Page 141 of Bound By Fire
31
Ridge
I’m at my house, in the kitchen, leaning against the counter with my coffee cooling in my hand and one earbud in, when her alarm goes off.
There’s a beat where nothing happens, and then a small grunt followed by a thump. I hear her mutter something that sounds a lot like a curse word.
I smile.
It doesn’t take long before she goes into the bathroom, and at first, I hear nothing much, and then Robyn starts singing. Some bubblegum pop song I’ve heard before because they all sound the same. If I didn’t feel so bad about listening in, I would laugh because she’s really bad.
Worse than bad. She’s missing whole notes and inventing new ones to fill the gaps. She doesn’t know the lyrics, either. She’s humming the bits she doesn’t know and then belting the chorus like she’s on a stage somewhere, far away from anyone with working ears. I find myself grinning down at my coffee.
She’s so fucking adorable. I shift uncomfortably when my dick gets hard, thinking about how she must look right now.
I imagine her naked. All of those lush-as-fuck curves dripping with soap and water. I imagine her using the soap as a microphone.
I have to adjust my cock, because apparently, I’m a sick fuck who can’t get enough. After all that sex last night, I should still be sated, and I’m not. My beast is pushing at me to go over there. Now. He wants me to walk in, peel her out of that towel, and bend her over the bathroom counter while she’s still warm from the shower.
My balls pull tight.
Dammit!
Not happening, buddy.
I take a long swallow of coffee and put the cup down. He shifts under my skin, sulking. He can sulk all he wants. I have actual work to do today.
The shower cuts off. She’s still humming as she moves around her bathroom. Then she gets ready and goes into the kitchen, moving about in there.
She doesn’t make any calls. There are also no quiet stretches where she could be texting someone.
That’s good. That’s what I wanted.
She’s out the door soon after that. I hear the lock turn and the deadbolt slide. Smoke pings me from the lobby a minute later to confirm she’s on her way down. Brutus confirms eyes on her vehicle. I send back a thumbs-up.
There’s a chance that she might make the call to her handler in the car on her way to work. I doubt it, but make a mental note to put a bug in her vehicle as well.
I drain the rest of my coffee and head out.
I need to do a thorough check of all Robyn’s workspaces today. Again, I don’t think she’s dirty. The more time I spend around her, the less I think she has it in her.
Doesn’t matter what I think, though. I have to tick the boxes anyway.
The facility where they’re holding Magma sits behind a high-security wall on the east side of the complex. It’s low and gray and makes me feel like shit just looking at it.
I sigh as I pull up to the gate, holding up my ID. The guard waves me through. I park in the visitor lot.
I’m halfway to the entrance when my phone buzzes. Caller ID tells me that it’s Garrick from the office. I’ve been waiting for this call.
“Talk to me,” I answer.
“Boss.” Garrick’s voice is brisk. “I’ve got the shoe print analysis back from outside Dr. Keller’s apartment.”
“Tell me you’ve got something.”
“I have. It’s actually quite interesting.”
I stop walking. There’s a low concrete bench just off the path, and I move toward it but don’t sit. “Go.”
