Consolation Prize (Forbidden Men #9)(103)

Shit. Maybe I’d been reading everything wrong, and Shaun’s stalking was some kind of kinky sex game to them, kind of like the way she and I got off on bickering.

She sent me an irritated frown. “Of course I want him to stop.”

“Are you sure?” I said slowly.

She slapped my arm. “Yes! I just…dammit.” She scowled at me harder before mumbling under her breath and admitting, “It’s f*cking embarrassing. I don’t want to tell my personal business to a bunch of complete strangers only for them to look at me as if I’m some kind of drama queen making a big deal out of nothing.”

Oh Jesus. My girl and her issues with keeping up appearances. It irritated the hell out of me, and yet made me love her even more.

I sat next to her on the mattress and pulled her into a hug. “He’s been hounding you for almost two years, baby doll. Do you want him to stop or not?”

“Yes,” she admitted against my chest. “But—”

“There’s no buts about it. What everyone else thinks is their problem. The police will do their job regardless. I just want you to be happy and not worry about some dumbass and his inability to let go.”

She blew out a long breath and waited a second before finally looking up to catch my gaze. Then she murmured, “Okay.”

“Okay?” I repeated in surprise, straightening. “Really? You’ll actually go with me?”

Damn, that had been easier than I’d thought.

She rolled her eyes and shoved lightly at my arm. “I’m stubborn, not completely impossible.”

“You’re completely beautiful,” I corrected, then made her laugh when I tackled her onto the bed and began kissing her neck in an exaggerated manner.

She squirmed under me and screamed out a laugh before attacking me back, racing her hands up my arms and clutching my hair before kissing me full on the mouth and spiking her tongue deep between my teeth.

My hand was clutching her full, lush breast, my tongue tangling with hers before I realized what I was doing, but I managed to tear myself away and pant a few times before muttering, “Dammit, stop trying to seduce me out of my idea. We’re going to the police station. Right now.”

Her eyes twinkled as she grinned up at me. “You’re the one who kissed me first.”

“Well, if you hadn’t been sitting there looking all hot and delectable, I would’ve been able to resist you.” I gave her breast one last affectionate squeeze, then licked the nipple before climbing off her. “Now get dressed before I can’t help myself again.”

She lifted her eyebrows, looking amused and yet very unamused. “Did you just give me an order, boy?”

I could play this two different ways. I could smart mouth her some more, going way overboard with it on purpose. But I already knew how that would end. She’d take up my frisky challenge and order me around right back until we were arguing hot and heavy into sex again.

Okay, so I liked that option. I liked it a lot. In fact—

Wait, no. Her safety was top priority. No sex until after we’d been to the police.

So I went with option two and demurely fluttered my lashes, begging, “Pretty please, baby doll, will you get dressed now?”

She snorted, not buying that act either. But at least she climbed off the bed. My pecker took note of how nice she looked naked, and he got pretty pissed at me for not choosing option one, but I promised him later, and he calmed down some.

It took her nearly fifteen minutes to primp. I knew she was still worried what they were going to think of her report because of how much attention she put into how she looked, and then she went for a gray, white, and black ensemble. But I didn’t say anything about it. She was actually going to do this, so I was going to be satisfied with what I got.

I took her hand and squeezed her fingers encouragingly when she announced she was finally ready. We walked from her room side-by-side and down the hall through the front room to her door. I waited as she pulled her purse and coat from their hooks. Then I retook her hand and opened the door, only to find myself face-to-face with my brother.





COLTON’S CHAPTER | 29





Brandt dropped his hand where he’d had it raised to knock. His gaze settled on me before he said, “I knew I hadn’t called the wrong number.”

I shrugged. “You know, you could’ve just checked the call history on your phone instead of coming all the way over here to figure that out, right?”

He narrowed his eyes at my smart-ass reply. “What the f*ck are you doing here, Colton?” Then he dropped his gaze to where my hand was linked with Julianna’s, and his eyes bulged with disbelief.

She tightened her grip on me. I wasn’t sure if she was nervous or trying to be supportive. But I did know she wasn’t ashamed of being caught by him with me, which was all I needed to know.

So I blinked at my brother and shot back just as accusingly, “What the f*ck are you doing here? You’re the married one of us two.”

He shot me a grow-up look and muttered, “I’m trying to figure out why you were answering Juli’s phone first thing in the morning.”

“Well, I was asleep,” I replied in the most logical way I could. “And this annoying ring kept pestering me, so I answered it because I was closest to it. I didn’t even realize it wasn’t my phone until after we hung up.”