Page 47 of Broken

I paced back and forth in the alley when the back door opened. The smell of Palo Santo and cardamon hit me and I knew Eric stood there.

He put his arm around my waist and pulled my back against his chest.

I leaned into his warmth. I needed some human connection to anchor me. I was so close to falling into my own darkness, I needed to be reminded that I'm still here, I'm still human. I moaned as his arms snaked around my waist bringing me in closer.

A moan escaped my lips as his soft lips brushed against my neck. The heat of his breath, a warm caress over my skin. The world began to slow again, I came back to where I needed to be. In Kai's arms.

No, I was with Eric, not Kai. I turned around in his arms to see his face. His big beautiful light brown eyes stared down at me, nothing but kindness in them. Would he still be kind and gentle with me if I told him I thought about another man while with him?

His lips were hot against mine. As we kissed, he guided us back towards the building until my back rested against the outside wall of the restaurant.

One of his hands slid down my waist to my bare thigh. The skirt I wore gave easy access to smooth flesh. He lifted my leg and rested it against his hip and every bit of me opened for his exploration. Fuck. I couldn't stop thinking about Kai.

Eric's hand slowly slid up my raised thigh, but I couldn't get Kai out of my head. The way he touched me, his hands firm, steady. His grip was strong but gentle at the same time. When Kai kissed me, it scared me all the way down to my core. When Eric kissed me, I thought about

Kai. Eric was a good guy, I needed to stop this.

I pushed at his chest, shaking my head. "Eric, I'm sorry. I can't do this."

He pulled away, he looked a little hurt, and a lot frustrated with an enormous erection in those blue jeans. Fucking hell, what had I done?

"I'm so sorry Eric."

"Hey." He was understanding and concerned for me. When I looked into his eyes, that reflected the tone in his voice. "It's okay Sinclair. I know you're dealing with family shit. Danielle told me your mom

passed away. I'm sorry. When you're ready, I'll be here."

There was no anger, no guilt pushed on me. He was warm, he wrapped his arms around me and kissed the top of my head. Eric offered to walk me to my car and promised no matter how things turned out between us, he wanted to work together, and at least be friends.

I was almost home when I remembered I left my mother's stupid ass ashes at my office. I sent a text to Danielle, letting her know I just needed to get my head straight and wasn't ready for anything more than one night with Eric.

She replied that she understood and loved me and promised coffee and donuts in the morning.

The resort's administrative offices were quiet at this hour. Everyone usually headed home before five o clock, and the office was a ghost town until eight in the morning when people slowly trickled in.

I picked up the box with my mother's ashes. The box sat ominously where the picture of Aine would be if Kai hadn't taken it with him. The fucker, I wanted my picture back. What gave him the right to take something from my desk? Especially the picture of me and my daughter. I was fuming. I grabbed the box of ashes and found the little room card sleeve with my resort's logo on the front. A room number, and the name Dr. Carter, were written on the back.

The mother fucker checked into my fucking resort. I was furious with Kai right now. First, he fills my head with happy little bullshit giving me hope, then I catch him with some redhead. Oh, wait, that was supposedly Cal's ginger, not Kais. Right. Like I was going to fall for his lies.

He had the fucking nerve to show up here, and act like I didn't do him a fucking favor by leaving him, twice. He knew as well as I did that I fucking ruined shit. And he took my fucking picture. The picture of my daughter. I wanted it back.

Kai could fuck right off if he thought I would let him walk into my life as if he belonged here and turned everything upside down. I gave up everything to make sure Mia, Noah, and even Kai were all safe from the monsters who ruled my life. If he couldn't see that on his own, I would make him.

He rented one of the cottages on the far end of the resort, away from the golf course. The room was dark from the outside, he either slept or went out to one of the bars in town.

I didn't fucking care; I wanted my picture. I pounded on the door; he better fucking be there. Thankfully, he didn't share any walls with other guests. That was the wonderful thing about the cottages, they gave a little more privacy than the typical rooms at the resort.

The door yanked open, and I barely missed banging my fist against

Kais's chest. "What the fuck Sin?" He looked like he had been sleeping.

"Where's my fucking picture?" I pushed past him and forced my way into his room, looking for the small frame. I surveyed the small living space of the cottage. There were take-out containers scattered on the coffee table, and at the small dinette by the little kitchen space.

"Sin. It's late and we need to talk." Kai closed the door and walked in my direction. He had nothing on but a pair of black boxer briefs. I imagined licking my way down his muscled chest, down to the elastic band of his underwear.

Fucking hell, this was a bad idea fueled by wine and disregarded arousal. "I want my fucking picture. Now."

"Can we do this tomorrow? You've been drinking. Where's our daughter?" Oh hell no. He did not just lay claim to my child. He had a right to Aine, I just didn't want to give him that right. Not now, not yet.

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