Chapter 29
Serenity
I peeked inside the guest bedroom long enough to hear Dagger snore softly, then shut the door with painstaking care, not wanting to wake him. Tiptoeing as best I could in my career-woman heels, I made it down the hall to the kitchen.
Hunter sat at the table, hunched over a coffee mug, forehead resting on a fist. His frown looked too deep to simply be lost in thought.
“Morning, my hero,” I chirped, wanting to bring a little sunshine to his face.
It worked like a charm. He turned sideways on the chair and beckoned me with open arms
I let him pull me into his lap and I pressed a kiss to his cheek. His whole body reacted, pulling me close so my head rested on his shoulder, where he played with my hair. “Sleep well, Little Dancer?”
“I had such a good sleep.” I sighed and squeezed his bicep. “These muscles are a lot comfier than they look.”
Chuckling deep in his chest, he swept my legs up in his arms as he stood. After spinning me toward the kitchen island, he set me down and reached into the high cabinets to get me a mug of my own. “Is that so, short stuff?”
“Hey. It’s not my fault you’re basically a giant.”
“Aw, don’t get upset,” he teased around a grin. “There’s still plenty of you to cuddle.” He planted a kiss on my lips as he slid his down to squeeze my butt through my new work skirt.
I flushed, thinking of arching my back against him last night, my ass pressing against his hard dick. As I slept in his arms, I’d had dreams of his muscled torso, sweaty and glistening, thrusting on top of me. My urges were getting nearer to the brink each night he held me.
I gave him a fun smack on his own bum as he turned to pour me my coffee. “Don’t test me, Mr. Jaguar. I’m stronger than I look. I can leave a mark if I want to.”
A growl rumbled up from his chest and escaped through a wicked grin thrown over his shoulder.
Abandoning the coffee, he spun and tugged me close. “A threat isn’t a threat if it sounds like fun.” His lips were so close his heavy breaths caressed my cheeks. His brown eyes roamed my face and landed on my mouth.
I shivered, all the longing from the night rising to the surface.
“You sure you have to go into the office today?”
Beneath my palm, his chest rose like a powerful ocean wave as he inhaled deeply.
I massaged circles across his pecks as I said, “I need to go in, handsome. I just started.”
Not to mention, Seb had looked under the weather at the hospital, and getting that new logo out was time sensitive. The fewer people who noticed the Temple of the Pure Breed’s hateful subliminal messages in the old logo, the better.
Hunter’s brows jumped. “I think I might agree to anything if you keep calling me handsome.”
My stomach somersaulted. I hadn’t even realized what I’d said, the word just spilled out. Did that cross a line? I didn’t know enough about dating to gauge whether pet names constituted something more than “casual.” I couldn’t get attached…
I cleared my throat and tried to maintain a coy smile, but my thoughts spilled into my mouth.
“I can’t afford to skip work now,” I said quickly and leaned around him to grab the mug.
“I’ve got to save up at least six months of rent before I move.
And I know Bryce said I could take paid leave, but that doesn’t seem fair.
” I hurried to the table, using a sip of coffee as an excuse to keep looking down as I sat.
“I understand,” he said from the kitchen where he stayed, but the gruffness in his voice made me look up. He had his back half turned to me now, hands braced on the countertop beside the coffeemaker. I couldn’t see enough of his face to read it.
“You probably won’t have to worry about Dagger for a while,” I said, thinking maybe that was why his shoulders were hunching at the prospect of me leaving for the day.
“I checked in on him, and he’s dead asleep.
One arm thrown up over his head like a little kid.
” I suppressed a laugh, not wanting to give one twin any more ammunition to tease or torment the other.
He harrumphed. “Yeah, he must really be out, or he’d have you fetching him things or”—he threw up air quotes—“inspecting his bandages.” One hand on the counter became a fist. “Don’t let him take advantage of your kindness.
He’s always running a game.” He looked over at me, and I saw the anger in the set of his jaw.
“And right now, you’re the latest prize he’s shooting for. I hope you know that.”
I stared at him, lips parting in surprise. Dagger was a flirt, sure, but he didn’t seem so bad. He’d saved me after all, making sure I got out of that building even though it’d left him pinned inside.
Hunter’s hand uncurled, and his face softened as he sighed. “Just keep an eye out.”
I nodded, lips pursed.
It saddened me, the rift between Hunter and his brother.
Two guys with big hearts, who just managed life with different attitudes.
Their identical muscular frames and handsome faces threw me for a loop sometimes too.
