Busted

Guess he wasn’t moving fast enough for the boy, Ressa mused.

“Is that who you wanted Gra

But Neeci had gone still, almost frozen.

“Clayton, did you finish your . . . ? Ressa.”

She looked past Clayton and his hostage to see Trey standing in the door. Swallowing, she opened her mouth and a dozen things leaped into her mind. I’m sorry. I take it back. Can we have a do-over?

But all she said was, “Morning, Trey. Thanks for . . . helping out.” It was lame and stupid and everything she didn’t need to say.

“No problem.” He just nodded shortly at her and then shifted his attention to Neeci, a warm easy smile on his face. “Hey, sweetie. You had breakfast yet?”

Neeci just stood there. Still frozen.

“Baby, what is wrong with you?”

“Neeci! Say hi to my Uncle Sebastian!”

Ohhhhh . . .

Shifting her attention to the man with a hat pulled down low over his face, she studied him—or what she could see. Wow.

He smiled at her. “Hello.” That voice—it was rich, sinful, like liquid chocolate and rich wine, an audible stroke over bare skin. And something told her the user knew very well the power behind that voice.

That hat, too, tugged down as low as it was, didn’t do a damn thing to hide the sheer male beauty of his face.

“I’ll be damned,” she murmured. “Sebastian Barnes.”

“He’s my uncle!” Clayton said, gri

Amused affection flooding her heart, she looked at Clayton. “So I’ve heard.” Then, because she had to say it, she said, “I miss seeing you, Clay.”

The smile faded a little, but only for a minute, because he beamed at her. “Then you should stay and play with us. We’re swimming. All day. Except Uncle Travis. He says he’s still sick.”

“I’d love to, baby, but I’ve got something I have to take care of.” Because she couldn’t stand the way his smile faded again, she bent down and murmured to Neeci, “You should say hi.”

Neeci gave her a wide-eyed stare.

Then she looked at the man who’d moved a few feet closer.

“But . . . but . . .”

“Hi there.”

Sebastian crouched a short distance away, studying Neeci with solemn eyes. “I’m trying to decide if I should be jealous.”

Neeci blinked at him.

Sebastian heaved out a heavy, forlorn sigh and he looked for all the world like somebody had stolen the stars from his sky. Then he slid Neeci a sad look. “Clay’s been my best buddy since he was born, but now he tells me he’s got a new best friend.”

Neeci licked her lips. “He . . . you . . . I . . .”

“Stop it, Uncle Sebastian,” Clayton said, shoving at his uncle as he wedged his smaller body between them all. With a very serious expression, he said, “I’ve got grown-up best friends and you’re one of them, but I need a kid best friend and that’s Neeci.”

“Well.” Sebastian frowned and then nodded. “I guess that makes sense.” Then he held out his hand.

Ressa found herself charmed by him, the way he waited until Neeci slid her hand nervously into his, and apparently she wasn’t the only one, because a slow, shy smile bloomed across her cousin’s face in the next moment. “You’re in movies.”

Sebastian shrugged. “Yeah, well, I can’t write books like Clayton’s dad. Seemed to make sense.”

Since Neeci was relaxing, Ressa straightened. Her heart lurched up in her throat as she found herself staring straight into Trey’s eyes. He’d moved closer, without her realizing it. So close she could reach out and touched him, if she just took a step or two.

And she did.

But not to touch him.

Heart slamming, she watched him. Watched him watching her, but instead of the heat or the humor or the hunger she was so used to seeing, there was . . . nothing. A curious blankness like he was trying to hide everything he felt.

“Can we talk sometime? Sometime soon?” she blurted out. Her voice hitched. She couldn’t do this anymore. Her aunt was right. If they could make it work, then damn it, she wanted it to work. “I . . . I messed up. I just . . .”

Her words trailed off as she felt a number of gazes swing her way.

And then, Trey’s hand closed around hers and she was being pulled away from the front yard. “I have to leave,” she said, resenting the fact that she did have to go. “My cousin—”

“I get that. Two minutes,” Trey said, letting go of her wrist as soon as they rounded the corner of his house, mostly hidden from the front, thanks to the landscaping.

The scent of honeysuckle mixed with roses flooded her head as she sucked in a breath.

Two minutes.

She met his eyes. “I miss you,” she said and the words came out easier than she would have thought possible. “And I can’t do this. I messed up. Please . . . can we talk?”

His lashes swept down and for a moment that stretched into eternity, she felt her world crash to a halt. “Trey, please . . .” She moved closer, reaching for him, not caring in that moment if she sounded desperate—she was.

He caught her wrist.

She sucked in a breath.

Was it too—

And then she couldn’t breathe.

His mouth took hers in a kiss that all but stopped her heart. His free hand came up, touched her cheek. It was a gentle touch, so at odds with the way his mouth devoured hers, his tongue pushing inside in a bold, demanding claim.

Her knees shook. Her heart rolled over. And she was about ready to wrap herself around him and beg the world to go away—for thirty minutes, or even ten—all from that one deep, devastating kiss.

They barely touched, save for that hot, hungry kiss—his hand on her cheek, the other gripping her wrist.

A growl sounded in his chest when she caught his tongue and sucked on him and then he tore away. Now, he caught her close, one hand coming up to cup the back of her neck. “I missed you doesn’t cover what I felt,” he whispered against her neck.

Then he moved away and she swallowed, her blood humming, her heart racing.

And damn him, his voice was just as cool as could be when he spoke again. “When did you have in mind?”

“I . . .” She had to clear her throat. She should also change her damn panties, she thought wryly, but that wasn’t an option right now. “I don’t know.”

She blew out a breath and looked away. “I don’t know where my head will be tonight. I don’t know if I’ll be pissed . . . or what . . . after I talk to Kiara.”

“Why do you think you’re going to be pissed off?”

“Because I know my cousin.” She shrugged. “I love her, but manipulation is just what she does.”

A warm hand touched her cheek and she looked up. “Are you okay?”

“I can handle it.” She covered his hand with hers. “I’m used to this. Whatever happens, though . . . I need to talk with you. I can’t handle what’s going on with us . . . well, that’s bullshit.”

A line appeared between his brows and she turned her face into his hand, kissed him. “I can . . . I just don’t want to. Being without you makes me miserable, Trey.”

Something moved through his eyes, dark, fleeting, gone so fast. Then he cupped her face in both hands and brushed a quick, soft kiss against her lips, both eyes, her brow. “We’ll talk. We have what matters, Ressa . . . everything else is just smoke.”

Then he moved back. “You need to go.” He took her elbow and escorted her around the house. Both of the kids had cornered Sebastian—and Travis, it appeared—on the porch, jabbering a mile a minute. Neeci had relaxed pretty fast.

Trey let go but before he moved away, he stroked a hand down her back. “I hope today goes okay.”

A lump lodged itself in her throat. “Thanks.”

She lingered only long enough to give Neeci a quick hug and then she left.

None of this was going to be any easier by taking her time.