Page 76 of The Fox

“Text Parker in the morning, tell her we will meet for breakfast. Right now, I just want to sleep with your body on mine, okay?”

“I am sorry. So, so sorry. I got it off as soon as I could, counted as quickly as possible. Gods, Rhodes. Ibrandedyou.”

“Kochanie.” She listens, her hand never pausing in giving Lennon affection. I know that if Lennon were to jump, Amelia would start picking at her nail beds. “You branded me. I told you to. You did what you needed to do and it will be okay. I am okay, we are okay.” I pull her into my arms, squishing Lennon in the process. An angry chirp from the Maine Coon draws a small giggle from Amelia and I tilt my head down to hers. “Let’s go to bed, yeah?”

I wrap my arm around her waist, tugging her into our bedroom. Amelia moves slowly, intentionally, as she pulls the fabric from her body, revealing herself to me. How far she has come, I think to myself. Tonight is not a night to instigate anything, but I will always caress her body with my gaze, traveling the folds and dips of her, and staring in awe at the way she takes up the space she is in.

“You’re staring, again.”

I smirk, thinking back to that day at Parker’s coffee shop when she’d allowed me to sit at her table. “You are gorgeous, Amelia.” It was true then and it remains true now. She blushes and makes her way toward my dresser, pulling a shirt from the drawer before finding a pair of sweatpants for me in the bottom. She pulls the cotton over her head, hiding her large breasts from my view and sets the sweats on the bed beside me. My chest twinges with pain.

“I wasn’t sure if you’d want help or not.”

I smile at her concern. “I think I’ll take cuddles, if you don’t mind.”

Amelia nods, crawling into bed, giving me a peek of her ass and bare pussy under my shirt before plopping down. I change my pants before following her into bed, draping the multiple blankets and quilts over us before nestling down and waiting for her to snuggle close.

“Thank you,” are the final words I hear as sleep comes for us both.

CHAPTER 53

Amelia---Plotting Calls For Coffee

After branding Rhodes last night, I am exhausted. There was a lot of processing I did both in the aftermath and when I woke up this morning. I understand why Rhodes wanted me to do it, I do. But to say that it was easy is not accurate at all. I hated every minute of it.

Just like I’m hating every minute of this morning. When I texted Parker to reschedule, I should have known that the fiery redhead would be on my doorstep, bright and early, instead of settling for lunch. No, instead, when I’d reached out, Parker took it upon herself to show up with coffee and breakfast, using her own key to barge right into my house. I wasn’t even dressed before Parker’s voice rang through the walls of my home.

The four of us are now settled at the kitchen island, a spread of coffee and breakfast before us.

“So,” Parker says, taking a sip of her coffee before settling back into her chair. “What is your plan? Run it past me one more time.” Duncan starts to answer, but Parker silences him with a look and a flick of her hand. “No, I need to hear it from Ames.”

I sigh, picking at the piece of French toast I’d plucked. “We are meeting at a warehouse.”

“Which one?”

“Your uncle’s. The one a few miles off the highway that he uses for negotiations, lots of windows.” Parker seems amenable with this, so I continue. “Medina and I will enter the building alone, have a conversation, and it will be over.”

“That easy?” Parker’s eyebrow lifts, her disbelief evident. “Ames.”

“Parks,” I snap back, keeping my tone playful, despite not feeling as such.

Parker purses her lips, leaning forward. “It isn’t that I don’t trust you, love. It is him I don’t trust. We both know the instant Medina sees an opportunity, he’d be stupid to not take it.”

“I know. I won’t give him one.” I shrug my shoulders at her statement.

A scoff comes from Duncan and Rhodes tenses at the noise. I don’t need them at odds. The whole point of this fucking meal was to just go over everything one last time.

“I will be in sight of Duncan the entire time, keeping my front facing the window he will be looking through. There will be two blades on me, plus an extra in my purse. I fully expect Medina to not follow through on his end, and anticipate an extra body being in the room as well.” I glance at Rhodes, noting the strain on his face. “I can throw my knives again.”

Parker nods, clearly used to the antics required of me. I know she won’t fight me on this. Duncan doesn’t have a choice. What I say goes since he is beneath me in rank.

I swirl my coffee, watching the liquid slosh against the paper cup. Parker made sure that I had my favorite latte this morning. I wonder if she’d done it intentionally, knowing this conversation would be frustrating.

“What is your plan if you are ambushed?”

“I won’t be.” I turn to Rhodes, taking several deep breaths. “I am not going into this meeting as myself, Ro. I have to present myself as The Fox.”

Rhodes suddenly stands, pushing the stool out from under him. He plants his hands on the sides of the countertop, hovering above me. I spin on my stool, finding his eyes lit with confidence and a small grin starts to form on my lips.

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