Page 8 of Raven’s Claw (Raven’s Cliff #2)
“It’s the least I can do after forgetting you only had that bike.” He leaned against the frame, getting dangerously close. “Though in my defense, I can’t really be held responsible for anything after that kiss.”
A hint of pink burned up her cheeks. “And here your buddies claimed you were awkward.”
“Glad to know they’ve got my back.”
Her smile fell a bit. “More than you know.”
Had he imagined the pang of sadness in her voice? “I’ll get these loaded then meet you downstairs.”
He forced himself to turn — head down the hall. He made his way to the laundry, tossing everything in then starting the cycle. Jordan was already descending the stairs when he made his way back to the sitting room.
Foster walked in from the kitchen, a couple beers in his hands. “I realize you probably have other plans, but you’re both welcome to stay. We’ve got enough food to feed an army.”
Kash stilled. He didn’t want Jordan to feel trapped, especially if his hunch was right and she was already on the verge of running. Her gaze darted to the door then back to the hallway leading to the kitchen as laughter erupted in the other room, the scent of fresh bread wafting through the air.
Kash nudged her. “Jordan…”
She reached over and gave his hand a squeeze before looking at Foster. “Are you sure? Because I’ve seen you all eat.”
Foster placed his hand on his chest. “Ouch. And I promise we got extra just for Zain.”
“I heard that.” Zain’s voice carried to them from the other room.
“I damn well hope so. I practically yelled it.” Foster offered them both a beer. “Anyway, you can join us, or you can grab a plate and run, seeing as chef Ramsay here burned his masterpiece. Your choice.”
He didn’t wait for either of them to reply, heading back into the other room.
Kash tugged Jordan closer. “We don’t have to stay. I can grab some food and?—”
She placed her finger across his lips, silencing him. “It’s fine.” She removed her hand as she took a step before she stopped and looked back at him. “No one’s going to try and kill me though, right? Because that might get awkward.”
His mouth gaped open, a slight ringing in his ears as he stared at her. Wondering if she’d really just admitted she was an operative.
She laughed. “God, your face. I’m kidding.”
Kash held firm when she went to move. “Are you?”
She simply stared at him.
He closed the distance. “C’mon, before Zain proves Foster wrong.”
Kash led her into the other room, holding her chair before sitting next to her.
There was a round of greetings, then everyone settled into an easy conversation.
And Kash had to admit, his brothers kept it light.
Nothing about her past — how she’d vaulted over Tucker like a damn gymnast. Safe topics.
The weather. The café. Some of their adventures with Raven’s Watch. Anything, but what really mattered.
They’d been sitting there for about an hour when Jordan sighed, shaking her head as she gazed around the room.
She pushed back in her chair, resting her hands on the top of the table. “While I realize Kash probably threatened you with some form of horrific punishment if you said anything remotely controversial, the obvious tension is starting to take a toll.”
The room fell silent, everyone staring at her. Mouths pinched tight. Eyes narrowed. Even Nyx stopped panting, pushing onto her haunches at Kash’s side.
Jordan dabbed the corners of her mouth with a napkin, studying them all in turn before sighing.
“How about I clear the air a bit.” She took a breath, looking at Foster and Mac.
“I’m not a sleeper agent.” She moved on to Zain.
“I’ve never worked for the CIA.” Finally, Chase. “And I’m not part of the mafia.”
Her confession lingered in the air, like an echo still playing in the distance.
She’d been serious. The even tone. The steady eye contact.
Kash wasn’t sure if this was progress — if she was starting to align with his way of thinking even if he hadn’t voiced it, yet — or if she was upping her schedule.
Giving them just enough of the truth, they wouldn’t question it when she vanished.
Foster leaned forward, his forearms braced on the table. “But you did... Work for an agency.”
He hadn’t framed it as a question. Just a simple statement. No judgement. No hidden implications.
Jordan gave Kash a quick side-eye, resting one arm over the back of her chair. “I did… Until seven months ago.”
Chase nodded. “Did something change?”
“We had a… difference of opinion.” She shrugged. “And we parted on less-than-ideal terms.”
“What kind of terms are we talking? Bad blood and a shitty job reference, or a tactical squad showing up on your doorstep?”
Jordan slipped Kash another glance. “Nothing I can’t handle.”
Zain narrowed his gaze, giving the room a quick sweep before inching forward. “So, more of the second. Makes me wonder if you thought Tucker was coming for you.”
Jordan didn’t blink. “You seem fairly certain he wasn’t.”
“Atticus vets potential crew fairly rigorously. And I’d expect your former agency to send someone worthy of you breaking a sweat. Not a guy you took down in all of five seconds.”
“Different skill sets for different outcomes.” She folded her hands on the table, again, but not before Kash noticed the slight tremble. “Hypothetically speaking, of course.”
Zain obviously noticed too because he sat a bit straighter. “Are you suggesting they’d send someone you could neutralize in your sleep just to get you to show your hand?”
She stared directly back at Zain, pulling in a few easy breaths, before shifting on her seat. “I just wanted to clear the air.”
“Well, that’s a yes. And now I’m thinking I want to rethink my pool strategy. Side with Kash.”
Her breath caught, the corners of her mouth tightening. As if she’d realized she’d given them a bit too much.
Kash pushed back his chair, then stood. “And that’s our cue to head back to my place.” He leaned in. “I promise I can make a killer cup of coffee without setting the room on fire.”
Jordan clambered to her feet a second later, her palm sliding over his. His buddies all stood, hands digging into their pockets.
Foster moved around to their side. Close, but not to the point Kash thought she’d see him as a threat.
“I’ll make sure your clothes are stacked by the back door, so they’re ready whenever you need them.
