Page 44 of Take Me, Sir

Kyndall

When I offeredto put Anthony down for the night, I knew I was taking a risk leaving Dean and Dalton together without me, but they'd both promised to put forth an effort, so I figured it was worth it to see if it was possible for us to have a civilized meal together.

Then I came back into the living room to find them behaving as if nothing had happened. There was still a bit of awkwardness there, but none of the tension I'd felt before.

Men.

The three of us went into the kitchen to help Juliette finish up, and as the guys carried things into the kitchen, I pulled Juliette aside.

“Did you say something to them?”

She shook her head. “I thought you did.”

“No.” I looked toward the sound of their voices. “I have no clue what happened.”

She gave me a searching look. “Does it really matter?”

I thought about it for a moment before shaking my head. “Not really.” I picked up a plate of steamed vegetables. “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“When I was here before, you and Dalton were arguing, but when I saw you at the club, you guys looked fine.” I flushed but forced myself to continue. I needed to know what happened, how they'd gotten past it. My own parents had rarely argued, at least not in front of us kids. “What happened?”

She leaned back against the counter, clearly considering my question. “Eventually, he realized that he was out of line for what he said, and I acknowledged that he hadn't meant things to come out like they had. He apologized, I accepted, and we moved on.”

“So you two are okay?”

She smiled as she straightened. “We are.” She started past me, then stopped to look back. “Communication, honesty, and not holding grudges. Dalton and I may not have had the most traditional courtship, but those parts of any relationship are important, no matter what the other particulars are.”

“Thanks.” The last of the unease I'd felt melted away. I still didn't know where things were going to go with Dean, but I felt a lot better about the possibilities now.

The rest of the evening passed by without a hitch. We ate and joked and shared. It was the first time I'd truly felt like an adult when talking to my brother. We took care around subjects that could lead to anything controversial, but I knew that things would only get easier from here.

By the time Dean and I were walking toward the door, I felt like I was on cloud nine. I didn't want the night to end, and since we were only one floor up from my apartment, it'd be easy enough to make sure it didn't.

“Do you have any plans for tonight?” I asked as Dean and I stepped onto the elevator.

He put his hands on my hips and pulled me against him as the doors closed. “I was hoping to.”

He leaned down and nuzzled the spot under my ear that made my stomach flutter. The doors dinged open, and I took his hand, pulling him after me. The moment we were inside my apartment, his hands were on me, sliding under the back of my shirt, then down over my ass.

I kissed his throat, the scrape of stubble against my cheek and lips turning me on more than should have been possible. I wanted to feel that sensual abrasion against my inner thighs.

“Do you trust me?”

Dean's question had me raising my head to look at him. “I do.”

His fingers dug into my ass as he lifted me. I wrapped my legs around his waist, arms around his neck. As if I weighed nothing, he carried me through my bedroom and into my bathroom. He set me down and covered my mouth with his. His fingers twisted through my hair, sending small jolts of pain through my scalp as his movement tugged at my roots. I moaned as his tongue slipped across mine, exploring my mouth with a patience that didn't match the urgency I felt in his body.

When he finally lifted his head, we were both breathless. He rested his forehead against mine for a moment, and I let myself enjoy simply being with him.

“Shower,” he said, his voice rough. “I'm going to get some things set up.”

I nodded, not understanding but not caring. I meant it when I said that I trusted him.

He took a step back, letting his fingers trail across my cheek before dropping to his side. “Be thorough.”

It took a moment for the meaning to register, and when it did, heat flooded my face. “Oh.”

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