She hadn’t been called for an interview. An autopsy report. To claim her father’s body—legally, she was still his daughter after all. But some suspicious part of her couldn’t help thinking thathehad. He had done all of those things and didn’t even think to include her in a single one.
Even weirder, he never mentioned the murder, or her father, or what she remembered from that night at all.
He’s being polite,a part of her hissed.Waiting for the right time.
But would there everbea right time to bring up something like this?
“I at least want to get some things from the house,” she finished weakly.
That wasn’t too much to ask, was it? But when she glanced at his face, it was carefully blank.
“I could arrange it with the station.” He let go of her hand and stood. “If that’s what you want.”
Loren nodded. “I do.”
He held out his hand, and she took it, allowing him to pull her to her feet. He was closer than she thought—she nearly ran right into him. But, seemingly out of reflex, his arm went around her waist before she had the chance to lose her balance.
Loren held her breath. Pressed against him, she could feel his heat. Her nostrils flared with his scent, and every cell in her body was tingly and alert.
She couldn’t help but be flashed back to that incident in the field. The kiss…
At the thought, her throat went dry. She’d pushed the events from her mind out of concern for Naomi. But now…
She figured that she’d never really stopped thinking about it. It was always there at the back of her mind, far too dangerous to focus on.
“Did you… With Naomi? Did you…” She couldn’t even form a coherent sentence.
Still, he knew exactly what she meant. “No. The bond between us—oursituation is different.”
“How?”
“I… Eventually, I will explain. I promise you that.”
An awkward silence fell, and with every passing second her pulse raced, her cheeks warm. More than ever, she felt certain he was avoiding something. Something monumental. “Different” seemed to be an understatement when describing whatever lingered between them.
Intense, perhaps? Intimate. For instance, she could feel his uncertainty the same way she felt his anger—and more. He was worried. Restless. And… Something dangerous he seemed determined to smother. Hide, if not from her, then himself. It persisted regardless. Soon, he gave in with a low hiss that made her heart lurch.
A second later, he was smelling her, dragging her scent into his lungs with deep, greedy breaths.
She inhaled his scent in return, so rich it took her breath away. Suddenly, they were closer. Whether he had closed the distance, or she did, she didn’t know. Only that she was the one who reached for him first.
Her hand landed flat against his bare chest, summoning a low sound that teased the air in response. His entire body vibrated with tension. No, this wasn’t like the way he interacted with Naomi. Not even comparable.
But then, what was it?
Puzzled, she looked up, searching his expression. Any answer was elusive, hidden behind those gray eyes. They were darker than ever. Endless.
But she wanted to know more. For the first time since meeting him, she felt… Entitled to more. Entitled to touch him. Inch closer. Lower her gaze to his mouth and watch his lips twitch into a frown.
“Loren…” he was preparing to say something. Perhaps some variation of his usual request when it came to her.Trust me. Listen to me. Obey.
She wondered just what made him react to her in the woods. It hadn’t been her nearness or even the heightened adrenaline from the chase. It had been this. Parting her lips, holding his stare and uttering just one word. “No.”
His nostrils flared, his brows furrowing. Her skin tingled—she felt like someone on the verge of some great discovery. What made Bill McGoven tick? What could catch him off guard, make him react out of character?
It was more than disobedience, she sensed.Oh yes,that inner voice purred. It was whatever instinct had him lurching after her the second she started down the porch steps. She didn’t dare go far—just beyond the circle of light cast by the porch lamp.
He was right on her heels. His hand caught her wrist, yanking her back. Her spine met the unyielding surface of his chest. And then…