Page 65 of The Inquirer

He came with a shout, and I pressed my fingers hard against my clit, letting the sensation carry me over the edge, even as I swallowed everything he gave me. I kept him in my mouth as my climax flooded over me, sucking on him until he tugged on my hair to signal that he’d had enough.

My muscles were weak as I raised my head to look up at him. He took my face between his hands and pressed his lips to mine in a slow, sweet kiss. Then he kissed my forehead and pulled me up onto his lap.

“Thank you.” He kissed the side of my neck. “Thank you for giving me that. For trusting me.”

As he wrapped his arms around me, and I settled against his chest, I knew things between us had shifted. And I wasn’t nearly as scared as I always thought I would be. I was safe with him.

Twenty-Seven

Nyx

Since we were at my place, it only seemed fair I make him breakfast, but getting out of bed was harder than it should have been. Unlike the double in Bradyn’s cabin, my bed was a single, and it’d always been barely enough for me.

Even by himself, Bradyn would’ve been cramped. With two of us, we hadn’t really had an option that didn’t involve us being all tangled up together. Surprisingly, it hadn’t bothered me. Sure, if I had to sleep like this all the time, I’d probably hate it since stretching out wasn’t really possible, but for the here and now, I liked it. Hell, I liked it enough that I didn’t want to get up.

But I needed to go to the bathroom, and breakfast wasn’t going to make itself.

I stayed in the t-shirt and shorts I’d worn to bed, not even bothering to put on a bra. I rarely wore one when I was alone, and he’d seen me naked. If I felt comfortable enough with him to suck his dick, I could damn well walk around without a bra. The only thing I did do was brush out my hair and pull it back in a ponytail so it’d be out of my way.

I didn’t have much in the way of food since I hadn’t known when I’d be back, but I had frozen waffles and a bottle of maple syrup I always kept on hand for the times Rose came over. That girl loved her waffles. I’d buy more when I came back for good.

When?

Shit.

Between all the shit that going to see Ambrose had stirred up and then coming here, I’d forgotten that I had a choice to make. This new information changed things. Or, at least, it could change things. Whether or not it actually did was up to me.

I shook my head. I wasn’t even close to being awake enough to deal with this. I needed coffee and food. After that, I’d start with the decision-making.

I was refilling my coffee mug and pulling waffles from the toaster oven when Bradyn appeared in the kitchen. I was happy to see that he hadn’t put on a shirt or brushed his hair, but not just because he was insanely hot when he was all messy and half-naked. I liked that he felt comfortable enough here to come straight from bed to the table.

“Waffles?” He raised an eyebrow.

“Before you start thinking I have some great cooking skills, you should know I bought them. I can toast the hell out of them, but that’s the extent of my waffle-making skills.” I poured a second cup of coffee and held it out to him. “Have some caffeine.”

“That’s the sort of mornin’ after talk I like,” he teased as he took the mug. “I love your place, but that bed was not made for two people.”

I laughed. “I agree.”

I didn’t say anything about buying a new one for future sleepovers, but I also didn’t say that I wasn’t planning on having two people in it again either, so that was some growth there.

I waited until we were almost done with our food before I brought up the subject I’d put aside less than an hour ago. I trusted Bradyn, and he already knew most of the details of what was going on, which made him the most logical person to talk to about the choice I had to make.

“Can I get your opinion on something?”

He looked surprised but didn’t do anything but answer my question. “Sure.”

“Ambrose is the one who sent Min to me with this case,” I began. I spoke slowly, putting my thoughts together as I went. “He says he didn’t know that his family was connected to the case at all or that I’d end up in Savannah because of it. Except, I don’t know if I can believe him, and not just because of what his brother did to me. Apparently, ever since I told about Art molesting me, Ambrose has been playing puppet master – or maybe fairy godfather – to me. He says he’s the reason I was released at eighteen instead of twenty-one and why I was allowed to move from Rochester to New York City only a few days after my release.”

“Did he say you owed him?” Bradyn’s voice was tight, and when I looked at him, I saw the anger flashing in his eyes.

“No. He didn’t ask me for anything or even hint that he wanted something from me,” I said. “He feels guilty that he didn’t know what Art was doing to me.”

“Do you blame him? Ambrose, I mean? Do you blame him for not stoppin’ his brother?”

I shook my head. “Not really. Not for that.”

“But you do blame him for somethin’.” Bradyn made it a statement rather than a question.

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