Of course, Dagger had his tattoos, and that ornery, playful grin he flashed every time he talked to me.
Hunter always spoke softer, considering each word, and he always seemed to try and memorize my face while he talked.
“I’ll be back before you know it,” I assured him. Who knew; forced time together might be good medicine. It seemed like they’d been avoiding each other for a long time.
Hunter raked a hand over his cropped hair and approached the table. “I don’t like letting you out of my sight. Not after what happened.” He tugged out a chair and sat beside me with a huff.
I massaged his forearm, understanding his frustration. “I know, I get it, but please try not to worry. Remember, Bryce is sending his limo. And the news station has really good security. I won’t walk outside, I promise. It’ll be fine.”
It would be so weird to be ferried back and forth alone in New Omaha’s fanciest limousine today, like I was a VIP, but it was further confirmation of Bryce’s generosity.
Hunter’s tone hardened a fraction. “Okay, but you go from the stretch to the station front doors and back again. I’m talking ten feet of sidewalk. No popping out for Moonbucks, or whatever. Okay? Those fuckers are still skulking around out there. Somewhere.”
His concern squeezed at my heart. I hadn’t had someone looking out for me since my old life crumbled.
And the protective growl of his voice stirred butterflies in my lower belly.
“Okay, handsome. You’re right,” I said, liking the sound of the name more the second time.
“I promise I’ll be careful.” Now to try for a tactful nudge. “Will you promise me something, too?”
He kissed my forehead. “Anything, Little Dancer.”
I tickled a fingertip up his forearm, softening my voice to a half-whisper. “It’ll make me very happy.”
His hand squeezed my thigh. “Say it and it’s done.”
I pulled my lower lip into my teeth, enticed by the powerful effect my words seemed to have on him. Maybe I was enjoying it a little too much.
I slunk back into his lap and pressed my palm against his torso feeling the rhythm of his heartbeat. “What about your jaguar? He got anything to say about it?”
Brown eyes flashing yellow, his voice turned rough as sandpaper. “He wants to make you very happy.”
I melted inside. My body’s thermostat seemed extremely susceptible to those jaguar noises. “We’ll take things to the next step soon, I promise. But I’m enjoying the warm up. This is uncharted territory for me.”
“I understand, baby. You do what’s comfortable for you when the time’s right.” He kissed me, deep and explorative.
I cupped his neck, letting my fingers play along his jaw and behind his ear.
He grew beneath me, his cock teasing me through his jeans.
I had to restrain myself to keep from rocking back and forth.
I wasn’t ready to say it out loud, but at some point, I was going to ride that thing properly and give us what we both craved.
He could practice his stoic patience for now though, while I built up the courage.
I broke us apart, hands braced on his shoulders. “I still haven’t told you what I want,” I said, but it sounded more like a pant with how worked up I’d gotten.
“Ask and it’s yours.”
“It would make me happy… if you were nice to your brother while he’s staying here.”
He let out a sigh. “That’ll make you very happy?”
My gaze delving into his, I nodded. “It will. Plus, it suits you so well when you’re being kind…”
He breathed in deeply and let out a long exhale from his nostrils. “Okay, I’ll be nice.” His voice rose, and he poked an angry index finger in the direction of Dagger’s guest room. “But I want to be clear. I’m doing it for you, not that pain in the ass.”
It was a start. I stroked his cheek and got to my feet. “Thanks. And any time he says something that annoys you, I want you to breathe deep. And just think of me.”
“Thinking of you is the easy part. I can never get you off my mind. But him…” He sighed like I’d asked him to clean the toilet with his eyeballs. “Well, let’s just say for you, I’ll bite my tongue around him. Only for you.”
“Promise?”
“I promise.” He squeezed my bottom and gave me a naughty grin. “You just make sure you and this little ass stay super careful today and I’ll hold my tongue with Detective Tattoo. Deal?”
“Deal.” I looped my arms around his back. “Now come here, handsome—”
“Handsome?” Dagger hobbled from the hallway across the loft’s plush rugs and polished flooring with bandaged legs. “Looking for me?” He was wearing tight black boxer briefs and nothing else, tattoos and toned muscles on display.
My eyes eagerly soaked it all in.
The jagged dark to Hunter’s gentle light.
Carrot was skipping beside him, demanding attention. He picked her up and rubbed under her chin. “Hunter, I think this cat likes me more than you. Can’t blame her, I guess.”
Hunter snapped a reply. “Can you put some goddamn clothes on? There’s a lady—”