Page 88 of Collide

“Hi, Star,” I replied, trying my fucking hardest to sound cool, to notshow that just her appearance on a fucking computer screen did crazy things to my body.

“Are you okay? I was worried,” she said after a few seconds ofneither one of us speaking. My lips twitched into a faint smile at the mention of her worrying about me. How times had changed.

“I’m fine, things are just taking a bit longer than what I wanted.”

“You haven’t found him then?” She frowned and disappointment lacedher tone.

“Not yet, it looks like he went to ground a week before the ball. Thecops are trying to find him as well but it’s like he’s just vanished.”

I settled back against the pillows in the bed, taking a moment toabsorb everything about my girl.

She wore her chestnut hair down around her shoulders and hercheeks were rosy where she’d been laughing. Only her top half was visible and it looked like she was wearing some kind of vest top. A wave of jealousy rolled through me, not liking the thought that she was wearing her pajamas around Danny.

“Maybe he’s dead,” she said hopefully, bringing my attention back toher and not the irrational image of me murdering Danny.

“I don’t think our luck is that good.”

In fairness to her, it was something I had considered, maybesomething had happened to him after the ball, but unless I was standing over his cold corpse, I wouldn’t believe it.

“Tell me what you have been doing these last couple of days, Star,” Isaid, wanting to change the subject to something other than Anderson.

Riley launched into a long speech, barely stopping to take a breath.

She told me all about her time with Angel, about how well she was doing with her schoolwork, how Angel was like a different kid, and how much Angel liked Danny.I knew Danny had been spending time with Angel, I had assigned himas her personal protection whenever they left the apartment and he would often rave about how smart she was. I even caught him practicing sign language in front of a mirror one day.

Fuck, weallhad it bad for the Bennett girls.

The two of us laughed when she regaled an incident where Dannyhad thrown a tantrum because Angel had beaten him in a shooting game on her computer. He’d thrown the controller down in anger before stomping off.

I was yet to meet Angel, I had purposely kept away not wanting toscare the kid, but the more I heard about her, the more I wanted to meet her.

I laid back on the bed listening to Riley talk and fuck, did it make mycold heart swell with something. She was so animated and passionate when she spoke, and I was finally beginning to see the real Riley, the Riley who should be enjoying life and not having the burden of caring for her younger sister.

She said Angel was a different kid but I didn’t think Riley was awareof how much she had changed too. But I was. I saw everything when it came to her, and this side of her? I was so fucking glad I was the one who had given her the chance to discover it and show her what life could offer her.

“When are you coming home, Kai?” she said with a sigh. My lipstwitched into a small smile at the fact she’d just referred to the penthouse as home. She was right though, before her, it was somewhere I lived, but with her there, yeah it felt like home.

“Soon, baby. You missing me?” I said it half-jokingly but I was curiousas to what she would say.

“Yes,” she whispered. I’ll be man enough to admit that a small waveof relief rushed through me.

“I miss you too.” Neither one of us said anything for a minute and Itook the opportunity to just look at her.

She was sitting in my office chair, my city stretched out behind her. Itwas a glorious fucking sight. When Riley yawned and reached her arms up to stretch them above her head, her pert tits hidden underneath her vest came into view. Her nipples were hard against the material of the top, letting me know she wasn’t wearing a bra and the sight made my dick twitch in my sweatpants.

“Hey, Star, what are you wearing?” I said, mischief heavy in my voice. She threw her head back and laughed, the bruises on her neck werebeginning to fade and right then, I would have given anything to kiss her delicate skin.

“That’s a bit cliché isn’t it, Mr. Wolfe,” she replied, her voice sultry andfull of desire. And hearing her call me Mr. Wolfe, fuck, that went straight to my hardening cock.

“Humor me,” I said dryly.

“My pajama vest and shorts.” She leaned forward so her face wascloser to the camera before she said, “That’s all.”

A sly smile spread across her lips at her admission of her beingnaked under her pajamas.

The teasing little minx.

“Take them off, Riley, I want to see you.”

---