The Naughty List Bundle - Kylie Adams [61]
Every day it seemed she became a bigger part of their lives, and he didn’t know what he was going to do when she eventually left. Which she would. Because once she was safe, he wouldn’t ask her to stay.
Honey, tired of watching Gabe fumble under the hood of her car, turned to flounce out of the shed. When she caught sight of him, her face lit up with a warmth that filled him to overflowing. “Sawyer! I didn’t know you were here.”
As usual, her eyes ate him up and sexual tension immediately vibrated between them. But she never touched him in front of anyone, too concerned with trying to keep their intimate involvement private. He didn’t have the heart to point out his brothers were far from idiots and had already deduced more than he’d ever admitted even to himself. Besides, the fact she touched everyone but him was pretty telling, like the drunk who overenunciated to hide his state of inebriation. Honey was what Gabe called a touchy-feely woman, always hugging and patting people she cared about. And she cared about all of them, that was painfully obvious.
It was one of the main reasons his brothers insisted on prolonging her stay. Not that he’d let her leave anyway until the issue of her safety was resolved.
And that was the topic he brought up now. As she neared, he braced himself and said, “I think you should call your fiancé.”
Just like that, the light died in her eyes and her welcome became wary, twisting at his heart. She stalled, her new sandals kicking up dust on the shed floor as she came to a standstill. She tried a sickly smile that made him ache. “My fiancé?”
“Ex-fiancé. This Alden idiot.”
Gabe quickly wiped off his hands and strode over to them. “What the hell are you talking about, Sawyer?”
Sawyer rubbed his neck, trying to ease his growing tension. He didn’t like the idea much himself. If he had his way, he’d never let her get within shouting distance of the bastard. But he couldn’t take the pressure anymore, waiting for something to happen so they could act and put an end to it. And he couldn’t seem to keep his hands off her.
To get things settled, they had to force the issue, and calling her ex was the only way he could think of to do it.
He stared down at her and resisted the urge to hold her close. “Morgan and I discussed it. We both still think Alden is involved somehow. You said yourself that his behavior was strange. The only problem is finding the link. If you call him, we can listen in and maybe we’ll catch something you missed.”
Her expression turned mulish, so he quickly clarified. “I’m not suggesting we’re any better at this than you are. But at the time you left, you were upset. Now you’re calm, and we’re totally detached.” Only he wasn’t. He was in so far, he didn’t know if he’d ever see daylight again. He cleared his throat and forged on. “Between us we might pick up a small detail that will make sense. I know the waiting is hard on you.”
She nodded slowly, her eyes never leaving his face. “I was just telling Gabe that I think I should stop imposing on you all.”
His stomach knotted. “And no doubt Gabe told you that was nonsense.”
“Well, yes.”
Gabe put his arm around her shoulders. “Damn right I did. She’s not going anywhere until we know it’s safe.”
“And this is the best way to find out if it is or not,” Sawyer replied, trying to ignore the way Gabe held her and the hot jealousy he couldn’t deny. The only male who could touch her without setting off his possessive alarms was his son. And it was a good thing, since Casey seemed even more inclined than the rest to dote on her. Sawyer was almost certain Casey had his own agenda in mind, but unlike the others, Casey wasn’t as easy to figure out. He’d always been a mature kid, proud and too smart for his own good, but he’d never been overly demonstrative with anyone but the family. In fact, he was usually more closed off, keeping his thoughts and feelings private. The way he’d so openly accepted Honey was enough to raise a few brows.
“You plan to set some bait?” Gabe asked,