and Kacie’s shoulders began to get sore from holding them stiffly so she wouldn’t accidentally brush against Ryan again.
When she’d accidentally mushed her breast against his biceps, she had nearly melted into a puddle. Of course, her chest had done a bunch of mushing against his when he’d carried her out of the sauna, and she’d been wearing a lot less then, but she’d been half out of it and hadn’t yet formed this powerful attraction to him.
She rubbed the back of her neck as Ryan clicked on another possible suspect.
He swung his head toward her. “Are you tired?”
“My neck and shoulders are tight. I already put in a few hours of computer time this afternoon.”
“Why don’t you go stretch out on the bed? If anything looks promising, I’ll call you over.”
Her gaze darted to the bed and back to the computer. What would be worse, lying on a bed in the same room as Ryan or continuing to sit inches away from his hard body, inhaling his fresh, masculine scent?
She pushed back from the desk so fast her chair tipped back.
“Whoa.” Ryan caught it and righted it.
She scurried to the bed, dragged the pillows from beneath the bedspread and punched them into position. Then she hopped onto the bed, her head sinking against the pile of pillows.
“Let me know if you find anything, and help yourself to the mini-bar.”
He hunched over the laptop and continued tapping and clicking.
Good move. Her head began clearing once she was out of the Ryan realm. Without all his manliness parked next to her and invading her senses, her muscles relaxed and her breathing deepened. The sounds from the computer became hypnotic and she closed her eyes.
Rough fingertips dabbled against her cheek and she burrowed into the pillows, a smile curving her lips.
“Kacie?”
“Mmm.” Warmth spread through her body and she felt safe, like the first time her foster parents brought her home.
She rolled to her side and flung out her arm. Her hand hit an immovable object, and she peeled open one eye.
Perching on the edge of the bed, Ryan smiled at her. “You dozed off.”
She opened her other eye, noticed her hand resting against his thigh and snatched it back. She grabbed a pillow and hugged it to her body, bringing her knees to her chest.
“Was I out long?” Had she been snoring? Drooling? She wiped the back of her hand across her dry mouth.
“About an hour.”
“Sorry.” Why wouldn’t he remove himself from the bed?
“No worries. You looked so peaceful over here I didn’t want to disturb you.”
She rubbed her eyes and scooched up to a sitting position, still clutching the pillow to her chest. “Did you find anything?”
“I did, just now.” He jerked his thumb over his shoulder.
“You found DB?” Her fingertips buzzed and she dropped the pillow to her lap. She would’ve swung her legs off the bed, but Ryan’s six-foot-something frame of solid muscle blocked her way.
He must’ve read the trapped-animal look in her eyes because he eased off the bed and took a step back. “It looks like DB is Duke Bannister. He was convicted of first-degree murder and sent to the big house for twenty-five to life. Served twenty-two of those years and then got paroled last year.”
Tossing the pillow to the side, she scrambled from the bed. “Who’d he kill?”
“His sister.”
She tripped and he caught her around the waist. “Careful.”
“Bannister told me I reminded him of his sister.”
“Even more reason for me to come with you tonight.” Ryan gave her hip a pat before releasing her.
Taking his vacated place in front of the computer, she dragged the chair forward and studied the screen. “Now that I know who he is, I can dig around his background and see if I can find out whether or not he’s working for Walker.”
“You may be able to find that out tonight.”
“How?” She pushed her bedhead hair from her face. “He’s not about to tell me if I ask him.”
“You won’t have to ask him.
When she’d accidentally mushed her breast against his biceps, she had nearly melted into a puddle. Of course, her chest had done a bunch of mushing against his when he’d carried her out of the sauna, and she’d been wearing a lot less then, but she’d been half out of it and hadn’t yet formed this powerful attraction to him.
She rubbed the back of her neck as Ryan clicked on another possible suspect.
He swung his head toward her. “Are you tired?”
“My neck and shoulders are tight. I already put in a few hours of computer time this afternoon.”
“Why don’t you go stretch out on the bed? If anything looks promising, I’ll call you over.”
Her gaze darted to the bed and back to the computer. What would be worse, lying on a bed in the same room as Ryan or continuing to sit inches away from his hard body, inhaling his fresh, masculine scent?
She pushed back from the desk so fast her chair tipped back.
“Whoa.” Ryan caught it and righted it.
She scurried to the bed, dragged the pillows from beneath the bedspread and punched them into position. Then she hopped onto the bed, her head sinking against the pile of pillows.
“Let me know if you find anything, and help yourself to the mini-bar.”
He hunched over the laptop and continued tapping and clicking.
Good move. Her head began clearing once she was out of the Ryan realm. Without all his manliness parked next to her and invading her senses, her muscles relaxed and her breathing deepened. The sounds from the computer became hypnotic and she closed her eyes.
Rough fingertips dabbled against her cheek and she burrowed into the pillows, a smile curving her lips.
“Kacie?”
“Mmm.” Warmth spread through her body and she felt safe, like the first time her foster parents brought her home.
She rolled to her side and flung out her arm. Her hand hit an immovable object, and she peeled open one eye.
Perching on the edge of the bed, Ryan smiled at her. “You dozed off.”
She opened her other eye, noticed her hand resting against his thigh and snatched it back. She grabbed a pillow and hugged it to her body, bringing her knees to her chest.
“Was I out long?” Had she been snoring? Drooling? She wiped the back of her hand across her dry mouth.
“About an hour.”
“Sorry.” Why wouldn’t he remove himself from the bed?
“No worries. You looked so peaceful over here I didn’t want to disturb you.”
She rubbed her eyes and scooched up to a sitting position, still clutching the pillow to her chest. “Did you find anything?”
“I did, just now.” He jerked his thumb over his shoulder.
“You found DB?” Her fingertips buzzed and she dropped the pillow to her lap. She would’ve swung her legs off the bed, but Ryan’s six-foot-something frame of solid muscle blocked her way.
He must’ve read the trapped-animal look in her eyes because he eased off the bed and took a step back. “It looks like DB is Duke Bannister. He was convicted of first-degree murder and sent to the big house for twenty-five to life. Served twenty-two of those years and then got paroled last year.”
Tossing the pillow to the side, she scrambled from the bed. “Who’d he kill?”
“His sister.”
She tripped and he caught her around the waist. “Careful.”
“Bannister told me I reminded him of his sister.”
“Even more reason for me to come with you tonight.” Ryan gave her hip a pat before releasing her.
Taking his vacated place in front of the computer, she dragged the chair forward and studied the screen. “Now that I know who he is, I can dig around his background and see if I can find out whether or not he’s working for Walker.”
“You may be able to find that out tonight.”
“How?” She pushed her bedhead hair from her face. “He’s not about to tell me if I ask him.”
“You won’t have to ask him.
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