Page 23 of Air of Seduction
Ronan guides me to the same SUV we used earlier, but this time we end up in the backseat with Lucas driving and Erica in the passenger seat.
I scroll through the pictures on my phone and select a good one of Olivia. “What’s your number?” I turn my head to look at Ronan.
A wicked grin spreads across his face. “Why, I thought you’d never ask.” Then he holds out his hand, palm up. “Let me.”
I show him the picture before putting my phone in his hand.
He winks at me before concentrating on the screen, his fingers busy typing.
It might be a strange time to be flirty, but his lighthearted behavior eases some of the tension that’s settled between my shoulder blades. And perhaps that’s exactly why he’s doing it. He’s been acting standoffish at times, but that hasn’t prevented him from protecting me and caring for me.
“Here.” He hands me my phone back and takes his own out of his pocket. “I’ll forward it to everyone.”
While he’s busy, I look at the text he sent to himself from my phone. A smile steals across my face when I notice he didn’t just send the text, he added himself to my contacts as well. Does that mean he wants us to keep in touch even after we’ve rescued Olivia?
Tears prick at the back of my eyelids, and I turn my head to stare out the window. What if Barry kills her before we can get there? What if he’s already killed her for talking to us? Why did this even have to happen at all? Why Olivia of all people?
But I already know it’s probably a case of being at the wrong place at the wrong time. I doubt Barry sought her out specifically, because I’ve never met him before, and I think I’d have known if Olivia had. She never keeps secrets from me.
Ronan’s strong arm comes around my shoulders, and he curls me into his chest. “We’ll find her,” he mumbles into my hair.
My throat clogs, but I fight the need to cry again. I’m not usually a crybaby, and if there’s ever any time I need to be strong, it’s now. For Olivia.
I pull in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Tipping my head back, I stare up into Ronan’s beautiful turquoise eyes.
His expression is unreadable, but his gaze is locked on mine, and his arm is firm around me. I don’t know what he’s thinking, but he isn’t pushing me away.
My gaze drops to his lips. They can be both soft and hungry at the same time. I’ve already experienced that firsthand.
“Payton.” His lips move with the whispering of my name, and then he closes the distance between us.
His lips brush against mine in a soft caress, and a shiver of need rushes down my spine. His arm around me moves until hishand cups the back of my head. And a moment later his lips seal over mine.
It’s nothing like our first kiss, which was wild and demanding. This is hot and sensual, and I fist my hands in his shirt to hold on as emotions swell inside me.
This is going too fast. I’m not supposed to feel anything for a man I’ve known for less than twenty-four hours. But as his mouth possesses mine, the man himself takes possession of my heart, making me wish for so much more from him than he’s likely to ever give me.
“Ronan, I’ve sent you your search area.” Erica’s voice breaks into my stupid wishful thinking, and I yank my head back, breaking the kiss.
Ronan’s lips stretch into a confident smirk. Holding my gaze captive, he clears his throat. “Thank you, Erica.” Then he cocks his head and continues in a low voice clearly meant just for me. “We’ll continue where we left off later when Olivia is safe, and we can be alone.”
Heat gathers in my lower belly, something I shouldn’t feel right now while my focus should be on finding Olivia. But there’s something about this man that has both my mind and body confused about my priorities.
I turn away without responding to his statement. Closing my eyes, I resist the urge to lick my lips and savor the taste of him. Instead, I conjure the image of Olivia in my mind, and prepare myself for what I have to do.
As far as I know, there’s only one thing we can do to try to find her when we don’t know which house she’s staying in, and that’s to knock on doors and talk to people. And I don’t like talking to people I don’t know. But I’ll do it for her.
Someone might remember seeing a woman who was blindfolded and guided along by a man. Particularly when I can show them pictures.
I open my eyes and turn to Ronan. “Can you send me the picture of Barry?”
He nods. “Of course.”
“Thank you.” I discreetly admire his profile while he works on his phone.
When the picture arrives on my phone, anger sours my stomach, and I grimace. I hate that vampire, and if Ronan doesn’t beat me to it, I think I’ll kill him myself for what he’s done to my friend.
I suddenly remember the fierce intensity in Noah’s eyes and turn back to Ronan. “Is Noah always like that? If I didn’t know better, I would have thought he knew Olivia personally. But I seriously doubt that. So, why did it seem like her situation personally affected him?”