I shrugged again. "Maybe."
Ben guffawed. "I knew you'd been busted. Your comms went out, and then… nothing. Next thing I knew, you turned up at the SUV soaking wet."
I just glared at him.
Nyla laughed. "You didn't tell them?"
"What I told them was that I'd found you snooping around so I got out of there."
"That is not what happened. I caught him and I chased him. Would've taken him out too if there hadn't been… an incident."
Lucas leaned forward. "Oh, do tell."
Bryna whacked him. "It looks like it's probably their business."
Bridge shook his head. "No, we want the details."
Ben nodded. "Oh please, do."
But Liv came to my rescue, beautiful, awesome, fantastic Liv. “Shut up, boys.”
Nyla laughed so hard. "Oh my God, no. It was an accident. We got attached somehow, and then there were sprinklers. Anyway. He walked away with whatever he stole, and he still won't tell me what he took."
I grinned at her and gave her my best wink.
She pinched me.
"Ow."
"I'd like to know."
Ben just shook his head. "East just stole information off of Jameson’s computer. That's it."
“So, is this how it goes, just like a team meeting? Am I in the lair now?"
Bridge guffawed. "Nicest lair I've ever seen."
"Then you haven't been paying attention to Bruce Wayne,” I retorted.
Bryna and Livy howled. "Amen. Christian Bale’s Bruce Wayne? Yes. I'd be in that lair."
Ben looked wounded as Liv enthusiastically high-fived her girls. “This is much better than Bruce Wayne’s.”
"Yes, it is baby. It is." She placated him and patted him on the knee.
He inched away. "I see what you're doing."
Nyla smiled, and I could tell she was relaxing and enjoying herself. And I relaxed too. Because having her here next to me, I didn't feel like the outsider looking in. I felt complete.
21 Nyla
I was exhausted. When my alarm had gone off, I grumbled about it. Look, these things happen. I didn't want to leave bed. I didn't want to leave East's side. I was in the twilight zone now.
I'd gone and fallen for him, even though there was so much I didn't know about him. My gut was telling me all the things that I needed to know.
You mean all the things that you want to know, not need to know.
I shoved my hair off my face and tried to decide if I was going to wash or not. Brunch with my father was a standing tradition. I knew better than to be late.
Maybe I'd forgo the washing and just spritz a little water to clean it a bit.
Last night had been a revelation. The people that I had seen as the bad guys, the criminals, I hadn't known them. Now they were like real people. And they wanted to help me. It felt like they were pawns in a bigger game too.
Or are you just making excuses?
God, I probably just wanted this to be true. But I knew it in my gut that East was not the bad guy here. So what the hell was going on? If I didn't figure it out quickly, my career would be up in flames. And unfortunately, he might get caught in the crossfire. So I needed to figure it out.
"So, you were just going to get into the shower without me?"
Despite my rambling thoughts, I smiled as a warm male stepped into the shower behind me.
The shower was enormous. It could have fit six people comfortably. There was no need for him to be so close. "You're a little close there, aren't you?"
"Well, I think you need my help washing your back."
I giggled. "My back huh?" His hand slipped over my belly and down between my legs, seeking his favorite plaything. "You know, that's not going to happen."
"What?" He nipped my shoulder and then trailed kisses along my neck. "Are you sure that's not your back?"
"Yep, mm-hmm, yeah, totally sure."
My knees wobbled. He had my number. I was complete jelly for him.
Hell. We’d barely made it out of Ben’s house last night. Strictly speaking, we hadn't really made it out the first time. He dragged me into a closet, pulled down my dress, and sucked on my tits and played with my clit until I'd come all over his fingers.
He was very naughty.
And the thing about that house was that it was so enormous I don't even think anybody noticed we'd been gone or suspected what we were up to. It was weird.
Well, okay, Telly seemed to know. Because she'd looked at him and winked and gave me a big old thumbs-up sign.
Oh, what was I doing?
His fingers stopped, and he nudged the side of my hair. "Hey, I can feel your brain spinning. Just enjoy what's happening, okay?"
"I'm trying, sorry."
"No, don't be sorry. I know this is probably a lot."
"It's hard to have a conversation with you when your fingers are..."
He slid his finger over my clit again. "When my fingers are what?"
"Ah, being naughty. So naughty."
"Well, naughty is my middle name."
"I know. East Naughty Hale."
"Well, I like it. I'm going to change my birth certificate now."
"Are we going to talk about this?"
He nipped my ear. "Yeah, we can talk about this. But how about we make love in the shower first. You go see your dad. And then we can talk about what's happening with us, okay?"
I gasped when he slid a finger inside me. "Oh God." I cleared my throat. "So there's an us."
"Oh yeah, there is absolutely an us. You're in my snare now, Agent Kincade, and I'm not letting you go."
"Jesus, East." My breath caught.
"Yes, Nyla?"
His voice was a whispered chuckle against my skin.
"You're killing me."
"Oh, what a way to go though, right?"
The heel of his palm rubbed against my clit as he fucked me with one finger.
"You know, I was having the best dream about you last night."
"How does it feel?"
"Amazing. Slow. I want more."
"Ah, more of that?" He slid his other hand up over my belly and cupped my breast, gently touching the tip. They felt full. Too
