“I suppose I don’t have a choice. I’m heading for bed. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“All right. Get some sleep.”
“I don’t see that happening,” Wilder said, and left the kitchen.
He removed his sweatpants after reaching his bedroom, crawled into bed, and closed his eyes. He just hoped he fell asleep, but it looked like he had a long night ahead of him.
****
Rory drove toward home like a bat out of hell. How dare he think she was using him for sex? She was so pissed that she was sure she had steam coming out of her ears.
“Men. Can’t live with them and can’t shoot them.”
She wrapped her hands around the steering wheel and squeezed but let up when it hurt. What was it with men? Just because she had sex with him didn’t mean it was just sex. She even told him she wasn’t a slut, and she was so attracted to him and afraid that he didn’t feel the same. What if he solved the case and then disappeared? What ifhewas the one just in it for the sex?
Rory pulled onto the berm of the road, checked for traffic, made a U-turn, and headed back to his place.
When she pulled up to the house, she could see the light on in the kitchen. She took a deep breath, shut the truck off, and then walked up the steps. The door opened before she could knock, and Nick stood there with the light at his back.
“Hey, did you forget something?” he asked her.
“Not really. Is Wilder still up?”
She watched a smirk lift Nick’s lips.
“I doubt he’ll sleep tonight. Come in, and I’ll get him.”
“Thank you,” she said as she stepped over the threshold and entered the kitchen.
She watched as Nick left the kitchen, but she didn’t sit down. She wasn’t even sure why she came back. Thinking it was best to just go, she headed for the door.
“Rory?”
She turned around to see Wilder walking toward her and almost groaned. She looked at him, wearing nothing but those damn gray sweatpants that left little to the imagination.
“I shouldn’t have come back,” she whispered.
“But you did.” He tilted his head. “Why?”
She blew out a laugh. “Hell if I know.”
He moved closer to her, touched her hair, then slid his hand under it to caress her neck.
“Rory, I know you think we need to stay away from each other, and I agree—”
“But—”
“Let me finish, please.” When she nodded, he went on. “I was going to say I agree, but I don’t like it. I’ll do whatever you want. In all honesty, I need to concentrate on the case, and I can’t do that if I’m getting distracted.” He kissed her forehead. “And woman, you distract the hell out of me. So let’s just back off from this thing between us for now. If it’s meant to be, it will happen.”
“What if you don’t solve the case?”
“I will. I’m on to one of them now. I’m on the right track. I just need to get with whomever else is involved. I want to solve this so I can be with you.”
Rory stared into those gorgeous blue eyes and nodded.
“I’m not just in this for the sex, Wilder. I’m in this because of you.”
“Same here, Rory. Let’s just back off from each other until I get them.”
“All right.” She turned to go when he wrapped his fingers around her wrist, stopping her. She looked back at him.
“We’ll start tomorrow,” he said, grinning.
Rory laughed. “Sounds like a plan.”
Wilder chuckled as he led her back to his bedroom.