Page 41 of Secret Love

“You don’t have to,” I offer. “There’s plenty of room.”

“I’d prefer it.” His voice is firm, almost cold, but I’d rather not draw attention to it.

I nod and lower myself down to the pillows, kicking the blanket off my burning legs. My heart won’t stop racing. That black ink on those rock-hard abs. The way the cobra tail swished across them, curling left and right before stopping just above his navel. I can’t get it out of my head. My fingers have been vibrating since the moment I touched him. It’s taking everything in me not to reach between my thighs right now and—

“Dani.”

I jerk out of my trance. “What?”

“Do you mind?” He points to the other side of the bed at the unused pillow.

“Oh — yeah.” I grab it and hold it out to him. He takes it and drops it to the floor at the foot of the bed. “Need a blanket?”

“No,” he says, disappearing below.

“Goodnight, then…”

“Goodnight.”

I reach over and flick the lamp off, casting the room into total darkness. As I lay my head on the pillow, my restless mind churns. The last time Fox and I were alone like this…

I squeeze my eyes hard to try and stop the memories from flooding in, but the dam is already broken.

I never told a soul about that night. I thought Fox had taken it to his grave, so that’s what I was going to do, too.

“Hey, Fox.”

“Yeah?” he answers.

“Why did you tell him about me?” I ask. “Mercer, I mean.”

“I didn’t.”

“Then, how…”

I stop as I hear Fox sit up on the floor, his dark outline hovering at the edge of the bed.

“I didn’t tell him,” he says. “I told someone else.”

“Another agent?”

“Yeah.”

“Who?”

He goes quiet for a moment, the weight of the world heavy on his shoulders. “His name was Dante,” he says. “We both worked for Mercer. Got pretty close.”

“So, why did you tell him?”

“What else do guys talk about over a few beers?” He shrugs. “Some details slipped out one night, but I didn’t think he’d remember.”

“Another friend?”

“We might have been if things were different.” He leans back against his hands. “He was a good agent. Loyal to Snake Eyes. Him and his family.”

“His family?”

“His brother and sister are agents, too.”

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