Hidden Interests: A Fake Dating Romantic Suspense (The Hidden Heroes Series Book 2) by Annette Palmer

Author:Annette Palmer [Palmer, Annette]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-11-14T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

Caden sat with Hallie in his quiet dark car, nothing but the moon, the stars, and a few street lamps for light. He’d promised to take her home, but now that they were finally alone, all he could think about was how he wasn’t ready to be apart from her again. He needed more time with her. “Would you mind if I showed you something before I took you back to your apartment? It won’t take long and we can leave whenever you want.”

It took her several long moments, but she finally said, “okay.”

Her softly spoken word, so thinly laced with a mere fragment of the trust she once had in him, pulled at his heart strings. He would earn that trust back no matter how long it took.

They drove in silence until he pulled into the driveway of the abandoned house he’d seen earlier that day. He drove clear across the property, through the field of dead grass, and stopped just short of the creek.

“What is this place?” Hallie asked. “Are we even allowed to be here?” Her hand lay palm up on her lap, and he covered it with his, intertwining their fingers. Her warmth seeped into his skin, and he never wanted to let go.

He didn’t miss the fact that she didn’t pull away, and it gave him the sliver of hope he’d been craving all night. “Remember when I told you that I was getting tired of my apartment and was thinking of buying a house?”

“You bought this house?” Hallie asked, a hint of excitement in her voice.

Caden smiled. “Not yet, but I’m seriously considering it. There’s a creek that flows through the property, about twenty feet ahead of us.”

“Can I see it?” Hallie asked.

“I was hoping you’d say that. Come on, just watch your step. I’ll leave the headlights on so we’ll have plenty of light.”

They got out of the car and as soon as they met in front of the hood, Caden carefully put his arm around her. Again, she didn’t pull away, so he brought her in closer, his body instantly reacting to having her pressed against his side. Every nerve ending came alive inside him, almost as if she’d jump-started him back to life. “There.” He pointed with his free hand. “See the flowing water?”

Hallie nodded. “I think I heard it before I saw it.”

The sound of trickling water penetrating the dark silence was unmistakable, rivaling only the loud crickets and a woodpecker somewhere in the distance. The air smelled of cedar and oak, an intoxicating blend of forest and calm. He took in their surroundings, noticing how this place almost looked magical under the veil of darkness.

All he’d wanted was to share this place with Hallie. And now that she was here with him, there was so much he needed to tell her. He should’ve gone to her sooner. Letting so much time come between them was the biggest mistake of his life. Her question about their kiss weighed heavy on him, and he knew he had to answer it before they could move forward.

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