Dirty Secret (The Burke Brothers #1)(62)
Author: Emma Hart

I shuffle out of bed quietly and open one of my drawers. I pull out his T-shirt, one I kept when I left, and pull it over my head. I don’t know how he missed it when he put all my clothes in the drawers. Maybe he didn’t miss it—maybe he noticed it and decided to just ignore it.

Tying my hair up, I walk downstairs and into the kitchen. The kettle is empty, so I fill it and set it to boil, then throw four slices of bread into the toaster. My laptop is on the counter and I open it, bringing up Spotify. I set the radio playing and hum along to the song—Dirty B.’s latest. My lips curve.

Damn. They’re everywhere.

I twirl across the kitchen, still humming, and grab the butter and milk from the fridge. I butter the toast when it pops and stir two coffees.

“I wondered what was dying down here.” Conner’s hands settle on either side of my body on the counter, and he dips his face into the side of my neck.

“Ha, ha.” I knock his elbow with mine. “Good morning to you, too.”

“Mornin’,” he murmurs, kissing my neck.

I squirm and wriggle, turning. “I made you—”

He silences me with his mouth, leaning into me. My body hums at the touch, but I push him off me.

“We don’t have time. You have to eat, then we have to go somewhere.” I grab the coffee and thrust it toward him.

He frowns, taking it and reaching around me to grab a slice of toast. “Where’re we goin’?”

“I’m not telling you.” I grin. “So hurry up.”

“I have clothes in my truck. I came prepared.” He holds his toast between his teeth and pulls his keys from his pocket.

I watch him as he tears off a hearty bite from the slice of toast, then drops it on a plate. He turns, heading for the door.

“You’re goin’ out there like that?” I follow him, my eyes widening.

“They were there all night, princess. They already know I didn’t leave.” He winks and opens the door.

I dart into the front room to avoid being seen. The curtains are still shut so I walk to the window and push them to the side, peeking out.

Conner strolls to his truck barefoot and the questions start immediately. Are you back together? Conner, where’s your daughter? Conner, can you confirm that you’re in a relationship with Sofie Callahan?

He ignores them and grabs his bag from the backseat of his truck. My lips twitch as he turns and gives the media a thumbs-up. He shuts the front door and finds my eyes at the window. He winks, walking across the lawn as if his childish thumbs-up hasn’t almost started a riot.

“That was immature,” I say when he shuts the front door.

“I don’t give a shit.” He laughs, throwing the bag to the top of the stairs. “They shouldn’t be such asses.”

Grabbing his toast from the kitchen, he makes his way upstairs. I watch him go, shake my head, then follow him.

“So where we goin’?”

“I’m not telling you!” I put my mug on the dresser and open my drawers, attempting to find a clean pair of shorts.

Silence, then gruffly, “Why aren’t you wearing underwear?”

I glance over my shoulder with a sassy smirk. “You took it off last night.”

He grunts something, looking away. His eyes soon come back to me, though, and I sit on the end of the bed.

“I’m not sure if I’m annoyed or grateful you just said that.” He adjusts his pants and turns away.

I laugh quietly and pull out some shorts and a T-shirt. Oh, and some underwear. I dress quickly, not missing how his eyes travel back to me when I’m completely naked.

“Conner? Shouldn’t you be getting dressed?” I ask.

He’s standing perfectly still, his hands poised at the button of his jeans. “Yeah, but I’m thinkin’ real hard about doing the opposite.”

“We don’t have time.” I repeat my earlier statement, tap him on the nose, and walk out.

“I’ll make it quick!”

“You don’t know how to!”

He guffaws, and I grab my makeup. I’m only telling it how it is. The guy couldn’t make it quick if there was a gun to his head.

I brush some powder onto my cheeks and wipe some mascara over my lashes. I look in the mirror, my eyes hovering on the happy spark in their reflection. I linger in front of the mirror for a long moment, then turn at Conner shouting my name.

“How long are we gonna be?”

“A while,” I reply, leaning against my doorframe. “I texted your Mom. She’s going to send your dad down to build ‘cassuls’ with Mila.”

He nods slowly and runs a hand through his hair. “Do you feel bad that all she ever gets to do is play on the beach now?”

My stomach twists. “Yeah, sometimes. But she loves it. I just wish we could do other stuff, like, I don’t know, take her to the park and the store. I kind of miss her shouting at me for her favorite chips.” I pick at the hem of my shirt and glance at the clock. “We gotta go.”

I grab my coffee mug and take a long drink. Ouch. Hot. Ouch.

Conner smiles at my flinch and rests his hand against my cheek. “Soon, okay? We’ll do all that normal stuff soon. I promise.”

I nod and swallow, letting him kiss my forehead. I do feel guilty about keeping her hidden. I promised myself she’d never be hidden again when I came back here, but every day I break that promise. Even though I know it’s for her protection, I know it’s safer this way, it hurts her, too.

She’s not a newborn, sleeping, eating, pooing, caught in a regular cycle. She’s an energetic toddler, running and jumping, desperate to see the world and experience it through those gorgeous dark blue eyes.

I hold on to his words. Soon, he says. How soon is soon? When will Mila finally be free again?

“Nuh-uh,” I say when he walks toward his truck. I motion toward my car parked next to it and dangle my keys from my finger. “I’m driving.”

He looks up to the sky, mutters something, then follows me over.

“What was that?”

“Nothin’, princess.” He grins sexily and gets in.

I shoot him a sly look before I start the engine. I back up and pause by Ajax’s 4×4. “Comin’?” I ask out of my window.

Ajax’s eyes flick between us. “Do I need to?”

Conner shrugs and I say, “I know you’re just startin’ your shift, but I’d feel better if you did.”

“Conner?”