Page 98 of Exposed

“One of those.” Brax chuckles. “The best kind of witness.”

I think of all the other things Mr. Elrod might be witness to and hope that we never have to question him. That’ll really give new meaning to my commitment to the job. “I wanted to let someone know we got a visit. I’ll be in touch tomorrow, but I’m not going to come into the office for a while. Carter is checking in on us. I can’t risk it.”

“Agreed. I’ll let Micah and Tim know.”

“This might get me out of dinner this weekend,” I say.

“You can make it without a tail. Tim will insist. If he doesn’t, Annette will. Landyn told her about Goldie.”

“What the hell?” I bite. “How does Landyn know?”

He pauses. “Are you seriously asking me that?”

“You guys are worse than your wives.”

“I would have to give a shit for that to bother me.” I hear the door open and close again. “Watch your back. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

I don’t bother saying goodbye and hang up. When I turn around, Goldie is standing in the middle of her small family room with her arms crossed. I can’t help my eyes from dragging down her body.

“That was fast,” I note.

She looks down at herself. “What? You don’t change as soon as you get home?”

“I do. I like that you do too.”

She hugs herself tighter. “Who were you talking to?”

“Just filling Brax in on Rand making a surprise visit. He’s gone, by the way. As long as I’m here with you, we’re good to stay at your place. They’re not going to go old school mafia on us. That might be Dex’s style in private, but he’s got a reputation to uphold. This street is busy and your complex is active. As long as Dex thinks I’m Daniel Armstrong and you’re my fiancée, we’re safe here.”

“I don’t know. Rand tried to push his way in here the other night before you stepped in.”

“They know I’m here,” I stress. “I’m not going to leave you, and they know that.”

“Rand ruined the night again.”

I shake my head and move to her. “No fucking way. I’ll never let him ruin anything.”

Her hands land on my pecs when I pull her to my chest and dip my hand under the back of her tank and feel nothing but bare skin on tense muscles.

I drag my fingers along the spot a bra would normally be. “When you get comfortable, you really get comfortable.”

“It’s an unwritten rule among women that you rip your bra off when you get home.”

The corners of my mouth tip north. “I like that rule. Is it the same for everything else?”

She shrugs. “I thought I’d let you rip the rest off me, but that was before Rand showed up and ruined the mood.”

“I’m not letting anyone ruin the mood.” I let go of her long enough to grip the hem of her tank and pull. “I’ll prove to you that my vibe will always win.”

Her long, dark hair falls around her bare shoulders when the tank clears her head. I toss it behind her and stare. “I still don’t know how I got lucky enough to be standing right here.”

She presses her bare tits against my chest. “I don’t think luckhad anything to do with it. You pushed your way in and didn’t leave until I had no choice but tosort oflike you.”

My hands go to her hips, and I dip my thumbs into her sweat shorts and the thin string that makes up her panties. “Sort of?”

“Sort of,” she confirms on a teasing, sly smile. “I’m not giving you the satisfaction of anything more.”

What I want to do is grip the material at her hips and rip it to shreds.

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