Dalir stretched the slats of the blinds wider, a glimpse of the guy’s short, dark hair and her blond ponytail revealed their identities.
Reid and Lauren worked on another addition to include with the new patio furniture on the back porch. A built in barbecue.
Lauren sat on top of the deck railing. Her long, jean clad legs were stretched out with her booted feet resting on a patio chair. She adjusted her ponytail as she read aloud from the instructions.
Reid, dressed in a dark T-shirt, camouflage pants and tactical boots, had most likely stopped by after morning training at the range. He pointed to the toolbox on the wooden planks of the deck.
She sauntered to the box and bent over it, giving Reid a nice view of her ass.
Sufficiently distracted, Reid swaggered over. He kissed the exposed skin between the hem of her shirt and the waistband of her jeans.
Didn’t Reid have something more important to do than chase Lauren? And what about her? Was she going to goof off all day instead of fixing the mess she and Celine had created in the sunroom? Dalir let go and the slat of the blind rebounded into a straight line. Ari was probably at Diva Unique right now, functioning on very little sleep. During the few hours they’d spent together, it was as if he was addicted to her. When he’d awakened just before dawn, he was still so damn hard for her. With Ari spooned back against him, all he could think of was gripping the globes of her ass and surging in. Brooke, moving around in the kitchen, had deterred him along with a cold slap of reality. He didn’t belong with Ari. Unlike what Thane and Reid had done for their fiancées, he couldn’t make adjustments to accommodate Ari in his life. Even if she could see him.
Thane walked into the kitchen. From his clothing and the automatic pistol strapped to his thigh, he’d also come from the range. His brow rose at the sound of laughter outside. He chuckled. “I should have known better when Reid said Lauren just needed him for a minute.”
Dalir grabbed a mug out of the dark wood cabinet in the corner. He poured coffee from the heated carafe sitting in the coffeemaker on the marble counter. “Reid seems to be doing better.”
Thane took the makings for a sandwich out of the fridge. “Physically, he’s fully recovered. Mentally, he’s almost back. He’s just started opening up to me about what happened with Kell. If he keeps talking and doesn’t hold it in, he’ll come out the other side. Lauren is good for him, too.”
The coffee in Dalir’s mouth grew bitter. One more minute of Kell’s torture, and Reid wouldn’t have survived. Maybe he was taking the hunt for Kell too far for them. In the process, Thane and Reid’s newfound happiness could end up jeopardized. Thane had already given up the team once to save Celine. He would have lived his life out with her in peace if Kell hadn’t shown up. Instead, Thane had given up normal and rejoined the team with Celine at his side. Maybe Thane was right. The time had come for him to reevaluate how long he’d allow Kell’s actions to influence the team’s lives, even if he couldn’t get away from or forget the pain and suffering his brother caused.
Thane assembled his food at the counter. He piled deli turkey, lettuce and tomato on whole grain bread. “This should tide me over. We might get to eat before sundown if Reid stops chasing Lauren and finishes installing the grill.” He put everything away. “I gave the guys the afternoon off. They need a break. We’re throwing burgers on the grill and playing music.”
“If you say the team needs downtime, I’m sure it’s warranted.” Dalir sipped coffee. If Ari were there, she would probably enjoy the cookout. From the look she’d given him when he commented on the pizza, he’d probably have to sneak salad on her plate. Or he’d feed it to her, making it enjoyable, so she’d eat more. At some point, she’d probably slip away to gossip with her girlfriends. But
Reid and Lauren worked on another addition to include with the new patio furniture on the back porch. A built in barbecue.
Lauren sat on top of the deck railing. Her long, jean clad legs were stretched out with her booted feet resting on a patio chair. She adjusted her ponytail as she read aloud from the instructions.
Reid, dressed in a dark T-shirt, camouflage pants and tactical boots, had most likely stopped by after morning training at the range. He pointed to the toolbox on the wooden planks of the deck.
She sauntered to the box and bent over it, giving Reid a nice view of her ass.
Sufficiently distracted, Reid swaggered over. He kissed the exposed skin between the hem of her shirt and the waistband of her jeans.
Didn’t Reid have something more important to do than chase Lauren? And what about her? Was she going to goof off all day instead of fixing the mess she and Celine had created in the sunroom? Dalir let go and the slat of the blind rebounded into a straight line. Ari was probably at Diva Unique right now, functioning on very little sleep. During the few hours they’d spent together, it was as if he was addicted to her. When he’d awakened just before dawn, he was still so damn hard for her. With Ari spooned back against him, all he could think of was gripping the globes of her ass and surging in. Brooke, moving around in the kitchen, had deterred him along with a cold slap of reality. He didn’t belong with Ari. Unlike what Thane and Reid had done for their fiancées, he couldn’t make adjustments to accommodate Ari in his life. Even if she could see him.
Thane walked into the kitchen. From his clothing and the automatic pistol strapped to his thigh, he’d also come from the range. His brow rose at the sound of laughter outside. He chuckled. “I should have known better when Reid said Lauren just needed him for a minute.”
Dalir grabbed a mug out of the dark wood cabinet in the corner. He poured coffee from the heated carafe sitting in the coffeemaker on the marble counter. “Reid seems to be doing better.”
Thane took the makings for a sandwich out of the fridge. “Physically, he’s fully recovered. Mentally, he’s almost back. He’s just started opening up to me about what happened with Kell. If he keeps talking and doesn’t hold it in, he’ll come out the other side. Lauren is good for him, too.”
The coffee in Dalir’s mouth grew bitter. One more minute of Kell’s torture, and Reid wouldn’t have survived. Maybe he was taking the hunt for Kell too far for them. In the process, Thane and Reid’s newfound happiness could end up jeopardized. Thane had already given up the team once to save Celine. He would have lived his life out with her in peace if Kell hadn’t shown up. Instead, Thane had given up normal and rejoined the team with Celine at his side. Maybe Thane was right. The time had come for him to reevaluate how long he’d allow Kell’s actions to influence the team’s lives, even if he couldn’t get away from or forget the pain and suffering his brother caused.
Thane assembled his food at the counter. He piled deli turkey, lettuce and tomato on whole grain bread. “This should tide me over. We might get to eat before sundown if Reid stops chasing Lauren and finishes installing the grill.” He put everything away. “I gave the guys the afternoon off. They need a break. We’re throwing burgers on the grill and playing music.”
“If you say the team needs downtime, I’m sure it’s warranted.” Dalir sipped coffee. If Ari were there, she would probably enjoy the cookout. From the look she’d given him when he commented on the pizza, he’d probably have to sneak salad on her plate. Or he’d feed it to her, making it enjoyable, so she’d eat more. At some point, she’d probably slip away to gossip with her girlfriends. But
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