he know that I
didn't? I thought about Vaughn’s conversation on the phone that
morning, the gun in his bedside drawer, and I thought about the
rumors that were spread around about him. That he was a playboy
womanizer, that he flung about money like it was going out of
fashion, that he dealt under the table…that he dealt with
criminals. Nothing had been proven, but he hadn’t denied any of it
either.
Like he’d said, he was good with words. He
could answer a question without really answering it at all and make
you believe you had what you came for.
Was I really okay with his
secrets? What if he was involved in some kind of crime syndicate?
Was I okay not knowing that? This was all so very new between
us.
The bell rang and I jumped, my heart
skipping a beat. I opened the door and this time, I found Hawkes on
the other side.
“Miss Lansford,” he said, inclining his
head.
“Hawkes.”
“Are you ready to leave?”
“Let me just grab my purse.” I left him
standing at the door and ran back up the stairs to retrieve my
phone. Father wouldn’t be pleased, but I had to see Vaughn again.
There were too many unknowns and I wasn’t sure that merely
exploring our feelings was enough for me to continue.
I had to get some answers before this thing
went any further.
When we arrived, Hawkes walked me to
the door.
I stood awkwardly as he opened it for me,
knowing that this was weird. Vaughn wanting me back so soon? I
wasn't that good in bed, was I? Something was wrong and after my
father’s visit, it put me totally on edge.
Stepping inside, I found Vaughn
waiting for me. He wore a tight, gray T-shirt and jeans, which was
a total departure from what I'd seen him in up until now. If I
wasn't so on edge, I might've stopped to appreciate the way the
material clung to his hard chest. The same chest I'd lain against
that very morning.
As I moved further into the
house, he went to take me in his arms, his head inclining to kiss
me, but I stepped around him.
“There were photos of us in the paper,” I
said, casting my gaze around the foyer. There was a lovely
landscape painting on one wall and I realized he really had been at
the opening for me. He wasn’t interested in abstract art. He was a
classic kind of man. “I had no idea the paparazzi moved so
quickly.”
“Lorelei...”
“I never get photographed, so it must be you
they’re interested in.” I turned to face him.
“I…” He trailed off, his eyes flickering
like he was deciding in what order to tell me things, or what
pieces he should omit.
“ It’s been a
day, Vaughn. I’ve heard of emotional whiplash, but this is a whole
new level. I don’t even know what to call that .” He grimaced and my heart began to speed
up, my thoughts returning to my father’s visit. “Are you in some
kind of trouble?”
“ There are a lot of things I
need to explain to you,” he said. “Having you here, where I can
touch you, puts me at ease.”
I frowned. “Why?”
He stepped forward and grasped my hand,
leading me from the foyer and up the stairs. I had no idea what was
happening and I was beginning to spin even faster. This man wasn’t
the Vaughn I’d left that morning. What the hell had happened in the
space of a few hours?
He led me down the hall and into his
bedroom, his inner sanctum, and closed the door behind us.
“Vaughn,” I said, dropping his hand and
taking a step back. “You’re really starting to frighten me.”
Sighing, he moved forward and I edged
backwards until I hit the closed door. He buried his hands into my
hair, his body pressing against mine and then he kissed me. Our
lips melded together and my body took over from my head, which was
screaming at me to interrogate Vaughn for answers. I shivered in
his grasp, the length of his body hard against my own, and when his
tongue teased my skin, I opened.
I tasted him as we kissed and what I tasted
was exhilarating and frightening all at once. His body told me he
was desperate and
didn't? I thought about Vaughn’s conversation on the phone that
morning, the gun in his bedside drawer, and I thought about the
rumors that were spread around about him. That he was a playboy
womanizer, that he flung about money like it was going out of
fashion, that he dealt under the table…that he dealt with
criminals. Nothing had been proven, but he hadn’t denied any of it
either.
Like he’d said, he was good with words. He
could answer a question without really answering it at all and make
you believe you had what you came for.
Was I really okay with his
secrets? What if he was involved in some kind of crime syndicate?
Was I okay not knowing that? This was all so very new between
us.
The bell rang and I jumped, my heart
skipping a beat. I opened the door and this time, I found Hawkes on
the other side.
“Miss Lansford,” he said, inclining his
head.
“Hawkes.”
“Are you ready to leave?”
“Let me just grab my purse.” I left him
standing at the door and ran back up the stairs to retrieve my
phone. Father wouldn’t be pleased, but I had to see Vaughn again.
There were too many unknowns and I wasn’t sure that merely
exploring our feelings was enough for me to continue.
I had to get some answers before this thing
went any further.
When we arrived, Hawkes walked me to
the door.
I stood awkwardly as he opened it for me,
knowing that this was weird. Vaughn wanting me back so soon? I
wasn't that good in bed, was I? Something was wrong and after my
father’s visit, it put me totally on edge.
Stepping inside, I found Vaughn
waiting for me. He wore a tight, gray T-shirt and jeans, which was
a total departure from what I'd seen him in up until now. If I
wasn't so on edge, I might've stopped to appreciate the way the
material clung to his hard chest. The same chest I'd lain against
that very morning.
As I moved further into the
house, he went to take me in his arms, his head inclining to kiss
me, but I stepped around him.
“There were photos of us in the paper,” I
said, casting my gaze around the foyer. There was a lovely
landscape painting on one wall and I realized he really had been at
the opening for me. He wasn’t interested in abstract art. He was a
classic kind of man. “I had no idea the paparazzi moved so
quickly.”
“Lorelei...”
“I never get photographed, so it must be you
they’re interested in.” I turned to face him.
“I…” He trailed off, his eyes flickering
like he was deciding in what order to tell me things, or what
pieces he should omit.
“ It’s been a
day, Vaughn. I’ve heard of emotional whiplash, but this is a whole
new level. I don’t even know what to call that .” He grimaced and my heart began to speed
up, my thoughts returning to my father’s visit. “Are you in some
kind of trouble?”
“ There are a lot of things I
need to explain to you,” he said. “Having you here, where I can
touch you, puts me at ease.”
I frowned. “Why?”
He stepped forward and grasped my hand,
leading me from the foyer and up the stairs. I had no idea what was
happening and I was beginning to spin even faster. This man wasn’t
the Vaughn I’d left that morning. What the hell had happened in the
space of a few hours?
He led me down the hall and into his
bedroom, his inner sanctum, and closed the door behind us.
“Vaughn,” I said, dropping his hand and
taking a step back. “You’re really starting to frighten me.”
Sighing, he moved forward and I edged
backwards until I hit the closed door. He buried his hands into my
hair, his body pressing against mine and then he kissed me. Our
lips melded together and my body took over from my head, which was
screaming at me to interrogate Vaughn for answers. I shivered in
his grasp, the length of his body hard against my own, and when his
tongue teased my skin, I opened.
I tasted him as we kissed and what I tasted
was exhilarating and frightening all at once. His body told me he
was desperate and
Similar Books
