The Payback (Team Zulu 2)

21

Sage

Therewasalogicalexplanation for what we were doing. There had to be. But I was struggling to think about anything other than the taste of Brandon’s tongue, his warmth, his scent, the way he moaned as I leaned into him. Because kissing this man was…intense.

All-consuming.

Rule shattering.

Where were my precious commandments now? At some point during our stay in this hotel, I’d extracted my brain and tossed it down the elevator shaft. Except what we were doing didn’t feel wrong. It felt so veryright.

The more I got to know Brandon, my attraction to him only became harder to ignore. He was still my cocky, sexy-as-sin neighbor, but now I also knew him to be altruistic and braver than anyone I’d met. Seeing this side of him made me question everything. It wasn’t supposed to be this way.

The time we’d spent together in this room made me understand him better. Brandon continued to surprise me with his thoughtfulness and generosity. And I…I trusted him, with more than my life. So if he assured me we could kiss without it leading to something more, then I wanted it, if only to satisfy the irrational urge to try it once.

There was just one problem. Kissing Brandon was intoxicating. Addictive.

His eyes. Oh, how they burned. Like cool water with flames licking wildly at the surface. The way he stared at me made me think he was seconds from throwing me on the bed, tearing off my clothes, and screwing me senseless. Most disconcerting of all? That didn’t sound like a bad idea anymore.

My pulse throbbed between my thighs, and my panties were drenched. It took all my willpower not to climb on Brandon’s lap, straddle him, and grind myself against the bulge in his jeans to find the friction I desperately needed.

I weaved my fingers through Brandon’s thick dark hair and grazed my teeth over his full bottom lip. His responding growl made my core tighten. Deep down, I knew this had to stop. Except right now, I didn’t care. I only wanted more of this thing I’d convinced myself was forbidden. I could hardly remember why anymore.

Your rules.

Your oh-so-crushable heart.

Your habit of making stupid decisions that put people’s lives in danger.

The thought was like a bucket of icy water tossed over my head. I pulled back fast. My hand flew to my mouth, where I could still feel and taste Brandon. “That’s enough,” I said, trying to regain my breath.

Brandon attempted to conceal his heated gaze, although I didn’t miss how he licked his lips, capturing the last ofmeon them. Something about the action made my belly flip.

“That was…” He blinked a few times, unable to find words. “Fuck, Sage, that was—”

“No,” I said firmly and held up a palm. “We don’t talk about it. I meant what I said about not letting things get weird.”

Brandon gave a sad smile. “You’re right.” He stood and ran a hand through his hair, straightening the mess I’d made of it earlier. “In that case, I’m going to be very mature about this and hit the gym until I get my head on straight.”

I winced. “Brandon—”

“I’m fine. By the time I get back, everything will return to normal. I promise.”

He went to the bathroom to change, but my eyes remained on the door after he’d closed it.

What was this deeply uncomfortable ache in my chest?

Dante and Maxim had turned in for the night, so I sat on the bed, flicking through a travel magazine. I should probably try to sleep, but I was still wired fromthe kiss. I swore I could still taste Brandon on my tongue and smell him on my clothes.

He’d come back from the gym an hour ago, and after a quick shower, he’d returned to his computer. Thankfully, things weren’t awkward between us. Whatever workout he’d done had taken the edge off for him.

I’d used the alone time to collect my thoughts. Kissing Brandon was an experience I’d never forget. I was glad we’d done it, even if it left me feeling hollow knowing it wouldn’t happen again. At least with our curiosity satisfied, we could move on and focus on our task.

I dropped the magazine to my lap. “So, I was thinking.” I curled my hair behind my ears when doubt crept into my mind. What if Brandon didn’t like my idea? What if he thought it was stupid? “I want to help you find Janie’s kidnappers. When all this is over, I mean. It’s the least I can do.”

Our earlier conversation about Janie’s death had made me realize that taking down Dante and the remaining Wolf Street Mafia was bigger than my need for revenge. If those bastards were tangled up in sex trafficking like Brandon suspected, it made the success of our mission even more crucial. The thought of women—God knew how many—being stolen and forced into sexual servitude made me sick to my core. But if we played our cards right, maybe we could put a stop to it. Maybe we could even save some.

“Are you sure?” Brandon turned to face me, his brow drawn tight with concern. “It’ll be unpleasant work. Are you prepared to see the worst side of humanity?”