Page 115 of Danger Close

He leaned down and put a kiss on my throat, and my core clenched at the intimacy of that sweet gesture.

“I’m not kidding, Princess. If you want me to push you against a wall and fuck you into oblivion, I am more than fucking willing.” His lips grazed down to the V of my sweater. He tugged the fabric down until he revealed one cup of my bra. His fingertips grazed my breast and made me shiver with anticipation. “But I won’t, until I know your body and mind are right with it.”

He kissed down a little further, his lips teasing at my clavicle before he straightened, and stepped back.

I immediately felt cold. Freezing, in fact, without the warmth of his gentle touch.

I stared at him with hooded eyes, my vision lightly blurred with tears and lust.

“You want to go to Philadelphia, fine.” He placed one reprimanding finger on my nose. “But you’re not going without me. And you sure as fuck aren’t going on a bus in your condition. I’ll drive you down, and drive you back.”

He kissed me on the forehead. His hand cupped the nape of my neck so that there was force behind this chaste, loving gesture.

“If you really don’t want to be with me, then hire yourself a car.” He reached into his pocket, and pulled out a shiny, brand new, black card. “This is yours.”

He held it in front of my eyes and I blinked when I saw my name embossed on the plastic.

“It’s attached to the account that should have always been yours. There’s well above seven figures in there.”

“That should be Trinity’s. If it was child support—”

“I’ve already talked to her about it, and we’ve decided that it’s yours. Free and clear. Yours, and yours alone.” He kissed my forehead again.

He slipped the card into my jeans pocket, then stepped to the door. When he opened it, he looked over his shoulder. His voice grew heavy, as he quietly said, “I’ll be in the kitchen, having a coffee. Take a minute to think about what I’ve said. Come out when you’re ready.”

Chapter 53

It’s Just Life

Cobra

“We’re doing a river cruise,” my daughter said, as she slid an empty coffee mug back and forth in front of her, catching it in her left hand, then her right, then back again. “We start in Paris, then head to Trier. We’ll make our way up the Rhine, then end in Amsterdam.”

“Sounds like a great trip.” Charlotte leaned on the kitchen counter where the coffee maker sputtered a fresh batch.

“Sure does,” I said, taking a sip of my coffee.

I couldn’t taste the damn thing. I was too preoccupied, waiting for the soft snick of an opening door.

The air was tense with anticipation, as we all waited to see what Teri would do now. The idle conversation we were having was just there to fill the space with something but tense silence.

The latch of her door squeaked open. I stared at my coffee.

Her footsteps sounded. Light, quiet. Hesitant.

I pulled out the chair beside me, and again, waited.

I could feel her eyes on me.

I swallowed down the lump in my throat, “How long’s the cruise?”

“It’s…” Trinity’s eyes went from her mother, to me, then back again. “Three weeks. Then Kai has to go back to work.”

Charlotte was pretending nothing was happening, as she turned on the kettle beside her. She’d already heated the water, so it didn’t take long before the thing beeped at the desired temperature.

Teri’s footsteps approached.

She sat down beside me. Her hands on her lap.