Page 18 of An Uncertain Claim

“I can’t believe it didn’t occur to us…I bet she did it herself. I just don’t know why.”

“Tanner, I’m too fucking tired to poke around in your mind to make sense of…whatever it is you are conversing with yourself about.”

“Peyton’s background check.”

“What about it?” He still didn’t make sense and it tempted me to hang up and go curl up in bed with Peyton.

“She has a degree in cybersecurity engineering.”

He hadn’t phrased it as a question because we both knew it to be correct, so I remained silent while I waited for him to make a point.

“You don’t graduate with a degree like that without having some decent hacking skills. All those records that were wiped clean…”

It all fell into place. “Well, damn,” I grumbled, annoyed at myself for not realizing this right away. “Peyton did it herself.”

“Most likely. But why?”

I grunted. “Another mystery I’ll probably have to drag out of her kicking and screaming.” Screaming…maybe I could use other methods of persuasion? My wolf perked up at the direction my thoughts had taken.

“If you bring her in, it might put her in a sharing mood,” he suggested. “Let her go over the details of her investigation, she might have some useful insight.”

Right. I had to go into KBO and didn’t have time to try out more…creative ways of making her talk.Later,I promised myself and my wolf.

“You’re right,” I told him, making the decision to take Peyton with me into the office. “Even if she can’t help with that, I’m sure we can find something to occupy her time because clearly leaving her home is not the solution. It’s part of the problem.”

Chapter Eleven

Peyton

My stomach rumbled and even though I would have preferred to go back to sleep, I couldn’t ignore my hunger any longer. At least my muscle fatigue had settled into a pleasant ache, the kind that reminded me I’d been thoroughly fucked. Over and over. Desire rushed to my core, and I groaned as I buried my head in a fluffy pillow.Seriously?I’d thought giving in to my lust and sleeping with Nathan would work at least some of it out of my system. Considering how many orgasms he’d given me in one night, I shouldn’t have been feeling anything but the ache. But fate liked fucking with me because it had only taken one thought about sex with Nathan to have my body burning for him. My panther nudged me, eager to search him out and have some more fun. I wasn’t completely opposed to the idea, though I still had some residual anger at her for convincing me to submit to Nathan so many times.

Another loud gurgle was followed by a low, sexy chuckle that sent a delicious little sizzle down my spine. “Good thing I brought you breakfast,” Nathan rumbled as the sound of feet padding over carpet came closer.

I turned my head toward the sound of his voice and opened one eyelid. He stood in nothing but a loose pair of basketball shorts while holding a tray.

“You’re the best,” I sighed as mouth watering aromas emanated from the dishes. It just barely kept my attention off his equally edible body.

“So you’ve said.”

I opened my other eye and narrowed them both. “I don’t recall using those words.”

A corner of Nathan’s mouth lifted. “I inferred it from all the screaming.”

My mouth opened to spit out a rejoinder, but honestly, he had me there, so I shrugged. “Can’t argue with that.”

Nathan’s mouth spread into an arrogant grin, and I put my face back into the pillow.

“If your head gets stuck in the door on the way out of the room and I have to loosen it with butter, I’ll never say anything nice about you ever again.”

The sound of Nathan’s rich, hearty laughter filled my ears and sent a warm fuzzy feeling through my body. My panther loved the sound too and she always purred in response. It only took a little time in Nathan’s presence to know that he wasn’t someone who was quick with a smile or a laugh. But, when we weren’t verbally sparring or having sex, I’d seen both happen more than I expected. It made me happy to know that despite how frequently I drove him crazy, he still seemed to enjoy my company. It made me more and more confident that we were building a friendship that would make raising a kid together less complicated.

“Come on, baby,” he urged, his tone still amused. “Don’t let your breakfast cool.”

Sluggishly, I pulled my knees up and pushed with my arms until I could crawl around to sit with my back against the headboard. I reached for the tray, licking my lips in anticipation, but Nathan didn’t hand it over and I glanced up to see his silver eyes turn molten as they scanned my naked body.

“If you want to eat your food, rather than me eating you, I suggest you stop licking your lips and cover up,” he ground out in a deep, gritty tone.

More sizzles.

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