Free Midnight Scent (Amour Toxique Book 1) by Dori Lavelle Page B

everything. You ungrateful little bitch.”
    “I paid for all those things many times over. I made you a lot of money. And all those things you did for me? I never wanted them. All you did was stifle me and all I wanted was out. Now I’m out, and I’m not coming back.”
    “In that case, you’re dead to me.” My mother, shaking with rage, stands and sways slightly before heading for the door. She turns to me before walking away. “Don’t fool yourself into believing you’re smart. You are nothing without me. Nothing.”

Chapter Fourteen
     
    Goose pimples break through my skin as soon as I step through the Oaklow Correctional Facility’s metal doors. The air inside is much cooler than outside, though I don’t detect any air conditioning. Maybe it’s just me. The chill increases as I pass through the metal detector. I’m not a fan of metal detectors—they make me feel exposed, as though I’ve been stripped naked.
    Soon I’m sitting on the other side of a scratched sheet of soundproof glass, staring into the intense green eyes of a man everyone believes is a murderer, a man who could possibly be my biggest mistake. But it’s my mistake.
    My mother’s visit is what tipped me over the edge of indecision. I’m done doing what she tells me to do. For a moment I felt sorry for her, but the sword of my fury destroyed that sympathy.
    The other reason I’m here is to confirm to myself that he is wrong for me, to find a reason to run from him before it’s too late. But now, gazing into his eyes, I realize I’m lost. I don’t see a murderer there. I see an attractive man who takes my breath away. A man who captures my soul at first sight. In person he looks much younger than thirty-five. If it weren’t for the sprinkling of silver at his temples, it would be hard to imagine him being past thirty.
    I pick up the phone attached to the wall by a thick metal cord and press it to my ear. He does the same. One side of his mouth tips in a shadow of a smile. I return it.
    My stomach churns, and my heart hammers painfully against my ribs. I remind myself to breathe.
    “I didn’t think you’d come.” I’m relieved he started talking first, because even though my lips are parted, nothing wants to come out.
    “I didn’t think I would.” I run a sweaty hand over my thigh, drying it on my jeans.
    “Why did you?” His voice is raw and husky, and it caresses my senses.
    “I don’t know.”
    “I’m happy you decided to come. I guess I have something to be grateful for on Thanksgiving.”
    I say nothing. Thanksgiving break is four days away, and I’ve already requested permission from the Campus Housing Department to remain on campus during the break. Chelsea was horrified and insisted I accompany her home, but I declined. I don’t want to impose on anyone’s holiday.
    As I watch Judson, my stomach does flips. I’m drawn to him and yet also intimated by his very presence.
    “You’re stunning. The most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”
    A hot blush creeps up my neck, filling my cheeks, scorching them. “Thanks.” I suddenly feel the strong urge to be closer to him. I want to touch him, to feel the stubble on his cheek, to wrap his hair around my hand. “How are you?” I ask. Under the circumstances, it’s the right question.
    Judson turns to look at one of the guards in the corner of the room. “Some days are better than others.”
    “Did you do it? Did you really kill him—the student?” My question is a whisper. I glance at the note above the glass: Phones are subject to monitoring .
    He grips his phone tighter. I notice a pale mark around his wrist, a tell-tale sign that he used to wear a watch. The veins beneath the skin look like they’re about to pop. “Would that change anything between us?” he asks.
    “I don’t know.” I grip my knee with my free hand. “Maybe.”
    The green of his eyes darkens. “What are people saying on that side? Do they still say I’m a monster who deserves to