Page 48 of Brazen Deceits

“You good girls and your manners. Such a nuisance.” Without warning, Jansen rolls with me tight in his arms, somehow twisting so he lands in a squat next to the couch, scooping me into his arms on the way, so before I even realize we’re off the couch, he’s standing in the living room, carrying me like I’m his bride.

I giggle, and he kisses me quiet. We’re halfway up the stairs when Trips looms above us, excitement washing from his face as he sees us. “I’ve got something,” he says to Jansen, ignoring me completely.

I plaster on a sweet smile just to piss him off. “Oh? Do you need Jansen immediately? We’re a little busy.”

Jansen shakes around me, holding in his laughter.

“Yes. Immediately.” Trips’ nostrils flare as he glares at us.

Jansen carries me the rest of the way up the stairs, forcing Trips to turn sideways, my knees brushing against him with a little help from Jansen. He sets me down, his arms tight around my waist, my back to his front, nuzzling my hair. “Okay, I’m ready. What do you have?” he asks.

“Seriously?” Trips grumbles.

I can feel Jansen’s shoulders bounce behind me. “If she’s in, she’s in, right?”

Trips glares over my shoulder, and I make sure my sweet grin is still in place. I might literally kill the man with kindness. That’d be fun.

Trips huffs, focusing on Jansen. “Fine. You’re heading down to Kansas City. We have a lead, but it looks like that team is mobile. You’ll have to head out tonight.”

“But he just got back,” I say, covering Jansen’s arms with my own. My heart pinches—I need him. This week has been hell, and I just want someone who will hold me and not yell at me for one night. Just one night.

But Trips shakes his head, a nasty grin cutting across his face. “Nope. It’s gotta be tonight.”

Jansen sighs, kissing the top of my head. “Do I need to lift a car?”

“You should be fine on your own. There are no mob connections and they’re not our actual target, so it’s safe enough.”

“Doesn’t he need a buddy?” I ask.

Trips glowers. “Didn’t you hear me? No mob, no problem.”

I sink back against Jansen, not wanting to let go. He picks me up around the middle, and I squeal as he marches me to his room. “Text me the address. I’ll pack a bag,” he says, unlocking his room with one hand, tilting me onto one hip. I giggle as he swings open his door, catching one last glimpse of Trips’ furious face before Jansen throws me on his bed, kicking his door shut behind him.

He crawls over me, kissing me until I’m breathless, his hands slipping under my clothes, touching as much of me as possible. I return the favor, his skin soft and warm under my palms. He pulls back, a sad smile on his face.

“Do you really have to go? Right now?” I ask, tugging his waistband, trying to convince him to stay.

He flops down on top of me, squishing me while nibbling my ear. “Yeah. If they’re mobile, I’m only going to have a small window to catch them before they disappear again.”

I wrap my legs around his waist, forcing my ballooning emptiness back down. “Do you need help packing?”

He kisses me one last time before untangling from me. “Nope. I want you to lie there, looking like your usual delicious self, while I pack. I want to imagine you here in my bed while I’m gone.”

Rolling onto my side, I stroke over my curves like I know how to look appealing. “Would you prefer that memory to be clothed or naked?”

Watching my hand’s path, he reaches down for his backpack and misses. “I desperately want to say naked.”

“But?”

Giving up on his backpack, he kisses me again. “But if you’re naked, I’m not leaving this room for a long, long time.”

I lift the hem of my shirt, and he tackles me. “No, none of that.”

Framing his face in my hands, I sigh. “Fine.”

He kisses the tip of my nose before rolling back out of the bed, pulling dirty clothes out of his backpack and filling it with clean ones. Jansen even makes packing look like a dance, time disappearing like he soon will too.

Zipping the bag shut, he sits on the edge of his mattress, his hand resting on my hip. “I’ll hurry back, beautiful. I promise.”

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