish you hadn’t done that.”

“Offered to help?”

“Promised to be right down.” He reached out to pull her to her knees, eyes traveling down her body when the sheet fell away. “I wanted to keep you in bed for a little while longer.”

She slid her hand up his chest and wrapped it around his throat, grinning as she leaned in to steal a quick kiss from his lips.

“I’m sorry to disappoint you, Callahan. We’ll have to skip morning sex and dive right into our usual awkward exchanges over toast.”

She started to get out of bed, but he held her firmly. “They’re only awkward because I never know what to say to you.”

“Mmm,” she replied, avoiding eye contact.

Sighing, he released her. It was probably better if they retreated to their corners anyway. He’d shared too much with her last night. Not just answering her questions, though he had because he’d wanted her too much to tell her no. But confessing his thoughts while he’d been buried inside her.

He needed to say it, couldn’t have stopped the words if he wanted to. He couldn’t tell if she believed him or not. He’d hardly blame her if she didn’t, and it was probably better that way. He didn’t understand it himself. There was no way he’d be able to explain it to her. These constant foreign sensations in his chest whenever she flitted across his mind, which was far too often for his liking.

“How long has it been since you’ve seen Cait?”

Viv poked her head out of the closet clad in a purple bra and matching panties, and his only thought was how much he’d like to rip it off her again.

“Not since the funeral. She hung around for a few more days before heading to New York with Evan and her parents, but she kept her distance from me.”

“Why?”

When she stepped out again, she was wearing a pair of tight dark wash jeans and a gray sweater that showed off every curve.

“Woman,” he growled as she crossed to the bathroom. “Are you trying to get fucked?”

He watched her lips curve into a grin while she carefully brushed out her hair and twisted it into a series of elaborate braids that she wound around each other. He had no idea how she managed to do that in less than five minutes, but he wondered how long it would take him to undo them again.

She quickly swiped makeup over her features and dabbed on a little of the perfume that smelled like her. Jasmine, he’d discovered from reading the label.

“Why did Cait avoid you?” she asked, following him into the closet when he went in search of a fresh shirt.

He turned so he couldn’t see her face and pulled a long-sleeved shirt off the hanger. “I made a bit of a scene right after the funeral.”

“You what?”