Chapter 47

47

June

Ryot nods in my direction, then turns to my husband. A look I can't decipher passes between them. Then, Ryott jerks his head, and walks past me, toward the elevator.

"Everything okay?" My husband walks over to me.

"I woke up and thought I heard voices." It's why I changed into a pair of yoga pants and a sweatshirt before I came to investigate.

The elevator doors swish shut behind me.

"He decided to drop in with some brotherly advice." My husband tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. "You hungry? You want something to eat?"

"I'm not really hungry," I demur.

"You need to eat something." He leads me into the kitchen.

"Brotherly advice, you say?" I lean a hip against the island and watch him pull the ingredients for a sandwich from the fridge. He's wearing his pants and a button-down but has lost the jacket and tie. He's also barefoot, and his hair is mussed. With the shadow of a beard on his chin, he's so sexy. So delightfully rumpled. My pussy clenches. I grip the edge of the counter to stop myself from doing something stupid like walking over and wrapping my arms about his waist and pressing my nose into his back and drawing in his heady masculine smell. Give the man some space, will ya?

"Mm-hmm." He cuts open a couple of avocados, dices them and adds them onto two of the bread slices. He slathers on peanut butter and jelly, then proceeds to crush some potato crisps and sprinkle them on top. He places fresh slices on top, slides one of the resulting sandwiches onto a plate, and offers it to me.

"Umm, I'm not sure—" I begin but he cuts me off.

"Don't mock it until you try it. "He pours orange juice into two glasses and places them between us. Then, he grabs a stool, picks up his sandwich, and bites into it. He chews, then swallows. "Delicious."

I slip onto another stool and take a small bite. "Not bad," I concede.

"It's bloody good." He takes another giant bite from his sandwich, washing it down with the juice.

I follow his example, finding I'm hungrier than I realized. Before I'm halfway done with the sandwich, he's finished his. I place the sandwich down and take a small sip of the juice.

"When did you learn to make this combination?"

"It was late one evening, when I was still in high school. I got home at midnight felt hungry and raided the refrigerator, and by the time I'd started assembling the sandwich, Ryot had joined me. I found whatever was available and decided to throw it together. Ryot was the first to taste it, and when he polished it off, I realized I had a hit on my hands."

"The two of you are close."

"We used to be closer. But after his wife died, he withdrew into himself. Good thing, he's found a new assignment. Might help take his mind off the past."

"Assignment?" I pick up my sandwich again and take another bite. It really does taste better than what I expected.

"He's joining Quentin's security agency. Apparently, he's been allocated to a very confidential detail."

"That's good, right?"

I nod. "I hope it helps keep his mind occupied and gives him a chance to re-discover his spirit."

"You're a good brother," I offer .

He rolls his shoulders. "If I were, I wouldn't've agreed to marry Priscilla in the first place. Not when I realized there was history between her and Tyler, and it would hurt him."

"But you didn't go through with it, did you?"

He shakes his head.

I hold up my hands. "I maintain, you all seem to have each other's backs."

The skin around his eyes crinkles. "You insist on seeing the good in me, don't you?"

I blush a little, then flutter my eyelashes, "Of course, I do. I'm your wife."

Our gazes meet, hold. That chemistry between us, always fluttering beneath the surface, intensifies. My nipples harden, and my scalp tightens. A thick pulse kicks up between my legs.

He must sense my arousal for his gaze darkens. Then, he seems to collect himself and nods in the direction of my plate. "Eat."

I obediently pick up my sandwich and nibble on it.

"How do you feel about having met Claire?" he asks.

I swallow past the lump in my throat, place the sandwich back on the plate, and stare at the crumbs there. "It was what I expected, but also… Not. I built it up in my head more than I realized. And then to meet her…" I shake my head. "I felt an instant connection, but it also put things in perspective."

"How's that?"

"It made me realize how much I already have. With Irene and my siblings, and with you." I hold his gaze. "I thought I was alone, but I wasn't. I already had a family with Irene. And now I have two families. And a third, which is even more important, with you."

His expression softens. And when I slide off my stool and walk around the island to him, he opens his arms. I step in between his legs and slide my arms about his neck. "Thank you for taking me to see her."

"It wasn't too sudden, was it?" He searches my features. "I was worried that, perhaps, I should have forewarned you more."

"I was ready to meet her. And it was never going to get easier. In fact, it was good you didn't give me too much advance notice. I might have gotten cold feet." I laugh a little. "So, you're good. "

His stares at me.

"What?"

"I love your laughter, baby."

I find myself flushing and glance away.

He notches his knuckles under my chin and gently turns my chin in his direction. "No, don't hide from me. I love nothing more than gazing into your eyes." He cups my cheek. "I love your eyes, you know that?" He bends and kisses my eyelids. "And your cute little upturned nose." He kisses the tip of my nose.

"It's not upturned."

"It is." He smiles. "And your stubborn chin." He presses his lips there, "And the way you blush so prettily." He kisses me first, on one cheek, then the other. "And your smile. I adore your smile." He presses a kiss to the corner of my mouth, then the other.

"And how you taste." He brushes his lips over mine, and when I part my lips, he swipes his tongue across the seam of my mouth. A moan spills from my lips, and he swallows it up. He continues to kiss me for a few seconds more, then pulls back slightly. "What I'm trying to say is that I love you ."