Page 56 of Remnants
He holds an arm out expectantly. Butterflies scatter in my chest and my cheeks flame.
What the hell is this feeling?
I take my time getting there, hoping I’ll pin a name to whatever unfamiliar emotion is flooding my system in a rush of heat and jittering nerves, but I am still clueless by the time his arm falls over my shoulders. He tucks me into his side, holding me there as his other hand guides the spatula to test the crisping edges of his eggs. They sizzle in the pan, and steam rises with the smell of cooking butter.
“How’d you sleep?”
I blow out a breath, mostly in an attempt to expel the nerves from my body but also to express my frustration with the lack of sleep. “Great…until the wake-up call.”
He snorts. “No kidding. After this shit show interrogation, I’d say we’ve earned ourselves an afternoon of a movie marathon and a nap.”
“Have you finished building that virus Aiden wants?”
“Yeah. I’m working on the first two potential Board member research now. Think the cops will let me bring my laptop in the room while I wait?”
Now it’s my turn to snort. “Even if they did, I wouldn’t. They’ll probably spy on what you’re doing and then ask even more questions.”
“Mmm. Yeah. Guess I’ll have to wait until we get back.” He flips the eggs, giving them a few seconds to cook on that side before he lifts the pan and slides them onto a plate. “Do you want bacon or sausage with your breakfast sandwich?”
My mouth waters at the offer. “Is it greedy to want both?”
“You can have whatever the fuck you want, babe. Just tell me, and I’ll make it for you.”
Babe.
It’s like a shot of pleasure strikes me in the chest, swelling and rolling through me in a wave of heat and throwing my heart out of rhythm.
“Um…” I start, too distracted by that one word to remember what I’m supposed to be telling him anymore.
Dane cracks an egg on the counter and splits it one-handed over the pan for the next round of eggs.
Eggs. Sandwiches. Bacon and sausage. Right.
“I want both. With cheese.”
“Done. Go sit at the table, and I’ll bring it to you when it’s ready.” He kisses my head and releases me to do as he instructed. I’m still too dumbfounded by that entire interaction to think twice about it. I move on autopilot, my brain still glitching and rebooting, until I find myself in Jackson’s chair at an empty table.
“Ahhhhrrrrnngh!” Kellan’s raucous voice followed by a yawn echo in the living area seconds before him. “I need at least eight hours of sleep to look as beautiful as I do. Two is shit to work with.” He shoots me a sharp grin.
Jackson trails behind him, hands in his kangaroo pocket and hood up. He leaves the Loft, and I give Kellan a questioning look as he leans against the back of the couch with arms folded.
“To let the others in.” He lifts his arm and the sleeve of tattoos there. “No one comes in or out of here without the key.”
That’s right. I’d seen one of them raising their arms or wrists in the elevator each time we’d reached the Loft floor but had been too distracted to realize why.
“Shouldn’t I have a key?”
“You going somewhere without one of us?” he drawls with a cocky smirk.
Frowning, I cross my arms and lean back in my chair. “You don’t have to worry about me running after GE on my own anymore. But yeah. I’d like the freedom to come and go alone if I wanted to. I’m done feeling like a prisoner.”
“I’ll arrange an appointment for your tattoo,” Aiden calmly states as he emerges from the hallway. “Decide where you want them to put it and make sure it’s somewhere you can easily get to for scanning it.” He drapes his suit jacket over the back of his chair, then draws it back and sits.
The tension between my shoulders recedes in a rush of relief. I slide my fingers along the curve of my shirt’s neckline, tugging it enough to reveal the top of one breast. A small smirk creeps onto my face when I open my mouth. “Ri—”
“Somewhere on your arm or wrist will do,” Aiden immediately cuts in. “Though, I’d strongly advise you keep it somewhere between your forearm and wrist in case you’re wearing long sleeves or a jacket.” His dark gaze pins mine. “You wouldn’t want to be forced to strip an article of clothing off just to gain entry each time.”
I mean, it would be funny the first few times. But long term, he has a point.
