ea--”
“Easy life. Dirt poor, no job, and abusive parents. Like I said, you think everyone has a good side.” He glared at her. “Who else besides Tom have you turned down lately? Or might have a grudge against you? Girls that might be jealous, guys that look at you funny.”
“Eddy might hold a grudge.” She winced.
“The dipshit you dated last summer?” He remembered Eddy, and the guy was a total moron. Okay, not a moron, but a nerd. “Why would he hold a grudge?”
Bolting from the bed, she began to pace. “God, this is so embarrassing.”
Embarrassing? She had no reason to be embarrassed. Shocked, afraid, angry, livid, and a whole list of other emotions he could think of, but embarrassed? Circling his arm around her middle, he lifted her chin. “Why would Eddy hold a grudge? Of all the morons you’ve gone out with, he was actually a nice guy.”
She swallowed. “I can’t believe I’m going to tell you this.”
He arched a brow.
“When we, well…oh God, I called out someone else’s name instead of his, okay?”
“Whose name?” he heard himself ask. A pang of jealousy filtered through his body, followed by rage. Not just because she’d been with other men, but if it hadn’t been his name, he’d be pissed. Something he had no right to be, considering their affair had already ended. He had no claims to her, and he didn’t want any. He tightened his grip around her and stared into her eyes.
“Yours,” she said so quietly he could barely hear her.
But he did. And he couldn’t tell if he was flattered, horrified, or thrilled. “You’ll have to tell the detectives about Eddy.” His hands betrayed his better judgment and cupped her face. “They don’t have to know all the details, but enough to question him about where he might have been last night.” He had told himself this morning it would be best to just pretend last night had never happened. He told himself they could go back to being friends.
He reminded himself of that when he kissed her nose, then tucked her head into his chest. The erratic pounding of his heart echoed in his ears. A sudden rush of desperation clamped down on his emotions. Regardless of the cost, he’d do anything to make sure she was protected against any harm.
A thought he tried to keep at the forefront of his mind when he tilted her head and dropped his lips to hers. He let his body take over and slammed his tongue into her mouth on a search and destroy mission. Lost in the softness of her mouth, he forgot about the CSI unit and the two detectives waiting for them, until she had the presence of mind to pull away.
Stunned, he rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m sorry. I have no idea where that came from.”
“It’s okay. This whole thing’s got us both on edge.” She wrapped her arms around her chest. “I feel violated. Someone may have been watching us.”
The idea that someone had seen them infuriated Jared. He’d always been a private man and kept his affairs discreet. His life was no one’s business. “We’d better get over there.” He strapped his weapon belt on and took her by the elbow. “I’ll catch this guy, I promise.”
And he meant it.
* * * *
Ryan’s stomach gurgled and pitched toward her throat as Jared walked her toward the carriage house. Two sheriff’s cars, a state trooper car, an unmarked car, and a sheriff’s van were parked in the driveway and on the street, lights flashing for the world to see. Some of her neighbors had come out to watch.
Mr. Thompson scurried across the road. “If I can do anything? Help out in any way?”
“Just keep your eye out and lock your doors,” Jared said with a polite smile. His hand firmly planted on the small of her back. “Are you ready?”
A breeze kicked up off the lake and swished her hair across her face. She brushed it away and adjusted her long bangs as if looking her best would help the situation. The smell of rotten meat filled her nostrils when a police
“Easy life. Dirt poor, no job, and abusive parents. Like I said, you think everyone has a good side.” He glared at her. “Who else besides Tom have you turned down lately? Or might have a grudge against you? Girls that might be jealous, guys that look at you funny.”
“Eddy might hold a grudge.” She winced.
“The dipshit you dated last summer?” He remembered Eddy, and the guy was a total moron. Okay, not a moron, but a nerd. “Why would he hold a grudge?”
Bolting from the bed, she began to pace. “God, this is so embarrassing.”
Embarrassing? She had no reason to be embarrassed. Shocked, afraid, angry, livid, and a whole list of other emotions he could think of, but embarrassed? Circling his arm around her middle, he lifted her chin. “Why would Eddy hold a grudge? Of all the morons you’ve gone out with, he was actually a nice guy.”
She swallowed. “I can’t believe I’m going to tell you this.”
He arched a brow.
“When we, well…oh God, I called out someone else’s name instead of his, okay?”
“Whose name?” he heard himself ask. A pang of jealousy filtered through his body, followed by rage. Not just because she’d been with other men, but if it hadn’t been his name, he’d be pissed. Something he had no right to be, considering their affair had already ended. He had no claims to her, and he didn’t want any. He tightened his grip around her and stared into her eyes.
“Yours,” she said so quietly he could barely hear her.
But he did. And he couldn’t tell if he was flattered, horrified, or thrilled. “You’ll have to tell the detectives about Eddy.” His hands betrayed his better judgment and cupped her face. “They don’t have to know all the details, but enough to question him about where he might have been last night.” He had told himself this morning it would be best to just pretend last night had never happened. He told himself they could go back to being friends.
He reminded himself of that when he kissed her nose, then tucked her head into his chest. The erratic pounding of his heart echoed in his ears. A sudden rush of desperation clamped down on his emotions. Regardless of the cost, he’d do anything to make sure she was protected against any harm.
A thought he tried to keep at the forefront of his mind when he tilted her head and dropped his lips to hers. He let his body take over and slammed his tongue into her mouth on a search and destroy mission. Lost in the softness of her mouth, he forgot about the CSI unit and the two detectives waiting for them, until she had the presence of mind to pull away.
Stunned, he rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m sorry. I have no idea where that came from.”
“It’s okay. This whole thing’s got us both on edge.” She wrapped her arms around her chest. “I feel violated. Someone may have been watching us.”
The idea that someone had seen them infuriated Jared. He’d always been a private man and kept his affairs discreet. His life was no one’s business. “We’d better get over there.” He strapped his weapon belt on and took her by the elbow. “I’ll catch this guy, I promise.”
And he meant it.
* * * *
Ryan’s stomach gurgled and pitched toward her throat as Jared walked her toward the carriage house. Two sheriff’s cars, a state trooper car, an unmarked car, and a sheriff’s van were parked in the driveway and on the street, lights flashing for the world to see. Some of her neighbors had come out to watch.
Mr. Thompson scurried across the road. “If I can do anything? Help out in any way?”
“Just keep your eye out and lock your doors,” Jared said with a polite smile. His hand firmly planted on the small of her back. “Are you ready?”
A breeze kicked up off the lake and swished her hair across her face. She brushed it away and adjusted her long bangs as if looking her best would help the situation. The smell of rotten meat filled her nostrils when a police
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