“What time is it?” I shifted so I could put my back against the headboard. My eyes watered when I yawned, and I blinked away the wetness.
“Late. You’ve successfully slept the day away. How are you feeling?” She leaned forward before I could respond and pressed her hand to my forehead. “If you had a fever, it seems like it’s broken now.”
“Better,” I said, pushing her hand away. “Headache is mostly gone. I think I might have an appetite again.” My stomach growled almost on cue. “Yep, definitely hungry.”
“Sweet. Let me make you something and you can eat while I fill you in on the rest of the day.”
My fingers grasped the sheets, heartbeat speeding up. “Did something happen?”
Did the shop burn down?
Was Tone okay?
Why did one of those concern me so much more than the other?
“Relax.” She patted my hand and stood. “Everything is fine. Better than fine, actually. Also, I checked your watch when I first got here, and you can afford a bit of junk. So, I’ll be right back.”
Lynn wandered off and I got out of bed, feeling sweaty and gross. While she sang completely off key in the kitchen, I took a quick shower, brushed my teeth, and put on clean clothes. Already, I felt like I was alive again compared to the zombie mode from this morning.
When I made it to the kitchen, there were huge burger patties going in a pan, sizzling and making my mouth water with the smells of juicy goodness.
“Alright,” I said. “I’m up and back among the land of the living. Fill me in on why you’re literally dancing around the kitchen.”
And she was. Each time she moved, she did a little twirl I would probably bust my butt trying to pull. That she was capable of doing them in colorful socks only made it more impressive.
“I know you haven’t gotten a chance to see it before,” she said, twerking her hips in a way that made me giggle. “But this is my that man loves you dance.”
Her what now? She was speaking in gibberish. Or tongues. Or maybe Spanish. I wasn’t too good with any of the three.
“Pick your jaw up before you drool again.”
I closed my mouth and looked at her, waiting for the second head to grow from her skull.
There was obviously a tumor or something in her brain that had chosen this moment to reveal itself. Otherwise, why would she possibly be talking about that four-letter word so cavalierly?
Especially when it was impossible.
Impossible, I tell you.
“Sally sells seashells by the seashore,” I said, watching her closely.
Lynn glanced at me over her shoulder, same happy smile in place. “Because little girls don’t make sound business decisions.”
She still knew the secret code we developed in case either of us was ever abducted by aliens and replaced with a doppelganger.
So, either extraterrestrial technology had ways of picking up on things we decided more than a decade ago, or this was the same girl I had always known standing in front of me.
Which wasn’t really a question at all.
I knew no one else who willingly put mayonnaise on their burgers.
“You’re gonna need to explain that bomb you just dropped,” I told her, mouth watering when the buns went on top of the patties.
“Tone took your keys to the shop before he left, right?” She slid a plate in front of me and grabbed some sugar-free pink lemonade from the fridge, pouring us both a glass.
“Yeah. He didn’t want me to try and go into work before someone was here to make sure I didn’t.”
She grinned like she was proving something. I had no idea what. “You believed him?”
My stomach clenched. “Don’t do this to me. I’m so over revelations right now.”
I picked up the burger and brought it to my mouth, preparing to take a bite when she misplaced the nuclear device she was carrying and dropped it in my lap instead.
“He opened and ran the place by himself. Well, mostly by himself.”
I took the bite anyway, although I only enjoyed it half as much as I should’ve while my brain burned away at what she was saying. “Tone opened the shop. My Tone?”
Mine. He is, isn’t he? A dopey grin curved my lips, and I pushed it aside before she saw it. Lynn had all the cards right now. The last thing she needed was more ammunition to use against me.
“Let's see,” she said, smiling wide. “About six-three, tuggable beard, chocolate skin and coffee eyes. Sound familiar?”
“You don’t have to look at him that hard.”
She snickered. “Don’t get pissy. I was just making sure we were talking about the same guy. And yes, your Tone. Kayla finally had a chance to go by and-”
“Back up, who is Kayla?”
“My boss’s fiancé. Anyway, she went by first thing and called me when she saw the lights on and no tiny goth girl.”
“Did you just call me goth?” Sure, my hair was dark, but I didn’t wear that much black.
I only owned like, three chokers.
“Technically, she called you goth. Can I continue or are you going to butt in every two seconds?” I waved my hand and kept eating my burger. “So, imagine her surprise when she walked in and two Sinners were manning the place.”
“No way.” My jaw would've dropped if the food wasn't too good to risk losing.
“Yes way. Tone was making drinks, and he somehow roped Axle into being on the register for him. As a side note to that, you’ll probably need to be extra nice to a couple people. I can't imagine Axle being cordial all day. But as I was saying: that man loves you.”
“He was just being nice,” I said lamely, hardly believing it myself.
“Bitch, please. Being nice was coming over to check on you this morning and calling me. And I’m sorry for getting here so late. I came as quick as I could, but there was a lot to finish at the shop.”
“It’s fine.” I found myself glancing out the kitchen window towards the house next door. There were no lights on, so I didn’t think he was home. That wasn’t exactly unusual. He tended to be out pretty late most nights.
