Following Me by Linde, K.A. (best books to read in your 20s .txt) 📗

“You look good in my shirt,” hesaid, gently pinching her exposed thigh.

She jumped, surprised by thetouch.  “Don’t pinch me!” Devon cried, reaching forward and pinching his arm.

“Who said you could pinch me?” heasked, crawling across the bed.  He wrapped his arms around her middle andyanked her back into bed.  “On that note, who said you could get out of bed?”

“I’ll do what I want,” she saidstubbornly.

“Not until I let you,” Brennansaid, holding her tightly and wrestling her back into the bed.

It didn’t take much effortbecause she wasn’t really fighting him.  Although if she had put up a fight,she was sure it still wouldn’t have taken much effort on his part.  He wassurprisingly muscular.

So, shestopped resisting entirely and enjoyed the fleeting minutes they had left,locked away on his boat.  She wished they didn’t have to leave, and when theydid leave, she wished that they could come back soon.  This felt right forthem, and she wanted to remember that and cherish it for what it was.

BRENNAN DROPPED HER off back at herapartment and escorted her all the way up to the forty-third floor.  He stoppedher before she could head inside.  He picked her up by her waist, letting herfeet dangle above the ground.  She giggled and leaned forward against him.

“I’m going to miss you.”  He lether body slide against his as he released her, placing her gently back on thefloor.

“I’ll see you soon,” Devon said,shaking her head at him.  She was dizzy from his touch and his enthusiasm.  Shecouldn’t get enough of him.

“Too long,” he murmured.  Hewalked her backward into the wall and captured her lips.

“Much too long,” she said betweenbreaths.  “Maybe you could stay—”

“I’d never make it to work ontime.”

“Not such a bad thing.”  Shefiddled with the buttons on his shirt.

“That’s not helping.”

Devon smirked deviously, toyingwith his shirt more.  “Just stay.”

Gripping her wrists in his hands,he pulled them away from the buttons and lifted her hands up next to her head. “Maybe tonight.  I’ll stay here, or you can stay with me.  How does thatsound?”

“Like forever away.”  She pouteddespite her heart feeling like it was beating out of her chest.

“So, is that a no?”

“That’s a yes, of course.”

“Good.”  He released her, kissedher one last time on her lips, and took a step back.  “I’ll see you at workthen, Belle.”

Devon watched him walk away. Sighing heavily, she wished that he could have stayed, but she knew it wasimpractical.  They actually did have to work.  They had gotten yesterday off,and Brennan had missed too much recently because of his dad.  She couldn’t lethim miss work again because of her.

She pushed open the door to theapartment and was surprised when she noticed that Hadley wasn’t camped out onthe couch already.  “Hadley?” she called, tossing her purse on the floor nextto the side table.

“Hey,” Garrett said, walking out ofthe bedroom.

“Oh.  Is Hadley here?” sheasked.  Since the incident, she didn’t like being alone with him.  It didn’tsit well with her.

“No.  She went to get lunch withher mother, who is in the city for the afternoon,” Garrett told her.

“Her mom is here?” Devon asked.

Hadley’s mom was the nicest womanDevon had ever met.  She was a mirror image of her daughter—all smart, pretty,and bubbly.  But she didn’t like big cities; they made her feelclaustrophobic.  So, there must have been a good reason for her visit.

“Yeah.  Drove up this morning.”

“Why?” Devon asked, narrowing hereyes.

“Hadley didn’t say.”

“That’s…weird,” she said.  “Doesher mother know about the overdose?”

“I don’t know.  Only if Hadleytold her,” Garrett said.

“Okay.  Well, I guess I’ll seeher later then.  I have to get ready for work,” Devon said, turning toward herbedroom.

She shut the door and pulled outher phone from her back pocket.  She glanced down at the screen, and herstomach dropped to the floor.  Her phone nearly slipped out of her fingers, butshe gripped it tighter even though her hands were shaking.  There were fivetexts and a few missed calls from Reid, all from the last hour.

She swallowed hard, wonderingwhat this could be about.  Her brain told her not to read them.  What goodcould come from reading them?  But she couldn’t stop herself.  It couldn’tbe a coincidence that all the messages were so close together.

I saw your parents on TV thismorning for some award ceremony in New York.  Are you in the States?

FUCK!  She couldn’tbelieve he had seen the ceremony.

Devon?  I’ve missed you sinceyou’ve been gone.  If you are in the States, hurry home.  I have a bed waitingfor you.

Devon shook her head.  Thiscould not be happening.

Why aren’t you answering me? Are you avoiding me?  Answer your phone.  Let me know if you’re here.  I’ll flyout to get you.

To. Get. Her.  She knewwhat that meant.

Answer your goddamn phone. Since when do you not answer my texts right away?  Are you in New York withsomeone else?  Is that what this is about?  You better text me back rightaway.  Better yet, call me.  I need to talk to you.

No.  No.  No.  No.  No.

I don’t know what the fuck youare doing, but if you don’t call me, this isn’t going to be good.  I’m givingyou fair warning.  Don’t be a bitch.  Call. Me. Back.

Devon’s palms were sweating bythe time she finished reading the last text message.  Not good.  Thiswas so not good.  How the fuck had she not thought of this?  Of course, hewould happen across her parents’ award ceremony, the one she had skipped withgood reason.

Her hands were trembling, and shewas barely keeping it together.  What would he do now that he knew shehadn’t been in France?  Okay, she was getting ahead of herself.  He didn’tknow that.  He just knew that her parents were in New York.  They could havecome back from Paris for it unexpectedly.  She could have stayed inParis…right?

She shook her head.  He was toosmart.  She couldn’t fool him into believing her.  Not that she could text himback if he was flipping out anyway, not that she had responded to anything hehad sent her in weeks.

How did he do this to her? How did he make her feel so guilty for what she had done when he was the onewho had hit