Chapter 19 Bea arrived at my old house four minutes past seven. I yanked the door open, unable to stop myself from scowling as she made her way up the front path. "You're late." She stopped in her tracks, staring at me blankly, and I immediately regretted opening my mouth. I hadn't intended to bark at her, but I'd been convinced she wasn't coming. My gut was a tangled mess, and I'd bypassed my ring to pick the hell out of the skin around my thumbnails. I stepped out of the house, meeting her on the path. "I thought you weren't coming." I carefully took her elbow in my palm. "I'm glad to see you." She slipped her phone from her small purse, tapping on the screen. "It's seven-oh-four. I wouldn't call this late." "I'm precise. It's hard for me to remember others aren't the same way." "I suspect even you are at the mercy of traffic and red lights." I bowed my head, willing my pulse to get under control. "Unfortunately, I am. It drives me mad." "I don't particularly like running behind either." She put her phone away, then gave me a little shove. "Now that you know I did my best to be here on time, go back inside so you can greet me properly. I didn't put this dress on for it not to be acknowledged." I was being a supreme jackass. Three or four minutes wasn't the end of the world, and it most certainly wasn't her fault. I'd worked myself into a lather over something inconsequential and had snapped at the woman I was trying to win over. She was here because I'd asked her to be. I was the only one who hadn't shown up when I'd been supposed to. I was the one who had to prove myself reliable, not Bea. I went back into my house, paused a beat, then reopened the door. Bea was still in the same spot, allowing me another chance to admire her the way she deserved. Her hair was in perfect blue rolls. Shiny and neat, I wondered if she'd let me touch it. I wanted to know what it would feel like to sink my fingers into it. Her dress was black and molded to her rounded figure like a glove, ending at her knees. Her legs were bare, and I followed them down to her signature neck-breaking heels. I trailed my gaze back up, pausing where her dress ended in a low, square neckline, revealing the creamy globes of her breasts. She looked soft all over, but there, she was so mouth-wateringly round and lush, I imagined resting my head and having the best sleep of my life. "You're not saying anything." Tearing myself from my trance, I strode to her, slipped my arm around the curve of her waist, and pulled her into me. I took her chin in my other hand, stroking my knuckle against the indent of her dimple. I had rehearsed what I would say. Suave compliments that would make her feel good. But I couldn't grasp any of those words now that I was facing her. Besides, I wanted to give her a lot more than smooth, practiced lines. "I can't come up with words to express how devastatingly beautiful you are, Beatrice. You make me start dreaming of all the ways I want to touch you, but only after I spend several hours drinking you in from every angle." Her lips parted on a sharp inhale. Before I could process one more thought, she surged forward, curled her fingers around the back of my neck, and pressed her mouth to mine. I returned her kiss on instinct, my body having gone offline the moment her body met mine, then hauled her flush with my chest, groaning as her tongue teased my lips, sweet and tempting. I opened, meeting her stroke for stroke, gliding past the seam of her mouth to taste her fully. She tilted her head, letting me in deeper, and that was all it took. I lost myself in her. Time, which had been tantamount moments ago, fell away. Seconds, or maybe minutes, passed, but it became unimportant. Bea's fingers threaded into my hair, dragging lines along my scalp with her nails before anchoring at my crown. Her feet interlocked with mine, and I bent my knee to fit between her plush thighs. She gasped, and I swallowed the sound whole. I slid my hand at her waist to the base of her spine, splaying it there, tempted by the wide spread of her hips and backside. Inching lower, cresting the slope over her ass, I pressed my fingers into the give of her flesh. She pulled her mouth from mine, breathless. "I guess you like my dress." Grinning, I forced myself to straighten. "Yes. I really do. But it was you who kissed me." She tugged on my collar. "What can I say? You look really good in black." "As soon as I moved into my house, I went straight to the shelter. One