I wondered how much later he would be getting home today because of what he had done for me?
I wondered how I could possibly thank him, or look him in the face without some serious, serious things going down inside my heart?
We were together. We hadn’t put labels on it, but I was his. He was mine. And even though we had only had sex the one time so far, I knew it would continue to be fantastic.
But opening the shop for me?
Running it when I knew he had other things that demanded his time?
That was something different.
That was something bigger.
No one had ever done anything like that for me, not without it being attached to some condition or another.
Yet I knew if I went out right now to find Tone and demand he tell me how I could pay him back, he would insist there was nothing owed.
“We’ve known each other for barely a week and a half,” I said, voicing my thoughts before they drove me crazy. “It’s way too soon to even think about the L-word.”
My stomach did a flip. Even thinking that word was dangerous. It made me consider more than what would happen the next time I saw him.
It made me consider what a future between us might look like.
Lynn lifted her shoulder, popping tiny pieces of burger that had fallen into her mouth. “Maybe, maybe not. You think he’s blackmailing you or something?”
I shook my head. “For what? He can have me whenever he wants me, and it’s not like I’m some princess of a forgotten land. He isn’t going to inherit a castle in the woods if he marries me before I croak.”
“Then what else could it be?” Lynn said simply.
And for one of the very few times in my life, I didn’t have a response to offer her.
Chapter Eighteen
Tone
Tea was my partner through thick and thin, but I was betraying that
bond this morning. No doubt about it. I poured a cup of black coffee and took a sip, letting the caffeine inject itself into my system.
Goddamn, sleepless nights were a bitch.
You’re not young anymore, I reminded myself. And that was the truth.
Didn't seem that long ago where I could stay up for several days on end and have it be no big deal.
I could keep it moving, finishing everything that might be pressing before taking a day to simply crash and disappear from the rest of the world. That wasn’t an option anymore. My bones ached and cursed at me when I stretched and took another sip. But it was worth it.
Running Naomi’s spot had left me feeling like a new man. A tired man, but a new one nonetheless.
When was the last time I did something purely for myself instead of other people? I couldn’t remember, and that was probably a bad sign. Not that I was going to complain about it.
Maybe I had used being available for others to force myself along throughout these last five years, but I didn’t regret offering my assistance to those who needed it.
I did regret doing it for the wrong reasons.
There were only two things putting a damper on my mood now. The first being that Naomi was going to have some very strong opinions on me opening the shop without asking her first.
That was another piece of information I should probably feel bad about, and yet I couldn’t manage it.
Had I asked her, there was no way she would’ve agreed. Naomi took to having someone help her like a cat did to water. And she got equally as prickly about it afterwards.
So yeah, I hadn’t asked.
At some point, I was going to make her realize that it was okay to accept help and comfort from others every now and then. That was a lesson I’d been forced to learn myself.
Despite my own martyr complex, had the Sinners not been there for me anytime I needed them? Had they not continued to bring me into the fold despite how little we had in common?
For fuck’s sake, Creed was trusting me to handle this issue with the syndicate in a way that wouldn’t bring any issues to his and Caitlin’s doorstep.
Which brought me to the second thing bothering me.
Asher Palazzo and his entourage had suddenly become hermits.
Thanks to having connections in places both high and low, I received early warning when a private plane landed at a nearby airfield. Unfortunately, there were limits to those same connections.
Whoever had been on that plane was ushered into a waiting SUV so quickly that my contact hadn’t gotten so much as a glimpse of the new arrival.
The informant had tagged the additional bodyguards that came with our mystery guest as more of Asher’s personal crew, so the idea that it was his father was out. That was the only bit of good news, because nothing could come from Palazzo Senior being close by. The bad news was that it could be anyone.
Given my past, this shouldn’t come as a shock, but I wasn’t a fan of surprises.
There was also the incident where Gio had confronted Naomi before Axle ran him off. I wasn’t sure what to make of that either, but I knew I didn’t like the idea of him around her.
Not one fucking bit.
I was supposed to keep the peace until we could ferret out why they were here and get rid of them. But letting a cold-blooded killer stroll right up to my girl and walk away without consequence burned deep in my gut.
My fingers tightened around the mug, nearly splashing hot liquid over the sides.
They needed to stay the fuck away from her.
The tactical part of my brain knew his presence was another ploy by Asher. Just like how he’d made sure to use my real name that first night. Thing was, I didn’t give a damn.
My phone buzzed in my pocket, stirring me from the dark alleys my mind was venturing down. Probably for the best. Because in each of those alleys, I found Gio on the ground with a knife in his chest while I stood over him without mercy.
I dipped my hand into my sweatpants, smiling at the name displayed on the screen. Although, what was she doing up this early? Daybreak wasn’t for several hours still.
Naomi: Open your door.
Brows climbing, I set my mug down and did as instructed. Standing on my porch wearing a giant black coat that swallowed her from head to toe was the reason my smiles lingered more and more every single day.
