Beneath his hand, Aria stiffened. “You’re being raided because of me?”
“If I had to guess, we’re being raided because of your father.”
“No.” Setting her sandwich down, Aria shook her head. “He might be pissed at you, but he wouldn’t call the police.”
“Really? With a brother and brother-in-law who are both ex-cops you don’t think he might be desperate enough to call in some favors?”
It was, in Killian’s mind, the only explanation that made sense, though he could understand why Aria might be resistant to believing it. He saw that resistance in the set of her jaw, the flash of anger in her eyes.
But he also saw the creeping doubt. The insidious worry that maybe he was right. And he didn’t have the heart to push the truth on her.
“It doesn’t matter,” he said, waving the issue away despite the narrowing of Reagan’s eyes and the surprise on Brody’s face. “What matters is making sure all our stories are straight when they get here.”
Finally pausing her laps around the room, Reagan frowned. “Aria chose to come stay with us for her own protection. Problem solved.”
Brody shook his head. “We tell them that, and they’re all up in our business about why she needs protection. They’ll use it as an excuse to hold us and her.”
Annoying as it was, Brody was right. “He has a point. We need to keep it as simple as possible.”
“They’re going to look for reasons to hold you the full forty-eight either way.” Aria’s voice was surprisingly calm given the situation, but when he glanced down at her again, there was fire in her eyes. “Even if I go in there and tell them I’m here of my own free will, they’ll say I’m in fear for my life and they’ll use every trick they have to keep you there.”
A grimace twisted Brody’s features. “She’s right, Kill.”
“I know. Our best bet might be to simply weather the storm.” It wouldn’t be his or his family’s first visit to the inside of a police station. And though he didn’t love the idea of Aria being interrogated, odds were they’d go easy on her since she was basically family.
He was about to say as much when Aria shook her head, leaning back in his chair as if she were meant to be there, a wicked sort of smile curving her lips.
“I have a much better plan.”
Aria
* * *
It took surprisingly little time to pull off what she’d considered a rather elaborate fraud. But, as she’d learned that afternoon, enough money could grease any wheel.
Including government ones.
Now, with her little deception in place, she lay in the dark. Waiting for the police to come and arrest the man she loved. The fact that they were technically right about their suspicions didn’t matter. Fury still burned in her veins at the very thought of anyone daring to threaten her family.
“You’re thinking very loudly over there, princess.”
Rolling to face him, she raised a brow in what she thought was probably a pretty good imitation of the look he gave her so often. “People can’t think loudly.”
“And yet, you manage it. Come here.”
She let him pull her into his arms, let her head fall back so he could capture her lips with his. Let herself submit the way she’d once sworn she never would as he swooped in, taking her over, dragging her under.
Unlike most nights, his touch was tender, unhurried. Offering comfort rather than stoking the fire of her desire.
But she didn’t want to be comforted. She wanted him.
Taking matters into her own hands, she shoved impatiently out of her pajamas before rising up over him, smiling down at him as she straddled his hips.
Those shockingly rough hands slid up her thighs to cup her bare ass, kneading the flesh there as his amused gaze met hers. “What do you think you’re doing, princess?”
“Whatever I want.”
It was a delight to find him already hard, already wanting her when she freed his cock. Sliding down onto him with a sigh, she let her head fall back as she rode.
