Those dark eyes were on me again. “You don’t want to know, baby.”
“I think I do.”
“Not when you have the other half of your storm to weather,” he said firmly. “We need to put this on the back burner, you got me?”
Guilt’s talons made their first move, digging in deep as it slowly made its way to my heart. “I understand. I’m sor—”
He kissed me. Hard. Holding me against his lips until I melted. When he pulled back, air was nearly a stranger. “Stop fucking apologizing,” he clipped, his voice low. “Get dressed and meet me downstairs. We have other things to discuss.”
The second half of the storm.
“Okay.”
He gave me another kiss, this time a soft peck. “I’ll be downstairs with the guys,” he murmured. “Take your time.”
When I came downstairs, I lingered at the entrance of my dining room for a moment to take everything in.
Jake, who was Red Snake’s tech guy, was sitting at the head of the table, elbow on its surface, fist under his scruffy chin, staringat the screen of his laptop. There was a large tablet on one side of it and a notebook filled with scribbled lines on the other side. His pen was tucked behind his ear. My eyes drifted up, studying his messy man bun. His hair was the color of autumn, a rich red with a hint of cinnamon. There were millions of people, women mainly, who spent thousands of dollars trying to get this particular hair color. He was beautiful.
Dominic, who had a PhD in psychology, was sitting to the right of Jake, phone to his ear, jotting down notes on the tablet in front of him. He, I’d come to learn, always wore a suit. I didn’t think I’d ever seen him in plain clothes. His suits were always blue or dark gray, always cool colors. He was also the only one of the team who kept a clean shave. Then again, he had the face structure of an ancient god, so who could really blame him for showing off his sharp jawline daily? His hair was dark, nearly black, and there was a piece hanging over his furrowed brow. He was beautiful, but in a haunting sort of way. He reminded me of the grim reaper.
Ash was standing by the window, his arms folded over his wide chest, staring out into my backyard. His face gave nothing away, but I knew his mind was racing. There was so much history between us, so much to discuss, so much to look forward to, but today’s darkness wouldn’t let me have that chance. He’d changed his jeans, now wearing a lighter, more worn-out pair that hung low on his hips in just the right way. The sleeves of his blue Henley were shoved up, revealing his tanned forearms, thick and powerful. His hair was even more disheveled now, his hands doing more damage than mine when he’d made me see God a few minutes ago.
“Right,” Dominic muttered. “I appreciate your help. Thank you.”
“What did he say?”
Dominic sighed, setting the phone on the table. Just as he was about to speak, he glanced up, saw me, and I watched with certain fascination as his features softened. His eyes, the color of the deepest parts of the ocean, warmed. “Good afternoon, Ms. Howell. Are you feeling all right?”
Jake’s head turned, his eyes quickly assessing me. “Hey, Angel. Do you need anything? Is there something I can get you?”
“She needs lunch,” Ash said, turning to face everyone.
“Oh, I’m okay. I don’t need anything to eat,” I politely declined.
Ash gave me a small smile before focusing on Jake. “She’s a type-two diabetic. She needs food and she needs to have her blood sugar checked.”
Jake nodded and got out of his seat.
“Really, I’m fine. I don’t need you going through all the trouble,” I argued gently, stepping into the room, the plush rug soft under my feet.
“Nope,” Jake said, popping theP. “My mother is diabetic. I’m not letting you go without eating.”
“None of us are,” Dominic tacked on, pulling Jake’s laptop over to him. As he started typing, he added, “We’re not fond of pretty angels fainting on us.”
My cheeks heated.
Ash chuckled and rounded the table, coming to me. His arm snaked around my waist. “You want some tea with your snack?” he asked.
I stared at him. “I’m not a child. I’m perfectly capable of making myself tea and getting a snack.”
“Yes, but on days like today, it’s easy to forget to take care of yourself,” he murmured, brushing his thumb across my cheek. “Let me take care of you, yeah?”
The chair in front of us was pushed out by Dominic’s foot. “Take a seat, Angel.”
“I’m fine—”
“Doss, please make her sit down.” He sighed.
