Killian (Hope City #8) - Kris Michaels Page 0,35
done.” She popped the bread into her mouth. “Damn, this is good.”
“It is.” They ate their meal and chatted about the upcoming storm, about what had to happen on the build site in order to get ready, and about their families. When he pushed away after a huge slice of chocolate cake, the last thing he wanted to do was to get back into that trench.
“I suppose I should be going. Your men went back to work about twenty minutes ago.”
He stood and moved around his desk, but not to help her gather the trash. He placed his hand on her arm as she moved to collect his setting and turned her toward him. Slowly, so she could object or move away, he lowered for a kiss. Careful of her damaged lower lip, he swept her lips once, then again before he asked for her to allow him further.
Her sigh and sway into him allowed him to gather her into his arms. She felt smaller in his embrace, more delicate. Carefully, he led her in a kiss, meeting her tongue, dancing in a choreographed exploration. When he lifted, her eyes remained closed with her eyelashes fanning over her cheeks. His thumb traveled lightly over the livid bruising, which caused her to open her eyes. “That’s a really nice thank you.”
“I can do better.” He lowered for another taste. The chemistry between them sizzled and sparked under his skin, igniting a long-dormant passion. He lifted away before he forgot work and backed her down the short hall to the bedroom.
“Oh, yes. That was fantastic, thank you.” She smiled up at him.
“I want more.” He didn’t try to hide the hunger that was gnawing through him.
“So do I.” She stepped away from his hold and nodded to the window. “I know you have to get back to work. I’ll see you tomorrow?”
He sighed. “I don’t know. We have to pour after we get done with the foundational work. It’ll be midnight before we get done.”
“I’ll bring dinner.”
“But it’s my turn to treat you.”
She stepped in and lifted onto her toes to kiss him. “Believe me, you did. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
He watched her turn and leave the trailer. Damn, that was one hell of a woman.
Chapter 9
“Walter Crane’s office.”
Bekki smiled. “Hey, Doreen, is he in?”
“Um… he should be back. His last class ended about thirty minutes ago. Hold on, let me check.”
Bekki flipped the receipts over and matched each date to the ad that had been buried. She meticulously matched the dates and the receipts together. Today, she’d match the land advertised with the entity that had purchased it.
“Bekki, how are you feeling?”
“Hey, Walter. I’m okay. Bit bruised and battered, but okay.”
“I watched that interview six times. You were magnificent.”
“Thank you, but ending up with your face wrapped around a tripod is not magnificent. It’s embarrassing.”
“Nevertheless, the lure, bait, then attack were perfectly executed. Interviewing guilty people takes skill and you have it.”
“Because you taught me. Hey, who do you know over at the Hope City Journal?” She stared at her log as she spoke.
He chuckled. “Quite a few people, not everyone is cut out to be a television reporter like my best student. What do you need?”
She sighed, “Awww… I’m your best student?”
“No, I was talking about Ross Cantrell.” The man was an anchor in New York.
“Excuse me?”
Walter burst out laughing at the indignation she mustered. They’d had this conversation many times. Ross was an ass and Walter didn’t like him at all. “Of course, you’re my favorite.”
“Well, thank goodness. I need to talk with someone in advertising over at the HCJ.”
“Advertising? Whatever for? Is Channel Two taking out ads in the paper?” His guffaw rang through the phone.
“No, I’m looking into some irregularities and I just need to ask questions.”
“Irregularities of what nature? Let me find my Rolodex.” She could hear him moving as he spoke.
“You remember the general contractor thing I was talking about?”
“Vaguely.” His exaggeration told her she was stupid for asking.
“Smarty-pants. Anyway, I got some help going through my information from a person in the industry. Turns out there wasn’t any massive corruption at the general contractor level.”
“Well, it is a good thing you ran through all data before you accused someone of illegal activity.”
She snorted as she remembered how pissed Killian had become. “If only.”
“What?”
“Never mind. I’m working on something else and I need to talk to someone in advertising over at HCJ.”
“So, your dreams of launching into a major market are waning?”
She chuckled and shook