hands remaining somewhere chaste, the way he kissed her was just as intimate as his long, burning gazes. His tongue explored her mouth with sensual familiarity. He knew exactly how to make her body heat for him, and Rylie soon forgot that they were standing outside a fifties-themed diner while her mother waited inside.
Until she smelled silver.
Abel scented it at the same time. Their lips separated, eyes falling on the parking lot. A black SUV rolled past the street on the other side.
His fingers tightened on her waist, pulling her hard against him, turning his shoulders to block her from view. “Abel,” she whispered urgently, digging her fingernails into his biceps.
“I see it,” he growled, pressing her back to the wall. The sun-warmed metal burned through her shirt. Her heart pounded as she buried her face in his chest, eyes closed. Abel craned around to continue watching the SUV.
“Is it coming around?” she asked.
A long pause. “No.”
Rylie clutched his shirt in both fists. “What are we going to do?”
He gazed down at her, eyes hot. “Stick to the plan,” Abel said. “We’ve got to get to the office.” He hesitated, hand traveling from her hip to her thigh, toying with the edge of her skirt. “I’m not going to let you get arrested, Rylie.”
A bright voice spoke behind them. “I got everything to go. Are you two ready to…?” Jessica trailed off at the sight of Abel and Rylie pressed against the wall. It occurred to Rylie that it probably looked bad—really bad, considering that Jessica had no idea Abel had any reason to try to hide Rylie from the cars on the street.
But she didn’t pull away. In fact, she snuggled against his chest, arms wrapped around his waist, and gave her mom a defiant look.
“We’ll be right there,” Abel said. His voice rumbled under Rylie’s cheek.
Jessica’s face burned bright red. She clutched the bag of food tighter and hobbled to the truck on her heels.
“You know, y’all could be sisters,” Abel said.
Rylie grimaced. It probably wasn’t meant to be an insult. “Yeah. I know.”
SEVEN
ABEL, RYLIE, AND Jessica idled at the stoplight just outside Poppy’s. Through the rearview mirror, Rylie watched a black SUV pull into the diner’s parking lot. A pair of men in all-black uniforms stepped out. She somehow doubted that they were looking for slices of the best cherry pie in the county.
They had just missed them. Barely.
Jessica was silent until Abel pulled up in front of Bert’s office. “What are we doing here?” she asked, leaning forward to peer at the sign over the door: Robert Grant Real Estate . “I thought you said we were hiking.”
Time to bite the silver bullet and be honest. “I decided to buy some property, Mom.”
Jessica’s eyes flicked to Abel. “A house?”
“Not exactly. Somewhere that I could build a house.”
Her voice sharpened. “With what money?”
Rylie rolled her eyes. Jessica knew exactly what money Rylie would be using. Her mom had never exactly been thrilled that Dad left everything to Rylie.
They climbed out of the pickup, and, with a quick check of the street—no SUVs—headed into the office. His waiting room, decorated in dark wood and leather, was clearly meant to cater to an expensive clientele. He offered water bottles in a minifridge built to hold wine; biscotti and tea waited on the table beside it. The frosted glass door leading into his office was imprinted with his name.
“Maybe you guys should stay here,” Rylie said, giving Abel another look. “Get to know each other a little? I don’t think the paperwork will take long.”
“Gonna skip the walk-through?” Abel asked.
Rylie nodded. It didn’t seem like the time to go hiking, what with the Union and Jessica. Fortunately, Abel didn’t argue.
“Sounds like a good idea,” he said, sprawling on one of the black leather couches.
After a moment’s hesitation, Jessica sat across from him, ankles crossed and purse in her
Until she smelled silver.
Abel scented it at the same time. Their lips separated, eyes falling on the parking lot. A black SUV rolled past the street on the other side.
His fingers tightened on her waist, pulling her hard against him, turning his shoulders to block her from view. “Abel,” she whispered urgently, digging her fingernails into his biceps.
“I see it,” he growled, pressing her back to the wall. The sun-warmed metal burned through her shirt. Her heart pounded as she buried her face in his chest, eyes closed. Abel craned around to continue watching the SUV.
“Is it coming around?” she asked.
A long pause. “No.”
Rylie clutched his shirt in both fists. “What are we going to do?”
He gazed down at her, eyes hot. “Stick to the plan,” Abel said. “We’ve got to get to the office.” He hesitated, hand traveling from her hip to her thigh, toying with the edge of her skirt. “I’m not going to let you get arrested, Rylie.”
A bright voice spoke behind them. “I got everything to go. Are you two ready to…?” Jessica trailed off at the sight of Abel and Rylie pressed against the wall. It occurred to Rylie that it probably looked bad—really bad, considering that Jessica had no idea Abel had any reason to try to hide Rylie from the cars on the street.
But she didn’t pull away. In fact, she snuggled against his chest, arms wrapped around his waist, and gave her mom a defiant look.
“We’ll be right there,” Abel said. His voice rumbled under Rylie’s cheek.
Jessica’s face burned bright red. She clutched the bag of food tighter and hobbled to the truck on her heels.
“You know, y’all could be sisters,” Abel said.
Rylie grimaced. It probably wasn’t meant to be an insult. “Yeah. I know.”
SEVEN
ABEL, RYLIE, AND Jessica idled at the stoplight just outside Poppy’s. Through the rearview mirror, Rylie watched a black SUV pull into the diner’s parking lot. A pair of men in all-black uniforms stepped out. She somehow doubted that they were looking for slices of the best cherry pie in the county.
They had just missed them. Barely.
Jessica was silent until Abel pulled up in front of Bert’s office. “What are we doing here?” she asked, leaning forward to peer at the sign over the door: Robert Grant Real Estate . “I thought you said we were hiking.”
Time to bite the silver bullet and be honest. “I decided to buy some property, Mom.”
Jessica’s eyes flicked to Abel. “A house?”
“Not exactly. Somewhere that I could build a house.”
Her voice sharpened. “With what money?”
Rylie rolled her eyes. Jessica knew exactly what money Rylie would be using. Her mom had never exactly been thrilled that Dad left everything to Rylie.
They climbed out of the pickup, and, with a quick check of the street—no SUVs—headed into the office. His waiting room, decorated in dark wood and leather, was clearly meant to cater to an expensive clientele. He offered water bottles in a minifridge built to hold wine; biscotti and tea waited on the table beside it. The frosted glass door leading into his office was imprinted with his name.
“Maybe you guys should stay here,” Rylie said, giving Abel another look. “Get to know each other a little? I don’t think the paperwork will take long.”
“Gonna skip the walk-through?” Abel asked.
Rylie nodded. It didn’t seem like the time to go hiking, what with the Union and Jessica. Fortunately, Abel didn’t argue.
“Sounds like a good idea,” he said, sprawling on one of the black leather couches.
After a moment’s hesitation, Jessica sat across from him, ankles crossed and purse in her
Similar Books
