Page 12 of Justified Lies (TFH Team Bravo #3)

She made her way up the stairs to her bedroom.

She was still shaking inside, hoping she had hidden her fear from Kap.

It was her pride speaking. Still, it was all she had.

Slowly, she undressed, being careful of her bruised body.

Bruises always seemed to pop up hours after a wreck.

Starting the water, she stepped into the shower and let the hot water relax her muscles.

Still, now that she was alone, all she could hear was the crack of the shot, the flash that she had caught in the rearview mirror, and the terror that had filled her as she’d tried to save herself.

Her entire body started to shake. Even though she knew it was a delayed reaction to what happened to her, she couldn’t seem to get her body to stop shaking.

Leaning against the wall, she tried to get her emotions back under control.

Nothing seemed to be working, so she slid down to the floor and sat there, wrapping her arms around her knees.

The tears flowed, the fear leaving her a quivering mess.

“Eden?”

She registered Kap’s voice, but she couldn’t seem to respond. It was as if her body had shut down. Her brain was no longer working.

“Eden, if you don’t answer me, I’m coming in.”

She opened her mouth, but she couldn’t form words. The tears kept falling. Why couldn’t she speak? She needed to say something — anything at all. She couldn’t let him see her like this. She was Eden freaking Carlyle, and she did not fall apart. Ever.

The door opened.

“Oh, babe,” he said, grabbing a big white towel.

He turned off the water, then stepped into the shower, wrapped the towel around her, and scooped her up off the floor.

Instead of standing her up, he carried her to the vanity.

She was thankful for that, because she wasn’t sure her legs would hold her up.

“I should have known something was wrong when you didn’t seem to have a reaction to the attack.”

“I was trying to hide it.”

He grabbed another towel and started to dry her hair. “Yeah, well, you don’t have to do that with me.”

Tears filled her eyes once again, and she was glad he couldn’t see her this time. Tears could make Kap think she was weak, and she couldn’t have that. He already thought she was a dirty spy.

But these tears weren’t fear or even sadness.

They were gratitude. Since her brother’s abduction, she had tried to be strong.

There was something broken in El, something that told her he would never be the brother he was before he had disappeared.

Until the day she died, she would always feel as if she had failed him.

She should have double-checked everything and ensured he was where he was supposed to be.

But she had been so insanely happy she could finally tell Kap the truth.

Eden hadn’t realized how much she had taken on in the last few years until this moment. The weight of it, the guilt…all of it felt as if it would bury her.

When he pulled the towel away from her head, she blinked, and a few more tears fell.

“You’re breaking my heart, Eden.”

“I’ll pull myself together. Don’t worry.” She always did. It was what she did. It was what she had to do.

He cupped her face in both of his hands.

Using his thumbs, he brushed away the tears.

The calluses on his fingers always sent a shiver down her spine.

What was it about this man? Everything about him still got to her.

His looks, his work ethic, and even when he was being mean to her, she wanted him.

There was something wrong with her. Something that she was sure could be fixed with a lot of therapy.

Maybe. Maybe she was just going to be in love with this stupid man for the rest of her life.

And while she knew it was a mistake, and that she shouldn’t give in for this one night, she needed to let go, to allow herself some pleasure.

A connection. Being shot at put a lot of things into perspective.

“What is going on in that beautiful head of yours?”

She sighed as she lifted her hands to his wrists. Eden didn’t care that the towel had slipped down to her lap. With Kap, she always felt bold, sure of herself. Well, until he’d walked away.

She pushed that thought aside. No worrying about what came after.

“Eden,” his voice dipped even deeper. The sound of it danced over her nerve endings.

“Kapone,” she said, using her Texan accent to its fullest extent. He always said it got to him.

“You should get dressed.”

But he didn’t move. He stood there between her legs, his thumbs now caressing her face.

“Maybe you should get undressed,” she said, slipping her hands down his arms. The man had the most amazing forearms. Before she had met him, she had never thought about a man’s forearms. But with Kap, she noticed everything.

The way his eyes would flare when she drew out his name.

His smiles. Those forearms…his stamina. The entire freaking package that made up Kapone Hanson.

He was the perfect man. Or had been until he broke her heart.

Nope. Not thinking about that or anything else right now. Right now, all she wanted to do was feel. To let go of the fear that still rattled through her entire system.

He dropped his hands, setting them on either side of her hips on the vanity counter. “I don’t know if this is a good idea.”

She inched closer, pressing her body against his.

“It could be the worst idea in the world,” she said, letting the stark honesty of the truth settle between them for a moment. “But I don’t care about that. I care about feeling, about letting go of the fear that has been chasing me for too long. I know you can help with that.”

He studied her for a moment, his gaze ping ponging back and forth as he studied her. That long moment was torture. She was sure he would say no and walk away again, but instead, he surprised her.

Kap bent his head. God, the man smelled amazing. Sandalwood permeated every inch of him. She had always been partial to the scent. She slid her hands up to his shoulders as she opened her mouth and gave in to the kiss.

He took his time, barely dipping into her mouth as he tilted his head.

Over and over, he teased Eden in that same thoughtful manner.

