Sweet Reckoning(4)

Without taking his eyes off me, he picked up a pen and began weaving it through his fingers. Only Kaidan Rowe would sit naked on the other side of the camera, completely nonchalant. It was rather . . . distracting.

I watched his chest slowly rise and fall in a sigh. He set the pen down. “I dreamt of you last night. That you were still here with me.”

I rested my cheek on my hand, letting his words settle over me like warm sunlight. I still couldn’t believe he was letting this happen—letting us be together—letting me love him.

“Thank you,” I said.

“For dreaming of you?” He chuckled.

Talking via camera was weird. Ironically, I felt exposed. Every word and expression seemed magnified.

“Just . . . for everything.”

“No, gorgeous. Thank you.”

Again we stared in silence. For a millisecond I even forgot he was nude. And then I remembered.

“What?” he asked. “What’s that look for?”

I wished I didn’t embarrass so easily. He rolled his chair to the side and I heard him get up.

“Okay, luv. All better.”

He’d put on some running pants, slung low so I could see the V at his hips.

Drool.

“It’s not fair, you know,” he said, sitting again and leaning in.

“What’s not fair?”

“That’s twice you’ve seen my arse. And zero times I’ve seen yours.”

I shook my head. My face was permanently on fire now.

“Come on,” he urged. “Just a quick peek.”

I laughed. “No!”

Now he laughed, too. “You know I’m taking the piss with you, luv.”

I shot him a fake glare and he kept chuckling, with those sexy, crinkly eyes. He hadn’t teased me this much in person, but I guess technology provided a safety net that made him more brazen.

I could maybe get used to it.

I needed to get used to it so I’d stop freaking blushing and wanting to hide.

My phone dinged, and I opened the text message. It was a single question mark from Marna.

“Who’s it from?” Kai asked, sounding tense.

“Marna. Hang on. I’m gonna call her real quick.” The girls had no idea what had happened on the island, that we’d been extremely close to being caught and captured. I shivered at the memory of how cold it’d been in the water under the dock as the Dukes walked above us with their prey. And how they’d killed Flynn and dragged his body out to sea . . .

My stomach churned as the vision hit me.

The twins had to know something was up since their father left for a lengthy summit and none of us Neph—Blake, Kaidan, Kopano, or me—had been available for days.

She answered immediately.

“Hey,” I said.

“Are you all right, then? What the bloody hell is going on?”

Even knowing the Dukes were meeting tonight, I still didn’t trust a phone conversation.

“It’s not good,” I told her. “One of our . . . pieces fell.”

It took her a second to figure it out, and then she gasped. “Oh, God . . .” I could tell she wanted to ask who, but she didn’t. Instead she said, “We’re in Miami, and we’ve got two days off. Can we come up?”

“Yes. Please.” I was relieved I’d get to tell them everything in person.

When we hung up and I gave my attention back to Kaidan, all humor was gone.

“Everything will be okay,” I said quietly. “The sooner we get rid of them, the better.”

His jaw worked from side to side. I wanted him to talk to me.

“What are you afraid of, Kai?”

“I’m only afraid of one thing.” His blue eyes hit mine. “Losing you.”

Pained fear showed on his face, and it wrung my heart. We both knew what we were up against.

“Swear you’ll be careful, Anna. No unnecessary heroics.”

“I promise. I’m not going to run out and make a martyr of myself. I want to survive this thing. I want to get rid of them, and keep living. With you.”

Judging by how the pain eased from his face, he seemed to like that idea.

My phone dinged with another text. “Jay,” I said.

U home yet?

Yes, I replied.

Come over plz?

My eyebrows pushed together in worry.

“What’s wrong?” Kaidan asked.