Page 27 of Smoke

“Says the reporter who makes a living out of poking into other people’s business and raking up dirt.” Her skin is blushed, but I’m not sure if it’s from my comeback or the fact that I caught her with my picture on her computer. “Are you stalking me, Tenley?” I tease. “Should I be concerned that you have an image of me as your lock screen?”

“It’s not set as the fucking lock screen.” She picks up the laptop, and while resting it across her forearm, she flips it open and waits for it to wake back up. “And because you,” she points at me with her free hand, “have consistently rejected my requests for an interview, I’ve had to rely on what I’ve been able to find on theweb and therefore have come across photographs of you and the rest of the MC Members.”

“But I’m the one you have as your lock screen, maybe I should be flattered but I can’t help but feel a tiny bit violated,” I smirk, adding a visual by bringing my hand up an showing a small gap between my thumb and index finger. I’m trying to keep the stoic expression that is my usual mask, but this woman seems to be able to strip it away.

“It’s not on my screen…” As the laptop comes to life, the light hits her face, highlighting her flawless skin. A press of a few buttons is all it takes. I know the exact moment she sees my face, indeed set as her lock screen, as her eyes go wide and her face goes a pretty shade of red. “You did this?”

“Sweetheart, when would I have had time to do that?” I say with all innocence. “You were out of the room for barely a minute or two.”

“Huh,” she puffs out. “Why are you here, anyway?” Ensuring I don’t get anywhere near her computer again; she walks over to the kitchen counter and puts it safely out of my reach.

“You didn’t report back to me after you left Dunne.”

“I’ve not been back long and I needed to shower.” As she walks to the refrigerator and goes to open the door, I push myself off of the couch and step over to the counter, the only barrier between us in the small kitchen in the open plan. “I guess the phone you gave me has a tracker on it which then led you to my home?”

“Well deduced, Tenley. Which is what I would expectwith your investigative talents.” While she’s reaching inside the refrigerator, her back to me, I let my eyes take in the view.

Without the heels, she’s not as tall as I first thought, and her usually solid stance softer in her own domain. Her shoulders are more relaxed, and while I have the chance, I let my eyes roam the perfect curves of her tight little waist, over her hips and along her ass. Her legs are fucking glorious, and I can’t help but wonder what it would feel like to have them wrapped around my neck while I sucked and licked her sweet cunt.

“Not that it would have mattered if I had a tracker on you or not. I knew where you lived, anyway.” Her body instantly stiffens at my revelation. No doubt realizing that I know things about her, too. Where she lives is just the tip of the iceberg of what I know, and it’s a damn sight more than she thinks she knows about me.

“Want one?” she turns suddenly, waving a bottle of beer at me, catching me in the act of observing her sensuous curves. I wonder if she realizes I’m close to salivating at the thought of tasting her sweet nectar. “Hey, eyes up here, buddy.” She reprimands. “Now, do you want a beer or not?”

“I’ll take one.” I lift my chin and look back at her through half-closed lids. “Might as well quench my thirst while you tell me exactly what went down.”

“Nothing went down, as you put it,” she pops open a bottle and passes it to me before opening one for herself. I take a long swig and wait for her to say something, when she doesn’t, I prompt her.

“So, you’re telling me you sat for God knows how long eating ice cream in total silence?” I laugh lightly, moving around the counter until I’m in front of her. She goes to take a step back, but I grab hold of her upper arm, and stop her from putting distance between us.

I lean into her until my face is barely an inch in from hers. “Bullshit,” I hiss in her face, my tone of voice much harsher, darker. “Don’t fuck with me, Tenley. What was said?”

“Smoke,” she cries out while trying to shake herself free of my grasp. “You’re hurting me.”

I let go of her like she’s on fire. To hurt her, despite my conduct, is not what I’m about. Scaring her to get what I want, yes. Leaving marks on her? Hell no. I stay exactly where I am, all up in her face and intimidating, but have no physical contact. “Talk!”

“Look, if I’d have gone in asking a thousand questions about the Death Valley Irish, where they hang out and what their plans are, he would have smelt a rat.” Her hand comes to my chest as if to reassure me; however, she doesn’t put any actual pressure behind it to push me away. It tingles where she touches and the temptation to put my hand over hers, to hold it there, is real.

“We talked, mostly about general stuff, you know like, his background, family, about Ireland. It was easy conversational topics, what you’d expect on a first date.”

“So, you got absolutely jack shit?” I huff.

“This time, yes. You need to think of it this way. It’s like building a house. You need to lay some foundations before you can go onto the fundamental structure,” she tries to placate me. I’m eager for more, still I have toadmit, she is right, but like fuck am I going to tell her that.

“Were there any signs that he was suspicious in any way as to why you contacted him?”

“Not at all. In fact, he was very relaxed, cordial, and the conversation flowed,” she replies. “Besides, why would he? As far as he’s concerned, I’m just the woman he happened to meet in a grocery store.”

“You need to contact him, make arrangements to meet up again,” I order, taking the steps away from her that has her hand falling away from me and breaking the contact. I need to before I do something that I might regret. Like, kiss her.

“Already got that covered.” She places her own bottle to her lips and tips it back, swallows and explains. “Paddy initiated it, to be honest. He’s taking me out to dinner tomorrow night.”

“Good,” is my simple response because I’m conflicted when it comes to the thought of her spending the evening with him, and therefore possibly in danger.

“Oh, there is one thing that you might want to look into,” she offers.

“And that is?”

“When I asked him about where he was living, he was vague, but he did mention Yeringtown.”

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