Page 27 of Sworn to Lead

There was a tap on the door before it creaked open. She had the curtains drawn, but light spilled in from the hallway. She nearly turned to face the person who had entered, but she forced herself to remain still. Her mind knew that is was Neo, but anxiety pumped into her chest, demanding she look for herself that there was no danger present.

Oscar’s tail beat against the bed, and his tongue lolled out of his mouth. Neo’s footsteps padded across the room. Then came the sound of him unlacing his shoes, and each one falling to the floor at the side of the bed.

The mattress dipped with his weight as he lifted the covers and climbed in beside her. He put his arm around her waist and drew her close. Oscar’s body was sprawled along her front and Neo was at her back. The body heat from both of them was beginning to warm the chill that had settled down to her bones. His heart steadily pounded into her back, and his chest expanded as he drew in a long, satisfied breath. She loved how he seemed to always be inhaling her. Like he was coating his lungs in her scent and couldn’t get enough. Sure, her life had been crazy the past week, but she’d never felt safer or more cared for. There was so much to be grateful for between Jacob, Neo, and his team. Even Joker had tried to reassure her in the kitchen.

“Tell me what you’re thinking, sweetheart.” His breath was hot on her neck, filling her belly with warmth.

“There was so much desperation, so much loneliness as a kid. What if knowing that Fergus is here makes me stumble back into the anxiety and paranoia of my childhood?”

“I’m not going to tell you there won’t be times when you feel that way. After coming back from the mission that killed Scooter, I heard his final scream and the explosion ringing in my ears for weeks. There are times when I still wake up in a cold sweat. Other times when I have to abandon my cart at the grocery store and walk out because the churning of the ice machine or the beep of a cash register triggers something. I need to get out so I can breathe. After, well, I can’t deny that it doesn’t make me feel vulnerable.” He ran his hand up and down the length of her exposed arm.

“I want to be strong and capable. That’s what you and Jacob both deserve.” Sometimes she didn’t feel that way, though. “When you go on a mission, the last thing I want you doing is worrying that I can’t handle things here. That Jacob’s not being cared for as he should.”

“I will be thinking about you, but it won’t be because I think you’re not capable of caring for my brother.” His left hand was pinned beneath her waist and the mattress, and he lowered it a fraction, gripping her hip with possessive fingers. A thrill skated through her. “Your laugh, the way your dimples indent your cheeks, how your body fits so fucking perfect against mine. That’s what I’ll be thinking of. What won’t cross my mind for a second is you being incapable of doing something.”

“When Nana and I arrived in the United States, healing was a slow process, but having her with me, someone I could depend on, helped immensely. I found the more I helped others, the better I felt inside. I turned into someone I could like and respect. Someone dependable and smart. Someone who could be called upon in an emergency situation and take control.” She released a long breath. “Now, though, it feels like that progress has taken a hit. I haven’t been able to control my shaking since you mentioned his name. I should be past that. I should be fuming, not scared to death that he might escape or send someone after me.” She was so close to having everything she ever wanted. Why couldn’t the past just stay where it was meant to?

“I’m so sorry, sweetheart.” He nuzzled into her hair, his fingers caressing her arms up and down, offering comfort, offering his strength. “If our roles were reversed, I can’t imagine how I would feel knowing he was here. The guys are looking up the extent of his sentence. He won’t be available to appeal for parole for some time, but if and when that does happen, and he’s out of the confines of the prison, we will take care of him.” His hands tightened on her. “He’ll never get near you. He signed his own death sentence the day he got on a plane to America.” He was rubbing circles on her back, hands dipping over her hip.

“I couldn’t live with myself if you or any of your teammates got sent to prison for killing him. I have to believe that the law will take care of things. I wonder if my parents knew he was coming here. I hope not, because no matter how much they hate me, it would kill me if they didn’t contact me. To at least warn me that Fergus was coming to America. Maybe they could lie to themselves and say the abuse never happened, but the scars were there in plain sight.”

“They didn’t deserve you then, Brynn, and they sure as hell don’t deserve you now. From here on out, they don’t exist for you. Nothing you did or didn’t do as a child turned them into the cold, selfish people who would let their daughter be abused.” She could feel Neo tense behind her. A sudden chill cased his words.

“I don’t want to put you or Jacob at risk.”

“Don’t talk like that. You’re staying. This is your home. I want you in my life, not just Jacob’s. I know it’s fast, but it’s right. If I had to fight through an army to keep you, I’d do it in a heartbeat.” His breath mingled over the sensitive skin of her neck, sending tingles down her spine.

“I’m afraid to believe what I’m feeling for you. Afraid that you’ll wake up and realize what you thought you felt was just gratitude for taking care of Jacob.”

