Page 18 of Shades of You (Calypso Key #4)
Chapter Eighteen
Hunter
I lay still, not yet willing to open my eyes and let go of the dreamy haze between sleep and wakefulness. That’s when I noticed the difference—the gentle weight of an arm draped over my waist, the soft press of her body against mine. After a week of being together, I still wasn’t used to it. My senses sharpened as the sweet scent of citrus and vanilla filled my nostrils. Brenna’s hair was like a cloud of tropical paradise fanned out across my pillow.
A smile tugged at my lips, involuntary and utterly genuine. It was a smile born of a gratification so deep that it settled into my bones. A contentment borne from baring my soul to her and finding acceptance. Understanding and compassion. I wasn’t convinced her faith was justified or wise, but I felt too damn good to worry about it. The warmth from her skin seeped into me, an itch I still couldn’t believe had been scratched—though not enough.
I wasn’t sure it would ever be enough.
The thought sparked heat in me, eagerness to reignite the passion we’d discovered within the tangled sheets. But then again, if memory served, yesterday—and last night—had left us both more than a little spent. I couldn’t help but laugh silently. We’d settled into a new routine, getting used to each other. Knox hadn’t made any appearances, increasing my gut feeling he was out of the picture and out of the area. Good riddance to the bastard. Our separate workdays transitioned to evening hours in each other’s arms and long nights full of whispered words and fevered touches. Incredible didn’t even begin to cover it.
Now, with morning light filtering through the blinds, her chest rose and fell, her hair a wild tangle of chestnut waves across my pillow. I shifted slightly, pulling her closer, feeling the need to keep her near.
“Morning,” Brenna murmured, her eyelids fluttering open. She stretched like a cat before cozying up to me again.
“Hey.” My voice was hoarse with sleep and something deeper. I looked into her eyes, filled with a mixture of affection and a hint of playfulness. “How are you feeling this morning?”
She smiled as she shifted slightly, the warmth of her body against mine making me never want to get up. “Absolutely wonderful.”
Her response was like music to my ears, and a surge of warmth spread through me. I reached out to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear, my touch lingering as I murmured, “I’m glad. I want you to feel good, always.”
“Well, you’ve certainly shown you know how to do that.”
We had been existing in a sort of secret limbo for the last week, not proclaiming our new passion or status to anyone. She’d even managed to duck out of my place before Myles or Garrett showed up. But it couldn’t last forever. “ We have to figure out how this is going to work with our families.”
Brenna shrugged and nestled back into my embrace. “Yeah, I know. It’s just been so nice having our own forbidden secret. Let’s worry about everyone else some other time.”
“Have you forgotten we live in a small town?” I poked her side lightly.
Giggling, she nodded, her eyes alight with mischief. “I know, but let them mind their own business for a little longer.” Finally exiting the bed, Brenna slipped into her clothes from yesterday—her movements deliberate and unapologetically sensual. She shot me a long side-eye to let me know she could feel my gaze on her.
I gave her a deep, approving rumble in return, then reluctantly rose to pull on clothes for my own day ahead. I looked across the room at the empty pet bed, then at the door I’d left slightly open. “I wonder if Pedro slept in the living room last night.”
“Maybe we made too much noise, and it bugged him.” She laughed, the sound like music, and teased me about not being as tough as I looked. “Let’s go check on your baby.”
I refused to rise to the bait and padded out of my room. We entered the living room and found Pedro sprawled on the sunny windowsill, his green eyes fixed on some distant point only he could see. But his relief was immediate when he bounded over, his purrs filling the room as he greeted us both with headbutts and figure-eights around our legs. Refusing to admit to the warmth filling me as I greeted him, I merely grumbled that at least he hadn’t shredded anything out here.
Brenna bent down and picked him up, then pressed her cheek to his side. Pedro purred, stretching out to maximize the pleasure of her touch. “You keep an eye on this guy for me, okay?”
“Are you talking to me or the cat?” I asked with a smirk.
