Page 40 of The Cousins and the Brunette

Being with him felt so natural, so right. I rested my chin on his shoulder, breathing in his clean, masculine scent. “Whatcha doing?” I murmured, my lips grazing his ear.

Sebastian turned to me with a soft smile. “Just creating a fake security breach for the heist,” he said, tapping a few keys on his laptop. His voice was low and smooth, sending a tingle down my arms.

“Oh? Very clever. That might come in handy.” I lifted my arm, trailing a finger along his jawline. The rough stubble contrasted deliciously with his tan skin.

Sebastian’s Adam’s apple bobbed and he swallowed hard. “Um, Brynn, I wanted to say...” He paused, his long lashes sweeping down. “I’m scared of messing this up. The pressure to always do the right thing, it’s hard. Except I’d rather risk failure than live knowing we didn’t do everything we could to stop Shoemaker, you know?”

I lowered my hand. My chest squeezed at the vulnerability in his tone. I cupped his chiseled face in my hands, tilting it towards me. “Seb, you’re the bravest person I know. And the smartest. We’ll follow your lead, without question.”

Emotion swelled in my heart when Sebastian leaned into my touch, his gaze locking with mine. Cerulean blue burned with intensity. “I’m glad you’re gonna help us, Brynn.”

I couldn’t resist any longer. I closed the distance between us, capturing his sensual mouth with mine. Sebastian responded, his lips covering mine with heated lust. I placed my hands around his back, holding him close as our tongues tangled and explored. He tasted divine, an addictive mix of coffee and pure male. His large hands gripped my waist, dragging me onto his lap so I straddled his hips. I gasped as his growing hardness pressed against my core. Sebastian’s fingers slipped beneath the hem of my shirt, caressing the sensitive skin at the small of my back and raising goosebumps in their wake.

Breathless, I broke the kiss and leaned my forehead against his, panting softly. Sebastian’s handsome face was flushed, his lush lips kiss-swollen and tempting. He kissed his forehead and slid off his lap before we got too carried away.

Braxton cleared his throat. “I have an idea…”

While the Porters discussed logistics, my old fears resurfaced, making me second-guess my place among the cousins—people who had become more than allies, my friends and lovers.

“Hey, Brynn,” Braxton said, pulling me aside from the group. “You look like you’re ready to bolt. You okay, sweetheart?”

Sebastian and Joel appeared with concerned faces.

I bit my lip, my gaze darting between the three Porter cousins. “I...I just can’t shake this feeling that I don’t belong here. That I’m some kind of imposter in your world…and that I should go home, back to Kay.”

Braxton’s eyebrows shot up. “Brynn, you’re practically family at this point. And Kay is welcome here anytime. You both are. Hell, you’ve seen us all naked.”

I snorted at that, feeling a bit of tension ease from my shoulders.

Joel stepped closer, his voice soft and intense. “You’ve earned your place with us, Brynn. More than earned it. Don’t let anyone tell you different.”

“He’s right,” Sebastian added, his tone gentle. “Your street smarts and resilience are exactly what we need for this heist. You bring a perspective we’ve been missing.”

I fidgeted with the hem of my t-shirt, still uncertain. “But what if I fuck this up? Hinder the caper?”

Braxton grinned. “Then we’ll just have to create a distraction. I vote for Joel doing a striptease at the gala.”

Joel shot him a withering glare. “I will end you.”

These men, so different yet united in their care for me, had become my anchor in this tumultuous world.

Sebastian placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “We believe in you, Brynn. It’s time you started believing in yourself.”

As I looked at each of them – Braxton’s sexy smirk, Joel’s steadfast gaze, Sebastian’s warm smile—I marveled at the twist of fate that had brought these three devoted lovers into my life. How had a girl like me ended up with not one, but three Elites who genuinely cared?

It was almost too good to be true. And that thought alone was enough to make me cautious.

Chapter Twelve

BRYNN AND THE GOONS

The night of the heist swallowed us whole. We crept toward Shoemaker’s mansion, it’s silhouette a dark monolith against the even darker sky. Not a sliver of moon offered solace and only oppressive clouds crammed overhead.

My nerves jangled like loose change in a dryer, but I forced myself to breathe. This was it - our one shot at taking down the man who’d made our lives a living hell. No pressure, right?

“Keep it tight,” Joel murmured.

The cousins and I huddled at a local park’s edge about a mile from the Shoemaker estate.

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