“He got mixed up with the wrong people, and they asked him to be a hitman. I told him the last thing he ever wanted was to be in debt with one of us. Breed don’t mess around when it comes to paying debts. I guess he didn’t have it in him to do what they wanted, and he paid with his life.”
Tears sprang up and I pressed my face against the pillow. Austin’s hand touched my hip.
“Don’t,” I warned him. He immediately retracted. “Is that all, or are you hiding something else?”
“There’s nothing else.” Then his voice switched over to dark and threatening. “One of these days, I’m going to find out who he was bargaining with, and they’re going to pay with their life.”
“So why did you kiss me?” I asked again.
Austin didn’t answer but rolled over and pounded on his pillow a few times before settling in. I had a feeling I might never know the answer to that question, and maybe there was no answer. Maybe all these years I had built up in my head something that had meant nothing to him.
I sat up, unhooked my bra, and tossed it to the floor.
“Take off your pants,” he said.
God, if those words didn’t heat me up. “I’m fine.”
“Lexi, I can’t see in the dark. Get comfortable,” he insisted, shifting in the other direction. Indifferently.
I mentally sighed and tugged off my jeans, sliding between the crisp sheets. The window unit chilled the air with every passing second.
“Promise to take me home tomorrow?” I asked.
Silence, at first.
“Austin?”
“I promise.”
Chapter 12
“Shhh.”
I nuzzled my head against something warm.
“Damn, she’s got a nice ass,” a man’s voice whispered.
“Not really my type, but I’d tap that.”
“What, Jericho has a type now?”
“Tits and tats, that’s where it’s at, Denver,” he said with a chuckle.
“Well, I like a nice ass. And that’s top of the line. Look how it cups just below the panty line.” Then the sound of air hissing through teeth. “Damn.”
“First time you been close to one of those?” Jericho asked with a chuckle.
“Shut it.”
Then I blinked my eyes open and realized what I was nuzzling against that was so warm and solid.
Austin.
He was on his back, arms spread out, and I was covering him like a tablecloth at Thanksgiving. My right leg was hooked around his hip, and my body fit snugly against his right side.
I lifted my head and saw that my red hipsters were a little too close to his black jockeys. Not only that, but we had an audience. Denver and Jericho were standing at the door admiring the view and watching us like a double feature.
“Get out!” I shouted so loud Austin flew up and nearly flung me off the bed. His arm snaked around my waist just in time and pulled me onto his lap.