look at his big brown eyes, and I knew I had to bring him home." I studied the photo-her dog with a daisy perched on his head-carefully masking my expression. I'd seen him more times than I could count. Many of those in person. "How did you choose this one?" We were sitting at the kitchen island, eating the takeout I'd ordered. We hadn't stopped talking since I'd brought her inside. I'd asked question after question-things I already knew-things I'd dug up myself, but wanted to hear from her lips. Her voice, smoky and warm, seeped beneath my skin like something addictive. But beyond that, I wanted her to give me the pieces I'd taken, to want me to know her the way I already did. She smiled at the picture. "He looks like a baby hippo, and he's a total goofball. But I thought his muscle mass might intimidate anybody who wants to mess with me." "Does that work?" "Most of the time. Benjamin's a lover, not a fighter. I don't think it's ever occurred to him he's capable of biting someone's hand off. But he gives good growl when he needs to. He has the opposite effect on children, though. They are drawn to him like moths to a flame." I knew that all too well. Tally and Lacey were enamored with him, and even Scarlet was a fan. I'd made our yard available to him via the Come on Rover app, giving Bea and Benjamin a safe, contained place to go and the kids a chance to play with him. Watching them on the security feed was one of my most frequent distractions while at work. "You're smiling," I remarked. She shook her head and picked up her wineglass. "There are a few kids who've moved into my neighborhood recently. If Benjamin ever goes missing, their house will be the first place I look." "You don't seem bothered by that." "How can I be mad when other people fall in love with my dog? He's the shit." I chuckled. "I didn't suspect you were a dog person the first time we met." "Well, I am." She took a sip of her wine, leaving behind a faint pink lip print on the glass. "I wasn't allowed to have a dog when I was a kid, and when I moved out on my own, everywhere I lived was too small or didn't allow pets." "And now you have a house." "I do. It's not big or fancy, but I'm still pinching myself I get to live there." She reached over to my hand resting on the counter and absently rolled my ring. "It's this adorable little row house. The owners are a painfully cool, older goth couple originally from Savannah, Georgia. They bought the house, painted it black, and put a little Savannah-style fountain in the tiny front yard." "You showed me the house." Her eyes lifted to mine, wide and wondrous. "You remember that?" "I do. The time I'd spent with you had been the last good night I'd had for a while. I held onto it." I turned my hand over to catch hers, rubbing my thumb along the bumps of her knuckles. "When we drove past it, you pointed it out and said it was you in house form." Her mouth curved into a smile. "That sounds like me. And it's true." "I'm glad you were able to fulfill one of your dreams." "It was the craziest circumstance, to be honest. The couple had decided to move back to Savannah. They hadn't wanted to sell the house or let it sit empty, but they're staunchly anti-landlord, so they'd posted an ad for what was basically a permanent house sitter." It had come together perfectly, but not without some behind-the-scenes machinations. Flora and Salem Douglas had moved to Savannah, but they were no longer the owners of Bea's house. That was a shell company that could be traced back to me if someone were willing to untangle several layers of firewalls and false leads. Since Bea was happy in her current circumstances-and Flora and Salem had been paid well to keep up the ruse-I doubted that would come to pass. "That does sound like fate," I agreed. "I think it was. My friend Shira moved in next door, making it even better." She sighed. "Then she had a baby with her boyfriend and moved in with him two houses away, so now I've got Ben as a neighbor." "Ben?" I watched her face carefully, trying to read her. "Ben." Her nose twitched. "He's constantly cheery and lets himself into my house far too often, but I take advantage of his big muscles, so we call it even." "How-" I forced myself to swallow and steady my voice. "How do you take advantage of his muscles?" Bea didn't seem to notice I was on the verge of launching off my stool, taking out my computer, and hacking the state's housing department to have Ben's house condemned. Five