ThatI could see pissing him off enough to shun me.
Not just for a while but permanently.
A personality like his favored trust above anything else. Earning it was more valuable than gold itself. And once lost, there was no gaining it back. No matter how much one groveled.
Risking that wasn’t worth it. Not at this stage, at least. As tempting as it was to ignore my gut instincts. So far, they’d served me well. Jeopardizing that in order to wiggle out a few embarrassing stories seemed inconsequential in the long run.
I headed back over to the stove, my omelet sizzled when I flipped it over onto its raw side. Butter and egg permeated the air, enough to make my mouth water. The other two had sograciouslyleft me a few measly slices of bacon to munch on while they’d settled at the cozy nook table I’d neglected to see my first sweep over the kitchen.
Behind me, the toaster popped.
Right on time.
Marlow let out another gasp. “He lives.”
Instantly, I snapped my head up from the stove, my gaze flying over to the archway. The sound of my sizzling omelet was suddenly way too loud in the quiet that had instantly descended over the kitchen.
Silas blinked slowly, still half-asleep, while he took in the two men sitting at the table. He had one arm propped up against the molding surrounding the doorway, leaning into it. A pair of sweats were pulled up to his hips, barely covering the deep v of his Adonis belt, while both drawstrings hung loosely undone at the front of them.
His hair was messy and definitely looked as expected from being sandwiched between two pillows and a mattress all night.
And yet, he looked as hot as ever.
“Morning, sleepy head.” Marlow lifted his mug of coffee. “Want some? Your boytoy made it fresh.”
Silas tilted his head slowly, his eyes rolling over toward me when my omelet let out a particularly juicy sound in the pan asthe last bit of it finally cooked through. I watched in real time the way he squinted at me, his brain not recognizing the stranger standing in his kitchen wearing his robe and looking completely out of place next to the other two has was much more familiar with.
It wasn’t until a full four seconds later, his eyes went wide.
And then, they snapped back to the table. “Out.”
Marlow let out a dramatic scoff. “You can’t kick us out. We’re in the middle of breakfast.”
“Get.Out. Of myhouse.”The words were said through gritted teeth.
Oh, boy...
I nearly ducked down behind the stove to keep out of view. Facing that kind of wrath this early in the morning was going to give me an ulcer. I may be a cop, but even I knew when to bow out of a heated situation.
He stormed past the archway and over to them, both hands fisted at his sides until he reached the side of the table Marlow was sitting at. A single finger was unclenched in order to be used to point at the hallway, an aggressive jabbing motion attached to it.
“Out.”
“What crawled up your ass?” Marlow grinned. “Oh wait.”
Did this man have a death wish?
He had to with how comfortable he was pushing Silas’s buttons like that. Childhood friends were my first bet. That was the only kind of relationship that could withstand a few tussles on the ground without completely ruining the relationship in the long run.
Adjacent to siblings but without all the childhood trauma to solidify the bond.
Marlow’s undignified squawk followed after Silas grabbed a tight hold of the man’s shirt and lifted him clean out of his seatin an impressive show of strength. The muscles in his back grew taut with the added weight, flexing under his skin while dragging him from around the other side of the table.
Who knew he was hiding such a sleeper build under those scrubs?
I’d gotten a good look at him last night, had taken in the broad shoulders, six pack abs, and defined biceps that had easily lifted me up while he fucked me stupid. But somehow the daylight enhanced everything, giving his features sharp and strikingly defined lines I hadn’t caught before now.
Not from this angle.
