Page 16 of Shadows Redeemed
He winced as she placed the bandage back into place. “I’d much rather know about you and my brother. How long has this been going on?”
“Nothing is going on. I’m only in New Orleans because Parker asked me to help clear your name.”
“Jacob…”
She assumed Parker was trying to warn his brother not to be his normal jackass self, but Jacob could never rein himself in once he got started.
“After turning me down so many times ad ignoring my calls?” He shook his head, chuckling softly. “Look, I appreciate the offer, but these people aren’t exactly your run-of-the-mill criminals.” He pushed himself off the bed and moved over to the desk chair. “And you didn’t come to New Orleans wearing that robe. You came to my brother’s room. So, please…” He sat down as he gestured to the bed. “Don’t let me stop you.”
Growling, she felt her heart pounding so hard she felt it in her ears. God, what a fool she had been to let herself get caughtup in whatever game the two brothers were playing. She should have followed her gut and ignored Parker’s call for help. He obviously didn’t need it. “Fuck this. I’m out of here.” She turned and headed for the door. “I hope they roast your ass.”
“Running away so soon?” Jacob’s tone was light, almost mocking. “Don’t you want to kiss my brother goodnight at least?”
She froze, her hand halfway to the metal doorknob. Slowly, she pivoted to face him, her eyes blazing with a fury she could scarcely contain. And then she crossed the room, placed her hands on Parker’s cheeks, and pulled him down until she could kiss him hard while Jacob sat there watching. It had been an act to piss Jacob off, but as her lips touched Parker’s, she felt the warmth between her legs grow once more.
At first, Parker simply stood there while she kissed him, frozen in place, but then he surrendered, sliding his hands around her waist and pressing her tightly against him. He was the one to break the kiss this time, however, stepping back as he licked his lips, and she could only stare at him, her heart racing. If Jacob had not been sitting right there…
“What the hell have I been missing?” Jacob asked, shattering the moment. “When did you two have time to get all cozy with each other? What the fuck don’t I know?”
She spun on him, rage coursing through her once more as she glared at him. “You’ve missed a hell of a lot, but then again, you were never one to truly pay attention to things that mattered.”
He sat there, staring at her.
“This isn’t a game, Jacob,” she spat, taking a step closer to him and his indifference. “You dragged your brother into this, and he called us. Now’s not the time to be playing the smartass.”
Jacob simply shrugged, that insufferable grin still plastered across his face. “I’m just enjoying the show, sweetheart. I mean,is this why you really dumped me? You had a thing for my brother?” A bitter laugh bubbled out of him as he shook his head. “Look, if you want to play footsie with Parker, that’s up to you. Maybe it’ll keep you both out of my way.”
She glared at him. “You’re right. I can do what I want, like go home and let you fight your own battles.” She never should have allowed herself to get caught in Jacob’s tangled web to begin with, and she definitely shouldn’t have entertained thoughts and feelings like she struggled with now about his brother. She should have quashed them as soon as they had entered her mind.
Parker took a step toward her, reaching out for her, but stopping before he touched her. “Sage, please. Ignore him. We need your help. I need your help.”
Clenching her jaw, she looked between the two brothers, her expression hardened into a mask of cold resolve. “Then you need to make sure your brother keeps his damn mouth shut. I have no flesh in this game. I’m only here because you called me, and I can leave at any time.”
With that, she spun back around and headed for the door, wrenching it open before storming out and slamming it behind her hard enough that it echoed down the hall. Her heart still thundered in her chest, a tumultuous storm of anger and hurt, and a dozen other emotions she couldn’t even begin to untangle.
As she made her way back toward her own room, she struggled to regain her composure. She had a job to do, and she couldn’t afford to let this personal bullshit get in her way. Squaring her shoulders, she took a deep, steadying breath and pushed it all to the back of her mind where she intended to keep it.
Behind her, she heard a door open and then Parker calling out her name. She ignored him, not wanting to deal with him or his brother. She needed to get dressed and update her team.
As she rounded the corner, she reached for the key card in her robe, but before she could take another step, she felt Parker grab her arm, bringing her to a stop. He spun her around, but she yanked her arm from his grasp and shoved him away from her. “Go. Away.”
He stood there, desperation on his face. “Sage, don’t do this. I’m sorry. He was in the room when I got there. I don’t know how he got in, but I was trying to get all the info I could from him before I called you. I promise. I thought you were asleep.”
“I don’t care. I’m not going to put?—”
And then he pressed her against the door and kissed her.
CHAPTER TEN
HE HAD NO IDEA why he did it. Only that he had wanted to do it for as far back as when she dated his brother. And now that he had, he didn’t want to stop. He gripped her arms, keeping her tight against him as he kissed her, a fire burning in his core he knew he would never put out. Not until he buried himself inside her fiery passion, and probably not even then.
When he finally broke the kiss, he reached down and took her key card from her hand, holding it up in front of her. “Now’s your chance to say no.” He cocked a brow, his heart pounding in his chest as he waited for her answer. “Otherwise, we’re going inside your room, and I’m going to explore every inch of you.”
She scoffed as she stared back at him. “Why the hell do you think I was down there in the first place? Open the fucking door.”
He couldn’t stop the grin that spread across his face—or the way his cock hardened in his pants.
Turning, he opened her door and gestured for her to enter first. As she passed, he raked her backside with his hungry gaze, eager to rip her robe off her body and explore every curvy inch of her. God, he had wanted her for so long, even though he knew how wrong it was, her having dated his brother.
