Bottom line—he hadn’t given any thought as to whether the team would be staying in Montana, because he hadn’t made plans beyond going after Johnson to get a bead on Tak.
Five weeks had passed since his father’s murder.
Five weeks the team had been sitting idle, directionless, waiting for him to step up and lead. Now that he had, the time had come to get his ass in gear and his house in order, starting with the damn paperwork.
He glanced at his watch. After a successful Miami mission, Chase and Gray were due back at the lodge any minute. While Adam’s tension had eased with the knowledge his sister was safe, he still hadn’t decided on the best way to introduce her to Eve.
And Eve? She needed a heads-up on the approaching storm.
About to go find her, Adam experienced a testosterone surge when she walked through the door. The sight of her glowing smile and silky hair piled into a sexy-as-fuck messy bun erased his fears over the impending meet and greet. He loved his sister, and he’d give his life to protect her, but when it came to Eve’s comfort and happiness—hands down—she came first.
“Come here.” He pulled her into his lap and locked his arms around her waist, nuzzling his nose into the side of her neck.
“I’m all sweaty,” she said, settling her ass against his appreciative dick.
“Mm. I like you sweaty.” He swept his tongue over her warm skin, teasing his way to her ear. “A little bit savory. And a little bit sweet.” He sucked on her lobe. “You taste perfect to me.”
She snorted. “I probably taste like an oversalted herring.”
“Salt is an essential kitchen ingredient, baby.” He took her chin between his fingers and thumb, turning her face toward him so he could claim a quick kiss. Quick being a relative term where Eve’s lips were concerned.
She leaned into him, and his tongue slid against hers in a slow dance that sparked a series of fires he had no desire to tamp out. Jesus. This woman made his heart pound and his blood rush.
She lifted her hand and stroked her fingers along the edge of his jaw, her gentle touch sending soothing vibrations all the way to his feet. And when she put some space between them, he missed her plump lips immediately. “Z told me a little bit about Tak,” she said. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interfere in your search for him.”
Adam tightened his arms around her. “You’re not interfering. We don’t know where he is, who has him, or if he’s still alive.”
“But he’s the reason you were leaving, right? Last Sunday? You left to go find him, and you found me instead.” She dropped her gaze to her lap. “It’s my fa—”
“No.” He kept his tone soothing. “I can’t give you the details—not yet—but Tak is missing because of a mission we botched. My going off on my own wouldn’t have changed the outcome of Tak’s situation. But finding you?” He gave her another squeeze. “Finding you was exactly what I needed. The JTT too. I know things are confusing right now, and you feel left out of the loop, but I’m working on a solution.”
“That’s okay.” She shrugged. “You don’t have to tell me anything. I understand, the JTT and your mission come first.”
Adam shook his head. She didn’t understand. Not even close. She came first. Always. But there were risks involved in being with him, and she needed the full picture before making any decisions. “It’s not okay. And I promise, as soon as I can, I’ll tell you more. But for now, let’s take this one day at a time. Sound good?”
She looked him in the eyes. “Sounds good. But can I ask you for one more favor?”
He cocked a brow. “You already know, you can ask me for anything.”
Her sweet smile disappeared behind the T-shirt she whipped over her head only to reappear as a full-on sassy grin when she dropped the cotton onto the desk a moment later. “Can you cut me out of Gray’s bra? I can’t get it off, and it’s restricting blood flow to my head.”
“Jesus.” Squished into a sports bra designed for someone with much smaller breasts, she spilled out of the black fabric in a provocative way. He ran his hands up her sides, stopping when he reached the elastic denting the flesh around her rib cage. “How’d you get into this thing?”
“Putting it on was easy. Taking it off? Not so much. I’ve been trying for half an hour. I can’t get my arm through the band.”
“Why didn’t you come to me sooner?”
She shrugged. “I didn’t want to disturb you.”
He pressed a kiss to the pillowy top of one breast, then the other, before making his way along her neck and over her jaw. When he reached her mouth, he gave her a playful nip. “If you need me, you disturb me. Understood?”
She smiled against his lips. “What if I’m just hungry?”
He nipped her again. “You disturb me.”
“What if I have a stupid question?”
He nipped a little harder. “You disturb me.”
