Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 95676 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 478(@200wpm)___ 383(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95676 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 478(@200wpm)___ 383(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
"I don't sleep around."
"Never said you did."
"You think I stole money from a kid and then told him to kill himself."
I freeze with my fingertips against her face. Is that really what she thinks? Jesus Christ. No wonder she thinks I'm playing a fucking game with her.
I gently set her away from me, taking a step back.
"You seriously think I'd touch you if I thought you were guilty?"
"I don't―" She lick her lips, confusion swirling through her baby blues. "I don't know. Why did you kiss me? What do you want from me? One minute, you're talking about arresting me. The next, you're kissing me. I'm so confused," she whispers.
Fuck. I'm an asshole.
I'm asking her to date me when, two days ago, I hauled her in for questioning. It's too much. I knew that before I ever kissed her yesterday. That's why I intended to wait to begin with, isn't it? Not because of what people might say, but because of this. Because I don't want her questioning my intentions or what I'm after. When I'm with her, I want her to know that it has nothing to do with my job. But I'm an impatient motherfucker and I didn't stick to the plan. I pushed too far, too soon.
"I don't want anything from you except to get to know you," I say, grabbing my coffee from the shelf. "Clearly, I handled shit wrong and pushed too far. That's on me, kitten."
She gapes at me, looking guilty as hell.
"It's okay, baby girl," I murmur, giving her a smile. "We've got time."
"Cam, I―"
I head toward the door, intending to wait outside for her to get dressed.
"You didn't push too far," she blurts.
I hesitate halfway across the room.
"I just don't know what to think. You're a cop and I'm being accused of a crime. I don't―I'm not―I'm so confused." She sinks down onto the arm of the couch and hangs her head. "I thought you thought I did this."
"Kitten," I sigh. "I don't make a point of making out with criminals."
"I can't prove I'm innocent," she says, staring at the floor. "That's the worst part. Whoever is behind Fake Ivy made sure no one would be able to tell that she isn't me unless they met her face to face. How do I prove that the person pretending to be me isn't when they're using my name, my photos, and my life? Where do I even start?"
The fear in her voice breaks me. I close the distance between us in three steps, refusing to let her feel that fear a moment longer than necessary. She can't prove she's innocent, but I can.
"Look at me," I order, my voice soft.
She reluctantly lifts her head, her expression wary and defeated.
"I told you I was going to help you," I remind her, reaching out to run my fingertip across her bottom lip again. "Let me help you, sweetheart. I know what I'm doing here. I'm not going to let you go to jail for this."
She stares at me for a long moment as if seeing me for the first time. The clouds slowly clear from her expression as hope creeps in to replace them. "You really do believe me."
"I said I did, didn't I? You didn't do this, Ivy. I knew it the first time I saw you. You confirmed it the first time I spoke to you."
"How did you know?"
I just smile instead of answering, tracing my finger along her bottom lip. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you." I tip her head back until her eyes meet mine again, wanting to make sure she understands me. "For the record, I'm helping you regardless of what happens between us. One has nothing to do with the other."
"I…okay," she whispers.
I hold her gaze for a long moment, unable to tear mine away. Just being near her makes me feel like a livewire, amped up and jittery, eager to get my hands on her. I want to know everything about this woman, unveil every secret desire hiding behind those eyes.
She licks her lips, and I know damn well she's thinking about our kiss yesterday.
I groan at the sight of her tongue swiping across her bottom lip. If I don't feel her mouth on my cock soon, I'm not going to be responsible for the damage I do to this city. If I don't feel her coming all over my face exactly two seconds after that, I'm setting the whole fucking world on fire.
"Get dressed," I say before I forget why I came here. "We have something to do."
"Where are we going?" Ivy asks, glancing over at me as I pull away from the curb outside her building an hour later. She's dressed in jeans and a long t-shirt, her hair up in a ponytail. She isn't wearing makeup, and she's still fucking ravishing.