minutes, at most, and he'd be gone from Bea's life for good. Except, not really, since his twin brother was involved with her best friend. "Carrying heavy things. If he's around, he's always up for being my pack mule." Her eyes narrowed. "You can't be jealous of Ben." My brows winged. "I can't?" "Nope. If he were kind of shy, a little geeky, insanely smart, dark-haired, bespeckled, and outlandishly handsome, we might have a problem." I could be slow on the uptake at times, but I did not miss what she was saying. I'd seen Ben Wells. With muscles on top of muscles, it was hard to fathom any woman wouldn't be interested in him, but Bea wasn't any woman. My spine loosened. As far as I was concerned, the Ben Wells subject was settled. There were other obstacles to face. I wouldn't waste any more of my thoughts on their relationship. In fact, I was relieved Bea had him nearby to help her when she needed it. "It's a good thing I fit that description to a tee." "That's true." Her eyes danced over my face. "You are outlandishly handsome, aren't you?" I adjusted my glasses. "I was referring to the bespeckled, geeky part, but..." Her laugh was light and feathery. "I like those parts just as much." I considered her for a moment. "You seem happy." She paused, teeth sinking into her lower lip, then nodded. "I am. I feel grounded for the first time in...forever. Like I'm not just surviving, I'm settled. And I'm not so angry all the time." "I see that, and I love that for you." I leaned toward her, dropping my chin to snag her gaze. "I'll admit, though, I don't mind when you're a little mean, even if it's directed at me." Her body tipped toward mine, putting us inches apart. "Do you have a masochistic streak, Tore?" "Only when it comes to you." Some scents overwhelmed me, but Bea smelled so right, it was all I could do not to bury my nose in her throat. Warm and sweet, like vanilla blossoms hid just beneath her skin. My restraint frayed. Using her free hand, she traced the shell of my ear then drew a line along my jaw, ending at my chin. She pressed her finger there, digging into the divot in the center. "I love the way you blush." She rubbed her lips together. "Is that just for me, Tore, or do you blush for anyone?" I nodded. "Everything I've done lately is yours." Her lips touched mine in a whisper. "I like that." "I'm supposed to be the one chasing you, Bea." I caught her nape, keeping her close. "So why do I feel like your prey?" Her breathy laugh warmed my lips. "That's a little dramatic...but do you like it?" "Immensely." "I like that you don't lie to me." I didn't have time to feel guilty. Her hand slid down my chest, tracing the path to my belt, and I held perfectly still. "Tore...?" I pressed my thumb to her lip, enthralled at the way it puffed back up when I released it. "Yes, Bea?" She grinned. "Would you open a new bottle of white? I'd love another glass." "I-" I blinked three times, ripping myself out of the spell I'd found myself under. Bea wore an amused little smirk, but it couldn't hide the flush in her cheeks. She might have been teasing me, but I wasn't the only one feeling it. Still, there was no rush. She was here, and I'd already had a taste of her mouth. That was more than enough for now. I could be patient. I wanted to earn the right to more of her. "Anything you want." I stood, resisting the urge to adjust the bulge in my pants. Bea's eyes lingered there, and it pleased me. "I have to go to the garage to grab a bottle. Be right back." "I'll be here," she sang out. I was gone no more than two minutes before returning, a bottle in each hand, and nearly dropped them both when I walked into an empty kitchen. "Bea?" I dropped the bottles on the counter, scowling at the hollow space. Had she gone to the restroom? I charged toward the powder room down the hall from the kitchen, but it was just as empty as the kitchen. "Bea? Where are you?" I called, louder now, returning to the island. There was a folded piece of paper where her plate had been, and I wondered how I had missed it the first time. With a knot in my throat, I picked it up, reading the scrawling blue ink. Tore, If you want me, you'll have to find me first! -Bea Holy hell. Blood flooded south as I tucked her note in my pocket. How was it possible this woman kept getting more perfect? Tipping my head back, I shouted, "I'm coming for you, Beatrice." Heart thrashing, I set off, ready for the chase. 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