Page 50 of Born for Starlight

"French toast every time."

I laughed. It came up from somewhere deep and rolled through both of us, and she grinned against my skin, and I held her tighter and pressed my mouth into her ruined hair.

"Every time," I agreed.

She hummed, satisfied, and went boneless against me, her fingers drawing lazy lines on my chest.

Then.

Then it came. Roiling up from my gut, grabbing me by the throat. Something good happens. No. Something fucking great happens, and my fucked-up life comes in to ruin it. Just like Little Grandma warned me.

Angelica sighed against my chest, sweet and slow, half asleep again already.

I nuzzled her hair and closed my eyes.

Well, not this time. I was going to find a way to do both. Stop the bastards and keep her.

And if it ever came down to one or the other?

Fuck the job.

Fuck everything but the woman in my arms. She was what really mattered.

And I'd take this, for as long as I could make it last.

Chapter Sixteen

The Onyx Security parking lot was full. Code's truck. Both Simon's and Jase’s SUVs, because they both had more than one child. And a black sedan with rental plates and a coating of airport parking grime that told me my brother Bruno had flown in from DC.

For a meeting. About my trip.

I sat in my car for a full minute and did not get out.

The whole town knew. Lettie had made sure of it, bless her gossiping heart. Not that the town wouldn’t have figured it out when Matthew's rental car never moved from my driveway for two whole days after the wedding.

This morning when I’d walked into Java Jolt, all heads had turned my way, as if I were still wearing the same dress I’d worn for the wedding. I ignored them all, just like I had ignored Ruby’s silly grin when she had handed me my latte, which was on the house. “A girl can’t live on cinnamon French toast alone,” she’d said.

Yep, the gossip mill was in fine working order.

I got out of the car, squared my shoulders, and walked in like I was arriving at my own premiere.

I had done press junkets with a hundred-and-four-degree fever. I could do a conference room full of my male relatives.

The receptionist did not smirk. She smiled, which was worse, because it was a kind smile. I made it down the hall to the conference room, took a breath, and pushed open the door.

They were all there. Code at the head of the table with a file in front of him. Simon by the window with his arms crossed. Jase sprawled in a chair like he owned the furniture. Bruno stood by the coffee, and when he saw me his face went through about four expressions before it settled on big brother.

And Matthew.

Matthew got up out of his chair the second the door opened. He crossed the room, took my hand, and kissed me. Not a peck. Not a temple kiss. A real kiss, unhurried, right in front of my entire family and half the ownership of Onyx Security.

Somebody's coffee mug hit a table, hard. That would be Bruno.

Matthew pulled back, looked at me like I was the only person in the room, and said, "Good morning."

"Good morning," I managed.

Every ounce of shame I had carried across that parking lot was gone. Matthew had burned it off in one kiss. It took me a nanosecond to realize he had done it on purpose.