Page 83 of All the Missing Pieces

But Ridley was oblivious to my train of thought. “Just needed a little something to get my blood moving. I was sitting for too long.” She effortlessly pushed to standing. “I think it’s time for me to hit the interview circuit again.”

All that fire blazing through me froze. “What?”

Ridley nodded, grabbing a notebook. “People are intimidated by a badge. But not usually by me. They’ll open up more readily. I want to start with another visit with Coach Kerr and maybe Grady.”

“No.” The single word was out before I could stop it. But the moment it left my lips, I knew I’d made a colossal mistake.

Those blue eyes flashed as Ridley dropped the notebook to the table with a smack. “No?”

Hell.

“I just meant it’s not smart. Not right now. We need to play this careful.”

Her gaze narrowed on me. “It doesn’t seem likeyou’replaying it careful. You’ve talked to almost everyone on this list.”

Ridley gestured to the wall of windows behind her that was now mostly covered in white butcher paper. It had become our de facto murder board. On one side was a timeline of all the cases. On the other was a list of every possible suspect.

“I have a gun and a badge,” I argued.

“So what? That doesn’t make it safe. Plenty of police officers are hurt in the line of duty.”

“I’m prepared,” I pushed back. “Ready for things to go sideways.”

Ridley glared as she took three long strides into my personal space. “So am I. Public places, plenty of witnesses. I’m not an idiot, remember?”

“I know that, but?—”

“But what?” she demanded.

She was close now. Too close. The heat from her body hit me in waves, right along with that damned burnt-orange scent. That smell was going to haunt me for the rest of my days.

“It’s too risky.” My voice had dropped, the rasp deepening. I knew it was a tell but there wasn’t a damn thing I could do to stop it.

Ridley’s gaze dropped to my mouth, holding there for a beat as if memorizing the shape. Then those blues lifted again, locking with my own eyes. “I know what I can handle.”

There was only one thing I could do. Call that beautiful bluff.

I raised the stakes, closing the distance and pressing my body against hers. I could feel every rise and fall of her chest, the way those breaths came quicker now as her pupils dilated. Those perfectly pink lips parted.

“You don’t know what you’re playing at, Chaos.”

Mischief flashed, but beneath it I could see her want, her need. “Don’t I?”

She didn’t wait then, just smashed through my wager with a royal flush. Her arms looped around my neck as her legs encircled my waist. Then her mouth was on mine.

Ridley took with wild abandon. There was no shy uncertainty with her. There was only need. A need I met with my own. And the moment her tongue stroked past my lips, I was gone.

She didn’t just smell like oranges—she somehow tasted like them too. The kind fresh from the trees on the best orchard in the world. The bright, tangy flavor was one I could drown in for the rest of my days.

My tongue stroked hers, needing more, craving every last drop of her. My hips flexed against her, dick hardening to the point of pain. I could feel those perfect nipples pebble against my chest. But I wanted to taste them, to see if they were as golden as the rest of her.

Ridley moaned into my mouth and almost made me come in my pants like a goddamn horny teenager.

Fuck.

I tore my mouth away from hers, taking in those wild blue eyes.

“Don’t,” she whispered.

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