Cease Fire (Blackbridge Security 9)

“Do you guys need a few private moments?”

I pull back suddenly, my face heating at the sound of his mom’s voice.

I turn, using my forearm to wipe at my lips to find her grinning at the two of us.

“Yes,” Kit says, clasping my hand.

“No,” I tell her, my face on fire.

The people in the Riggs family aren’t strangers to PDAs, but it’s new for me. I’ve brought boyfriends around in the past because that was expected, but I shied away from kissing any of them in front of their family. I never wanted to make Kit jealous, and I certainly didn’t feel like kissing them once I was near him.

“You two are just the cutest,” she says, her smile wide and welcoming. “Where should I put this lamp?”

“I’ll show you,” Kit says, pressing a kiss to my temple before walking away.

We get busy, unpacking the things I’ll need before we move to a larger condo, and the day just seems to fly by.

Wren, Brooks, and Ignacio show up to help, making me realize that they already know all of the family. Brooks, as Kit’s best friend, but the other guys clap Gannon, Anders, and Walter on the back with familiarity as well.

I’m replacing Kit’s worn out toaster oven with my newer one when I see Brooks walk across the room toward Marjorie. The older woman doesn’t miss a beat wrapping him in a hug. She whispers something in his ear, making his cheeks flare red. He looks a little stunned when she walks away, and then his eyes find mine.

He walks across the room, the weirdest look on his face when he approaches me.

“What?”

He shakes his head, but my curiosity is piqued.

“What did she say to you?”

“She said that she hopes my partner isn’t upset about what happened.”

“You’re dating?” I haven’t once brought up Archer Bremen with him since the day I forced him to play baby daddy. I still feel guilt over being such an asshole that day, and I don’t imagine that’s going away any time soon.

“Partner, Jules. Not girlfriend. Does she know?” He looks alarmed, but also somehow at peace at the same time. It’s a weird mix of emotions he must be going through right now.

“Know what?” I ask, giving him a little smile. “There’s nothing to know, right?”

His eyes dart away from mine. He looks like he wants to say something, but he doesn’t open his mouth before walking away.

Kit joins me in the kitchen, his arms once again going around my middle, hands resting over the bump under my clothes.

“I invited everyone to stay for dinner,” he says. “Everyone declined.”

“Annoyed with us already?” I tease.

I feel his shoulders lift behind me in a shrug. “How horrible is it that I didn’t even want to ask? I just want you all to myself.”

I huff a laugh. I’d complain about him always wanting me naked, but I enjoy every single second of it.

“Plus, Dad carried in one of the boxes marked bedroom.”

“Oh God,” I hiss, understanding why his tone just changed. “Did he open the box?”

Kit laughs. “He closed it very quickly.”

I drop my head into my hands. “I’m going to die of embarrassment.”

“You’re going to show me exactly how that rose toy works the second they leave.”

My body tingles. That damn toy was my go-to before hooking up with him. I’d spent many nights alone with it instead of going out. Men were more trouble than they were worth, and that toy never argued or made cheesy comments. It was the perfect boyfriend.

Despite not needing anything like that now, I can’t argue with how my body reacts at imagining him watching me while I use it.

“Not afraid of a little competition?” I ask, my voice getting lower when Jason waves his goodbye from the front door.

“Never.”

“That thing gets me off in like a minute.”

“And you did that on my dick just as fast this morning, baby.”

He nips at my ear before walking away.

I continue to get the kitchen in order, smiling as I watch him start to usher everyone out, telling them thanks for the help but we have it from here.

My face flushes again when Walter waves to me before walking out the door. I’m thirty-five years old and still embarrassed for my soon-to-be father-in-law knowing I have a box full of sex toys.

Brooks, Wren, and Ignacio hover close, waiting to say goodbye, but then Brooks’s phone chimes with a text, and he darts out of the condo without even looking up at anyone.

I hope that man finds love. I hope he can be true to himself. I pray no one in his life makes him feel like he has to keep secrets in fear of losing them.

I know that struggle. I know what it’s like to fight feelings because I felt like what I was doing was wrong.