Page 52 of City of Salvation

For the second time since waking up, tears pooled in my lash line— this time, I wasn’t fast enough to catch them. In two steps, Dex closed the distance between us, cocooning me in his arms.

His chest rumbled when he spoke.

“You know you can tell me shit, right?” He pushed me back far enough that our eyes connected, while keeping me close.

The way he searched my face made me nervous, like he was attempting to look past the camouflage I’d placed around my past. “I mean, we both know I can keep a secret. I didn’t tell any of my brothers about the shit with Gunner being in the FBI. And those guys are family.”

I still had so many questions surrounding that whole situation, but asking them now felt like I’d be opening up the floor for some form of Q&A time, and that was the exactoppositeof what I wanted to do right now. So, I did what I always did.

Deflect.

“I know I can tell you shit. I’m just emotional because I’m tired and hormonal,” I told him, pulling away from his hold. It felt too comforting and safe in his arms.

Too tempting to actually open up to him.

What looked like irritation or suspicion moved across his face, but it quickly disappeared behind a goofy grin. “Well, roomie, eat up,” he said, moving back into the kitchen and piling enough eggs and bacon to feed a family onto a plate.

He pushed the mountain of food my way, and another annoying twinge of giddiness fluttered in my stomach—more like in my ovaries. I was chalking the reaction up to some biological phenomenon that had us recognizing when another human was capable of taking care of us.

That was it. The only reason I was reacting was because of biology.

Notbecause I actuallylikedDex.

I moaned around the mouthful of fluffy eggs, distracted. Ryan and I were shit at cooking and rarely had anything homemade, so this was divine. Maybe I could convince Dex to let me come over for his food even after we weren’t roommates.

“Woman.” Dex’s irritated tone knocked me out of my musing. “It isextremelyhard to think of you in a friendly manner when you moan with a mouthful like that.”

His genuine irritation had me covering my laugh with my hand as he flipped me off.

“New roommate rule: no sex noises,” he said, pulling out a pad and pen and writing it in all capital letters before taping it to the fridge.

“Is this rule for, like, when I’m eating? I’m just wondering what I’m supposed to do when I’m getting off. Do I need to be quiet during my self-care routine?” I teased, not thinking through the consequences of my actions. One moment, Dex was beginning to make his way down the hall, and the next, I found myself trapped between the counter and his body.

It took all my control not to lean back into his chest. The way I wanted to fuck this man was at complete odds with the fact that I also did not want to fuck thingsupwith this man. Which was new territory for the girl who made no attachments.

Yet here I was doing exactly that with Dex.

“You know, this brings up something important we need to discuss.” His face was right next to mine, but I refused to look at him, pretending his proximity wasn’t affecting me in the least bit. Thank god his shirt was oversized, because mynipples would have been a dead giveaway to how much of an effect he was having on me.

“You want to discuss what my favorite vibrator is?” I asked, hoping being so blunt would put us on a more even footing. He currently had me feeling too out of sorts.

“No. Although, I am a vibrator connoisseur.” He spun the counter stool I was sitting on until our legs brushed against one another as he leaned over me.

Why do I always end up looking at him through my lashes like a lovesick woman?

“That’s not what we need to discuss. We need to talk about the fact that you and I are now a romantic item,” he said, a wicked look on his beautiful face.

“We are?” I squeaked, my throat suddenly dry as my brain tried to pull up vague memories of the conversation that happened last night at the club.

The smile he gave me was so sensual I wanted to melt. “Yes, Nikki, we are. And from now on, we are going to have to keep that little ruse up.What I need from you,” he tilted my chin up so I was staring into his eyes rather than at his pierced nipples.

I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me whole when he gave me a knowing smirk, because I mostdefinitelyhad been drooling over them. “Is for you to give me permission to touch you as if I really were your boyfriend.”

All of the teasing fell away, and his face turned serious. I didn’t think he had any idea how incredibly hot it was that consent was so important to him.

It was also depressing that something that should be a standard wasn’t, and that I found it attractive when I found someone who respected the concept in the way he did.

I’d assume Dex would say as much if I brought it up.

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