The corner of my lips turned up. "You're fucking gorgeous, you know that?"
"Yeah, I bet you say that to all the girls."
I shook my head slowly. "No. I don't. I only say what I mean. I have a long history of not being able to trust people. So I don't offer bullshit platitudes.”
"Good. I don't like bullshit platitudes either."
I leaned over and kissed her forehead. "Good thing we're a team then."
She nodded. "And I'm really sorry."
I frowned at that. "For what?"
"I don't know what I was thinking investigating you and your friends. I just— Something in my gut was telling me to hunt down Ben. Like I just knew there were secrets around him, and I needed to unearth them all. But people deserve their secrets, I guess. I'm sorry."
I blinked at her. What was I supposed to say? Her instincts were right. We did have secrets. So many fucking secrets.
"I had zero business bugging you, and God, you could have had me sacked. And you didn't. I don't know why."
"Because I was curious about you. I was curious about the woman who was willing to put everything on the line. You intrigued me. There is so much more than meets the eye with you. And I can't get you out of my head. What can I say?"
"How about you don't say anything and kiss me instead?"
She lifted her face toward me, and I brushed her lips softly with mine. Everything in my body tightened at her nearness, her taste, her scent. But I forced myself to pull back. "How about we drink this one, put on a terrible action movie, and we have a cuddle, yeah? And then, when you're sober, I want to pet that pretty pussy and make her purr. Does that sound good to you?"
"I'm sober right now."
I chuckled. "My love, you are far from sober. So come on, finish the wine. The sooner you finish the wine, the sooner we get to—"
She smiled sloppily up at me. "Make my pussy purr."
I laughed. "Yeah. But God, please stop looking at me like that, because right now, I really am desperate to make it purr."
"So maybe I should just, you know, take off these joggers. In case I should sober up really quick, giving easy access."
I swallowed hard and glanced down at her long, shapely legs. "Nope, keep them on. Sorry, Agent Kincade, you aren't stealing my virtue tonight. Not again."
She sighed then started to get up. I frowned up at her. "Just where are you going?"
"I'm going to put on the coffee and drink loads of water. I'd rather have a purring pussy than wine any day."
I laughed. "That can be arranged."
And I did arrange it… several times. Right there on the living room floor.
23 Nyla
I woke to a heavy arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me into a hot, hard body. I blinked my eyes awake, recognizing the drapes in my bedroom, which we'd forgotten to draw last night.
Oh yeah, you were busy shagging East.
I smiled to myself as we snuggled closer. His voice was a low purr. "You want to go again? I thought you'd be tired."
I giggled. Honest to God giggled. When did I become that girl? But there was something about the way he made me feel. Alive and a little bit naughty and like I belonged to someone. I loved that feeling. I rolled over in his arms, and he smiled sleepily at me. The stubble on his cheek was dark. And God, that was so sexy. I could stay in bed with him forever. But if I was really going to do this, really going to take a step and start something new, something brand-spanking new, then I needed to go take care of something first. "I have to go do something."
"What? Now?"
I pulled myself up slightly to glance at my clock. It was 6:30. "Well, I know for a fact Dad likes to get in by 7:30, so if I want to go into the office, clean up my stuff, get all my important case files, things that I want to keep to myself, now is the time to do it.” It should have worried me how easily the lie tripped over my tongue, but I didn't want to be the one to tell him that I'd ignored my father's direct order. Yes, I completely recognized that was the wrong move now, because I—surprise, surprise—could be wrong. And I was wrong. I'd been completely wrong about him and the London Lords. The enemy was in my own backyard. I'd been looking outward, not inward. And that was my bad. I was going to clean up the stuff that I needed to, give Amelia what she needed, and I was also going to clean up the wires that I had set up.
East wasn't my enemy. Sure, he and his friends were powerful, and I probably should pay attention to what they were doing, but they weren't doing anything criminal. And for once, I felt good with someone. Not like I was having to constantly validate my reason for existing. I liked this feeling. I didn't want to chase someone down anymore, at least not when it came to relationships. In terms of the job, I'd have to figure something else out. But for now, if I wanted East, if I wanted to be with him and enjoy this thing between us, I needed to let all that other shit go.
"Hey, what's going on in that beautiful head of yours?"
”Just thinking. I’ve really got to get into the office."
"Will you stick around a little bit? Maybe we could have breakfast?"
I groaned. "I like the idea of coming back to you in my bed. But maybe we can arrange that some other
