Austin locks my door after the two men leave and rests his back against the dark wood. “Ronan and I have never gotten along.”
“Why not?” I let him wrap his arm around my waist and help me up the stairs.
“When we had to go to Venezuela, Dax didn’t have a lot of resources he could send. Ford—that’s his business partner—had just gotten married. Hell, so had Dax. And Ry. And Ripper.” Austin lets out a heavy sigh. “Ronan didn’t want Dani there, and anyone who messes with my sister goes on my shit list.”
“Oh.”
“He warmed up to her. She’s an unstoppable force. No one messes with Dani Monroe.”
“Wait. Dani Monroe. I know that name. Crap on a cracker.” All of a sudden, so much of what he’s said makes sense. “The fall of the Venezuelan government. She broke the story. Her name was all over the papers for like a week. I saw her on the news.That’syour sister?”
Pride transforms Austin’s features, wiping away the exhaustion in a single breath. “Yep.”
“And Trevor. He was the former CIA agent.” Now that I can put some of the names into context, the pieces fall into place. “I don’t remember all of the details, but he was arrested for murder, right? That’s why he was sent to prison in Venezuela?”
“He didn’tmurderanyone. He was protecting Dani and things went sideways.”
“Austin?” I pull away, then point him to my home office. “First, you can plug the receiver in there. Second? You don’t have to justify anything to me.”
From his knees where he’s hiding the receiver behind a pile of reference books, Austin glances up at me. “Yes. I do.”
Unwilling to have this conversation without touching him—or at least being close to one another—I shuffle into the bedroom, sink down onto the bed, and take off my boots. I don’t want to see these things again. Ever. The ankle brace is next. There’s only a little lingering discomfort, and as long as I don’t have to hike anywhere, I think I’ll be fine without it.
Austin hovers in the doorway, his hands clasped behind him like he isn’t sure what to do next. He’s not the only one.
“So, this is awkward,” I say.
His laugh breaks the tension in the room, and he comes to sit next to me, but doesn’t touch me. “Your move, sweetheart. If you’re too sore, we could just go to sleep.”
“No.” I turn and rest my hand over his heart. “I want to know you, Austin. I just don’t know what to do or how to start.”
“Didn’t you say something about wanting a bath?” He nudges my shoulder gently. “What if we just…?”
The sound that escapes me is something between a whimper and a moan, and I cover my face with my hands to hide my embarrassment. I don’t know how to deal with any of this. The intenseneedfor Austin, the way my core clenches every time I’m near him, and my incredible lack of experience in what’s supposed to happen in the bedroom.
“Let me take care of things, Mik,” Austin says with a kiss to the shell of my ear. “Just relax. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
As soon as I feel him stand up, I bury my face in my pillow. How can he be attracted to me when I can’t even manage to admit I want to have sex with him?
While he rummages around in my bathroom, I head for my closet to find my favorite robe and emerge with it draped over my arm to find Austin leaning against the door frame. “Come with me?”
My nervous fingers steady when I put my hand in his, and he leads me into the bathroom, which is only lit by a handful of candles. Bubbles fill the two-person soaking tub—one of the main reasons I bought the house—and it’s utterly silent except for a few last drops escaping the faucet.
“I thought, maybe you’d be more comfortable if we kept the lights down low,” he says, his voice rough.
“It’s perfect.” Iwantto be brave. Brazen. Unashamed of my curves, of the slightly rounded belly I’ll never be able to exercise away, of this body I really do love, despite my asthma. But Austin’s built. Chiseled. From the quick look I got of him in the dim light as he stoked the fire to keep us warm, there isn’t an ounce of spare body fat on him.
I tip my head to meet his gaze. “Every time I don’t know what to do, you just…figure it out.”
His hands slide around my back, under my tank top, and I shiver. I love the way he touches me. When I’m no longer bruised all over, I think I’ll love it even more. Deft fingers unhook my bra, and then he steps back. “I can wait outside until you’re in the water…”
“No.” I return his hands to my waist. “I don’t want to hide from you, Austin. I was raised to be modest. That means I don’t have…moves. But I’m not afraid of you seeing me. Help me off with my tank.”
Carefully, he eases the top over my head, and my bra comes with it. My heart hammers against my ribs as he holds my gaze.
“You can touch me.” Smiling through my nerves, I add, “Looking is also allowed.”
Before he lowers his gaze, he cups the back of my neck and captures my lips. The motion presses my breasts to his shirt, and the friction makes my entire core vibrate with need. Gently stroking his hands down my shoulders, my arms, all the way to my waist, he unzips my pants, and lets them fall to the floor.
