Page 140 of Dangerous Mission

But I need to get something off my chest. Worried, I lower my gaze to Scout’s chest, feeling bad that I need this right now. “I need to ask you something.”

Keeping my hand over his heart, he’s quick to reply, “Ask away.”

Tracing the fingers of my other hand over his thigh, a worry line forms betweenmy brows.

“Talk to me, beautiful.”

“What happened between you and Griff that made him so…angry with you?”

Scout tenses, his heart speeds below my hand. But he quietly answers me. “Look at me, please.”

Without hesitation, I do.

“When the fire happened, I didn’t want to live. Griff was the one who got me out of that shit show and when he and I were alone, I asked him to end me.”

My world screeches, tilting on its axis. “Oh god. I’m so?—”

He shakes his head once. “It was bad, but here I am. I’ll never regret any of it now. But there’s something else you need to know and I feel like I’m treading on telling you something that’s your brother’s private business.”

Nervous energy skates along my nerve endings. I pull my lip between my teeth and force myself to hold his gaze. “Then don’t tell me.”

“No. I think this will help you understand why he thinks I’m not suitable for his baby sister.”

“O-okay,” I reply feeling very unsure.

“Griff knows what kind of sex I like.”

Swallow.

“How?”

“We ran into each other...”

I feel that frown line deepen—the one that could be a canyon one day. “Where?”

Scout clears his throat. “I’d rather not say.”

Realization hits me. “Oh my god. At a sex club?”

“I plead the fifth.”

Closing my eyes I shake my head. “Please don’t tell him I know this. I do not want to ever have that conversation with my brother.”

He laughs softly, holding my hand more tightly to his chest as if letting go even a little could let me slip away. There’s something in his expression…

The need to be reassured.

“Scout, I do not judge you for what you’ve done. I’m glad you found a way to…have pleasure.”

This time his vulnerability shows in full force. “You sure about that?”

“I’m so sure. And who knows, maybe one day we can go somewhere sexy together. Don’t couples do that sometimes?”

“NO one is seeing you naked.Ever.” A growl forms in his throat as his hands tighten on me. “This is for me only. But yeah, we could definitely go somewhere that we could play in the private cosplay rooms.”

My pulse quickens with as my imagination kicks in. “Like dress up?”

He brushes a thumb over the rise of my cheek, speeding my heart rate even more. “I need a second. I’m letting my mind entertain all the kinky ways we could get dirty together. Role playing. Other things.”