And for the record… Just because we’re not still wearing the uniforms, doesn’t me we’ve stopped stepping up.
We all spent twenty years eliminating threats. Nothing’s changed.”
Jordan glanced down, staring at her feet, or maybe the floor. She inched closer to Kash before looking up. “I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks for dinner. It was… pleasantly uneventful.”
“I meant what I said, Jordan. We don’t scare easily, and we don’t back down. All you have to do is talk to us.”
“And with that we definitely need to leave.” Kash gripped her hand a bit tighter. “Thanks for the dinner save, Beck.”
He turned, whistled to Nyx, then headed for the back door.
They made a dash down the path, avoiding the larger puddles until they reached his house.
He barely slowed, shoving open the door and waving her inside before closing it behind them — tapping on a box next to the entrance.
Arming the insanely sophisticated security system Zain had installed in all the homes after the shitstorm with Striker a few months back.
A few soft lights burned overhead, the warm glow casting lazy shadows on the floor.
Jordan kicked off her boots, smiling as she picked her way over to the living room, giving the open area a good once-over.
Nyx trailed behind her, stopping when Jordan gave her a quick scratch behind the ears before curling up on one of her beds.
Kash leaned against a wooden beam, watching Jordan assess the room, pausing on anything he assumed presented a threat, or maybe an impromptu weapon, before moving on. “Well?”
She glanced at him over her shoulder. “Exactly the way I’d envisioned, other than the hint of smoke.”
“It definitely wasn’t the first dinner I’ve ruined.” He ambled over to the edge of the counter. “So, how’d we do?”
Her brow furrowed, adorable lines creasing the bridge of her nose. “With regards to what?”
“Our reaction to the suggestion of your previous employment. Was it a pass or fail?”
To her credit, she didn’t react. Just stood there, staring at him before pushing out a slow breath. “I guess it depends on whose side you’re looking at. Because I’m starting to think I failed mine by either saying too much…” She tilted her head to the side. “Or too little.”
Kash closed the distance. “To be fair, too much is never enough for guys like us.”
She coughed, stepping back until she leaned against the wall. “Right. Guys like you.”
He moved with her, bracing one arm above her head, the other off to one side. “I know what I promised…”
She snagged her bottom lip, staring up at him with those big blue eyes. “Kash…”
“I’m not going to push. I just need you to know that if you really are in trouble, I can help. My team can help.”
“It’s not as if I haven’t considered it, but… You don’t want this kind of trouble at your door.”
“A threat’s a threat.” He lifted his hand and toyed with one bouncy curl. “And you heard Foster. We’ve all spent twenty years eliminating those.”
“Not like this.” She palmed his cheek, brushing her thumb along his jaw. “Not like him. And if I ask for your help…” She closed her eyes for a moment, her shoulders drooping in apparent defeat. “It won’t end well.”
“Maybe.” He cupped her chin. “Or maybe we’re exactly what you need.”
She sighed. “Have I read this wrong? Or do you want to make love to me, as much as I need you to?”
He leaned in, stopping a breath away. Drinking in her floral-scented skin and how her breathing sped up until her chest heaved against his — her other hand fisting his shirt.
He shifted a bit closer, staying poised on the edge.
All that anticipation on the brink of spontaneously combusting.
He hadn’t missed her choice of words. The way her hand shook ever so slightly as it rested against his chest. Or how her eyes held just a hint of something behind the blue depths.
He wouldn’t label it yet, but it gave him a glimmer of hope.
She groaned. “Kash…”
That did him in. The low, sexy tone of her voice. The shadowed look. How she ate at his mouth the second he kissed her.
Two seconds in, and she had her hands in his hair, one leg wrapped around his calf. Practically riding his thigh as he stepped into her, crushing her against the wall, every damn inch touching.
Her head fell back as he nipped his way down her neck, sucking at her pulse point. Every touch drawing a strangled moan. She arched against his hand when he cupped her breast, trying to work out how to get them naked without releasing her.
She must have had a solution because his shirt flew over his head a heartbeat later, that oversized hoodie he’d lent her quickly joining it. He took a moment to drink her in. Appreciate the creamy expanse of pale, soft skin. The stunning curve of her breasts and how they fit perfectly in his hands.
She yanked him down for another round, smoothing her hands along his chest, up his arms then across his back. Kneading his muscles before finally landing in his hair, again. Tugging on the strands, taking him to the brink with nothing but the suggestion of more.
He wasn’t sure how long they’d been standing there, the storm still raging outside, his body strung so tight he’d likely burst the second she touched him before she eased back — lowered her hand and squeezed him through his denim.
He rested his forehead on hers, dragging in a series of ragged breaths.
Jordan tiptoed up — nipped at his ear. “Kash…”
He pulled back. Not much. Just enough to meet her gaze. “Before I hike you up on my shoulder and carry you into the bedroom, I need to ask you one last thing.”
She hummed, eyes heavy lidded. Only a hint of blue around the outside. “Pretty sure the answer’s yes.”
“Good. Because I need you to look me in the eyes and tell me that this isn’t just a one-off. That forever’s on the table.”
She blinked, brows furrowed as if she hadn’t understood the question or was trying to translate some of the words into a different language before she stilled. Breath held. That hand shaking against his chest. “I…”
“I’m not asking for promises. While we’ve known each other for months, I know this is new. That your past makes things… complicated. But after everything’s that’s happened…”
Losing Sean that fateful night. Having Rhett still stuck in a coma. Nearly drowning in the damn ocean today. It was as if his heart had cracked, and everything he felt for Jordan was pouring out, threatening to drag him under just like the waves had.
She stared up at him, lips slightly parted, nostrils flaring before she placed her hands on his face — inched him closer. “If there was any chance I could make forever an option, I’d want to spend it with you.”