Whispers of You (Lost & Found #1)(94)

ONE WEEK LATER


I leaned back against the couch and studied the wall—or tried to study the wall. The sexy-as-sin man standing in front of it proved distracting. What was it about jeans and a simple white tee?

Holt pointed to the first square of color painted on the living room wall. “Sage Meadow.”

I made a humming noise.

He pointed to the second, a gray-blue color. “Stormy Sea.”

I nodded.

Holt moved to the third. “Newsprint Gray.”

I frowned at that one.

Holt didn’t miss my expression as he let out an exasperated sigh. “That one’s my favorite.”

“It’s boring.”

He strode toward me, gently pulling me to him. “Might be boring, but it’ll make whatever art we choose for the walls really pop.”

Damn him for having a point.

Holt chuckled, the sound warming me from the inside out.

A hint of annoyance bled into my tone. “What are you laughing at?”

He only laughed harder. “Your expression. You really hate it when I’m right.”

I pinched his side. “If you pick the paint, that means I get the final say on the art.”

Holt leaned in and swept his mouth across mine. “Deal.”

I followed his mouth as he pulled away, hungry for more.

He groaned. “You’re killing me.”

I huffed. “I think that’s the other way around.”

Thanks to my ribs, we were on a strict sex ban, and the order was driving us both up the wall. But that didn’t stop Holt from showing me just how much he wanted and loved me. Ever since our talk, he’d made sure that I knew just where his head and heart were—with me.

Holt glanced down at his watch. “We should go.”

My stomach dipped but I nodded.

“You don’t have to do this. I can meet with Law—”

“No, I want to.” It was time to put all this to rest. As much as we could until the trial, anyway. I needed some of that closure.

Holt wove his fingers through mine. “I’ve got a surprise for you afterward.”

My brow arched at that. “Didn’t Jack warn you off surprises for a while?”

Holt grumbled something under his breath. “This is a good one. Promise.”

I stretched up on my tiptoes, ignoring the twinge in my ribs, and pressed a kiss to the underside of Holt’s jaw. “I trust you.”

He melted into me at that. “How long until the end of the ice age again?”

I laughed. “Two more weeks.”

Holt let out some creative expletives at that, and I couldn’t help but laugh.





Holt pulled to a stop in front of the police station, and I stared at the building. I hadn’t been back since my kidnapping. It looked different somehow. Maybe it was knowing that it had housed a killer. Perhaps it was just that it had been forever since I’d been away from work for this long.

I forced myself to open my door and slide out of Holt’s SUV. He was around the vehicle in a flash, taking my hand and squeezing it. I looked up at him. “Thank you. For everything.”

His expression softened, and he bent to kiss me. “Love you, Cricket.”

I’d never get tired of hearing those words. “Love you, too.”

As we started toward the station, the front door swung open, and Nash strode out, a scowl on his face. The downward pull of his lips was so uncharacteristic that my steps faltered.

“Nash Bash?”

His head snapped up from looking at his phone. “Hey.”

Little lines appeared between Holt’s brows. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Nash muttered.

A ball of worry formed in my stomach. “Doesn’t look like nothing.”

Nash grunted.

“Are you turning into Roan? Single-word answers and grunts are all you’re capable of?” Holt asked.

Nash scowled at his brother. “Maddie’s back.”

“Isn’t that a good thing? How long is she here for?” I asked.

A muscle underneath Nash’s eye began to twitch. “Apparently, she moved back. But she didn’t bother to let me know.”

Oh, shit.

Holt winced. “Fiancé make the move with her?”

The muscle that twitched beneath Nash’s eye became a full-on tic. “I don’t know.”

The words were a growl, and I glanced up at Holt in confusion. He gave a small shake of his head and gripped Nash’s shoulder. “Why don’t you talk to her before you go getting all pissed off?”

Nash’s jaw worked back and forth, but he nodded. “I’m going to talk to her now.”

“Good. Tell her I said hi.”

“Me, too,” I added.

Maddie had always been a good friend when she lived in Cedar Ridge. She and Nash had been attached at the hip for as long as I could remember. Nash was different with her than anyone else. Gentler somehow. More serious.

I glanced up at Holt as Nash strode toward the parking lot. “Is he okay?”

“I’m not sure.”

The door opened again, and this time it was Abel. “How’s my girl?”

I grinned, letting go of Holt’s hand and striding toward my mentor. “I’m good.”