Page 11 of Hurts So Good
He called me his. He did this for me. He saved me. His obsession. I bite down the smile forcing its way onto my face.
“Would you care to answer the question, or would you rather go downtown?” Detective Cander asks.
Hiding away my desires, I lift my chin and make direct eye contact with the detective. “Why do you think that has anything to do with me? Like I said, I don’t date. Why? Because I’m uncomfortable being intimate with others. The last I saw of Keith, he was perfectly fine. He drank a bit, watched us work, and then went back to his office. I did my job, helped the others close up, and left. I didn’t even speak to him. You can ask the others. Now, can I go, or do I need a lawyer?”
He studies me for a moment. He must not see beneath my façade of partial lies, because he eventually hands me a card.
“Call me if you remember anything else.”
“Sure.” I take the card and stroll out the way I came in.
The moment the door closes behind me, I release a deep breath. The last time I was questioned about a murder flashes in my mind. It’s been several years, but the relief is the same.
I pause, wondering if it could be Ty. He went missing after Mr. and Mrs. Rylee’s deaths. I never knew what happened to him. I assumed he went to jail at some point, but could never find anything about him.
Could it be him?
I sigh. It’s just wishful thinking. The chances are slim to none.
Shaking my head, I search for my stalker. He’s definitely the culprit, whoever he is, but I don’t want to turn him in. I want to thank him for saving me.
I leave the crime scene and meander down the street. I’ll have to start looking for another job tomorrow morning, as I have no idea what will happen with the bar. And I honestly don’t want to find out. I won’t be back.
I doubt my stalker has gone far. He rarely does. I peer down every alley I pass. When I see a dark figure, I’m yanked into the alleyway before I can process it’s him.
He presses me against the brick wall and crowds my front. “Looking for me?”
This close, I can make out the black vein lines and slightly darker sections of the white mask. The only opening where I can see beneath the mask is the eye slants.
His blue eyes are captivating. They’re also familiar. A hint of thrill makes my heart beat faster.
“Do I know you?” I ask breathlessly.
He moves closer; his thigh rubs my sensitive core through my panties, hiking up my skirt. I grip his shoulders to keep from melting into him. A fantasy of him taking me in this alley, right here, right now, plays in my mind. And after he protected me and wrote those possessive words in such a dark and carnal way, I’d sell my soul to the devil to make it come true.
His warm breath tickles my ear as his lips brush my earlobe. “Do you want to?”
My breath hitches. The ache between my legs grows. I lick my lips. The deep, husky tone of his voice has me shuddering with desire.
“Yes.”
My phone rings. I mentally curse, jerking me out of my trance. Masked man steps away with a chuckle. I dig my phone out of my pocket. My friend, Lena’s, name fills the screen.
She has great timing.
I’ve never been so annoyed to answer her call.
“Hi, Lena.”
“Hey! How are you?” she greets me cheerfully. “It’s been forever since we caught up.”
I smile despite my dissatisfaction with her interruption. Lena and I met when I was eighteen. We worked together as waitresses and hit it off immediately. Our schedules haven’t matched up for the last few weeks, so we haven’t spoken in a while.
“I’m fine.” I glance around for my stalker, but he’s already gone.
I sigh as my shoulders slump. Deflated, I walk toward the bus stop.
“Just been busy with work. I haven’t seen Kieran in a while either.”