Adrenaline (Speed Series Book 2)(36)

“Do you like it here?” Sophie asked.

I shrugged. “Well, I haven’t gotten a chance to really look around yet. I did hear there are horses here though!” I said with excitement in my voice.

“And ponies! Uncle Malcolm bought me one for my birthday last year and then said it was lonely so he bought another one. I didn’t really get to visit them much when we lived with Daddy, but now that Mommy and me live here all the time I can see them anytime I want!”

Wow. Malcolm really likes spoiling Sophie. “That was nice of him to do that for your pony.”

Sophie nodded her head. “Yeah. Mommy said Uncle Malcolm likes to spoil me because he has a broken heart.”

That piqued my interest. “He does? Oh how sad! Why?”

“Casey.”

That was unexpected.

Casey? Who’s Casey?

“I don’t think I’ve met her yet,” I said, hoping that would pull more information out of her.

Oh, good lord. I’m pumping information from a five-year-old.

“Oh, she’s dead!”

I stopped walking and stared at her. “She’s . . . dead?”

Sophie did a circle around me. “Yep. I’m not allowed to talk about it ‘cause it makes Uncle Malcolm really, really sad.”

“Oh,” I said, disappointed I wouldn’t get any additional information.

“But I can talk to you ‘cause you won’t be sad ‘cause you don’t know her.”

I fist pumped internally and I knew God was shaking his head at me. Glancing up toward the heavens I mouthed, Sorry Lord. Forgive me.

“Nope, I don’t know her so you can tell me. Why does it make him so sad?” I asked.

“Promise not to tell?”

I crossed my heart. “Promise.”

I’m totally going to Hell.

“Uncle Malcolm got hit when he was driving and she went to heaven while he held her and said goodbye.”

My heart dropped to my stomach. I covered my mouth as I let the little bits of information Sophie fed me sink in. Who was Casey and how long ago did this happen? In all my research I hadn’t found anything about a girlfriend named Casey.

“How sad,” I mumbled.

“Yeah. Do you want to run while I ride my bike? I’m fast.”

And like that, Sophie had moved on. “Ahh . . . sure! Let’s go!”

She took off as I ran next to her. By the time we got up to the house and she rode around me a few more times, Virginia pulled up and off Sophie went to head to some jumping place.

I waved goodbye as I watched the car drive off. Turning, I went to head up the porch stairs only to find Malcolm standing at the top. My breath hitched as I took in the beautiful sight before my eyes. His scruff was trimmed to perfection and I quickly found myself imagining it rubbing against my skin. My nipples hardened at the thought.

Ugh. Stop it, Paislie!

“She really likes you,” he said with a genuine smile.

I returned it with one of my own as I pushed all naughty thoughts away. “I really like her. She has more energy than the Energizer Bunny though, I swear!”

He threw his head back and laughed. The sound rippled through my body like my very own energy shot. “Tell me about it.”

His eyes moved across my body and the butterflies went crazy in my stomach at his intense stare.

Shit.

“How does your leg feel?” I asked.

He looked down at it and said, “A bit sore, but nothing too bad.”

“Did you take a pain pill?”

Malcolm shook his head. “Nah, I only take one when I really need it.”

I licked my dry lips and couldn’t help but notice the reaction from Malcolm as his eyes flickered down to my lips. “Well, I should go shower. I went for a run.”

He simply nodded as I lifted my hand and said, “See ya,”

Before I got to the front door, he called out for me. “Paislie, do you think you could drive me into town? I need to get the hell out of here and I don’t want to bother Clarisse.”

The idea of spending time with him filled me with excitement and scared the hell out of me. “Sure, give me thirty minutes?”

Something moved across his face, but it was gone as fast as it came. “Perfect. I’ll meet you right here in half an hour.”

My body tingled with the promise he made and I quickly headed into the house before I did something I would regret. Like press my lips to his.

When the door shut, I leaned against it as I placed my hand over my racing heart. Looking up, I pressed my lips together and whispered a prayer.

“Father, please give me the strength and ability to resist my temptations.”

I chanted the prayer all the way to my room, in the shower and while I was getting dressed.





THE ENTIRE MORNING I HAD been fighting off a hard-on; first during my session with Paislie and then seeing her again with Sophie. For some reason, every time I saw them together I got that same damn feeling I had at Emmit and Adaline’s house, but it was ten times stronger.

I didn’t really need or want to go into town. I did however really want an excuse to be alone with Paislie. Her declaration of finding another physical therapist had pissed me off last night. I didn’t want anyone else. I wanted her . . . in more than one way. She hadn’t mentioned anything about it this morning, so I was hoping she had changed her mind.