“I am grateful, Brynn, but if that’s all I felt, I wouldn’t have the urge to slip into your bed at night simply to hold you. I wouldn’t long to hear your voice when I’m on base training, even if it’s only for a few hours. I wouldn’t be thinking of a future together, because even after a short two weeks the thought of being apart from you physically hurts.” He smoothed his palm down her hair. “Now that the offer on the house is accepted, the guys will help us move our stuff in. There’s a local security company in the area with a great reputation. I’m going to see if they can come out to the property tomorrow and fast-track a new security system, because chances are we’re going to be called out within the next month and I want you to feel secure when I’m not here. No one will be able to sneak up on the house without you knowing about it, or having an instant connection to law enforcement.”

“That sounds like it’s going to cost a fortune. And what you’re already paying for the house…I feel like I’m taking advantage. I already told you the amount you deposited into my account for the months your mother stopped paying my salary was unnecessary and excessive.”

“I’m not trying to sound arrogant, but there is no shortage of money. I’ve lived simply and invested well. Making sure you and Jacob have everything you want and need gives me peace. Making sure you’re both safe and comfortable is exactly what I want to spent my money on. I don’t want you feeling like you owe me anything. The security is for all of us, as is the home. Fergus will never get his hands on you.”

“Sometimes I feel so weak. The moment I heard his name, I started trembling. I don’t want to be some cowering frightened victim that you feel the need to protect. I don’t know how to be brave now that I know he’s so close.”

“You’re braver than you think. You survived years of abuse. Years of others not believing your story. I can’t imagine how crushing that must’ve been. The toll it took on your psyche. And yet you’re kind and passionate about what you do. When your grandmother passed away, even when you were alone here, you did what needed to be done. When my mother left you high and dry, you did what was necessary to get a roof over Jacob’s head. There’s nothing weak about you.”

Neo’s hands began wandering over her stomach, and the touch went from comforting to sensual. The dog took the hint and wandered to the end of the bed and jumped off onto the floor. With every breath she took, her erect nipples strained against the thin material of her bra. Neo shifted, propping himself up on one elbow. He kissed a trail, gentle and sweet, down to the curve of her neck. His tongue swirled against her skin, making everything pulse and ache.

“Mmm.” She couldn’t stop the sigh that escaped her lips. Neo’s hand skimmed up her stomach and over her rib cage, pausing right below the swell of her chest.

“Is this okay? Can I touch you?”

“Please.” She arched her back, and his hands cupped her, massaging in slow, deliberate circles, touching everywhere but the sensitive tips. She arched into him again, this time her bottom nudging against his swollen erection. He groaned and a flood of heat seared through her, gathering at the apex of her thighs. Finally, he rolled the hard nubs between his fingers. Electricity shot through her and traveled straight to the soles of her feet. Nothing had ever felt better. She rolled, turning into him.

“That’s it, sweetheart. Come here.” His strong arms banded around her for one heartbeat, then two, before he went back to stroking her. He worked her shirt up, and lowered his head, sucking one nipple into his mouth through the mesh of her bra before turning his attention on the other. Her panties were damp and a visceral ache, an emptiness that she’d never felt before, pulsed at her core. His fresh scent tickled her nostrils as the combined sensation of his tongue, the scrape of his teeth, and the now-damp material of her bra created a delicious friction. He lifted his head, and she nearly groaned in protest, the cool air of the bedroom replacing the heat of his mouth. He pressed a kiss to her forehead, then her eyelids and cheeks. The sweet gesture swelled in her throat, making any words near impossible.

Angling her chin, she met his lips. This was the first kiss they’d shared since their explosive encounter on the bathroom countertop. In the few days since, they shared brief touches and the occasional brush of lips. The need for more had been building within her, and now with each stroke of his tongue, she felt as though she were catching fire, burning from the inside out.

She dipped her fingers beneath his shirt, outlining the hard lines of muscle, rubbing her thumbs over his nipples.

His groan vibrated along her lips and quickened the pace of their kiss, pushing deeper against her. She hooked her fingers at the waistline of his jeans, slipping her fingers between fabric. His skin was feverish, and the head of his erection brushed her fingers, already leaking from the tip. His hands jerked, catching her wrists. His chest heaved, breath rushing in and out.

“Fuck. I didn’t mean for that to get out of hand. I don’t want to take advantage of the situation, Brynn.”

“I’m not kissing you because I’m scared. I’m kissing you because ever since that first time, I can’t forget how you taste. The way my body catches fire when you’re close. I’ve never had that before. Nothing’s ever felt this good.”

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