“Absolutely,” he said without hesitation. “I’m already halfway there.”
The two of them chuckled again, before settling into silence once more. Despite the happy smiles, there was a lot they weren’t saying. What exactly had ended up happening to the woman who was waiting in his bed? What exactly would end up happening with the half a dozen open cases naming him as the prime suspect sitting on her desk? Why exactly was all of this happening right now, and how could two such different people possibly make things work?
But we’re not that different, she thought suddenly. Not really.
Sure, they were absolute opposites on paper. But in person, you’d never be able to tell.
All those irritating quirks that Lacy had always hated about Dylan Stone—the arrogance, the adultery, the careless disregard for other people’s feelings—the man sitting behind her didn’t have any of it. It was a little strange, actually. And even harder to trust.
Maybe he has a split personality disorder.
She shuddered at her own subconscious, making a silent vow to stop watching so many medical-based dramas on TV.
He does NOT have split personalities, she chided herself. He’s just a little...different from his profile I created.
How would YOU know? her subconscious responded slyly. One minute he’s a thoughtless cheater, the next
—he’s singing in the street and carrying you up the stairs? Sounds like two different personalities to me—
“What are you thinking about?” he asked suddenly, leaning down to kiss her neck.
“Nothing,” she answered quickly, flushing with guilt. “Certainly nothing about you, why do you ask? Were you thinking about me?”
Way to play it cool, Lacy.
He chuckled again, trailing his hands sneakily down her ribcage to her waist. From there, he proceeded to get lower and lower, slipping them in between her thighs.
“So you were thinking about me, huh?”
His teeth sank into her shoulder, as his fingers moved in a steady circle. Getting faster and faster all the while. She let out a quiet gasp as her back arched up against him. And although he’d asked a question, she found herself temporarily unable to speak.
“It’s cool.” He grinned against the back of her neck, teasing her with one hand, as the other slipped a finger inside. “Probably happens all the time. I’m quite memorable.”
“You’re...” She trailed off, trying to catch her breath. “You’re memorable, huh?” She cast a sideways glance over her shoulder, planting a sudden kiss on his lips. “Aren’t you the guy who almost got arrested this morning for bastardizing Paul McCartney?”
“Hey!” He retracted his hands at once, laughing as she spun around to look him in the face. “Singing in public is a massive fear of mine, I’ll have you know. Sacrificing myself on the altar of dignity and all that. And for the record, I thought I sounded incredible.”
He DID sound incredible.
“You were fantastic!” She then shrugged as if men came out of the woodworks every day just to serenade her on the street. “But next time, I’d love a little Freddie Mercury.”
He pulled her closer with a wicked grin. “Is that right? Maybe a little Shakira, really get those hips moving...”
There was a sudden pause. Followed by a glare. “I’m going to drown you in the tub.”
He laughed as she grinned.
Chapter 6
The next morning, bright and early, the happy couple piled into the car. They’d postponed their plans to go to the lake for two days now, and they weren’t willing to wait even another second. The car was loaded up with gas, snacks, drinks, and the obligatory picnic blanket. A soundtrack was selected. Spartacus was released into the backyard with a small feast of food. After a quick stop by Lacy’s office to tell them she’d be out (a stop during which one of them strategically stayed in the car to avoid getting drooled on by Quin), they were off.
“This is perfect,” he murmured as they flew through the forest and swept past the heavy gates to enter the park. “Exactly how I imagined it would be.”
Lacy shot him a peculiar look. “You mean...exactly how you remembered it?” He gave her a blank look, which she returned with a curious frown. “You said that you used to come here all the time, remember? You’re talking like you’ve never seen the place before.”
“No, I totally have,” he recovered himself quickly, rolling to an abrupt stop in front of the check-in kiosk. “It’s just been a long time.”
He paid quickly for their parking ticket, and they wound their way slowly through the park. Past the groups of families with screaming children. Past the packs of dogs straining at the end of their leashes. Up to the trails that led to the alpine ridge. He had wanted to go down to the beach right away, but she’d wanted to go hiking. A request he was more than willing to oblige.