"Zero," I whisper snap at him. My eyes dart to Margot to make sure she didn’t hear but she’s too focused on the delicate flowers in front of her to notice.
Zero grins.
What an asshole.
Just through the open back door, I hear the familiar sound of Margot's phone ringing. She sighs. Sets the shears down. Peels off her gardening gloves. "That'll be Liz. I'll be back."
She goes inside.
The back door slides shut behind her.
I have exactly one second of silence,onesecond of peace before Bane sets his coffee down. He's out of the chair before the latch on the door clicks closed.
"Up."
"Bane—"
"Up, Maxie."
I groan as I raise to my full height and then I’m looking up into his beautiful hazel eyes behind those glasses. He's got one hand at my hip and one hand at the back of my neck and he is, very deliberately, walking me three steps backward toward the side of the house where the limestone is in shade and the kitchen window doesn't see, and Zero is right behind him, mouth at the back of my shoulder, breathing me in.
"Bane—the door—"
"She's on the phone."
"She just—"
"Trust me, Maxie. If I hear that door open again, I’ll unhand you and send your right back to Mommy."
"Bane—"
He kisses me.
One hand still at the back of my neck, his thumb stroking down behind my ear, the other one sliding to my jaw to hold me right where he wants me. His mouth is hot. His tongue is unhurried. He kisses me like he has all the time in the world and nothing and no one could possibly stopthisfrom happening.
I melt against him.
God,I can’t help it. The bond between us, which has been a steady warm pulse since I came down the stairs of the beach house weeks ago, isroaring. I feel his hand against my jaw and I feel Zero's breath against the back of my neck and the two of them have me pressed between them in the shade of the side of the house and—
Zero's hand slides under the back of my t-shirt.
"Mm. He's all sweaty."
Bane pulls off my lips and tilts up my jaw. My eyes pop open to look at him. "Of course he's sweaty. He's been in the sun for an hour."
"He smells good, Bane."
"I know." Bane drags his thumb across my lower lip, gathering the remnants of our mixed saliva. My lower belly dips and flips and my entire body is on fire.
"Like dirt and—" Zero's nose against my nape, slow inhale—"...fuck. Baby."
"Don't—Zero, don't—" I whimper, my cock absolutely begging to be touched, to belooked at, fuck I don’t even care. I want to be touched and I don’t. We’re skating a fine, dangerous line here butGodit feels so fucking good.
"He's still smells—"
Bane stills.
His mouth is still at the corner of mine, breath warm against my cheek. He tilts his head slightly, looks at Zero past my shoulder.
