Page 23 of Shattered

Waking up rock-hard and alone was my new version of normal. Nevertheless, until I could convince Jade what we had was real and permanent, my right hand would be getting a thorough workout in the shower. I didn’t give a fuck how long it took, or how many mountains I had to climb; she was worth the effort.

Eight days ago, we said our vows and since then, when I wasn’t at work, I was with Jade. Each night, we worked side by side, transforming her house into a home she could be proud of. I laughed to myself when I thought back to the first night I showed up unexpectedly.

“What are you doing here?”

She answered the door wearing paint-splattered overalls with her hair thrown up in a messy ponytail. She’d never looked more beautiful.

“Hello to you too, Angel.” She raised a brow, but didn’t otherwise move. Relenting, I explained, “I told you I wanted to help, so I’m helping.”

I raised my hands to show her the six-pack of beer in onehand and the bag filled with supplies I’d nabbed from the hardware store in the other.

“Well, since you brought refreshments, I guess you can come in.”

Stepping back, she waved me through, leading me toward the living room where she had a drop cloth spread out on the floor. A large bucket of blue paint sat open in the middle with a silver pan and one of those roller pans inside.

Once I emptied my hands, I snagged the opportunity to reacquaint myself with my wife’s heavenly lips. The kiss was meant to be innocent and brief, a reminder of sorts, except it spiraled straight down Carnal Street in a hurry. Her back was against the wall and her shapely legs were wrapped around my waist in an instant. My hunger for her knew no bounds and if it hadn’t been for Jett’s untimely entrance, my hands may have gotten to explore more than her fine ass.

As it was, my dick was trying to break through the zipper of my jeans, which made for a rather uncomfortable few minutes.

“Don’t stop on my account.” The cockblocker smirked.

“Jesus, Jett.” Her legs untwined and she slid down the front of my body, undoubtedly feeling how much she’d affected me. “I thought you were studying.”

“I heard the doorbell and thought maybe you’d ordered food.”

“You already ate dinner.”

He patted his stomach. “I’m a growing boy.”

“I’ll order pizza,” I offered.

“Awesome.” He grinned at the same time Jade said, “That’s not necessary.”

Two large, extra pepperoni pizzas later, the three of us had worked in tandem to finish painting the largest wall.

“Uh, babe?” I snickered, pointing at the blue dots litteringher exposed arm. “Did you get any on the actual wall?”

“Oh, you think it’s funny, do you?”

I should’ve known she was up to something when she moved toward me. In my defense, I was too busy staring at the way her hips swayed sensually from side to side to notice the paint roller in her right hand. Looking down in disbelief at the perfect line of cerulean blue from my crotch to the neck of my old AC/DC T-shirt, I moved on instinct, snagging her around the waist and taking us both to the floor. She bucked and kicked out as I straddled her hips, then squealed to the heavens when I tickled her mercilessly.

“I’m outta here,” Jett grumbled, tossing his paintbrush into the nearest can.

It was the best night I could remember in my twenty-five years.

Strolling into the office on a Saturday morning wasn’t how I pictured spending Jett’s sixteenth birthday. We had plans later in the afternoon to celebrate and I prayed whatever dragged us into work on our day off would be finished by then. That said, when Duncan sends a group text stating “Office, 9 sharp,” you got there fifteen minutes early.

So there I was, back against the counter, slurping down my second cup of coffee, waiting for everyone else to arrive with my wedding ring blazing a hole in my front pants pocket. All week, I’d reluctantly taken it off after my shower, but for some reason could never bring myself to leave it at home. While Jade’s resistance was understandable, I despised lying to my team…my best friends. She was new to our circle and hadn’t fully learned to trust in their loyalty. It would come eventually.

Keaton and Noah walked through the door next, followed by Lanie minutes later. I didn’t realize Duncanhad been in his office the entire time until his door swung open at nine o’clock on the dot, scaring the hell out of all of us.

“Seriously? Gonna buy you a bell to wear around your neck,” Lanie grumbled.

At six foot six and two hundred sixty-five pounds of solid muscle, Duncan Parker moved fast as lightning and silent as a ghost. His hand-to-hand combat training exceeded anything we’d learned in Quantico, making him both the perfect mentor and a lethal competitor. The circumstances surrounding the years before he joined the FBI were a mystery and had mostly been redacted. What we did know was he’d been working undercover on a huge international case when his cover was blown. Hell, for all we knew, Duncan wasn’t even his real name.

“Bell or not, you’d still never hear me coming,” he quipped.

“Sorry I’m late.” Waverly rushed through the tempered front doors carrying an iced coffee. “Remind me to steer clear of the coffee shop on West 3rd. I couldn’t get the Mayor to stop yapping his jaws long enough to pay for my order.”

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