He rolled us both over before kissing me softly and easing out of me. I hissed at the friction, and he frowned. "I'll be right back, kitten."
I dragged the sheets around my naked body, too exhausted to think about any ramifications right now. I'd save that for the morning, but right now, I was too sated to worry.
When Drake returned, he had two washcloths. "Drop the sheet, kitten."
I hesitated, but he didn't bother to wait for me to catch on, tugging at linens. "There is no universe in which we don't do that again. And next time, I'll take more time, so I'm going to see every inch of you. No point in covering up."
Narrowing my gaze, I loosened the sheet. "We'll be doing this again?"
His eyes darkened when they met mine. "Yes. Because not only are you mine to protect, you're mine now."
He eased one of the washcloths against my pussy, gently wiping away the sticky mess he'd left, the warmth of the cloth soothing the sting.
"You licked me, so now I'm yours?" I giggled.
"Something like that."
He tossed one of the washcloths onto the night stand.
"What's the other one for?" I asked.
His smile was crooked as he forced my thighs apart once more, placing a cool cloth against my aching core.
"Oh!"
When he eased between my thighs again, I watched him dubiously. "What are you doing?"
"Making sure the last thing you remember about our first time together is pleasure." Then he shifted the washcloth and planted his lips over my clit… and sucked.
29
Drake
I couldn’t wipe the shit-eating grin off my face. I'd left Daphne in the shower and come down to scrounge up some breakfast for her.
But it seemed I wasn’t early enough.
"Judging from all that creaking last night, I assume you two overcame your differences?"
I whipped around from the stove. “Jesus, old man, you have the reflexes of a cat and the feet of a ninja. Also, I don't kiss and tell, Reginald."
He drank his coffee and smirked at me. "And lucky for me, I like long walks."
I smirked and shook my head. "It was unexpected."
He gave me a nonchalant shrug. "Hey, I don't judge. I'm glad you two have come to an understanding."
"Yeah, well, I'm still determined to keep her safe."
He took another slow sip of his tea. "Do you have a more concrete plan for Massimo?"
I flipped the eggs and turned to him. "Daphne and I were talking, I think he’s been after her because of her job primarily. I think she has access to data he needs. The only way to know for sure is to get that ledger. He needs her. I can draw him out, but I want insurance for her first."
He sighed. "So tomorrow is still on then?"
He hated the idea of me going into the field without back up. "Yeah. I want you to keep an eye on Daphne, while I follow my hunch. If I don’t come back in forty-eight hours, execute pinnacle protocol." Pinnacle protocol was a whole background work up complete with false ID’s, bank accounts, etc. I had that contingency for her in case I fucked up and failed.
"I will guard your treasure with my life. You know, there was a time when I was just like you."
"Oh, really? You haven't always been this overbearing, too strict, fatherly type?"
"Lad, there's no being too strict with you. You just looked for trouble all the time."
"Yeah, I was a slippery little cunt, wasn't I?" I chuckled.
"Yes. You are also a damn good son."
The warmth of his statement spread through my chest. I shrugged and gave him a smile. "You're a half-decent father. I’ll give you that."
"Well, Jasmine and I did our best."
I smiled at the memory of Jasmine. She was the first person since my mum died who had thought about giving me a hot breakfast. Uncle Charlie, well, he had fed me, but mostly cold cereals or convenient shit like Pop-Tarts. There was occasionally a fruit or two thrown on the plate. But Jasmine made sure I had warm oats, eggs, sausage, bacon, and lots of fruits. Uncle Charlie had tried his best, but he wasn't one for the warm and fuzzy. He had a great housekeeper, but most of the good times I remembered were in Jasmine and Reginald's house. It always felt like home.
I plated the eggs and checked on the bacon. "I do care about her, you know?"
He chuckled low. "You think I don't know that? Please. You wouldn't have brought her here if you didn't care for her. You wanted her looked after. And after all, this is your home."
I frowned at that. "I could have easily taken her to the condo."
"Yes, and the condo is, um, fine."
I turned to raise my brow. "What does that mean?"
"Lad, that condo is dry. Dry, dry, dry. It might as well be a hotel. Not a picture in sight. It's like no one actually lives there."
"I live there."
"Do you, though? It might as well be a safehouse as far as you're concerned."
"It's just a place to lay my head. It doesn't mean anything."
"And that's exactly it. She would have been safe, but not looked after. Whenever you need looking after, you come here."
"Not true."
He just chuckled. "Boy, when are you going to realize you need family as much as the next person?"
An image flashed in my head of me and Daphne holding hands, Reginald holding a brown cherub that had Daphne’s smile. That was a thing that could happen.
Except you’re going back into the field.
Field agents didn’t get families.
"Fine. I need to get the banking information to get answers. And while taking that ledger, the key to him taking over The Syndicate, it’ll make him well ticked. And emotional people make poor decisions.
He sighed. "Are you sure you want to do this?"
"Regardless of what's going on, I have to make it safe for her. Because in the end, when she's done with me, she needs to be able to go home. She has to walk away from this intact. I would never forgive myself if…" I didn't finish the statement, almost half afraid that I could call it into being. “I'm going to make it safe for her, so she can go home.”
He studied me. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but you want her."
"Yes, I do. But do you think this life is good for her? She needs family. It's written all over her. She deserves family. I can’t give her that."
Reginald shook his head. "You're so close, but you still don't get it, do you?"
"What does that mean?"
"Lad, you both need family. She's just the one smart enough to know it."
"I have family. I have you."
"You do. But you can have so much more."
I shifted on my feet and turned off the stove, taking the bacon off the heat. "I have what I need, and I'm close to getting what I want. Getting back in the field."
"What about what you really want? When you think about yourself five, ten, fifteen years from now, will you still be in the field?"
"Yes."
"Right. Deep cover, fraternizing with the enemy to take them down?"