Page 100 of Illicit

“Yes,” Sammie deadpans. “I’m starving even though I don’t know how I can fit anything into my stomach. This baby is kicking every organ in my body like a soccer ball, but hey, I can eat a taco.”

“I don’t like this it’ll be fine until it’s not approach to the problem, but I am hungry.” Landyn rubs her belly. “I had back-to-back clients this afternoon and haven’t eaten since lunch.”

“Let’s eat!” Teagan says with too much enthusiasm for anyone in the room, even though I know it’s fake.

Annette finally gets with the program and ushers everyone to the kitchen.

Teagan’s gaze hangs on me for a beat before she swings Brax and Landyn’s daughter, Baylee, into her arms and heads for the food.

This is just any other holiday or celebration.

And there’s nothing I can do other than pretend I’m not fucking pissed or falling in love.

My control and emotional detachment have taken a flying leap out the window.

I hardly recognize myself.

23

TEACH ME

Rocco

Everyone left hours ago.

Teagan has defied every lie she told me about being excited to move to New York. She’s been by Sammie’s side, looking through the mountains of shit that must be needed for a new baby. Annette has no chill on a normal day, but when she’s about to become a grandmother, she’s lost her mind.

While they were doing that, I talked to Taylor for an hour. He’s been a busy guy back in New Orleans. He managed to get a tracker put on Robichaux’s car along with the wire. Jules hasn’t mentioned Stella, Heath, or Mack Crowder on the wire once, which means he’s moved on to new targets.

Taylor is all over that, and Jules has no clue he’s one step closer to being arrested for human trafficking.

The agents do their best to keep work and family separated since they started having kids. After everyone calmed down about my father, the murderer, living and breathing a free man, nothing more was spoken about it. I have a few more days until I report to the Miami division, which means I can keep the details of this case to myself for a few more days. But that doesn’t mean I’m not working on it.

I am.

And I hope to hear back tomorrow.

That was all enough to distract me from having to pretend Teagan and I are not what we’ve become. It was easy while I was talking to Taylor, and she was busy with Sammie.

But now the house is dark and quiet. The family of four plus me are under one roof again for the first time in two years. I’ve never once been here and thought about Teagan the way I do now.

It’s fucking hard.

I grab a pair of boxers and head across the hall to the bathroom. Maybe a shower will help me sleep.

I’m grabbing a towel from the hall closet when I hear the click of a doorknob.

I don’t even have to turn to see who it is. I know.

She’s standing in the threshold to her room across the hall from mine. The low light from a lamp shines from behind her. She’s wearing nothing but a thin tank and a pair of panties.

Panties I bought her.

Her nipples are hard and visible through the thin fabric. The tank is so small, the skin of her midriff peeks at me.

Her gaze feels tangible. It was just this morning that we woke tangled in one another before I put my mouth between her legs and gave her two orgasms. It was all I could do to keep her hands off my dick, but I did.

Knowing she would be off limits to me when we got here, it might’ve been one of the hardest things I’ve done.