Her nipples hardened, her body shivered as need rose with each tempting dip into her mouth.

When he finally plunged into her mouth completely, she was barely able to hold it together. She moaned against his tongue.

Kap tore his mouth away. They were both breathing heavily.

“Are you sure?”

She shook her head. “Not at all. All I know is that I need to feel something — anything. And I want to feel that with you.”

With a groan, he swooped in for another long kiss, then pulled back.

He scooped her off the vanity with ease and walked into the bedroom.

He fairly tossed her on the bed, and she laughed.

The sound of it surprised her. She didn’t think she would ever be able to laugh like that again, but in this moment, she could with Kap.

And that was the thing about him. Even when they were at odds, she felt comfortable with him… happier than with anyone else.

Taking hold of the bottom of his shirt, Kap stripped it off, revealing that excellent eight-pack he had. The man must work out half of his time at work, because she wasn’t sure how he could maintain that muscle definition otherwise. She reached out to explore.

His hands went to the button on his pants, then stilled.

“Fuck.”

Her eyes shot up to his face. Even in the darkness, she could see the irritation. Exactly what a woman didn’t like to see from her lover.

“I get it. Just go,” she said, humiliation filling her once again. When would she learn with this man? He was just never going to be hers again, even for one night…one little last tryst.

“No. I just don’t have any protection with me.”

For a second…okay, three…she wasn’t sure she’d heard him right. Then, happiness filled her, starting with a slow trickle, then a monsoon swept through her.

“I’m on the pill, and I’m clean.”

Of course, she was. There had been no one since him.

“I’m clean, I promise.”

“Then I suggest getting those pants off, Kap, because this is much more fun when we’re both naked.”

“You trust me?”

She didn’t look away from his earnest expression. She heard the seriousness of his tone and knew what he was asking. It was bigger than just a tumble in bed.

“Always.”

Something akin to surprise sparked in his eyes before it was replaced with heat. He reached for her hips and pulled her to the edge of the bed.

“You’re still dressed,” she said.

“Well, it’s that or I’ll lose control. First, it’s time for you.”

Then he dropped to his knees between her legs. This man…he had been the one lover she could trust over the years, and, even with their past, she still did. She knew that at least in this moment, she could trust him. He would be careful with her…and he always put her first.

He leaned forward, pressing his mouth against her right thigh, his tongue tracing a path almost all the way to her pussy, but he stopped short.

He moved to her other thigh, starting at the top, and gave it the same treatment.

Then, he dragged the flat of his tongue up her thigh once more.

Every inch or so, she felt the scrape of his teeth.

Heat filled her, her sex growing wetter by the second.

It had been so long since she’d felt like this, of letting go and giving into pleasure.

She felt his breath a second before she felt his mouth on her sex. He didn’t hurry. He rarely did in bed. Oh, there had been some quickies, but when Kap was trying to prove a point, he didn’t rush. Taking his time, he slipped his tongue inside of her, teasing her with each dip into her core.

“Kap.”

He hummed against her, the vibrations filtering throughout her body.

Heat spiraled, her entire being centered on him and what he was doing to her.

Fingers replaced his tongue as he took her clit into his mouth.

The tension in her stomach spiraled, then dropped lower.

He pulled back to blow on her clit, then he was on her again.

Her orgasm hit her so hard, it was almost violent. She bowed up on the bed, screaming his name. Wave after wave of pleasure rolled over her, through her...

It lasted so long she felt suspended in time. It had been too long since he had touched her, since any man had touched her. This felt almost like coming home.

She was still feeling the aftereffects of her release when he stood to peel off his pants. He flipped her over on her stomach, and she laughed in joy. He remembered that this was one of her favorite positions.

He pulled her hips up and entered her in one hard, long thrust. Their mingled groans filled the room, and it was possibly the most erotic thing she had ever heard in her life.

“Fuck, Eden. So. Fucking. Good.”

He thrust in with each word, sending more sensations rushing through her. The man always knew how to play her body. From the moment they’d met, they had always seemed to understand each other’s needs.

Even though she thought it might be impossible, she felt that familiar tension building again, and Eden wanted to be with him this time around. Slipping her hand down between her legs, she pressed against her clit, thrumming it.

“Yes, that’s it, babe, make yourself come. I want to feel all those tiny muscles tighten around my dick.”

His deep voice sent her rushing over that edge, as she jumped into a morass of pleasure once again, her world seemingly exploding around her.

“Fuck!” he said, thrusting harder and faster than ever before. His fingers dug into her hips as he raced over her, until he thrust one last time.

“Eden,” he said as he emptied himself inside of her. His orgasm seemed to go on forever before he finally pulled out of her.

She seemed to float for a moment or two, then she felt his hands on her again. He was turning her over and using a wet rag between her legs. She should protest, but she felt too good to even contemplate words. Then, he was moving her up to the pillows.

“Are you leaving?” she asked.

“No. Be right back.”

He returned from the bathroom and slipped into bed beside her. And just like all those times before, she rolled over into his arms.

“Get some rest. We’ll worry about the rest later.”

And because she agreed, she slipped into sleep.