Page 21 of Tattletale

“Shameful.” I mean to scold him more, but he joins me at the counter and unpacks a container of dumplings. My stomach growls. Thai-style siu mai. “Are there any chopsticks?”

He bursts out in laughter. “Powerless before dumplings, huh?”

God, I love Lance’s laugh. You can’t help but smile when you hear it. It’s so hearty and rich. He’s always playful and cheery, especially for an assassin. Lance’s life right before PALADIN was almost as tormented as mine, yet he doesn’t seem to carry the burdens of the past like I do. I want to love life as much as he does. Maybe he’ll rub off on me once he’s my husband.

He grabs a small, round dumpling and holds it near my lips like he’s trying to feed me. I open my mouth, but instead of a tasty morsel, I get his lips in a big, sloppy, wet kiss.

“Tricked you.”

“You monster. Feed me.”

He pops the dumpling in my mouth whole. I’m still smiling as I chew.When was the last time I felt this happy?Surely, when Mom was alive. Dad, too. And Saoirse. Long before PALADIN.

Lance slides me the container with five more pork dumplings. Then he fishes through the bag and hands over a set of chopsticks. “Fuel up, sweetheart. I’m not done with you yet.”

“Oh, ho, ho. I thought you were going to be focused onmyneeds,” I tease.

“I am,” he responds, completely serious. “You absolutely need my hard cock.”

“Ha. You sure? I’m feeling pretty sated.” I pat my belly, but I’m not talking about the dumplings. It was his antics in the shower.

Lance narrows his eyes and puffs out his chest. “Very fucking sure. You’re a little tease, you know that? All these years—tell me it was all for me, C.”

This is the Lance I know. The way he’s looking at me like he’s about to devour me in one bite. I’ve been so curious all these years why so many women fall in love with the man they can’t keep. What’s the magic spell he puts over them? And why hasn’t he kept any of them around?

Right…because of me.Lance was always meant for me.

“What was for you?” I ask innocently, quirking one brow.

“Your tight little skimpy outfits. That sexy accent you are incapable of ditching. The way you smile at me—sweet but dangerous. Being your best friend has been literal torture, you know that? You have no idea how fucking mesmerizing you are, Cricket.”

“Ah,” I say as he approaches. He takes the container he just handed me out of my hands and sets it aside. “Flattery gets you everywhere.”

“It’s getting me in that sweet pussy. Right now.”

“What about feeding me?”

He winks. “Oh, I’m about to feed you.” Sidestepping me, he makes his way to the bed. After sitting on the edge, he leans forward, planting his elbows on his knees. With his chin on his folded hands, he ducks his head. “Strip.”

I’m not wearing much to begin with. I had the good sense to pack an extra set of clothes before we headed out to NYC.But I packed for comfort, not for seducing my best friend. I’m in a sports bra and boy-cut panties underneath the hotel’s complimentary robe. My sexy lingerie is still blood-stained from Rossi—a definite mood killer.

I drop the robe to the ground and spin around, showing off the outfit that looks like I’m about to get on a spin bike. “This doing it for you?”

“Oh yeah.” He grips his cock through his boxers. I got dressed after the shower. Lance didn’t. Any man with a body like that should be perfectly comfortable walking around with minimal clothing anyway. Lance claims he doesn’t work out, but that’s a filthy lie. When he’s supposed to be at target practice, he sneaks into the gym, working on his physique. He just doesn’t tell anyone, worried Linc will tease him relentlessly for being such a shallow killer.

Right now, I appreciate all his hard work, which produced a body that looks like it was carved in marble by the gods themselves.

“Turn around and bend over. Take your panties off slowly.”

I turn around and touch my toes. But I yank my bottoms off with haste, just to be a little shit. “Like this?”

Lance doesn’t answer, instead he rises and plants a firm smack right on my ass cheek. “Seems you have trouble following directions.” He sits back down, wearing the widest teasing smirk. “Try again. Take your bra off…slowly.”

Naturally, I rip it off as fast as I can and fling it at his forehead.

“So disobedient. I love it. Now, I get to punish you,” he growls out. My stomach dances with delicious nerves. I like powerful, gruff, take-what-he-wants Lance. It’s such a turn-on. But instead, he reaches forward and grabs my hips gently, pulling me between his legs. He buries his head between my breasts and breathes in deeply before running his tongue aroundmy nipple. He’s not satisfied until both of my nipples are soaked, and his saliva is dripping between my breasts.

“You’re making quite a mess.”

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