Page 43 of Girl Long Gone

He rolled to her side and tucked his arm behind her head. She struggled to catch her breath and snuggled into his secure arms. “That was amazing,” she said, speaking each word between ragged pants.

Connor grazed his fingers up and down her arm. “Amazing is an understatement.”

Evelyn laughed. Her spirits lifted higher than ever, the baggage weighing her down slipping from her shoulders.

Turning toward her, Connor gazed at her, his eyes darting from side to side as if searching for something on her face. “Are you all right?”

She smiled and her heart swelled with happiness. She cupped his cheek, swiping her thumb across his chiseled cheekbone. “I’ve never been better.”

A wide grin lit his face, and he slowly came toward her.

Ruff, ruff, ruff!

Connor groaned and nuzzled his face in her hair. “That damn dog will be the death of me.”

“Poor guy’s trapped in the bathroom. Put on some clothes and grab him.”

He circled his arms around her and nipped the tender skin of her neck. “I don’t want to ever leave you or this bed. We have too much fun.”

Ruff, ruff, ruff!

“I think he’s scratching the door.” She giggled and swatted his ass. “Besides, we can’t stay here all day.”

Connor reared back and stared at her with solemn eyes. “You’re right. As much as I’d love to, we have work to do. But I’ll warn you, as soon as that asshole is found, you better take some time off.”

She tilted her head. “Why?”

“Because I plan on keeping your ass in bed for a week.” He smacked his lips to her cheek and jumped off the bed.

Evelyn lifted the blanket over her chest and sat, keeping her gaze on him as he pulled on his clothes.

Connor was unlike any man she’d ever met. He was magnificent, and he was all hers. Ugly circumstance might have brought them together, but nothing in this world would keep them apart.

20

Connor scooped Porkchop off the bathroom floor and hurried back to the bedroom. He didn’t have the luxury of keeping Evelyn naked in bed for the rest of the day, but he didn’t want to be away from her side. And not just until Gabriel was caught...but ever.

Pushing the door wide, he stepped into the room, and his eyes locked on Evelyn. She stood by the window, her yoga pants back in place and her sports bra covering her drool-inducing breasts. Shafts of sunlight exposed the creamy skin of her still-bare stomach. Evelyn traced a large circle around the scars on her abdomen, and she stared into space as if seeing something visible only to her.

He placed Porkchop on the floor, and the dog ran to Evelyn, the scratching of his claws against the hardwood floor breaking into her reverie.

“Evelyn,” he said, taking a step forward, “Are you all right?”

She lifted her face to his with a smile on her lips and her hand stilled on her stomach. “Perfect. I just...” She shrugged then crouched beside Porkchop, burying her face in his fur.

His heart lurched. They’d moved too fast. She hadn’t been ready. If he’d ruined this by pushing her into her decision to sleep with him, he’d never forgive himself. “What’s going on?”

She lifted her face toward him. “I wasn’t planning on this. On you.” Her worried gaze met his. “I have a lot I need to tell you.” She stood tall, and his gaze fell to her scars.

A hard ball of anger lumped in his throat. “No matter what happened to you, I can handle it.”

“Can we sit?”

They sat on the mattress, and he tried not to let the scent of their sex invade his senses. “If you want me to listen and not be distracted, you might want to put on your shirt.”

Evelyn picked her shirt off the floor and pulled it over her head. “Sorry. I started to get dressed and my scars distracted me. I’ve never shown them to anyone.”

“No one?”