“Finally,” she said, hitting me with a grin so bright I needed shades. “I thought I was going to freeze.”
“I just got your text.” I stepped to the side and waved her in, closing the door behind her. Fuck, I would be glad when winter was over. Pretty sure my damn nipples were hard from the cold gust of air I let in along with her.
That's what I got for going around shirtless.
“I know,” she said, spinning to face me. “I just sent it. But I didn’t consider how freaking cold it would be out there.”
My brows remained perched near the top of my head. She was being awfully...bubbly. Where was the fire and brimstone for overstepping? Where was the attitude I so enjoyed sparring with?
“Shouldn’t you be decently warm in that thing?” I pointed at the coat she was pretty much swimming in.
A coy smile formed. “You would think.” She stepped closer to me and stood on her tiptoes, brushing a quick kiss across my lips that had my blood howling. “Thanks for yesterday, by the way.” Naomi returned to the middle of the room and stood there, watching me.
I closed the distance this time, listening to the quiet click of the heater kicking in. Already, my head was filled with her smell and the enjoyment of seeing her in my space. “That’s it? Thanks? You’re not going to throw a fit? I think I might be disappointed.”
I’d been looking forward to spanking that tight ass again until she got over it.
She pouted. “I know how to say thanks.”
“Yeah, when it’s a life or death situation.”
Instead of sass, I got another smile. What the fuck was going on?
“You look confused,” she said, enjoying the hell out of this.
“I might be,” I admitted, growing more confused by the second when I reached out for her and she slid away from my grasp.
She pulled her hand free from her pocket to wave a finger at me, and for a moment, I swear I saw a flash of tanned skin around her neck before her coat closed again.
“Good,” she said, eyes bright and alive. “Now you know how I’ve felt for the last several hours while I thought about you running the shop for me while I wasn’t there.”
There it was. Familiar territory. “If you’re waiting on an apology you aren’t going to get one, Smoothie Girl. I’ll give you your keys back, but I’ll definitely take them again in a heartbeat if I need to.”
“Who said anything about an apology?” She tilted her head. “I was thinking of something a little more...satisfying.”
Without waiting for the powerful crescendo of an orchestra the moment needed, Naomi unzipped her coat and let it fall to the floor. Just like that, she was standing in front of me completely fucking naked. Soft, tanned skin and curves on full display. I was speechless while I drank her in with greedy eyes, dick surging to life so quickly I thought I might pass out.
She wrapped her arms around herself, lifting heavy breasts like an offering. “Cat got your tongue?”
I reached out with blinding speed, pulling her towards me. And Jesus Christ.
The way her body jiggled before she crashed into my chest.
The way her nipples brushed against my bare skin.
The way she stared up at me, lips parted.
Fucking. Fucking. Fuck.
“You really like to play with fire, don’t you?” I growled, fingers drifting up and down her arm.
“I really, really like the way you look at me,” she said on a panted breath, hands already going to my waist. Tugging at the fabric there until the base of my shaft was exposed. Tiny hands traced across the hair on my thighs then came back up.
But something
was still bothering me. “Wait.”
Had I actually said that when she had her warmth pressed against me? Judging by the way she paused, I guessed I had.
Except she only responded with a quick, “I won’t,” before pulling my sweatpants down to my knees.
My dick jumped from its confinement, eager to be so close to her. When she got on her knees before me and tugged my sweats the rest of the way off, it bobbed by itself, throbbing. She had barely touched me, and I was so fucking hard I could hammer in a nail.
“Sit,” she ordered, pushing me backwards. I went willingly, trying to remember why I’d hesitated before. Once I was seated, she scooted across the carpet on her knees and placed herself directly between my legs. “So you do listen sometimes. Who would’ve known?”
The reason this was a bad idea came back to me.
Don’t say it, the lust swimming through my veins begged. Keep your mouth shut.
But I had to. “If this is some kind of reward…”
She shook her head, dark curls swinging from side to side and sliding over my thighs like feathers. “I knew you would worry about that. You’re way too sweet to be real sometimes. But this is about me.”
“Is that right?”
Naomi dropped lower, looking up at me from underneath the length of my dick. Her raised brow should’ve been comical, but all I could think about was seeing those lips wrapped around me.
“That’s right,” she breathed against my shaft. “My brief bout of exhibitionism was just the best way to catch you without your guard up. Now stop distracting me so I can finally taste you and put my curiosity to rest.”
She had thought about this before now? When? For how long?
I pictured her helping people with a smile while secretly thinking of my dick in her mouth, and I wanted to raise my arms in victory.
At least until her tongue came out, licking along the base of my shaft.
“Fuck,” I grunted, bracing my hands on the back of the sofa. Knowing it wasn’t going to be enough to keep me from touching her, but I was determined to try.
Naomi closed her eyes, letting her tongue roam all around me. When her lips went around the head, my hips bucked of their own volition.
She pulled away on a throaty laugh, nails digging into my thighs. “Patience, babe,” she purred.
Tempted by a Sinner (Seven Sinners Book 4) Page 19
