Inheriting a SECRET (Corrigan & Co. Book 7) by Crystal Perkins Page B

already,
but we both had an unspoken agreement to not say the words out loud.
He broke it first, but I felt no hesitation in saying the words back
to him. I do love
him, and yet I know that it’s not enough. Love can’t conquer all,
and it won’t conquer the secrets between us. It may save us from
total destruction, but I’m not even sure of that anymore.
    For now, I’m just
going to enjoy the sexy man in my bed. I snuggle in closer to him
placing little kisses on his neck until he starts to wake up. “Again,
Cat? I swear you’re insatiable.”
    “Are you
complaining?”
    “Hell, no.”
    “Shower?”
    “You’re okay with
the bandage?”
    “Yep.”
    “Then let’s go get
wet.”
    “I’m already wet.”
    “You’re going to
kill me, you know that, right?”
    If only he knew how
hard I’m working to actually keep him alive. “Never, Crown. I’ll
protect you to my death.”
    “I’ll do the same
for you. I swear it.”
    I kiss him hard, and
then let him carry me into the shower. We spend way more time than
necessary in there, but we do end up getting clean—after we get very dirty. I send
him away to get dressed, because I know if he stays any longer, we’ll
never make it to the celebration.
    Since today is casual,
I’m allowed to wear something a little more fun. It’s still a
dress, but it’s comfortable and artsy, with splashes, stripes, and
dots of color. I’m wearing bright orange flats with it, and no
jewelry other than my engagement ring. I’m really looking forward
to playing games and riding rides with Brayden now that we’re back
to be real for the moment.
    I’m the last one to
walk into the dining room again, but what happens next is very
different from last night. Brayden practically jumps out of his chair
to greet me with a kiss. I smile at him as he takes my hand and leads
me to the seat next to his. There’s already a plate of my favorite
things waiting for me.
    “You made me a
plate?”
    “I did.”
    “Thanks.”
    “Hi Darcy.”
    I turn to look at
Reina, and smile sheepishly. I didn’t even notice that they were
here, and she knows it. Matt and Aiden are smiling at me, too, but
Nate’s got his eyes on Brayden. If looks could kill, my fiancé
would be dead.
    “Hi, Rei.”
    “Introduce me to him,
Darce,” Nate says with a sneer.
    “Brayden already
introduced himself to us,” Jade reminds him, rolling her eyes.
    “She’s my best
friend, Angel. I want her to introduce me to the guy she’s sleeping
with.”
    “Holy shit. That’s
Nate Anderson,” Brayden whispers from next to me. “I didn’t
really pay attention when I came in since I was making your plate.”
    I lean in to him. “I’d
say his bark is worse than his bite, but it’s not.”
    “That’s what I’m
afraid of. He’s really your best friend?”
    “Yep.”
    “He’s getting out
of his chair. Please introduce me, or whatever.”
    I almost laugh out
loud, but I manage to rein it in enough to shoot Nate a glare. “Nate,
this is my fiancé, Brayden. Bray, this is my best friend, Nate.
Happy now?”
    “No.”
    “Sit down,
Neanderthal. Darcy can take care of herself, and if she can’t,
she’ll let you know and you can kick his ass,” Jade tells him.
    “I’d fight him
first,” Noah says.
    “Please try, little
boy.”
    “Enough, Nate.”
    He looks at me in
shock, but shuts up. I’ve got too many other things to worry about
without playing referee in a pissing match between him and Noah. And
Brayden’s completely off limits.
    “Wow. This is way
more entertaining than our usual gigs,” Kace says, trying to ease
the tension in the room while lying through his teeth. I want to run
over and kiss him, but I know Stella will take care of that for me.
    I dig into my
breakfast, sharing kisses with Brayden every few bites. Audrey leaves
our final schedule on the table between us, but doesn’t say
anything. I think she’s afraid to break the spell we’re under at
the moment, because having a couple