Page 129 of Golden Ruin

“Did Jax know anything was up?”

She shakes her head. “In the pick-up line? Nope, just got in the truck and started talking about lunch.”

I smile at that. Kid’s got it made and doesn’t even realize it.

“Good.”

She nods, pushing her warmth through my t-shirt with the movement.

“How was your day?” she asks. “Better than mine, I hope.”

“I saw the posts when the tags started coming to my phone, but I blocked it out mostly. Focused on my workout, met up with the team publicist to do some promo work, and a bunch of other shit I won’t bore you with. But honestly? The worst part about all this was… the worrying.”

She lifts her head from my chest, looking up at me with confusion in her eyes. “The worrying? About what?”

I’m tempted to take the words back, but then I remember who I’m talking to. The one person I don’t need to hide from.

“I thought all this might scare you off, might make you have second thoughts about us.”

Her eyes soften as she stares, and I didn’t expect admitting that to hit such an emotional chord with me, but it does. Because the thought of anything robbing me of this chance breaks my fucking heart.

“Sterling…”

She stretches up on her toes to reach my mouth, then kisses me. It’s the first time I’ve been settled and content all damn day. No, I didn’t do a deep dive into what was being said about us, and I didn’t have to face the emotional upheaval she faced with Matt, but I felt it.

The judgement.

The invasion of privacy.

The frustration.

She ends the kiss by trailing a few along my jaw, the side of my neck.

“I’m not going anywhere,” she assures me. “Aside from Jax being in harm’s way–physically, emotionally–consider me immoveable.”

She smiles, and I have to kiss her again.

“Immoveable. I like that shit.”

She laughs when I kiss her neck, squeezing her tight, so she can’t wriggle out of my grasp. “Stop. You’re gonna make me wake Jax.”

“He’s asleep?” I ask, pulling her shirt away from her collarbone to kiss there.

“Mmm hmm,” is the only answer she can formulate, smiling because she knows the thought that just popped into my head.

Today was shit, but it’s still salvageable.

“You’re such an opportunist,” she says, sighing the words as I push my hand between her legs. To my surprise, I don’t find shorts underneath the t-shirt.

Just panties.

“Opportunist?” I shoot back. “Did you honestly think I wouldn’t try to fuck you when you’re dressed like this?”

She laughs again, soft and sweet. “Are you accusing me of seducing you, Mr. Golden?”

I nod, kissing the hollow of her throat. “Abso-fucking-lutely.”

I work my fingers inside her underwear, teasing her slit before dipping into her, loving the welcoming heat, the tight stretch as she opens for me.