Secrets of Mine (Of Mine #2)

4. Freya

4

FREYA

O z’s mom is an incredible baker. I take another bite of my triple chocolate chip cookie and decide they’re better than orgasms.

Then River walks into the kitchen and I change my mind. He’s taken off his suit jacket and rolled his sleeves up, showing off the hard lines of his forearms.

Jude sneaks up behind me and murmurs in my ear. “You’re drooling.”

“I am not.” I elbow him in the stomach as he steals my cookie.

“Jude Elroy,” Lucille scolds, whipping him with the tea towel from where she stands by the oven. “You should never steal food from a good woman.”

“Sorry, Mrs. Reynold,” Jude mumbles around a mouthful of crumbs.

She hums her disapproval and plates me up another two cookies. “Here, Freya.”

I smile at her. “Thank you.”

Lucille’s kitchen is perfectly homely. The island we’re standing around is topped with marble, but all the cupboards are an amber hued wood. There’s a big family dining table behind me nestled into a large bay window seat. A tidy sort of clutter of kitchen utensils, note pads, and patterned fabric mats for hot pans fills the room, making it feel wonderfully lived in.

Doug, Oz’s father comes in from the hall. He introduces himself with a firm handshake which would be normal except as he takes back his hand, he leaves a ten dollar note in my palm. I hold up the note.

Lucille’s jaw drops. “You did not just slip Freya money.”

“What?” Doug holds up his hands. “I’ve got to practice somehow if we want the good tables when we eat out, and I don’t get many opportunities to shake people’s hands.”

Oz groans and drags his hand over his beard. “No one in this town would take your bribe. You’d be blacklisted by the neighborhood watch.”

Doug winks at me. “Still worth a shot.”

I chuckle.

He grabs the milk out of the fridge then turns back to me. “So, Freya.” I tense, bracing myself for a question about where I grew up or how I joined the FBI. Small talk tends to be a danger zone for me given that I can’t exactly tell the truth. But Doug just grabs a couple of glasses from the cupboard. “Are you a milk or a juice kind of gal? And… have you ever robbed a bank?”

“Dad!” Oz sighs.

“What? There’s this one branch on Main Street and the teller is always on her phone. I just think there might be an opportunity there.”

“Dad, please stop.”

Jude’s hand settles around the nape of my neck, and I let myself relax into Doug’s craziness. “Milk would be great, thank you. And no to the bank, but I have some people I could put you in touch with.”

Doug gives an approving nod. “Right answer. I like her, Oz.”

My cheeks heat but then I peek at Oz and see a blush under his beard. I purse my lips together to stop from smiling but it must show in my eyes because Oz smiles back. He looks a lot like his father I decide. Doug’s build is broader than his son’s, and he carries a little weight around his middle that makes him look like all the best dads you see on TV. But they’ve got the same green eyes and ruddy cheeks.

Layla swings into the kitchen. That’s honestly the best way to describe it because this girl moves too fast and with too much momentum to be considered a walk. She’s dressed in baggy pants and a crop top, a belly button piercing sparkling against her soft brown skin.

Oz told me Layla’s adopted so she doesn’t have the physical resemblance to her parents that Oz does, but it becomes clear she’s got her father’s sense of humor when she hugs me and pickpockets my badge.

Oz tilts his head back, clearly catching the sly movement. “Jeez, Layla. You can’t steal from an FBI agent.”

Layla ignores him. “Did you notice?” she asks me.

I give her an apologetic smile and nod. “Afraid so.”

“Damn it.” She hands the badge back to me and turns to River. “You have to show me again before you go.”

Now it’s my mouth dropping open. “ You taught her to pickpocket?”

River’s lips flatten. “She can be… persuasive.”

Layla grins. “You wanted to say irritating, didn’t you?” She turns to me. “I annoyed him till he showed me. Telling him about all the boys I’ve had a crush on works like a treat.”

I stifle a snort. “I’ll bear that in mind.”

River glares at me. “Don’t even think about it.”

“Oops, too late.” I like Layla, she’s got me in a goofy mood and there are too many people around for River to do anything about my sass. His nostrils flare though, and Eli’s dark chuckle suggests I’ll pay for it later.

Layla presses a kiss to her mom’s cheek and snags a cookie. “I’m going over to Priya’s.”

“But your brother just got here,” Lucille protests.

“Priya’s got tickets to the comedy night, Dad already said I could go. It’s an early showing so I won’t be late. Promise.”

