Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 95080 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95080 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
“I didn’t think so,” I murmured. “And something occurred to me that I wanted to tell you, but I got distracted when you hugged me.”
“I distracted you?”
I nodded.
“Well, that’s not terrible,” he said with a grin. “But what were you thinking?”
“That it was strange that the floodlights here didn’t work the same as the ones at my dad’s house.”
“How so?” He pushed my hair back from my face as he looked at me.
“The lights didn’t come on until the guy was leaving. He was all the way up here on the deck, and they didn’t come on. That’s weird, right?”
Cord nodded. “That is weird. That means whoever the guy was, he knew where to walk so he wouldn’t trigger the lights, or the lights were on a timer, or—I should check. I’ll be right back.”
I greedily accepted his kiss before he rose and strode from the room. It was strange, but as surreal as the situation was, being with Cord was the opposite. In the middle of the craziness, I was okay because he was there. I could look at him and be reminded of who I was, of my life and my family and my friends. Never had I thought he would provide grounding for me in the middle of a storm, but he certainly could, and was.
“You’re deep in thought.”
I was surprised he was back already. “I thought you were checking on something?”
“I did.” He chuckled, sitting back down beside me, too close for us to be anything else but lovers. He took my hand in both of his and stared at me.
“Cord?”
“Sorry,” he said quickly, clearing his throat. “I just can’t get over it.”
“What’s that?”
“That you see me, that I have your attention.”
“I’m sorry.”
“No. No reason to be sorry.” He lifted my hand to kiss the back of it, and then went back to holding it in both of his. “So it turns out that the lights aren’t set to go off with movement. They’re on a timer.”
“Then it was just time for them to go off when they did.”
“Yeah.”
“Just luck, then.”
“Yes.”
“That’s stupid.”
“I agree, which is why now they’re set on the motion sensors.”
“So the security company did their part—”
“But John got tired of the lights going off for foxes or stray dogs, cats, or whatever else, and has changed them to go off at specific times.”
“That’s great,” I said sarcastically.
“Yeah, it is,” he rumbled softly, pressing his face down into the crook of my neck and opening his mouth on my skin.
I made a noise I didn’t intend, a groan, moan, whimper all rolled together as he kissed up behind my ear.
“It was good that you noticed—that it struck you as odd.”
“Was it?” I asked, fishing for the compliment.
“Yep. I would have never known otherwise.”
“I should be rewarded, then.”
“Uh-huh,” he said, pulling me into his arms for a hug.
So fast. I could get used to being crushed against him very, very fast.
He let me go after a moment, but not without a kiss on the forehead. Everyone else slowly trickled in, until they were all there.
“You should probably bring us up to speed, Inspector,” John suggested.
“There’s nothing new to tell,” Cord informed him, retaking my hand in his.
A knock on the door sent Officer Cumberland out to the foyer, and a moment later we were looking at Fieldcrest’s chief of police, Martin Riley. Cord got up to go speak to him, and then, when Chief Riley came to talk to John, Cord gestured for me to come over.
I crossed the room to him, and when I was close enough, he grabbed my hand and yanked me forward into the foyer and into his arms.
“What are you doing?”
“The chief’s gonna talk to the Alcotts, but there’s no news.”
“Okay,” I said, waiting for more.
“So this is your point of no return.”
I smiled at him.
“No, don’t just jump in,” he cautioned. “You need to really think about this. We’re moving really fast, and if it’s too—”
His protest was cut off when I leaped at him, wrapping my arms and legs around him tight.
“Tracy…” He was scolding me and smiling at the same time.
“You have a really odd idea about fast,” I said hoarsely, tightening my legs, wriggling against him. “And all I want to do is go upstairs and put you on your back.”
“Yeah?”
“Yes,” I said, uncoiling, regaining my feet before I took his hand in mine. When I turned to tug him after me, he didn’t move. “What’s the holdup?”
He cleared his throat. “We don’t— We could take—”
“Stop,” I whispered, lifting his hand to my lips and kissing his knuckles. “You’re scared. I promise not to hurt you.”
“Don’t you think that should be my line?”
I studied his face. “I think you’re the one who’s worried.”
“How can you not be worried?” he groused.
“Because I’m not,” I said simply, drawing him after me to the stairs and up. At the door to my room, I told him to go to his, lock it, and then come through the adjoining bathroom and meet me in bed.