Page 28 of Rhys

Ending the call, Rhys slammed his laptop shut just as he caught sight of Vanessa coming down the stairs. And damn, she still looked stunning first thing in the morning.

The snug, well-worn jeans she had on made his mouth water, and the hunter green sweater really showcased the color of her eyes. It also accentuated the luscious curves of her firm breasts and narrow hips.

Hips he’d filled his hands with more times than he could count while she rode him into a state of euphoric ecstasy.

Focus, Maddox. Stay. Focused.

“Good morning.” She flashed him a hesitant smile.

The mixture of caution and sadness he found hiding in those gorgeous eyes of hers caused a tightening in his chest. Resisting the urge to rub over his aching heart, Rhys swallowed his regret and offered her a hesitant smile.

“Morning. How’d you sleep?”

“Okay, I guess.” She was clearly still favoring her left shoulder. “It took me a bit to find a comfortable position because—”

“You usually sleep on your left side.”

He hadn’t meant to finish that sentence for her. Hadn’t intended on revealing so much of what he remembered about their time together.

First the pizza, now this… What’s next, you planning on pulling out the ring and popping the question?

Rhys thought about the piece of jewelry still hidden in a box in the back of his closet. He wasn’t sure why he’d hung onto it. Wasn’t like he’d ever expected to see her again.

You kept it because it was the only thing you had left of her.

“Rhys?” Vanessa’s soft voice reached through his muddled thoughts. “You okay?”

“Huh? Oh, uh…yeah. I’m good. Just thinking about the plan for the day.”

“We’re still meeting your team this morning, right?”

Her hopeful tone only added to his acceptance that she wasn’t here to play him. She was here because she needed help going up against Kenneth Austin. And whatever the guy had planned, she’d risked her life to try to stop him.

“In an hour.” He nodded. “Which leaves us time for breakfast. You hungry?”

“Starved, actually.”

“Eggs okay?”

“Eggs are great. Thank you.”

Grateful for the reprieve, Rhys got busy scrambling up some eggs. Serving her portion with a side of antibiotics and ibuprofen, he made sure she took the pills before digging in to his own breakfast.

Say something, dickhead. She deserves to know that you know.

“I had Greyson check out your story.”

Vanessa froze, her fork balancing a generous bite as it hung precariously between her mouth and her plate. “My story?”

“About your parents and how you got started with the Agency.”

“You thought I was lying?”

Repeating her own words from last night, Rhys stared at her from across the table and shrugged. “Can you blame me?”

She laughed. It was a soft, breathy sound, and for a second he was thrown back in time.

God, I’ve missed that laugh.

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