“No one will,” she whispered, though that wasn’t her place to promise. “I’ll keep it a secret.”
His laugh was a harsh bark. “What am I supposed to do? Just trust you?”
“Yes.” She placed her hand on his cheek. It wasn’t comfortable, being dangled like this, but it was exhilarating. The adrenaline in her blood spiked, and she leaned in closer, driven to comfort and consume him. “I’m very good at secrets.”
He shook his head. “You don’t—”
She had no idea what he was going to say, because she settled her lips over his. It was a ridiculous urge, born of panic and desperation and a deep-seated drive to calm him. Their lips fit together perfectly, and she moved them over his, tasting the faint hint of mint in his mouth.
Finally. Finally. Now she knew what kissing him felt like.
It was perfection.
He froze for a second, but then a growl came from deep in his chest. He tightened his hold on her, crushed her close, and kissed her back. Their noses mashed together until he moved his head, letting their lips and tongues work.
One hand grasped her hip and hoisted her higher. Small wasn’t something she was accustomed to feeling and she wanted more of it. All of it. She wrapped her legs around his waist and he grunted, pressing her tighter against the tree. His fingers roamed under her cover-up, over her back, up to her bikini top strap, and she breathed deep, waiting for him to flick it open.
Instead, she got knocked back down to earth, quite literally. Her feet hit the ground as he untangled himself from her, ripping his mouth away. She pressed her hands to the tree for balance. He strode away from her, the green dragon on his back coiling as he ran.
Chapter 11
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
How could he have been so fucking careless?
How had she been able to extrapolate the truth he’d spent his whole life hiding from two fucking overheard sentences?
She was smart.
Far too smart. She’d pieced together everything without him having to say a word.
And then he’d kissed her. Fucking hell.
He bounded up the steps to the back porch. Before he could open the door leading to the house, though, it flung open. “Uncle Gabe!”
He caught the six-year-old who flung himself at him automatically, picking him up and hugging him tight. He buried his face in the little boy’s silky black hair, trying to compose himself.
Paul and Sadia had been childhood sweethearts, and they’d gotten married not long after the tragedy that had taken Robert’s life. When Kareem was born, Gabe had been one of the first ones at the hospital. Paul had laid his son in Gabe’s arms and laughed.Meet your honorary nephew.
It had been one of the few times Gabe had been tempted to reveal his secret.Heismy nephew.His lips had formed the words, but fear had halted them. Instead, he’d tucked the baby close to him and vowed silently to look after the kid as well as any uncle could. Since Paul had died, he’d done his best to ensure Sadia and Kareem were happy and healthy.
Paul’s son had all the best parts of him, with a heavy dose of Sadia’s sweet charm. Every time Kareem called him uncle, his heart tightened a little.
Right this minute, it hit him particularly hard. He cleared his throat. “Hey there, kiddo. I didn’t realize you were coming today.”
Kareem pulled back. His cheeks were still round with baby fat, his black eyes dancing. He was a cheerful, bright boy. “The oven got fixed.”
“Thank God.” Sadia stepped out onto the deck. She was tall and curvy, with long black hair that rippled over her shoulders. Kareem looked a lot like her.
“Mom got mad at Uncle Jackson because she said he was more worried about his oven than he’d be over a human.”
Sadia rolled her eyes. She and Jackson had been dating for months now, since he’d come back to town. No one who had ever seen the way Jackson looked at Sadia found it odd that he was in love with his brother’s widow. “Kareem, stop telling everyone that.”
“But it’s funny, cause Uncle Jackson said to Mom—” Kareem hunched his shoulders and growled “—‘that’s because there’s only a few people I like more than this oven.’”
Gabe didn’t feel much like smiling, but his lips stretched up. “Where’s Jackson?”
“He made a beeline for the kitchen, as usual. The butler is showing him where it is.” Sadia flipped her hair over her shoulder. Her skin was glowing. Love agreed with her. “Looks like you went for a swim.”
