Page 118 of Caught in the Crossfire

The smile fell from my lips. “He was telling the truth.”

There was so much to process from what she said. Max had so far lived up to all his promises. His side of the alliance was fulfilled, and now it was our turn.

We were both quiet for a moment before he jerked his head toward the door. “Come on. We’ll talk more at home.”

38

LEONA

Ifollowed Cas out of the office, and we made it ten feet before he grabbed my hand and pulled me into the little powder room near the second-floor landing. He flicked on the lights, and I caught sight of us in the mirror hanging above the sink.

“What—” I asked before his hand clamped over my mouth. My eyes went wide, and my pulse spiked. I grasped for the knives strapped to my thighs.

“Shh. Everything’s fine. Don’t say a word.” Slowly, cautiously, he took his hand off my mouth. He turned me around, lifted my hips, and settled me on the bathroom counter, then stepped between my legs. “I just needed to get you alone so we could have some privacy for two fucking minutes.”

My body warmed as I grabbed his shirt. He was tense, but all of us would be tense until the moment we stepped inside the penthouse. “What’s wrong?”

His fingers brushed my cheek. “Are you good? This has been a lot.”

Emotion surged in my chest. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him tight against my chest while I nodded. Hisarms banded around my back, and we clung to one another, breathing each other in, letting our tension dissipate with each second in one another’s arms.

“I hate this house. I hate how much I hate it, because I used to love it so much,” he murmured against my neck. “Despite everything, I feelsafehere. It feels easy to slip back into our old patterns.”

My fingers dragged through his hair. “I hate all of those same things. Everything looks the same, and it feels so lonely without us here. I hate that none of this feels simple.”

He took my lips in a kiss. “I’m sorry it’s not simple, but I’ll tell you one thing that is.”

I kissed him back, nipping a little at his bottom lip. “And what is that?”

“How much I love you.”

I dragged my hands over the growing scruff on his jaw. “I love you, too.”

Revisiting this house felt like whiplash in every way, shape, and form. It was filled to the brim with memories. Even this bathroom and all its tasteful gold accents reminded me of Max’s mom, which reminded me of my mom, which filled me with grief. Arguing with Max had made me angry, but working with him had unsettled me even more.

Cas was the only person who understood what this was like. That understanding was written in the depths of his blue eyes while we stared at one another.

Where would I be without him?

Nowhere. Dead.

Cas was and always had been the greatest constant in my life. The steady protector watching over me every single day. I loved him so much. I had no idea how I’d do any of this without him.

My eyes caught on the gemstone of my engagement ring. I would be his wife, and he would be my husband. Tied together forever. It was the most right thing in the world.

Suddenly, the urge to have him, to feel him, to calm my racing brain, took over my body. I pulled his face back to mine. Our lips met in a desperate clash.

“Nothing else matters,” he murmured against my lips. His hands slid down my body. “Nothing except you, except us.”

“Sempre.” My hands found his belt. “I need you.”

“You sure?”

I nodded, already breathless and lightheaded. “Please.”

He flicked the lock on the bathroom door with a lopsided smirk. The blood in my veins went hot while he unbuckled my pants and pulled them down, then dropped to his knees. “We can leave anytime. Just give me the signal.”

His mouth was on my pussy before I could respond. Cas knew exactly what my body needed, could read me like a beloved book. I leaned my head back against the mirror, feeling the countertop dig into my ass but not caring at all. One of my hands braced on the edge of the sink while the other grabbed the back of his head. I felt greedy and powerful and drunk on the combination.