Page 26 of If Tomorrow Never Comes

The sound of the machine brewing fills the room. I open the refrigerator and look around for the half-and-half. Coming up empty, I close the door.Fuck it. I’ll drink it black at this point. I let out a little yelp when I spot Diego leaning against the island with the carton in his hand.

“Looking for this,Mariposita?” He shakes it for emphasis.

I grab the carton from his hands more aggressively than intended. “Thank you,” I say in a clipped tone.

Turning my back to him, I snatch my mug of freshly brewed dark roast and bring it to my nose, summoning feelings of instant relief and comfort. It enriches and awakens my soul. My eyes close as I lean against the granite countertop.

“Ahhh, I missed you so much,” I whisper.

“You weren’t gonethatlong, baby. But, I missed you, too.” Diego’s gravelly voice breaks into a chuckle.

Slamming my mug down, I open my eyes to scowl at him. Scalding hot liquid sloshes over the rim, burning my finger. I pop the knuckle into my mouth and suck on it to relieve the pain. Diego’s eyes blaze as he takes in my lips. Heat scorches across my body, much hotter than the coffee spilled. I pull my finger away and continue my task…temporarily ignoring the intensity of those blue orbs while sprinkling in two spoonfuls of sugar and a healthy splash of half-and-half.

Knowing I can’t ignore him forever, I lean my hip against the counter and turn toward him a fraction, clutching the steaming mug between my hands. “And for yourinformation—I was talking to my coffee.”

He barks out a laugh again, his arms crossed over his solid chest. Every tendon and vein is on display. “What did I tell youabout talking to inanimate objects,Mariposita?” He arches a brow at me.

A light-hearted laugh tries slipping past my lips. I bite them instead and shake my head. Diego’s throat bobs. He swallows a few times before regaining control of his features. If I am going to ignore this thing between us I’ll need to do the same. I grab a banana off the hook of the fruit basket and make my way to the table.

Selena is sitting there sipping on coffee and watching us interact. I completely forgot she was there. Her eyes volley between us over the rim of the mug looking more amused than anything. It’s when Diego pulls out the chair adjacent to his, that her eyebrows raise then come together in vacillation.

Diego takes a seat and Selena shoots him a stern look. Some unspoken words are exchanged between the two siblings. Diego just smirks and flips her off. She sticks her tongue out before responding. “Flip me off one more time tonight, andI willbreak that finger off your hand,” she hisses.

“Oooh. Trying to steal my M.O., Sel? You’ll have to break a hell of a lot more bones than that to get my title.Thousands.” He smirks at her playfully before taking a sip of his coffee and leaning back in his chair. He winces briefly before masking the discomfort of his ribs.

A shiver runs up my spine hearing just how lethal this man truly is. My eyes linger on his hands resting on his stomach with ease. I could catch flies with the way my mouth is hanging open.

Thousands of bones.

Those hands have the power to obliterate anyone or anything in his path.

Just when I thought his hands were the most lethal thing about him, my eyes meet his.

Nope.Those eyes are.

Like a siren, they lure you in with their beauty and hold you captive—slowly dragging you under the surface until you can’ttell which way is up. I didn’t even realize how long I was drowning in them until the chair next to me scraped against the floor. A tattooed arm laces around my shoulders, pulling me close. Smoke and lavender permeate the air.

Killian comes striding in from the sliding doors. He leans down to kiss the top of Selena’s head before plopping next to her with a sigh. Declan returns from the bathroom a few moments later, eyeing Diego the whole time. His green eyes swirl with wariness.

Silently, I take it all in, sipping my coffee, and humming my approval. Liam chuckles beside me. “Feeling better, love?”

“Much. How about you?” I raise an inquisitive eyebrow.

“Better—for now.” He gives the back of my neck a gentle squeeze. His index finger lazily traces circles on a spot I didn’t even know was erogenous until now. The feather-light touch is ticklish and sensitive at the same time. All of my nerve endings are firing off. I squirm in my chair already wishing to head back to our room for the night.

Liam takes advantage of my moment of weakness, gliding his hand over my shoulder and down my arm until his fingers graze my thigh under the table. He continues his expedition, finding the seam of my sweatpants and sliding his middle finger up and down it. My hand shoots out as he makes contact, digging my nails into him in warning and trying to swat his hand away.He needs to knock it off.We need to focus on ways to take down Geraldo.

I clear my throat when he ignores me, increasing his pressure and circling my clit. The soft lace of my new panties dampens as liquid heat begins to pool.

My cheeks grow hotter.

“So…what we were discussing while you were showering,Madison,” Killian begins, curiosity and amusement shadowing his face as he redirects his focus to me. He inhales deeply through his nose, “Was that…it will be—” reprimanding eyes dart to Liam’s before continuing, “—importantto keep things just as we had agreed upon with Geraldo.”

“Mhmmmm,” I moan and respond simultaneously.

My hands begin to shake from the impending climax building inside me. I grab the banana and start peeling it, giving myself some form of distraction. Liam just continues with his tactical ministrations, discreetly snorting with laughter and satisfaction. I don’t think he is even paying attention to what’s being said. He’s too busy admiring the flush crawl across my skin.

“Liam won’t like this.” Killian eyes his brother again. “It will be best to keep up the guise that we are recovering from his loss. We will appear distracted and not a current threat, encouraging Geraldo to slightly drop his guard. With that being said, Liam will be heading to Ireland to spend some quality time with our family there. He needs to stay off the radar for this plan to work. If Geraldo even catches a whisper of Liam being alive, this whole plan will go to shit. He won’t trust Diego, and we won’t have the ability to strike together.” Diego nods his head in my peripheral, agreeing with Killian.

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