Heartbreaker (Unbreakable #1)(60)

“One tattoo. They’re my family,” he rasped out, voice just above a whisper. “Mine is the larger crescent. Mom’s is the one that wraps around my back. Lo’s tucks under my arm.”

“All connected.” Like family.

He gave a slow nod. “And protecting…watching over…each other.”

“When did you get it?” The question felt personal, yet too important not to know. I wanted to understand him.

He gripped my hand tighter before pressing down on it again over his rapidly beating heart. “When Mom died.”

Silence followed, him holding my hand to his chest, me curled behind him, tucked against his body.

And in that space of honesty and vulnerability, I traced my lips along parts of the dark lines: his downward, his mom’s, his sister’s. In the center where they all met, I pressed a tender kiss.

He let out a heavy sigh before his breathing fell into a deep rhythm.

I settled my head on the pillow, tightening my grip over his heart.

Nothing on earth would take his pain away entirely, but I planned to do my best to ease it.



I blinked my eyes open to bright light, then instantly pinched them shut to block out all things way too-early morning. But when I tugged the covers to pull them over my head, they didn’t budge. When I turned, a solid, warm wall met my face.

“Mmm…” With a sudden flash, recognition hit me. Then I pressed a small kiss on Darren’s ribs and snuggled closer to his warmth, resting my cheek in the indentation just below his collarbone.

I inhaled his scent as hazy memories drifted in. His smile and raw laughter. The intense expression on his face when we’d connected deeper, in every way. How the emotion glittering in his eyes matched the unnamed feeling I’d been harboring but hadn’t fully admitted to myself, until then.

I’d fallen for him. Or at least, had begun to, as much as my protective armor had allowed.

The large hand that cradled my hip drifted higher, rubbing lazily up my back, then down. His other arm moved under my shoulders, until they locked together and squeezed, holding me with near-crushing force.

A low growl rumbled above my ear, rustling my hair. “Let’s stay here forever.” The deep timbre of his voice soothed me, but the words themselves prickled worry up my spine.

They reminded me of time—something I didn’t have.

My ticking bomb of an envelope, rigged to blow, didn’t allow us a forever. Not here, anyway.

I draped my leg over his hip and drew circles over his pecs with my finger as I let out a sigh. “Do you have the power to make that happen?”

Maybe he did. What if other forces in the universe, the ones that had pushed us together in the first place, had a hand in my fate?

What if Darren could work a miracle with just one wish?

He pulled back, searching my eyes, studying me. Then something sparked in his and one corner of his mouth twitched up. “Watch me.”

With a low growl, he grabbed my waist and flipped me to his other side, in the center of the bed. My squeal rang out, echoing around us.

His smug grin was the last image in my mind before he kissed me senseless. Then he worshiped my body with methodical precision and absolute reverence.

Anxiety about the future? Banished.





Darren…

I drifted in and out of consciousness. Lazy. Happy.

Kiki’s soft body stretched, then pressed up tighter against me. She let out a satisfied hum as she planted a kiss below my collarbone.

My stomach answered with a grumbling roar.

Her muffled laughter vibrated into my skin.

“Feed me.” I tightened my arm around her, briefly squeezing.

She stretched out an arm, her flattened hand rubbing in a slow circle before it landed on my hip. “Thought you wanted to stay here forever.”

“I do.” I grunted, pulling myself upright. “Food first. Need energy.”

She wearily collapsed into the dent I’d abandoned. I bent down and kissed the nearest patch of forehead under her messed-up hair.

Then I stared at her for a minute. Her creamy skin glowed a healthy pink. Her normally wild hair had that well-f*cked look.

Gorgeous.

Unusual happiness swelled in my chest. That I was lucky enough to have her. That she trusted me enough to take a chance with her heart, to rely on me to guard it—protect her.

I didn’t kid myself, though. She wasn’t the only one I needed to safeguard. The forever I wanted wasn’t possible. Not yet. But maybe moments with her here and there could add up to a forever for us someday.

When I stepped into the bathroom and lifted the seat, a thought hit me. I finished, washed my hands, then popped my head back out. She’d abandoned the bed.

I wandered into the kitchen. Then my mind totally blanked. The counters were already covered with bowls and spice jars…and she hadn’t yet put any clothes on.

Best woman ever.

“What are we making?”

“Apple pancakes with bacon.”

“Aw, damn. I just drooled.” And not only because of the food.

“Good. Peel.” She handed me a slab of bacon strips, then pointed to a tin-foiled baking sheet. She began adding ingredients to a bowl filled with flour.

“Naked baking.” Yep. Master of the obvious.

She giggled. “First time for me.”