Page 76 of Chasing Wildflowers
I spin around and plant my hands on my hips, head cocked to the side. “Our room?”
His voice lowers, a gentle warning. “Wildflower.”
“Jameson,” I parrot back, voice firm.
He steps forward, handing me a cup of coffee I hadn’t noticed he was holding, his eyes on mine. “Will you please stay in my room with me?”
I give him a teasing grin. “Yes, but only because you brought me coffee.”
Thirty-two
Jameson
I’m sitting beside Lane, chairs pushed close together, thighs brushing every time we shift. Her brows are furrowed in concentration, her bottom lip caught between her teeth as she clicks through each file from the drive Vic brought home with him from his contact.
Her disappointment was adorable, almost comical, when she saw the open laptop sitting on the dining room table instead of dusty boxes full of files. She didn’t find it as funny, shooting me a glare when I laughed; muttering something about 'the detectives on TV get real files'.
The afternoon sunlight filters through the room, golden rays, highlighting her high cheekbones and vibrant eyes. Eyes that I’m lucky enough to get lost in for the rest of my life.
I can’t stop staring. Not because she's beautiful; though she is the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on, but because she is mine.
I was afraid I had lost her forever. That the only woman I’ve ever loved, could ever love, would never forgive me. Being near her but unable to hold her, to see her smile at me, carved a hole in my chest. The moment I opened the door and saw her standing there, like a dream wrapped in silk, it sealed right back up.
I have the girl, now I just have to destroy the villain. And that starts with finding out who the hell he is.
Lane exhales a heavy sigh and slumps back in her chair, rubbing her eyes. “Ugh. Can I give up yet?”
A low chuckle rumbles out of me. To be fair she’s been at this for over an hour. There are over two hundred files and she’s only about half way through.
She shoots me a look. I reach over, brushing a stand of hair behind her ear. “The sooner we find him, the sooner we can go home.”
Her head tilts. “We?”
She still hasn’t realized that she is now my entire world. But she will. “I told you I was never letting you go. So yes, after we find this asshole,weare going home.”
She sits up straighter, her hand going back to the mouse, opening the next file. “What about your job?”
I grip her chin gently between my fingers, bringing her gaze to mine, making sure she really hears me. To make sure she understands there is no way I’m ever leaving her. “I can work from anywhere, Lane. I already talked to Miles about relocating closer to New Haven. He hates the city and is on board.”
My thumb traces along her jaw, my voice softening. “I love you, Wildflower. Home is where you are.”
Her lip catches between her teeth, then that bright smile I adore blooms across her face. “I love you too.”
Those words. That smile. They hit me right in the chest. Before Lane, I didn’t think love was in the cards for me. I was content being a bachelor, taking jobs, building our business.
The moment I laid my eyes on her everything changed. She knocked the air from my lungs and rewrote everything I thought I wanted from life. Now, all I want is a life with her.
She clicks through a few more files, then freezes. Her eyes go wide, breath catching in her throat. “Oh my god, this is him.”
I lean in, pulse kicking up as my eyes scan every line.
Derek Rodgers.
Thirty-one. Chicago, Illinois. Single. Eight years working as a private investigator.
My jaw locks tight, fury rising from deep within, low and sharp. I dig my phone from my pocket and call Miles.
“We found the other PI,” I say the second he answers. “Get back here. Now.”
