Page 17 of Professional Liar
Six
Katherine
I blinkedinto the bright morning light. It took a minute to orient myself. I’d never woken up in Pierce’s bed. Usually, I left late at night, after we fought, fucked, and I fled coated in sweat and guilt.
The scent of pancakes reached me through the open bedroom door. My stomach grumbled loudly in answer. I sat up and fumbled for clothes. The memory of them chucked across the living room made me smile, my lips tingling and swollen from Pierce’s all-night attentions.
Voices echoed from the front rooms, so I snagged some clean boxer briefs from Pierce’s closet and an old black t-shirt. I felt like an idiot as I inhaled his scent on the cloth. I went into the ensuite, washed my face, and brushed my teeth. I’d shower after breakfast.
The idea of dragging Pierce in with me was enough to put up with spray encrusted hair. I gathered my heft of black curls into a messy bun and checked around for something to hold it up. No hair ties to be found. A tiny part of me felt thankful for that. I located a ballpoint pen in the top drawer of a bedside table and shoved it through the bun. My thick hair wouldn’t stay long, but it would last through breakfast.
I edged along the short hallway into the living room. The kitchen and dining room were on my left. A low masculine laugh caught my attention, and I peeked around the corner. Pierce sat back, front chair legs up, shirtless, laughing. I hadn’t heard him laugh much. It was infectious.
A tall man I didn’t recognize lounged across the table. He caught sight of me first and tipped his chin at Pierce, who canted his neck to look back.
When he saw me, he dropped his chair to the floor with a thump. “Hey, sleep well?”
The other man slipped out of his chair and exited the house.
“Are we alone?”
Pierce stood, pulled me by the waist, and kissed me. His lips sticky and sweet with syrup.
“I slept alright, after we finally got there. When did you get up?”
He shrugged. “Couple hours ago. I had work to do. Are you hungry?”
My stomach growled again. He dropped a kiss to my forehead and went to the kitchen. I took the seat across from his, the one his friend vacated.
“So now that we are married,” I called, “are you going to tell me what you really do for work?”
A chuckle was the only answer.
He returned with pancakes and sat across from me. I took a moment to enjoy the muscular tattooed sight of him in the daylight.
“I thought you were hungry.”
Before he got any ideas I wouldn’t be able to say no to, I dug in.
He pushed a steaming mug of coffee across the white granite. “One cream, one sugar, right?”
I nodded, swallowed, and took a test sip. Hot, but drinkable. I’d need all I could get to manage the day ahead. “We need to discuss these living arrangements.”
He leaned back again. “So talk.”
“I don’t like random people wandering in and out.”
“What random people?”
I pointed toward the door with my fork. “The guards.”
“They aren’t random. They work for me. I’ve vetted them all. Most of them are my friends.”
“Okay, then I don’t want your friends wandering in and out of my home at all hours.”
He laughed again, a deep throaty chuckle that made me want to lick him, even in my annoyance.
“You married into this family. You’ll need to get used to people being around 24/7. My brothers, my sisters, my parents, the guards. Everyone will be in and out of here. I can’t control that.”
