Page 57 of Baited

Her brow furrowed. “I don’t know what you mean. With no income…”

“My family is wealthy,” he shook his head. “Disgustingly so. I have a trust fund that I’ve never touched. I wanted my own career and to live off my own income, but when the shit hit the fan, I was grateful to have it.”

“Are you close with your family?”

He settled back against the couch. “Yeah, we’re very close. My parents have never approved of my career choices. They would have preferred I took after my dad and ran an oil empire. Not my cup of tea. They were supportive, but had treated my career as if it was a hobby. That’s what pisses me off the most. Maybe they were right.”

Riley shook her head wildly. “Don’t think like that. You know exactly who you are and what you want. Maybe that’s not the military, and maybe it’s not law enforcement. But that doesn’t mean it’s something else altogether.”

His hands tightened on her hips. “Actually, I’ve been thinking about starting a private investigator business. I have a knack for hacking into computers and have a shitload of resources from the FBI. I’ve always been good at that kind of thing.”

Her eyes lit up. “That’s brilliant, Ethan. I think that would be perfect for you.”

A smile crinkled the skin around his eyes. “I have you to thank for that. The idea never even dawned on me until we started looking for Hanna.”

Her eyes darkened. Guilt swirled in his stomach and his mouth opened to take back the words. Fuck, he hadn’t meant to say it like that.

Her hand rose to rest on his shoulder, the muscle beneath her hand tingled. “I guess there really is a silver lining in everything, isn’t there?”

His shoulders relaxed. “And with this, I could start it anywhere. There’s nothing holding me back.”

Her soft laughter warmed his insides. “Even better.” She leaned forward and pressed her mouth to his.

Heat shot through his body, scorching him. He turned her in his arms so she snuggled against him, her legs around his waist, her chest pressed to his.

Her mouth moved in a slow, careful pace and her tongue parted his lips and touched his. His dick hardened against the softness of her crevice. He moved his hands over the swell of her hips and locked them on her ass.

She moaned and arched against him. His body pulsated with need. Her hands folded over the base of his neck, pulling him hard against her lips. His tongue licked over hers, her heat and wetness surrounding him. He growled a curse, lifted her in his arms, and carried her to the bedroom.

CHAPTER 16

Ethan’s weight crushedinto her as he landed on the bed on top of her. His hungry mouth mingled with her tongue, its wetness making her heart thump wildly against her rib cage. His thigh pressed between her legs and moved with the gentle motion of what would soon come.

She moaned and coasted her palms beneath his shirt, over his sleek back, begging for more. His lips left hers to press hot kisses to her jaw, then down her throat to her collarbone. He pulled the neckline of her top down and moved her bra, exposing her to the cool air conditioning. Heat seared through her and her breath came out in sharp gasps.

He stopped moving and his head lifted, his eyes dark. “You’re so damn beautiful, Riley.” His voice was as smooth as bourbon.

Butterflies swarmed in her stomach, and heat crept into her cheeks.

“Take this off,” he breathed as he lifted the bottom of her tank top and helped tug it over her head.

She fell back on the pillow, her bra and shorts the only thing covering her.

His sharp intake of breath made her swallow. His fingers went to the snap of her denim shorts, and he rose to his knees to work them down her legs. He stood, fisted his hand in the material of his shirt at the back of his neck, and pulled it over his head in one swoop. Dark, bulging muscles swelled from every part of his body. He undid the button of his jeans and shucked them off, along with his boxers. His thighs were thick andstacked with muscle like the rest of him. He inched back on the bed, his manhood thrust forward, pulsing and ready.

Her throat went dry and her breath whooshed from her lungs.

“I like the white underwear.” His hands hovered on her knees, and then slowly slid down the insides of her thighs to brush against the soft, lacy material. She wet her lips with her tongue, needing him inside her, or at least touching her, more than she’d ever needed anything in her life. Her stomach muscles tightened as his eyes took in every inch of her. A tingling sensation started in her belly, then worked its way up to burn her cheeks.

“Ethan, stop. You’re embarrassing me,” she said softly.

His brow creased and he slid down to lie against her side. Her hands instinctively went to his shoulders, her fingers dug into the hard flesh on top. He grinned, revealing his even white teeth.

“Embarrassing you? In front of who? I know you’re not embarrassed in front of me, and if you are, I’ll have to fix that.”

She frowned at him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

His eyes crinkled at her and his fingers traced the line of her panties, dipped into the waistband, then back out and over the top.

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