spawning all over the place. You want to know who the prosecutor was on that case?”
“Locke,” Thames whispered, aghast.
“Yeah, he sent an entire family into ruin. Again, not the boy we remember.”
No. Thames bitterly agreed right then. He wasn’t.
Chapter Sixteen
Thames
When he returned to the house, he took his pent-up adrenaline out on Charlotte’s body. He cornered her in the laundry room. She hadn’t heard him stopping at the doorway. He hovered there for a few moments, taking her in. Her hair was wet from a shower and her body wash filled the tiny room, making his chest go tight because, shit, that feminine shit went straight to his cock. On top of that, she was wearing these ridiculous looking shorts. They were fucking underwear, hands down.
“I hope you don’t wear those out, dove,” he murmured quietly, eyeing her legs.
Startled, she whipped around, brown eyes wide. “Jesus, you scared me.”
She threw the handful of clothes into the basket and then gripped the washer, like she was coming down from a fright.
Thames smiled at her. “Since when are you so jumpy?”
“Since living alone for eight years,” she answered, giving him an admonishing look. “I was the woman of this house, you know.”
“Piss poor at it, Char,” he teased. “I wasn’t being quiet.”
She pretended to glower at him, but her face broke when she saw the teasing smile on his lips. “Now what were you saying about my shorts, mister?”
He looked them over again, going slow this time as his brows rose. “Underwear, you mean. I was saying I hope you don’t wear those out.”
“Yeah? How come?”
He gave her a look. “You know how come.”
She returned that look with a challenging stare. “I’m sorry, Conor Thames, but you don’t get to judge my shorts or tell me I better not be going out in them. I’ll do what I want.”
Oh, he felt his skin prickle with heat. He swallowed a growl. She was always so fucking hot challenging him. It set him off.
“Charlotte,” he said in warning, “watch your mouth, hey?”
“Or what?” she asked, feigning innocence. “What will you do to me if I don’t?”
She was filled with anticipation. Her cheeks were already red, her mouth already parting. She wanted him as badly as he wanted her. But he stood casually, not showing his interest. It was part of the fun.
With a light shrug, he casually scratched his jaw and said, “I guess nothing, dove.”
Then he left the doorway and hid in the next room, feeling his heart go fast because he knew she’d come chasing after him.
He wasn’t wrong. He heard her fast steps. She rounded the corner and into the living room, not having seen him as she headed straight for the staircase. He grabbed her arm suddenly and pulled her to him. Her front slammed into his chest, and he was quick to drop his arms, holding her around the hips, keeping her in place. Her warmth was all over him, so little and fiery, and god, he was already growing hard just from the contact.
“Scared again, pup,” he muttered at her surprised face.
“Twice now you’ve made me jump,” she heaved out.
“But you’re the woman of the house.”
Her eyes glowed with mischief. “I am.”
“So what does that make me?”
She tried to be hard, but her eyes were on his lips and her make-belief temper was waning. She went on her tip toes and tried to brush her lips against his, but he pulled away. “Nuh-uh,” he whispered. “Answer me first.”
“You’re the man of the house,” she said, in a no bull-shit tone. “Now shut up and kiss me, Conor. You were gone a while, and I need you to touch me.”
He dropped his head and swiftly kissed her soft lips. His hold on her loosened as he parted her mouth with his tongue and tasted her.
Suddenly, she stepped away from his grip. He whipped his eyes open in confusion as she continued backing away, grinning wickedly at him.
“You made me chase after you,” she said through a laugh. “You can do the chasing, too, Mr Thames.”
“Sneaky little tart.”
He lunged at her and she just managed to slip away, running to the stairs. He came after her, tackling her over the steps. She let out a cackle as he turned her around on her back, pinning her down. He felt a laugh bubble up his throat as she struggled, her face pink with laughter, but she wasn’t getting away. He crowded her, covering his entire body over hers. He dropped his