Page 91 of Depths of Destruction

"She said that?"

"Basically. She said since I'm a reporter, I can't keep my mouth shut. Which is why this conversation is so ironic because you think I'm hiding things from you."

Andre cups my cheeks. "Naomi. I did not say that."

"But you thought it."

"No. I asked if there was anything you didn't tell me. There's a difference."

I want to believe him, but the sting from Julieta not trusting me is still there. The person I want most to trust me is Andre. I know we worked out our issue over Darien, but I still worry it might come back and bite me in the ass and he won’t be able to believe I'm fully disclosing things to him.

He puts his lips on mine and tries to kiss me, but I'm stubborn and move my lips away.

Andre softly chuckles. "Are you going to make me work extra hard now for a kiss?" He puts his lips on my neck, and they're like lightning bolts to my nerves.

I squirm in his lap.

He palms my ass, tugs me closer to him, then murmurs, "I'll put in extra effort if you want me to." His mouth lightly sucks my earlobe.

My body throbs. I let out a small whimper as his lips move across my chin and closer to my mouth. When he gets right next to my lips, he fists my hair, tugs my head back, and continues down my neck.

Oh, screw it.

I turn my body so I'm straddling him, and our lips meet in a heated bed of fire. Within seconds, his arms are wrapped tight around me, and I'm grinding against his growing erection.

He slips his hand down the back of my pants.

"Hands in the air and down on the ground, now!" Darien's voice booms into the room.

Andre freezes.

I look up.

Darien and two other guys are pointing guns at us.

"Darien," I cry out.

"Get off him," he seethes. His eyes are full of anger, and... is it hatred? I've never seen that look before. I shudder.

Andre's hand is still in my pants.

"Hands in the air," another man repeats.

Andre squeezes my ass and slowly puts his hands in the air, his eyes wide. "How many?" he mouths.

I put three fingers on his chest.

Darien takes a few steps forward, grabbing my arm and yanking me off Andre.

"Ow. You're hurting me. Stop."

"What were you thinking, Naomi?"

"What are you doing, Darien?"

He slaps me.

The sting spreads across my entire cheek and tears stream out of my eyes. I cover the side of my face with my hand.