Page 81 of Shadowed Sins: Nitro

That's when she walks in.

"Morning. I do hope you've left some coffee."

Her voice cuts through my thoughts, perfectly modulated and refined. But I catch it immediately when I look up. Each step is measured, not her as her usual grace, but the careful placement of someone whose thighs are screaming. The high collar of her tactical shirt can't quite hide the purple bruise blooming at the base of her throat.

Fuck. Everyone's going to see that.

"Always a full pot ready," Remy's tone shifts smoothly, matching her formality while his medic eye clearly notes her condition. "Fresh Colombian, as you prefer."

She positions herself on the opposite side of the granite island from me, using the six feet of stone surface as a barrier. The morning light through the windows catches the slight stiffness in her shoulders.

She moves toward the coffee station near the double ovens, and when she reaches for a mug from the upper cabinet, the movement pulls her shirt. She freezes for a fraction of asecond. Another bruise peeks out at her collarbone—dark purple fingerprints I left when I gripped her too hard.

Remy clears his throat before asking smoothly. "Rough night? You seem a little... tense."

"Just restless," she says carefully. "Had some energy to expend."

"Energy to expend." I finally look up, meeting her eyes directly across the granite surface scattered with intelligence reports. "That what we're calling it now?"

The kitchen goes dead quiet. Cole's stylus stops moving against the tablet screen. Remy's coffee mug freezes halfway to his mouth. Asher's fingers pause over his keyboard, though his expression doesn't change.

"I beg your pardon?" Mira's voice stays perfectly level, but I catch the slight flutter at her throat where her pulse jumps.

"Last night. Just expending energy?"

Academy Award performance, beautiful. Too bad I know exactly what you sound like when you drop the act.

Cole clears his throat once, cutting through the silence. "Perhaps we should review perimeter configurations. Outside."

"Excellent strategy," Remy agrees quickly, practically vaulting off his bar stool and abandoning his coffee on the island. "Very thorough perimeter assessment required."

Asher closes his laptop, unplugging from the island's docking station. Just a single word. "Leaving."

They move toward the door quickly. Cole pauses at the archway, his sharp eyes taking in everything—the way she's standing with her weight carefully distributed, the scratches visible on my forearms where my sleeves have ridden up, the specific six feet of granite she's maintaining between us.

"Resolve this. Efficiently." His voice carries quiet authority. "Mission prep begins in twenty."

They're gone in under thirty seconds, the door closing with finality.

She pours her coffee with deliberate grace, the industrial machine humming as liquid streams into her mug. But when she reaches for the sugar, her hand trembles slightly. The movement makes her wince, so subtle most would miss it.

"I believe we established appropriate boundaries last evening, Jax."

"No, you established them." I move around the granite island slowly, noting how she doesn't retreat but shifts her weight carefully, favoring her left leg. "After you screamed loud enough for everyone to hear exactly what I was doing to you."

Color floods her cheeks. "Physiological responses during intimate encounters are—"

"Mira." I stop just close enough to smell her expensive shampoo mixing with my body wash—she used my shower. "You can barely walk."

"Temporary muscular—"

"You have my teeth marks on your throat." My voice drops lower. "Fingerprints on your hips. Scratches down your back that burn every time fabric touches them. Trust me, I know. You returned the favor."

Her coffee cup rattles against granite. Behind her, the ocean view creates a stunning backdrop, but all I can focus on is the way morning light shows every mark I left.

"Physical evidence of a moment's... indiscretion hardly constitutes—"

"Six hours." I lean against the counter, using the island's edge to create intimacy without crowding her. "We fucked for six hours. You came eight times. Nine if we count when I had you against the wall."