Page 124 of Roses in Summer

Lincoln turns off the water and grabs my hand again, delving into silent communication as he leads me into his room. When he first brought me into the bedroom, I didn’t have a moment to absorb my surroundings, but now, standing on my feet, I’m able to see the full scope of the space.

In the center of the room is a large black upholstered bed. White bedding rests on top of it, while natural wood-colored nightstands are on either side, holding lamps and a watch winder.

“Here, ciern. It’ll be big, but you can keep it.” I turn my attention back to Lincoln, or more specifically, to the T-shirt in his outstretched hand. Grateful for the clothing, I take it from him and slip it on, enveloped in his scent immediately. I breathe deep, inhaling the woodsy notes, and sink down on the bed, pleased by how comfortable the mattress feels under my body.

Belatedly, I remember that I had a momentary discomfort regarding Gemma once sleeping in this bed, but after tonight, I can’t bring myself to care.

“Let’s get you comfortable, ciern,” Lincoln whispers, reaching behind me and pulling down the comforter for me to slide in. I follow his cue and crawl up the mattress, lying under the covers as he pulls them up to my chin.

He leans over, kissing me on the forehead before standing up and flicking the lamp on the nightstand. “I’ll be right back.”

I pull my brows in, curiosity heating my gaze. “You’re not joining me?”

“I need to make a call.”

“But you don’t have a phone.”

“I have an old one I can turn back on. I’ll be back in a minute.”

I close my eyes as he shuts the door behind him, sealing me and my dreams inside his bedroom.

46

Lincoln

Closing the door softly behind me, I wander to my kitchen and open the drawer dedicated to junk. It doesn’t take me long to find the spare phone I keep in case of emergencies. Plugging the device into the wall, I wait for it to turn on and then follow the prompts to upload my data from the cloud.

Navigating to my contact list, I find Grey’s name and select the call option. It doesn’t take more than two rings for him to respond.

“Linc,” he greets, voice in a whisper.

“How’s Ava?”

I hear a door close on the other end of the phone. “She’s shaken. Shit brings back memories from Felicity.” His voice is louder now, so I have to assume she’s sleeping and he’s in a different room.

“And Bianca?”

“She’s at Rafe’s. Said she didn’t want to hear us fucking or something weird like that. How is smalls holding up?”

My mind drifts to my woman in my bed, her damp hair fanning out over my pillows like a curtain. “She’s been better. Have you spoken to Rafe?”

“He called thirty minutes ago. Their investigators are heading to the site now that the fire is out, and they assessed the building for structural damage. He wants us to come to his apartment in the morning.”

“Not the precinct?”

“No. He said ten. You good with that?”

“Send me his address. I’ll see you tomorrow.” I end the call, tossing it back on the counter as I rub a hand over my face. When I left Seraphina’s bed this morning, I knew we’d end up here: her nestled under my comforter and infiltrating every aspect of my life. I thought I’d take her to see the pretty flowers she likes, take her for dinner, and then worship her body until she begged me to stop.

A fire wasn’t on my to-do list.

“Kurwa mac,”Fucking hell, I mutter into the space, flicking off the lights as I make my way back into the bedroom where Seraphina rests. The moment I see her in my bed, something inside me breaks.

I eat the distance between me and the bed, diving under the covers and pulling her into my body. I breathe in her scent, the citrus that’s now so fucking familiar, I’ll never again eat a grapefruit without thinking about her. She stirs as I hold her, eyes blinking sleep away as she focuses on me.

“Linc?”

I push up her T-shirt, drawing it over her head and throwing it over the side of the bed. “I need you, Seraphina. Like this.” She parts her mouth at my words, tongue peeking out to lick her lips. I keep my eyes on her face, waiting for any sign of hesitation or disinterest. None comes as I reach down and pull her leg over my hip, fitting my fabric-covered pelvis against her groin. Her breathy gasp lets me know she’s as affected as I am, and I shift my hand, rubbing my knuckles against her pussy as I pull on my briefs and lower them over my cock.

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