I Told You To Run But You Didn't (Georgia) novel Chapter 45

Chapter 45

Georgia’s POV

One Month Later

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9 Finished

I sat on a smooth, sun-warmed rock, the cold river water a welcome shock as it rushed over my feet. A month. It had been a month of this strange new life-a month of living as Estevan’s shadow, of tense silences and cutting conversations.

A month of investigating the attack, of chasing leads tha went nowhere. And we were no closer to finding Zane. My worry for him was a constant, dull ache in my chest.

A voice from the riverbank made me jump. “Deep thoughts, Ms. Sinclair?”

I turned to see Estevan leaning against a tree, watching me. He was dressed down in jeans and a dark henley, but he still looked dangerously out of place in the peaceful forest.

“Something like that,” I said, turning back to the water.

“I was beginning to think your entire wardrobe consisted of black tactical gear and funeral attire,” he commented, his voice laced with its usual dry amusement.

I rolled my eyes. “Sorry to disappoint. Should I have worn a ball gown to go wading in a river? Is that in the contract?”

“No,” he said, his voice suddenly closer. He had walked to the river’s edge. His eyes did a slow sweep over my bare legs, the simple white t-shirt, and my damp hair, before returning to my face. His usual smirk was gone, replaced by a look of quiet, serious intensity. “This is… a significant improvement. You look good, Georgia.”

A hot, uncontrollable blush flooded my cheeks. I was completely thrown by the sincere compliment. To hide my face, I turned to stand up, but the movement was too quick. My bare foot slipped on a slick, mossy rock beneath the water.

A yelp of surprise escaped me as I lost my balance. I was falling.

He moved like lightning. A strong arm snaked around my waist, yanking me back against the h

his chest. But our combined momentum was too much.

For one heart-stopping second, we were tangled together, suspended in air, before we crashed backw into the cold river with a huge splash.

We surfaced sputtering, gasping for breath in the waist-deep water. I was plastered against him, his arms still securely wrapped around my waist, my hands braced against his chest.

Water streamed from our hair, our clothes were soaked and clinging, and we were inches apart, the sounds of the forest suddenly muted.

“You were supposed to catch me,” I said breathlessly, ha-laughing, half in shock.

His eyes, dark and intense, dropped to my mouth. His voice was a low, husky rumble that vibrated through

“I did.”

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Chapter 45

83%

Finished

The sound of the rushing river was all I could hear, all I could feel, besides the hard wall of his chest under my palms and the steel bands of his arms around my waist.

But when I tried to pull away, his arms tightened, holding me fast. He wouldn’t let me go.

“Georgia,” he murmured, his voice a rough, raw thing I’d never heard before. “I don’t know what happens after this moment. But I’m not going to spend tonight regretting what I didn’t do.”

Before I could process the meaning behind his words, his head descended. His lips met mine.

They were surprisingly soft at first, a gentle question against the chaos of my racing heart. My eyes flew wide in shock, my mind screaming at me to push him away, to fight. This is wrong. He is your boss, Georgia! Wake up!

But then the kiss deepened, the gentle pressure turning into a demanding, hungry fire. It was a jolt of pure electricity that short-circuited every rational thought in my head. A shiver wracked my body, and my knees went weak, the only thing holding me upright being his strong, steadying arms.

His tongue traced the seam of my lips, and my mouth parted for him on a soft, involuntary gasp.

After years of feeling nothing… this was everything.

The fight didn’t just go out of me; it was consumed. I surrendered to the feeling, to the terrifying, electric aliveness I only ever felt when I was with him. My hands which had been braced against his chest, slid up his shoulders, my fingers tangling in the wet strands of his dark hair.

I kissed him back, matching his intensity, my own desperate, long-buried hunger rising to meet his.

The soft but distinct click of the cabin door opening shattered the moment.

I ripped myself from his arms as if I’d been burned, scrambling out of the river and onto the bank. I didn’t dare look back at him, my entire body on fire with a humiliating blush. Damn it, Harvey! Of all the times…

I saw him standing on the porch, his gaze fixed with intense focus on a particularly interesting-looking pine tree, pretending he hadn’t seen a thing. He then gave a loud, conscious clearing of his throat.

I shot him a murderous glare. “Don’t,” I said through clenched teeth.

Estevan waded out of the river, his wet clothes clinging to his muscular frame, looking completely a utterly unfazed by the interruption. He was all business again, his focus entirely on his secretary.

“Harvey,” he said, his voice a calm, commanding tone. “Did you find something?”

Harvey finally allowed his gaze to shift from the tree to his boss. His face was a perfect mask of professional deference, but his eyes were sparkling with barely concealed amusement. He lowered his voice to a whisper.

“A few things, Boss,” he said, nodding discreetly in my direction, “Including you, apparently. My apologies for the poor timing”.

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