Page 86 of Meet Me in the Vines
He leads me out of his office and waves me off as I walk back through the bullpen. I push through the door and wave goodbye to Ms. Lisa.
I walk to my truck, kicking a pebble along the way. That unsettling feeling tugs at me again as soon as I touch the door handle. I freeze, taking a second before I hop in.
“It’s fine. She’s fine,” I mutter to myself.
Once I’m in the front seat with the engine running, getting to Audrey is the only thing on my mind. I need to see her, hold her, kiss her, and tell her we’re gonna be okay. I wrestle with the fact that I have to tell her I went to the chief behind her back, but she’ll understand.
She’s not being followed, and Kellan is gone.
Right?
Chapter Twenty-Nine
AUDREY
Mouse,
Do you know how beautiful you look when you sleep? How am I so damn lucky?
I love you,
D
I clutch the note from Donovan to my heart, smiling at the ceiling as I lay in bed. He promised me a love note every day for the rest of our lives, and so far, he’s not breaking that promise.
I place the note on the bedside table and flop on my back, stretching my arms high over my head to release the morning stiffness that lingers in my muscles. I close my eyes and grip the edge of the cotton sheets, pulling it up to my chin.
My memory takes me back to the night before, when Donovan and I made love too many times to count. His hands know exactly what to do and where to touch. His mouth memorizes my entire body, licking and sucking every curve and line. Our bodies fit so perfectly together as we move in sync,coaxing out every bit of pleasure we each have to offer. Our orgasms are mind-blowing, exploding like TNT—nothing but fire and hot sparks.
A door shutting shoves me out of my memory as I shoot up from the bed. My heart flutters hearing the familiar gait of footsteps come closer to the bedroom. My mouth goes dry as Donovan opens the door, his sexy grin instantly aching my core. He looks handsome in a plain black hoodie and sweatpants. So casual, so fucking hot anyway.
“Morning, Mouse,” he rasps, diving into the bed and crashing his lips onto mine. I wrap my arms around his neck, giggling when his stubble tickles my neck as he nips and bites under my ear.
“Hey, baby. Thank you for the note,” I whisper in his ear. He pulls his head back and looks at me, kissing my lips tenderly. He rests his head on my chest and wraps his arms around my lower back as I hold him close to me, breathing in his signature musk and teak scent.
“What time do you work today?” I ask, my nails scratching along his back through his sweatshirt.
“Not for a couple of hours,” he replies. His cheek stays resting against my heartbeat. I bring one hand to the back of his head, lightly scratching his nape and through his thick chocolate locks.
“I thought we could take the quad out and go for a ride? Maybe head down to the river for a bit. Weather is supposed to be nice today,” I murmur, placing a kiss onto his head. He turns his head and presses a gentle kiss at the dip of my throat, deliciously working his way up my neck. I mewl at the contact, instinctually wrapping my legs tight around his torso.
“I have to tell you something,” he mumbles, removing his lips from my neck to meet my gaze. His eyes look sad, immediately filling me with concern. I sit up taller, pulling him up with me.
“What is it? Are you okay?” I ask, trying to stay calm. He tears his gaze away for a moment and swallows hard before giving me his full attention again.
“Um. Well. I just came back from the police station,” he mutters. His expression is stoic, unmoving. My breath slightly hitches, and the tips of my ears get hot. “I talked to Chief Harper,” he blurts out.
“Youwhat?” I reply tersely. I adjust myself to sit up completely, pulling my legs under me to move Donovan out of the way. He sits across from me, his shoulders slump when we’re no longer touching.
“I’m sorry, Mouse. I know th?—”
“Donovan. I specifically asked you not to. You promised me,” I interrupt, pulling the sheet up higher over my body to cover my breasts. I feel too exposed, wanting to hide myself from him. My chest flames with heat. The unwanted feelings of betrayal creep in.
He scrubs his hand along his stubble and sighs, knowing he fucked up. Before he can say anything, I interject once more.
“I trusted you. I told you I didn’t want the chief to know. Logan is home, for Christ’s sake!” My voice escalates, clutching the sheet tighter to myself, as if I could meld it into my skin.
“Audrey, I’m so sorry. Logan won’t find out. And even if he did, he’d never say anything. I wanted to ensure your safety. I needed to know that we were gonna be okay,” he stammers. His tone is desperate, like he’s trying to justify that what he did was okay. I wrestle with myself and the emotions that surface. He’s betrayed me before, and all was forgiven. I thought we were past this. I thought we promised each other that we would never go back there.
