Page 16 of Their Virgins Secret

“Burke is right, Jessa. Nothing has to happen at all. We’re not going to be mad,” Cole assured, his voice low.

“I’ll be mad. ” Jessa frowned, turning her face up to his. “I’ll be very mad. I was promised sex. ”

He kissed the tip of her nose. “I think we can handle that. ”

She nodded and pulled away. “I just want to freshen up is all. Give me a couple of minutes. I promise you that I want this. I want you both. ”

She disappeared into the bathroom.

“This is a bad idea. ” Cole was always the voice of doom.

“Shut up, Eeyore. She’s made her decision. ” Burke looked at his brother with a sigh. “I really like this girl. ”

“You think I don’t?” Cole challenged. “I’m crazy about her. I don’t think I’ve ever…”

Cole didn’t finish his sentence, but he didn’t have to. Burke understood precisely how he felt. He felt it, too. Jessa was special. In fact, she just might be the one. The ease with which she’d handled Cole’s withdrawal into himself proved it. She understood and accepted that they were a strange package deal. Burke couldn’t remember a time when he hadn’t had his brother to rely on—and in many ways to take care of. Cole was more thoughtful, but he brooded. He’d let their fucker of an uncle crawl in his head, and he carried scars on his heart. Burke often had to pull him out of the darkness. Maybe Jessa could finally convince his brother that he was not only worthwhile, but perfect.

Of course, Cole was the one who had Burke’s back and had risked everything to save him in Afghanistan. Cole was the one who had taken care of his ass, leaving his own military career behind when Burke had taken an IED. Burke might be more functional, more charming, but he couldn’t do much without his brother.

“I know the timing sucks,” Burke offered.

“We have a meeting soon where we’re basically buying a human being. These people are dangerous. ”

“We’re saving a girl. We’re not the bad guys here. ” And he wasn’t about to let the best thing that had happened to them slip through their fingers. Jessa didn’t have anything to do with their undercover work. They would catch the bad guys, save the girls, then come back and claim their own woman. End of story.

“And what happens if we find out Alea has already been transported to South America? You know it’s unlikely that she’s still in New York. We have to find her. We owe it to her cousins. Fuck. We owe it to her. ”

That was Cole in a nutshell. He wanted to save the whole fucking world. He might be dark, but he truly believed in the light. “We’ll find Alea and bring down Delgado, but I want Jessa. Don’t we get some reward for all the shit we do? Doesn’t the universe owe us one little slice of happiness? A goddamn future?”

He knew it sounded selfish, but he had to believe that the battles he’d fought for his country and his fellow man would net him a little happiness. He needed to believe that one day he could lay down his gun and sink into a happy marriage and family, even if his picket fence didn’t look all Normal Rockwell.

“Hey. ” Cole put a hand on his shoulder. “I understand. I want her as much as you do. I want her so fucking bad. But I’m scared. I don’t think I can change. I need some dark stuff. Maybe not tonight, but sooner or later. ” He paused. “I don’t want to hurt her. I’ll leave her to you. I’ll handle the business, and you can be happy. ”

Always the damn martyr. “I don’t—”

“What about what I want?” Jessa asked.

Burke turned and saw her standing in the bathroom door wearing nothing but the luxurious robe the hotel provided. Her auburn hair lay against the soft white velour. She’d tied the robe at the waist, but it still gaped, showing porcelain skin and the hint of round breasts.

“He’s being a self-sacrificing idiot,” Burke said. There was no other way to describe it. His brother huffed and sent him a dirty look.

Jessa merely smiled, looking on with a lazy, sexy indulgence. “He’s good at that. But I won’t have it. ”

“Jessa…” Cole began, his brow furrowing.

“We covered this,” Jessa said. “I want you, Cole, no matter how brooding or dark. I don’t just want Burke’s vibrance. I can be difficult, too. I’m not always sweet. Seriously, I’m on my best behavior. But I can be stubborn. When I feel like I’m in a corner, I come out scratching and clawing. I can get lost in my work and forget people exist. I’m not perfect. Can you handle that?”

“I can. ” Burke was so fucking proud of her. He’d known her for such a short time, but she’d filled up his whole heart so quickly. Sweet and funny and brave. She was smart and talented, and she knew how to handle them. That was so fucking sexy to him.

“You’re sure?” Cole asked.

Burke watched her gather her patience. “Yes. ”

Cole hesitated, drew in a deep breath, then. . . “Strip. ”

His brother’s inner caveman had emerged, and for the first time, Jessa’s confidence faltered. Her hands came up to the flaps of the robe, nervously pulling them together.

“Don’t, sweetheart,” Burke coached. “You’ve handled him beautifully so far. Don’t stop now. Drop the robe. He wants to inspect you. I want to look at you, too. I want to see the body that’s going to belong to us soon. ”

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