Page 31 of Red, White, and You

With a gentle pull, Brady draws me closer, until our bodies are pressed firmly together, my back to his chest.

His lips, soft and warm, find my throat, and I close my eyes on a sigh.

We rock to the music, slower now, barely moving. He reaches up to cup my throat, holding me firmly against his body as his other hand trails down to the top of my skirt. He skitters his fingertips across the exposed flesh of my midriff, sending goosebumps out over my flesh. He runs his tongue upthe side of my throat as he dips his hand beneath the fabric of my skirt, down beneath the lace of my panties.

He teases my mound with feather-soft strokes, then reaches down until he can push two fingers inside of me. I gasp, but he tilts my head, sealing his mouth over mine. He kisses me through every whimper, every moan, silencing the sounds I make as he coaxes my body toward my next earth-shattering orgasm beneath the starlit sky.

Anyone could be watching us. People could have surrounded the dock behind us, and we wouldn’t have heard a single footstep approach because of these damn headphones.

And I should care about that; really, I should.

The threat of getting caught should scare me into pulling away from him. But it feels too good to be wrapped in his arms, and the demanding strokes of his fingers are too damn delicious. I don’twantto deny myself.

Brady breaks the kiss and turns us more fully toward the lake and the display above us, shielding my body with his as he tilts my head upward and rests his chin on my shoulder.

As the first few Fourth of July fireworks light up the sky, painting the blackness of night with a vibrant display of color, he coaxes each wave of pleasure from my body as we sway to the beat of the song playing in our ears.

And I don’t think I’ll ever view fireworks the same way again.

Brie

Tuesday morning comes all too fast, and with it, a sense of dread. I wake in my ex-husband’s arms, but even his comforting presence isn’t enough to shake the feeling that I shouldn’t be here. I know I’ve created this monster, this all-consuming need to be in control, but even as relaxing as these last few days have been, with a permanent grin on my face and a sense of childhood excitement still buzzing in my veins, I know that something is wrong at the firm.

I canfeelit.

The phone ringing on the nightstand beside me confirms it.

Chris wouldn’t call unless she absolutely had to. She wanted me to take this time off more than I did.

With my heart in my throat, I slip out from Brady’s grasp and slide to the edge of the bed, careful not to wake him.

Clutching my phone tightly in my hand, I sneak to the front door and slip outside. The relaxed, cheerful energy of Camp West that embraced me since my arrival here suddenly feels suffocating.

I press the green button to answer the call.

Christina’s voice is strained, her words rushed as she begins speaking before I can even say hello. “Oh, thank God I reached you. I’m so sorry. I told you to go,that I could handle things without you. And I could.Of course,I could. But this…” She sighs, then quickly continues. “Brielle, we need you back in New York immediately. Thee’s been a break in.”

I grip the balcony, my knuckles turning white. I knew I shouldn’t leave New York.I knew it!What was I thinking going against my better judgment? “What happened? Is everyone okay?”

There’s a momentary pause on the other end of the line as Chris takes a deep breath and my heart beats loudly in my ears. “Everyone is fine, but…” Another pause. “The entire place has been ransacked—”

“What?” I shriek, and a bird takes flight from a nearby tree. Swallowing hard, I realize what she’s saying and lower my voice as I ask the question I already know the answer to. “What did they take?”

“The Hargrave files.”

“Shit,” I say on a heavy exhale. My mind races, trying to process the severity of the situation. I poured months of hard work and dedication into that case, one nobody else wanted to touch. I knew it was risky, but that’s what fueled my desire. I knew the people involved were shady—dangerous on both sides—but I wanted that win, hungered for the status that would follow. The respect.

I balked at the risks because I wanted the glory.

I shake my head, squeezing my eyes shut. And now, because I took time off, the ground beneath me is crumbling.

“Chris, this is… How could this happen?”

“I don’t know, Brie. We’re all in shock here. They went through everything, but the only files missing are Hargrave’s. It looks like they specifically targeted that case.” Chris sighs.

Of course they did.

“And the digital files?” I ask, even though I know.

---