Page 35 of Girl Long Gone

Evelyn set her bag at her feet and glanced around. “It was nice of your friend to let us stay here.”

He scooped her bag from the floor and carried it into Mark’s bedroom. Porkchop followed him and jumped on the bed. Connor placed his bag beside Evelyn’s then joined her in the open concept living room-kitchen combo. “Mark doesn’t mind. Plus, with him at your place, he’ll be able to grab Gabriel and slap cuffs on the bastard if he has the balls to head back there.”

She surveyed the room, her gaze landing on the thick beam on the ceiling and the exposed brick lining the interior wall of the kitchen. “I’d love to live in a place like this.”

“Why don’t you?” Connor leaned against the doorframe and crossed his arms over his chest. He itched to cross the room and take her in his arms but sensed she needed a little space.

In a short span of days, Evelyn had gone from a sexy stranger to a woman he desperately wanted to know more about. Staying in the same apartment together was a huge leap. But the walls Evelyn had erected seemed higher and thicker than his own.

She shrugged and trailed her finger over the back of the leather sofa as she walked behind it. “I bet this place is expensive, and there’s only one bedroom. I like having Lacey and Abbie with me.”

“Your place doesn’t look cheap.” He chose his words carefully, not wanting to reveal he was aware of her financial situation.

Her steps faltered a beat before she continued around the couch and turned to face him. Her furrowed brow could have been a flashing sign showing a spinning wheel. “I have the money to provide a nice home for Abbie, Lacey, and myself. It’s in a good neighborhood and close to work for Lacey.”

“If you have the money, why was it so important for you to get a job working for Gabriel?” The question had plagued him for days, but he didn’t want to invade her privacy by seeking out the answer himself. He wanted Evelyn to trust him enough to tell him.

She shifted her weight from one foot to the other. “My parents died when I was eighteen. They had money, and when they were gone, I got everything.” Tears filled her eyes. “I don’t like being dependent on them. Even if they’re gone. Even if the things they made me do was the reason they had the money in the first place.” She spoke the last sentence in a whisper, but the words packed a punch powerful enough to steal his breath.

He stepped toward her, taking his time, gauging her reaction to his nearness. Her muscles went rigid, but she didn’t back away. The need to touch her, to soothe her, pulsed through him, but he buried his hands in his pockets. “What do you mean?”

Tears spilled freely down her face, and she drew in a shuddering breath. “Don’t make me say.” She wiped the moisture from her face.

The pain in her eyes broke his heart, but her vulnerability made her downright beautiful.

He pulled her to the sofa and sat down beside her. She glanced away, but he lifted her chin to force her gaze to meet his. “I’ll never make you do a damn thing you don’t want to. Even talking about whatever happened to you as a kid. But you’re strong, you’re capable, and dammit, you’re the most magnificent woman I’ve ever met in my entire life.”

Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped just enough to draw his gaze to her plush, red lips. An internal battle waged. He wanted to show her he cared for her, that he could take his time to get to know who she was before diving into something deeper, but she pulled him to her like a magnet.

Lowering his mouth to hers, he tasted her salty tears. He dropped her hands and framed her face with his palms. Desire tingled his nerve endings, and a rapid beat pounded in his chest. Evelyn moaned and melted against him, threatening to shred his thin self-control.

He pulled away and leaned his forehead against hers. Evelyn’s ragged breaths skimmed his skin, heating his face. He dropped his hands and fought every screaming instinct to devour her on his best friend’s couch.

He leaned back, but Evelyn grabbed hold of his hands and kept him close. He glanced at her swollen lips and widened eyes. What had he done? He’d moved too fast. He might have ruined any chance he had of winning her heart.

A slow smile spread across her face, and relief loosened the knot of dread in his gut. She fell against him, and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

Everything might be falling apart around them, but in this one moment, the world was just as it should be. One minute was all he wanted to enjoy sitting next to a beautiful woman—a woman he was falling for hard.

17

Evelyn jerked awake. She blinked, adjusting to the bright light beating through the uncovered window. She groaned against the intrusion and stretched her arms above her head. Her fingers brushed against hard muscle. Anxiety zipped through her veins and jolted her awake much quicker than any coffee she’d ever consumed. Where was she? Her gaze landed on Connor, and the tension melted away.

Connor lay hunched on his side, his arm blocking the sun from his eyes. Her memories sprang to life, and she touched her lips. He’d kissed her. Not a gentle brush of his lips on her forehead or a friendly peck on the cheek, but an honest-to-God, I-want-you-bad kind of kiss.

The kind of kiss she’d never had before.

Heat scorched her face, and she studied him. His thick thighs pressed against her legs. Her gaze zeroed in on a small patch of exposed skin at the top of the waistband of his pants where his shirt had risen. Her fingers itched to brush against the smooth skin. Need built inside her, and she licked her lips, leaning closer for a better look.

Connor’s arm snaked around her waist and pulled her onto his chest. Amusement danced in his blue eyes. “Can I help you?”

Embarrassment competed with curiosity. He’d caught her studying him, but she didn’t want to stop. Her mind spun, trying to come up with some cute and witty remark, but failed. Evelyn brushed the side of her finger along the hard line of his jaw.

Connor turned his head and brought her fingertip into his mouth.

Desire shot straight to the pit of her stomach. Their eyes locked as his tongue danced along the curve of her finger.

An insistent whine sounded from the doorway, and she scrambled off of him. His dog stared at them with accusing eyes.