Page 69 of Between Brothers

“It’s going to be okay. I got you. I got us,” he murmured.

And, I wanted to believe him.

More than anything that I’d ever wanted in my whole damn life, I wanted him to be able to make everything make sense again.

I allowed him to remove my clothes and guide me into the shower. The water felt good as the warmth sprayed over my long, strawberry-blonde hair and ran over my back, washing away my thoughts for those few brief moments.

When the water started to lose its fiery touch, making it clear the escape was almost over, I gave in to his kiss at my throat and twisted around to face him.

I tangled my fingers in his hair and lost myself to his lips, his touch, and everything that came with it.

The many bottles on the tiny shelves built into the corner of the shower were scattered everywhere when he clutched my ass and hefted me off my feet.

His sudden, impatient entrance sent shockwaves through me and made my thighs clutch at his battering hips. I’d never met anyone who could make everything disappear like that. My awkwardness had left some time ago, and I wasn’t even aware of when it had happened. The knowledge of Penny’s presence in the next room was forgotten.

I encouraged him with single, sometimes strained words at times, but for the most part, I directed him with unchecked unintelligible sounds of pleasure.

The looming storm, otherwise known as Kingston Crowe, was wiped from my mind. My worries and fears. The club. My future. It all vanished one savage thrust at a time, until his name became a battle cry, and a prayer that I couldn’t quit repeating.

I clung to him, until my shattered world slowly recovered and my shaky feet were permitted to touch the floor again.

He patted my ass in what felt like a dismissive effort, and I instantly snapped my gaze to his.

His mischievous, blue eyes lit up and he saluted the shower head with his chin, “Think I could have a turn now that you ran out all the hot water and made a mess of me, princess?”

My jaw dropped as fast as my gaze had lifted and I popped him on the arm only to be rewarded with a quick round of grab ass and his warm laughter.

I grabbed a towel, and dried off as best I could, before helping myself to his oversized shirt and his jogging pants. While he hissed and hurried in the shower behind me, I left him with only a pair of dry drawers on the sink and let myself out.

It was funny how the shower always left me thirsty, or maybe it was all the mewling I’d done that had my throat a little parched.

I trailed downstairs as quietly as I could and headed off in search of refreshment.

The spring on the screen door sounded like it was on its last leg when it patiently clapped closed behind Penny. Her gardening gloves were covered in dirt and she seemed a little surprised by my presence in her kitchen.

“Oh.” She weakly smiled and began to slide off a glove. “I was hoping you two would be back down in time for some lunch. I was just about to fix some–”

Her words trailed off as her phone abruptly sounded in her pocket.

“Sorry,” she managed, before pulling it out of her pocket and staring at the screen. She swiped her thumb and brought it to her ear, but hesitated so long I thought she wasn’t going to say anything at all.

“Hel– Hello,” she finally managed, clearing her throat after she did so. “Sorry, hey, Kalvin.”

Steps thundered behind me and Roy abruptly stepped around me and planted a finger in front of his mouth in a plea for her silence.

Penny dropped her gaze and subtly shook her head.

“Mom,” Roy boomed, causing her to fumble the phone and look up.

The hand she wasn’t securing the phone with began to tremble a little and her eyes misted over, before she uttered, “Just a moment.”

She pulled the phone away and shakily pressed a finger to the surface. An ugly sound pinged and she hissed before successfully managing to find the speaker phone button.

“What was that?” she asked, her voice choked with emotion, and her gaze locked on her son.

“I said I need to find Roy. I need to figure out where Kennedy and Kingston are. She needs to hear this from me.”

She tore in a ragged breath, and I could tell by the way her eyes softened, that she was about to betray my location.