Page 18 of Beneath the Scars

The way he describes it, I almost sound beautiful.

"But you know what I see most of all, baby?" he asks me as he cups my face, lowering his mouth to let it hover inches over mine. "I see a beautiful woman just waiting to soar and take the life she deserves."

My heart skips a beat, and I lose myself to his kiss. The way he devours me confirms he means every word.

Okay, so this isn't so casual after all.

Chapter Fifteen

Lillian

Wakingupwithawarm, strong,heavyarm wrapped around me is something I can very easily get used to. After Byron's super sweet, surprisingly sincere words, neither of us wanted to get up to order the room service I'd joked about, and at some point, we must have dozed off.

My bladder is overly full, and the sun peeking through the curtains tells me we've probably slept way later than we're supposed to, but I don't want to look at the time and burst the bubble.

"Hey, beautiful." Byron's sleep-roughened voice draws my attention to his face. His words from last night are fresh enough that the endearment doesn't have me cringing, and I hope it stays that way. Iwantto behisbeautiful.

Strong, confident fingers move up to my face and tuck some messy curls behind my ear before his thumb traces the curve of my bottom lip. His eyes follow the path his finger takes to my chin before his fingers dig into my hair.

I should probably be worried about morning breath, or even how bad I look after getting about no sleep last night... and all my sex hair, but all I can focus on are his lips moving closer to mine.

"Morning," I mumble, breathless after the kiss he steals from me. "Coffee?"

He chuckles before pulling me in for a hug, tucking my head under his chest. "I can think of better ways to wake up to the day than a cup of coffee."

"Hmmm." My arms wrap around his waist, and I grab hold of his naked ass, drawing another deep rumble from Byron's chest. "Yeah, we could," I respond before blowing a raspberry against his chest. "Or you could let me up so I can go the bathroom. And while I make myself all presentable and ready for the day, you could order me a cup or two of coffee."

Byron's chuckle turns into a full-bellied laugh, and I smile at the sound. Somehow, he doesn't come across as the kind of guy who laughs often, and getting one from him makes me feel like I've won something.

"Okay, beautiful. Go get cleaned up, and I'll have coffee waiting for you. But next time, I get to have the shower with you."

With that warning, he spanks me on my ass before rolling back so he can grab the room phone on his bedside table.

***

I'm going to be late for work, but a quick text to Karl confirms he'll cover for me, so I take my time with the coffee and muffins Byron ordered for us.

He's preoccupied with his phone, and I'm worried I might be overstaying my welcome, but his presence is soothing, making it hard for me to give it up.

"I'll look at your files today, throughout the day. I might not get through all of them, but I'll let you know once I'm done and if I find anything," I break the silence, and his intense gaze moves up to meet me.

"Hmm?" His brows draw together as he focuses on me. "Oh! Thanks, beautiful. My tech guys are still going through some things, so I'll appreciate any extra help I can get."

Byron reaches across the table to grab my hand, threading his fingers with mine, chasing away all the nerves showing their ugly heads. "I'm talking to one of the experts at the office. They're looking into the notes you received."

My stomach plummets.

How the hell did I forget about the creep that has been hovering on the edges of my life the last few days?

"Yeah? Find anything?" I try to keep the tremor from my voice, but it's hard not to show how worried I am about the stalker who knows too much about my life.

"Yes, I'm just not sure if it's good news or bad news." His chest rises and falls with the deep, steadying breath he takes. "Along with the language expert, I've asked another profiler buddy to look at it, and we've all had the same opinion. The chances that your stalker and The Cat are the same person is almost impossible."

I stare at him for a beat, and I have to admit that I understand why he says he's not sure if it's good or bad. I don't want a serial killer to be stalking me. Especially one that has been killing men for a while now and remains one step ahead of the FBI.

But at least if it was the serial killer, the chances were good that he would move on when he moves towns again. The Cat is notorious for not sticking around in the same city for over a couple of months, dropping two to three bodies, and then going dormant for a while.

"Hey," Byron calls my name as he tugs on my hand. "You'll be fine. I'll keep you safe."

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