Beneath the Scars (Masters of the Shadowlands #13)(110)

A man shouldn’t waste a perfectly good apology gift—and maybe she’d sample some of the contents and get those endorphins rolling around before they started talking about arson.

And relationships.


On an upwelling of hope, Josie opened the front door. A brightly wrapped box dangled from the outside door handle. The attached card said, “I’m sorry. Let’s talk. H.”

Oh. Oh, God. Her eyes misted. He hadn’t given up.

Retreating to the living room, she tore the gold foil paper off. Chocolate. And not one of the generic standard boxes found in grocery stores. The man had visited the William Dean store and somehow handpicked her favorites.

He’d had an informant. Oma. No wonder her great-aunt hadn’t been home.

All day long, Josie’d stewed and fumed and argued with herself. Whined. Cried. Oh, God, she’d cried. And then been so angry with herself—and Holt—that she’d written an entire battle scene in her book out of sequence so she could kill something, if only on paper. The reptilian race attacking the human village had died by the dozens.

It was good she hadn’t seen Holt right then.

Shaking her head, she took a step toward the door, then turned, selected a pink-topped raspberry-br?lée, and popped it in her mouth. The explosion of chocolate and sweet-tart fruit was so intensely wonderful, her mind simply stopped.

He’d bought her chocolates. The time and trouble he’d taken was a revelation but not surprising at all. Not for him. No wonder she loved him so much.

She crossed the front lawn to his duplex and saw him. Leaning on the doorframe, arms crossed. Waiting for her.

When she neared, he curled his hand around her nape and kissed her gently. Sweetly. “Mmm. Chocolate tastes good on you. I bet it would taste good in a lot of places.”

When he rubbed his knuckles over her breast, her blood heated.

No. She didn’t realize she’d spoken until he moved her to his side and put his arm around her.

“You’re right. We need to get this straightened out before we can indulge in makeup sex.” He led her into the living room.

His casual assumption that they could work things out took her breath away. “But what if we can’t? I…I haven’t talked with Carson.” Remorse stole through her. She should have pinned her boy down last night and to heck with his homework and sports. “I let him put me off with excuses last night.”

“Babe.” Holt tilted her chin up. “You know he’s involved—if only peripherally—with whomever is starting the fires.”

It wasn’t an accusation as much as a statement of fact from a pediatric nurse who’d probably heard a lot of lies. His gaze was level.

“I know. And we’ll talk as soon as he gets back from soccer.” She set her jaw. “School night or not, we’ll stay up as long as it takes.”

“Poor kid. I wouldn’t want to take you on when you get that look in your eyes.”

The amusement in his low smoky voice was infinitely comforting, and she pressed her cheek against his muscular chest. “I missed you.” The words slipped out past her control.

His iron-hard arm contracted around her, pulling her almost painfully against his solid frame. “I missed you, too, Josie. Why the fuck do you think I agreed to work an extra shift last night?”

She looked up at him quizzically.

“If I hadn’t, I’d have been pounding on your door last night. I promised to give you time.”

Like bubbles, her spirits rose to the surface. “Thank you.”

“Tonight, if you need help talking to Carson, you can call me. But I figure you can get through to him better than anyone else.”

She let out a breath of relief.

“Don’t think you’re off the hook, sweetheart. You and I still have things to discuss.”

“We do?” Under his piercing gaze, her eyes dropped.

“You know what I’m talking about. The way you tried to end things with me—because your son was upset.”

Carson had been more than upset. Guilt stabbed her chest. “He said he hates you,” she whispered. The memory of his words still shook her.

“Josie, your son likes me. He was over here, hanging out, all the time until he realized you and I were serious. His behavior is simply how kids act when they’re afraid their life might change.”

Exactly what Linda had said last night. What Josie knew. “You’re right. I’ll talk with him. I tried after the pet adoption and…well, he pushed me away.” She sighed. “He’s always been upfront and easy to talk with, but he’s changed. I need to learn to deal with this new adolescent behavior and not let him evade the hard discussions.”

“Now you see what he’s doing, you’ll manage.” Holt bent his head and kissed her…and deepened the kiss. He smiled down at her. “This is where the makeup sex ensues in case you were wondering.”

With a jolt of surprise, she realized he’d moved them into his bedroom. Right into his bedroom.

“But—”

“No buts.” He unbuttoned her shirt and slid it off. “Mmm, you have gorgeous shoulders. Probably from lifting all those bottles and trays.” His lips were warm and velvety as he kissed her neck and nuzzled the curve where her neck met her shoulders.