Sins, Lies & Spies (Black Brothers #2)(52)

CHAPTER





TWENTY-NINE


Trinity



I cracked open my eyes and met Knox’s soft stare. He dragged me closer to him, stopping only when my breasts smashed into his chest. Heat pooled deep in my belly and I slid my leg over the top of his, wanting to be closer to him.

“Good morning,” I said, my voice rough from sleep.

“More like afternoon.” His thumb stroked over my lips and my eyes fluttered, savoring his touch.

“Hmm,” I said, hooking my arm around his shoulder, pulling him a few inches closer. “Well, we didn’t get home until four in the morning so that makes sense.”

With a half smile, he angled up my chin. “Thanks for helping last night.” His lips moved against mine tenderly.

“Which part? Driving the van in circles in the dead of the night or what happened when we got home?” I asked, already breathless.

He laughed, mischief dancing in his too-blue eyes. His warm fingers trailed up the outside of my thighs, setting off mini-explosions underneath my skin.

“Well, I was thanking you for driving us around, but I definitely enjoyed what happened later.” He rolled on top of me, bracing his weight on his splayed hands, his muscles rippling. “But now that I think about it, my memory is a little fuzzy. Maybe we could reenact it, and I’ll have something else to thank you for.”

“Mm,” I murmured as his lips brushed over mine. “I like that idea. I think I could use a refresher, too. I barely remember a thing after we got home.” I lifted my arms over my head, stretching lazily. “In fact, what happened to my clothes?”

“I distinctly remember tearing them off five seconds after we made it through the door.” His lips moved down my neck to my collarbone, and I felt the brush of stubble against my skin. “But I don’t think you’ll need them for a while.”

I arched, my body already buzzing like I had champagne in my veins. “I’m okay with that if you make it worth my time.”

He chuckled, the sound so deep and rich it curled my toes. “How generous of you.”

His tongue swirled over my nipple, and I moaned. “Don’t worry. You’re on the right track.”

“Good to know.” I felt the corners of his lips curve up against my belly, and I couldn’t stop the answering smile on my face. I wanted this morning to last forever. With his arms around me, and his mouth trailing down my feverish skin, I felt sheltered from everything and anything for the first time in forever. I knew I should care that I still had to talk to my brother. I knew the threat against my sister and me hadn’t vanished. But it felt good to be distracted. Being with Knox obliterated all of the bad stuff because I wasn’t alone. He was on my side. We were a team.

My stomach clenched under the swirling assault of his tongue as it dipped into my navel. “You’re killing me,” I whispered, mostly to myself.

He lifted his head. “Surrendering already?”

“No. Keep going.”

A ringing noise floated through the air, dragging me unwillingly back to reality.

“Shit.” He rested his forehead against my stomach. “I need to get that. It’s Jack’s ringtone. I told him to call me if there was any news about Lang. I’m sorry.”

My stomach dipped with disappointment, but I pushed it back, ruffling my hands through his golden hair, enjoying the silken texture between my fingers. “It’s okay.”

“No. It’s really not.” He rolled off me, the bed squeaking as he snatched his phone from the nightstand. He twirled it in his hand for a beat. “Maybe I should turn it off for a few days. No interruptions. Just the two us. We could even take a trip away from here. How does that sound?”

I laughed, knowing he wasn’t serious. “Just answer it. I’ll make coffee and something to eat while you talk to Jack.”

“As long as we continue where we left off after we eat.” He swiped his finger along the screen of his phone.

“Sounds like a plan.”

He turned around, sitting with his back to me, his bare feet planted on the floor. “Hello.”

Giving him privacy, I kicked the sheets off, pulled on his discarded shirt, and padded down the hallway to the bathroom. I brushed my teeth and washed my face. I dug out some mascara and lip-gloss from my cosmetic case. I stared at my reflection in his brightly lit mirror. My lips were swollen. My hair was snarled. But my eyes glowed with happiness, and it hit me. I hadn’t felt this happy or hopeful since the morning before my mom disappeared without a trace nearly fifteen years ago.

Uneasiness snaked around my chest, and for a second, I couldn’t move. The mascara and lipstick slipped from my fingers, clattering onto the countertop and rolling to the tiled floor. I wasn’t in love with Knox, right? This was just a hook-up between two people in the right place at the right time who enjoyed each other’s company.

Images of the last few days and last night played through my mind. I bowed my head, gripping the edge of the countertop while my mind caught up with my heart. Fuck! If I wasn’t already in love with Knox, I was tipping over the edge of sanity. I should reel my emotions in and concentrate on my life, so I wouldn’t get hurt. I couldn’t handle another failed relationship right now.

I needed to go back to my place and put it into some kind of order. Reality couldn’t wait any longer. Neither could my talk with Derrick. He’d sidestepped all my requests to meet him, but I was going to put my foot down today. I refused to be ruled by another man’s two-decade old sins any longer.