Setting him back down, she stuck her tongue out at me. “Either or, smart-ass.” Then she gathered her purse from the chair where she’d tossed it last night. “I’d better get back to my place and get ready for work.”
“Nearly eight a.m., huh?” I noted, surprised by how late we’d slept. We’d been lost in our own world, but reality was quick to stake its claim.
“Time flies when you’re… well, you know.” Brenna winked at me.
“Breaking new ground,” I supplied, grinning despite the bittersweet edge to the morning’s farewell. “I’ve got a baseball game tonight, by the way.”
“With you there, how could your team lose? I know several of the guys from Dove Key talked about joining the league, but they couldn’t get the details ironed out in time.”
We reached the bottom of the stairs just as Myles strolled into view. His timing was impeccable—or terrible, depending on how you looked at it.
“Well, good morning, Brenna,” Myles drawled, mischief dancing in his eyes as he caught sight of her. Though he had been covering Calypso Key when Garrett and I shadowed her, he was well versed in the particulars. And he also knew damn well that the case was over.
“Morning,” she replied, nonchalant as ever, and gave him a breezy wave as she headed for the back door.
I pinned Myles with a hard look that hopefully said later and followed her outside. After I pulled the door shut, I gathered her close. My hands found the familiar curve of her waist, and I lowered my mouth to hers. And not a sweet little peck either. My tongue parted her lips and skated over the top of her mouth. I didn’t want it to end.
“See you later,” she murmured against my lips before pulling away with a soft smile.
“Later.” I rubbed a finger back and forth across my forehead as she disappeared down the alley back toward her shop. A strange mix of emotions filled me. The deep contentment was still there, but worry and guilt rose to compete like they always did when I had a moment to myself to think about what the hell I was doing.
As I stepped back into the building, my eyes immediately caught sight of Myles, his tall frame draped lazily against his desk. A sly grin played on his lips as he motioned toward a chair next to him. I couldn’t fault his work ethic—either his or Garrett’s. Dammit.
“Coffee?” he offered, pouring me a cup from the steaming pot on his desk.
“Thanks,” I muttered, taking the cup from Myles as I settled into the chair next to him. The rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the space between us, but my mind was still lingering on that final kiss with Brenna.
“Didn’t you two look cozy, tiptoeing down the stairs in the morning. I thought the Brenna thing was over.”
“Things change.” I shrugged, trying to keep my voice casual.
The Brenna thing will never be over.
“Obviously.” Myles raised his eyebrows, a teasing lilt to his words.
“What happened between us is new,” I stated firmly as I locked eyes with him. “And we’re not ready for it to be public knowledge. So keep your mouth shut.”
“Gotcha, boss.” Myles held up his hands in mock surrender. “Mums the word. ”
I nodded, satisfied, but as I made my way upstairs to my apartment, the weight of our secret hung heavy in the air. There was no telling how long we could keep this quiet in a town where whispers traveled faster than the wind. But for now, Brenna and I were a silent vow, a promise written in the sand.
I needed to get ready for work, to shift my focus from the softness of Brenna’s skin to the real world. After showering, I stood with a towel wrapped around my waist and trimmed my beard. My eyes caught on my tattoo. It was such a part of me that I hardly noticed it anymore. As the black designs radiated outward across my pectorals, they morphed into stylized waves and sea patterns with distinctive arches and hook shapes reminiscent of ocean swells and curling waves. On my shoulders, two detailed sea turtles had been meticulously tattooed, their inky shells comprised of an infinite maze of spines and natural textures that continued in sweeps to my elbows.
I thought of the new life I was trying to start here, the bonds I was attempting to reforge. And my deep desire to protect Brenna, even if Knox’s threat had diminished. A bittersweet smile rose to my face as I absently ran my fingers over one pectoral, a memorial inked on me permanently. My gaze drifted toward the ceiling. My friend might have been gone for a long time, but I had to think he’d approve.