Secrets of Summer - THE SPECTER SERIES [book four]

Chapter TWENTY FIVE

Hunter Paxton

I spent the night going over Kirby's file before catching a few hours of sleep on her sofa.. My thoughts constantly wander back to her, on the other side of the closed bedroom door.. Fighting my urges to bust down that door and take her the way I want..

But after she got the news that sister would be moving in with Declan Darby, she cited a headache and left me alone in her living room.. Obviously I had to respect her need for space, and give her time to process her bizarre reality..

Now, in the warm early morning sunlight that streams through the living room windows, I sit patiently, listening to the muffled sounds of her shuffling around in the bedroom as I wait for her to emerge..

A strange tension coils in my muscles, and I realise for the first time in a long time, I'm actually almost wired up.. Just to see her..

She opens the door and I'm flawed by the breathtaking sight.. Her chocolate curls are shiny and springy as they tumble over her slender shoulders.. She wears a pair of expensive painted on pale blue jeans that accentuates the fullness of her shapely hips.. A tight red long sleeved cropped shirt, shows off just a hint of her toned midriff, and the plunging neckline immediately draws my eye to the soft curve of her cleavage as the scent of sugar-cookies perfumes the air around me..

She blinks at me, fresh faced and rosy cheeked as she struggles to fix the clasp of a delicate gold watch around her wrist.. "I, um.. I need to go to the office.. My assistant has been calling non-stop all morning.."

She avoids looking me in my eye as I rise to my feet and cross the room, though she still casts an assistive glance over my casual jeans and fitted grey t-shirt, making me feel a little underdressed..

I reach out to take her wrist, easily fixing the clasp of her watch before giving her a playful grin.. I can see the stress in the way she carries herself, her shoulders are high and her jaw tight.. I want to make her feel better, way more than I should want.. I want to see her smile, and help her bare the weight she has carried for so long by herself.. "Then let's go to your office.."

She hums disapprovingly, peering up at me all doe eyed.. "You're.. Going to come with me?"

I can't help but chuckle.. The things she thinks she can get away with are more than amusing to me..

She is wickedly intelligent, but she wears too much of her emotion in her eyes to fool me.. "Yep."

She hesitates.. "I was also going to see if Patrick was free for lunch.."

Lie.

She blinks twice..

She's good though.. Because she knows I definitely don't want to do that.. But I'll play her game, deciding to call her bluff.. "No problem, I can arrange for O'connor to meet us at your office.."

I pull out my phone, opening my contacts and pretending to type out a message, but she reaches out to stop me, placing her hand over mine on the cell..

"No, wait.. Don't.. I don't really wanna do that.." She blushes a little with her admission, and I grin, fully aware of the way she allows her hand to linger on mine, a few seconds longer than necessary..

An excellent sign.

"I know.." She tries to hide her smile from me, but I see it.. "Look, you can spend all your time trying to think of ways to get rid of me, Duchess.. .. Or, you could just admit you enjoy my company and let me take care of you.."

She scoffs, fixing two shiny golden studs into the lobes of her dainty ears.. "Are you always so sure of yourself? You know, it's kind of.." She trails off as though she doesn't want to finish the sentence..