Lucille sighs. “Alright. Back by nine.”

Layla ties up her long brown hair, holding the cookie between her teeth. “Deal.” She takes the cookie out of her mouth and smiles at me. “Nice meeting you, Freya. My brother’s in love with you.”

“Layla,” Oz snaps.

I just laugh. This girl is hilarious. “Try using your pinky and third finger when you make the grab. They’re smaller and harder to notice.”

She grins at me.

Jude tugs me back against his chest. “No corrupting the youth.” He dips his mouth to my ear. “You’re on our side now.”

Lucille’s gaze drops to where Jude’s arm rests across my chest. Her brow furrows. Oh shit. We never exactly talked about what we were telling Oz’s parents about our relationship.

I pull away from Jude and give Lucille a small smile. She doesn’t look mad, I don’t think. Just maybe confused.

After Layla’s gone, we relocate to the living room and Doug gets out a Scrabble board.

I try to keep a professional distance from the guys, but they don’t exactly make it easy. We’re sitting on the floor around a coffee table and every time one of them places a tile, they use the opportunity to brush their hand against my leg or run a finger along the sole of my foot.

Jude is sitting next to me and his palm has been edging higher and higher up my thigh. I’m worried Lucille and Doug will notice so I wriggle a little but instead of dislodging Jude’s hand, his pinky touches the seam of my pants, right over my pussy. I jolt.

Jude doesn’t move, keeping his gaze on the board, but the corner of his lips kicks up.

I get a brief reprieve over dinner—Doug cooks a curry I’d give up sex for—but as soon as we settle down to watch a movie the guys resume with their ministrations.

Oz’s parents take the armchairs on either side of the room and the five of us settle onto the long sofa with Jude on the floor just in front of me. The lights are turned down low, and Oz covers me with a blanket, which I think is sweet until I realize he’s using it as a cover to get away with murder.

I grip his wrist, halting him as his hand makes its way under my panties. I widen my eyes at him but his gaze is set on the movie. Then River shackles my arm and steadily pulls my hand off of Oz’s wrist. He links his fingers through mine and locks my hand to the sofa.

Oz continues his pursuit. Jude decides to join the fun, hooking his arm around my leg and holding me still while he trails his hand up around my ankle. His fingers against my bare skin send electricity right to the spot Oz is teasing. I get so caught up in the sensations I lose all track of the movie. I’m working too hard on keeping my breathing even to follow the story but when the film gets louder as an action scene breaks out Oz slips a finger inside of me and a quiet moan escapes my lips.

Eli stands up all of a sudden and leaves the room, breaking me out of the daze the guys have put me in.

I pull away from River and watch him go. “What was that about?” I whisper.

Oz and River share a look. Oz shrugs. Jude shakes his head.

“I should go check on him.” I drag a hand through my hair.

Eli’s departure brought me back to reality and I can’t believe I let the guys distract me. We’ve wasted an entire evening playing games and sitting around when we could have been working.

“Oh my god.” Lucille looks down at her phone. “It’s 9:30pm. Layla should have been back half an hour ago.” Her throat bobs as she swallows.

“She’s probably just running late, Mom.”

Lucille shakes her head. “No, she doesn’t do that. She’s never later than she says.”

Doug picks up his phone and unlocks it. “It is unusual. She would have called or messaged.” He looks at Lucille. “Nothing. You?”

Lucille shakes her head again. “I’m going to call her.”

I turn to River. “I’ll go check on Eli.”

River nods and folds up the blanket.

I find Eli in the kitchen, downing a glass of water. He slams the empty glass onto the island, condensation running from the edges.

“Hey,” I say. “Are you alright?”

His eyes skate over to me then back down at the island. He braces his hands against the edge. “Fine.”

“Are you sure because you left kind of fast?—”

He snaps his head up. “I said I’m fine.”

His words hit like a whip. I take a step back, my brain struggling to play catch up. This is the old Eli. The one who couldn’t stand the sight of me. I thought we were okay now. He hasn’t said a harsh word to me since that night in his room when he went to extreme lengths to convince me I’m not to blame for his mother’s death. I don’t know what changed so suddenly but he’s looking at me now like all that was a lie.

No. I refuse to let my insecurities ruin this. Nothing has changed. Eli doesn’t hate me. I screw up my eyes then open them again. “Eli.” I take a step towards him.

He steps back.

Hurt clogs my throat. Before I can figure out what to do next Oz comes into the kitchen, his face dark.

“Layla’s not answering her phone.”