He’d been raised to believe relationships were that way.With parents who loved and adored each other as well as their children.Breck had a view of the world she’d never experienced in her own life.Not until meeting him and the Breckenridges.
“This wasn’t something I wanted you involved in.I had to do this myself.”
“You’re at liberty to do that; I have no plans to get in the way…” Sitting at her side, he ran his fingers into her hair, catching it between them as he cradled her jaw.“If you need to do this without me, do it without me.All I want is to be waiting here for you at the end of the day.Every day.”
Oh, sigh.Now he was being romantic when she could rip his clothes off.Kicking off her shoes, she slid herself back on the mattress until her legs were extended straight out.
The saucy smile wasn’t really required; he’d read her mood.“I could be ovulating.”
“You’re not.”
Damn the man and his math.“We could pretend…”
Though amusement relaxed his features, she didn’t sense a ravishing was coming up next.
“You keep saying we’re not doing this again.”And this was the worst time to muddy the waters.He was ready for their future, and her certainty was still gray.“I won’t be your sperm donor.The next time we make love, it’s going to be for good, Coy.Are you ready for that?Because once we start, there’s no more, ‘not doing this again.’Do you understand?”
Though almost every part of her wanted to be, she hadn’t started this journey only to give up before seeing it through.
Flopping from her elbows onto her back, she pressed her foot against his thigh.“We can cuddle, can’t we?Just lie together and… breathe.It’s been a tough couple of days.”
Her focus stayed on the ceiling though she heard him take off his shoes.Then he was scooping her up, relaxing both of them, his head in a pillow, hers on his shoulder.It did feel better to be there.Against the heat of him, the solidity, the strength.Breck could calm and agitate her atoms simultaneously and at will.As her eyes closed, she prayed he’d never stop, that this would never stop.
“Have you been sleeping?”he asked, fingers moving through her hair.
“Not as well as I do next to you.”Her palm skimmed up his torso and down, checking this was real, that he really was there holding her.“I have a lot to tell you.”
“You don’t have to tell me anything.That’s not why I came.I am not checking up on you.”
“I know that.I know.I want to tell you.I always knew I’d have to, that I’d want to.The wheels are in motion now, there’s nothing either of us can do to stop it.Before, I… I didn’t want you to talk me out of my purpose.”
“Which means you did something I’d have preferred you not do alone.”
“Bastian came with me, and don’t be mad at him for supporting me.I asked for his help and he did advise me, several times, to loop you in.”
“I’m not mad at him for supporting you.Though I don’t know how I’ll ever pay him back for being with you when I couldn’t.”His lips grazed her hair.“Is it over?Are you finished with whatever you were doing?”
“I have a meeting tomorrow.Bastian was supposed to come with me.After I tell you everything, if you’re still with me…” As in supporting her, not the other, more intimate way.“Maybe you could take Bastian’s place.Though…”
Would that be a good idea?Already walking in there was risky.Did she want Breck to be seen going in there too?With her?She’d been nervous enough about Bastian and the man lived in the state, had connections in government.Maybe instead of him being with her, people would assume it was the other way around, she’d just been tagging along on one of Bastian’s errands.With Breck, it wouldn’t be like that.Especially when any eagle-eyed onlooker noted her going into the same office twice in the same week.Twice in as many days.
“Though what?”he asked.
She sat up, curling her legs at her side.“I’m going to tell you everything.After that, we can decide together.”
“Okay.”His hands relaxed on his chest.“Start talking.”
And she did.Everything came out.Her intention to go to Trish, Roxie’s diversion to Porter’s, all the way through to Bastian leaving her at the suite door not long before Breck arrived.
“And that’s it.Ackley wants to meet again tomorrow, probably wants to check out the details I gave him today, to make sure my claims are legitimate.”
“Why?”he asked through narrow eyes.
Wasn’t that obvious?“Because he doesn’t know me and I think—”
“Why now?”
Oh, he wasn’t talking about Ackley confirming whether her story held weight, Breck wanted to know why she’d begun the mission at all.Shouldn’t that be obvious?
