After leading her upstairs, he rejoiced that he’d agreed to the extra-large shower when they put it to good use. Finally sated, he linked fingers and said, “Let me show you my view.”
He led her into the hall to the stairs leading upward. At the top, they entered a bonus room, complete with a slouchy sofa, small bookcase, TV, and windows on all four walls. She was just exclaiming delight when he said, “That’s not all.” He then led her out the door and onto a deck that showcased a view of the harbor in the distance.
“Oh, my God! I can’t believe you can see the harbor from here!”
His friends and brothers had often spent many good times up here grilling and sharing a beer, but now, seeing her standing with her arms spread wide, twirling in a circle, he couldn’t imagine anything better than having her there with him.
On the way back downstairs, he showed her the second bedroom and said, “There’s also a finished den in the basement.”
“This place is huge!”
Pulling her close, he said, “I can’t wait to make love to you in every single room.” If her smile was anything to go by, she was just as excited by his suggestion as he was.
His plans for spending the rest of the day with her were shot to hell when his phone vibrated. Seeing it was Alex, he sighed. “Yeah?”
“Just got a call from the Captain. We’ve been approved to see Doug Tiller today at the prison.”
“Today? Fuckin’ today?”
“Yeah, today. What? You had something else going on?”
Staring at Kimberly, he said, “Yeah, actually I do. But it’s gotta be done. You gonna drive?”
“Yeah, I’ll swing by and pick you up in about thirty minutes.”
Disconnecting, he watched as she stepped closer, encircling his waist with her arms. Resting his chin on the top of her head, he memorized the feel of her in his arms.
Leaning her head back, she held his gaze. “I take it you’ve got to go to work.”
“I’m sorry as fuck, babe.”
“It can’t be helped, Kyle. It’s what you do.”
Her gentle acceptance moved through him, and he took her lips. The kiss started gentle, but with a touch of her tongue on his, he growled, pulling her tighter against him. Finally, dragging his head away from hers, he said, “Stay here. Explore the house. Eat what you want. Call for takeout—”
She stilled his words with her fingers on his lips, shaking her head. “Thanks for making me feel welcome but, honestly, Kyle, I’ll be better off at my place. I have some work to do, my laptop and my e-reader are there. You need to get ready, and I can catch a cab.”
He hated the idea of her not being at his place when his day was over but promised to come to hers. A few minutes later, he watched as a cab pulled in front of his house, and she climbed in. Leaning into the window, he made sure to show his badge as he handed the driver some money. “Make sure she gets home safe and you stay long enough to see that she gets inside.”
“Absolutely, Sir!”
He caught her rolling her eyes from the back seat and grinned. With a tap on the top of the cab, he watched it pull away. Having just enough time to grab his jacket and secure his home, he stepped outside as Alex pulled to the curb.
Entering the men’s prison was not a new experience for Kyle, but having so recently been inside the women’s prison to see Beth Washington, he was struck with both similarities and differences. There was no color on these walls. They were simply painted beige. This prison was older and it showed in the wear and tear—faded floor tiles, scuffed baseboards, windows with a coat of grime on them.
With their arrangements being previously made, Doug Tiller was waiting for them in the interview room. Kyle remembered seeing him at the time of his arrest. The middle-aged, dapper physician still maintained an aura of superiority even in prison. He wondered if the doctor’s money smoothed the path for him inside but, since much of his wealth had been seized by the feds, Kyle wasn’t sure that offered Doug much preferential treatment.
“I’m Detective McBride, and this is Detective Freeman.”
As soon as the word McBride left his mouth, Doug’s gaze jumped to his face.
“Ah, Tara’s brother. I see the family resemblance. Are you here for your pound of flesh as well?”