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Authors: Nancy C. Weeks
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through the door with a pint of ice cream and two spoons. She gave Elizabeth a quick hug then Noah before racing back upstairs.
“Okay, out with it. What’s with the teapot?” Noah asked the instant Danny’s door was shut.
Elizabeth threaded her hand through her hair and met Noah’s glare. “The kids know it’s special to me. They never touch it. I have no memory of getting it down.”
“Don’t touch it, Elizabeth.”
“Maybe I’m just losing my mind.”
“Or someone wants you to think you are.”
Chapter Seven
Noah extended his fingers over the steering wheel to relax the cramp as his eyes scanned the quiet neighborhood. Instead of heading home and crawling into bed after leaving the Merlot home for the second time that night, he found himself in front of Adam’s massive Cape Cod. The property was nestled into a woodland lot that backed up to the Potomac River. The place screamed suburbia, relaxation, and didn’t fit his badass brother’s personality one bit.
He could sure use Jared’s level head, but that door was closed for now. Adam was much more suited for what he was after anyway. As a cop, Noah had rules he was required to follow. The ex-CIA operative-turned-consultant didn’t follow rules and excelled at working off the grid.
But just sitting in front of his half-brother’s home set his back up. The man wasn’t his favorite person these days. It was still hard to think of him as a brother. He had known Adam for several years, worked with him on some scary-as-shit assignments.
Noah wanted his friend back, but the lies, the pretense, learning that this longtime friend was his older half-brother narrowed the line between trust and family. It didn’t matter that Adam kept his identity a secret even from their father because he was trying to protect the McNeils. A lie was a fucking lie. Period.
There was more than one occasion when Adam could have said, “Hey, guess what? We have the same father.” Instead, he waited until his violent world dropped right on the family’s doorstep. He had to come clean because he needed his brothers’ help keeping his daughter Anna safe. Noah had to wonder if Adam would have ever let on who he was if he hadn’t been forced into it.
His parents and siblings all welcomed Adam into the fold. Noah wasn’t ready to join the party. Getting over the feeling of betrayal in his gut took time.
But time had run out. He had to shift his perspective. He needed Adam’s skills, his expertise, and he needed his brother. Still, Noah’s butt was still planted in the driver’s seat because he hadn’t worked out the best plan of action.
It had been a hell of a day.
Except for the kiss.
He tucked in his bottom lip. He could still taste Elizabeth. Damn, could that woman kiss. She was so hesitant at first, like it was her first time. An instant later, she was kissing him back with such passion, she made his knees weak.
He had kissed his fair share of women. Hell, it was one of his life’s simple pleasures. But that kiss—soft, sweet, and tasting of vanilla cream—would stay with him a long time.
Then Danny Merlot’s black eye, bloody lip, and bruised body etched itself into his calm. The bastards better run fast and far, because Noah wasn’t going to rest until he gave them a taste of their own medicine.
He opened the door and stepped out of the truck. He needed answers, and Adam could help him find them. As he half-jogged up the walk, he kicked himself for showing up empty handed. He should have at least had Raúl make a bouquet for Calista and include a stuffed animal for Anna.
Calista McNeil was the only woman on the planet who had the power to settle Adam down. Noah might be angry with his brother, but he sure as hell liked his choice in women. And his six-year-old niece stole his heart the instant they met. He needed to get over his tiff with Adam just so he could spend more time with Calista and Anna.
He raised his hand to knock and the door swung open.
“Okay, out with it. What’s with the teapot?” Noah asked the instant Danny’s door was shut.
Elizabeth threaded her hand through her hair and met Noah’s glare. “The kids know it’s special to me. They never touch it. I have no memory of getting it down.”
“Don’t touch it, Elizabeth.”
“Maybe I’m just losing my mind.”
“Or someone wants you to think you are.”
Chapter Seven
Noah extended his fingers over the steering wheel to relax the cramp as his eyes scanned the quiet neighborhood. Instead of heading home and crawling into bed after leaving the Merlot home for the second time that night, he found himself in front of Adam’s massive Cape Cod. The property was nestled into a woodland lot that backed up to the Potomac River. The place screamed suburbia, relaxation, and didn’t fit his badass brother’s personality one bit.
He could sure use Jared’s level head, but that door was closed for now. Adam was much more suited for what he was after anyway. As a cop, Noah had rules he was required to follow. The ex-CIA operative-turned-consultant didn’t follow rules and excelled at working off the grid.
But just sitting in front of his half-brother’s home set his back up. The man wasn’t his favorite person these days. It was still hard to think of him as a brother. He had known Adam for several years, worked with him on some scary-as-shit assignments.
Noah wanted his friend back, but the lies, the pretense, learning that this longtime friend was his older half-brother narrowed the line between trust and family. It didn’t matter that Adam kept his identity a secret even from their father because he was trying to protect the McNeils. A lie was a fucking lie. Period.
There was more than one occasion when Adam could have said, “Hey, guess what? We have the same father.” Instead, he waited until his violent world dropped right on the family’s doorstep. He had to come clean because he needed his brothers’ help keeping his daughter Anna safe. Noah had to wonder if Adam would have ever let on who he was if he hadn’t been forced into it.
His parents and siblings all welcomed Adam into the fold. Noah wasn’t ready to join the party. Getting over the feeling of betrayal in his gut took time.
But time had run out. He had to shift his perspective. He needed Adam’s skills, his expertise, and he needed his brother. Still, Noah’s butt was still planted in the driver’s seat because he hadn’t worked out the best plan of action.
It had been a hell of a day.
Except for the kiss.
He tucked in his bottom lip. He could still taste Elizabeth. Damn, could that woman kiss. She was so hesitant at first, like it was her first time. An instant later, she was kissing him back with such passion, she made his knees weak.
He had kissed his fair share of women. Hell, it was one of his life’s simple pleasures. But that kiss—soft, sweet, and tasting of vanilla cream—would stay with him a long time.
Then Danny Merlot’s black eye, bloody lip, and bruised body etched itself into his calm. The bastards better run fast and far, because Noah wasn’t going to rest until he gave them a taste of their own medicine.
He opened the door and stepped out of the truck. He needed answers, and Adam could help him find them. As he half-jogged up the walk, he kicked himself for showing up empty handed. He should have at least had Raúl make a bouquet for Calista and include a stuffed animal for Anna.
Calista McNeil was the only woman on the planet who had the power to settle Adam down. Noah might be angry with his brother, but he sure as hell liked his choice in women. And his six-year-old niece stole his heart the instant they met. He needed to get over his tiff with Adam just so he could spend more time with Calista and Anna.
He raised his hand to knock and the door swung open.
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