Secured Undercover Read Online Free Page B

guessed that such a hardcore dude existed underneath the costume Bradley normally wore. A day’s growth of beard shadowed his jaw, and his shaggy blonde hair stood out in every direction as if he spent too much time running his hands through it. But what caught Shannon’s attention, more than anything, was the look in Bradley’s eyes. His dark blue gaze was narrowed dangerously at Shannon, and he felt a moment of confusion before realizing it must look to Bradley as if he were trying to sneak away. He couldn’t blame the man for looking out for Flower.
    “How’s it going Bradley?”
    Bradley lifted his coffee cup to his lips, taking a sip before asking, “Leaving so soon?”
    His voice remained light, but there was no mistaking the thread of steel behind his words.
    “I’ll be back as soon as I can. One of my men got arrested last night, and I need to go spring him from jail. I’m going to leave a note for Flower since I hate to wake her up. Will you make sure she gets it?”
    A small smile touched Bradley’s lips. “Of course. There is a pad of paper over by the phone.”
    With a nod of thanks, Shannon moved to the small table and scratched out a quick note. By the time he finished, Bradley was stretched out on the couch in front of the T.V. Shannon called out a goodbye, and Bradley threw a wave over his shoulder. Shannon left with a strange feeling about the entire encounter, but was unable to pinpoint exactly from where his feeling of unease sprang.
    When Flower’s bedroom door opened a second time, Bradley looked up to find Flower padding out. She wore only a t-shirt and panties and glanced around the room before her gaze landed on him.
    “Have you seen Shannon?”
    “Nope.”
    She nodded absently at his answer before moving to the kitchen. He followed her with his eyes. She reached above her head to pull out a coffee mug, and her shirt rode up over her hip giving him a peek at her beautiful ass. After pouring herself a cup of coffee, she walked over to the side table and glanced down at the pad of paper by the phone.
    “Is something wrong?”
    She shook her head then moved to join him on the couch. She set her cup on the table, and in a move she’d exhibited a thousand times before, curled up in his lap, tucking her head underneath his chin. His nipples hardened, and goose bumps formed across his skin as her hair tickled his neck. Her ass was pressed firmly against his growing erection, and he shifted her slightly on his lap before she could feel it. He wrapped his arms around her, squeezing her lightly. She pressed a light kiss to his chest. “I love you.”
    Her words caused his throat to swell with unshed tears, and a muscle began to tick in his jaw as Shannon’s note burned a hole in his pocket. He knew he was a horrible friend, a horrible person, but God how he loved her, and prayed that one day she’d choose him. Longing ate at his gut; she was the only thing in the world that he wanted for himself.
    She hoped, if only for a moment, that Shannon had, in the very least, left a note, but it wasn’t to be.
    It was, after all, the story of her life. Everyone left her, even her own parents. There was only Bradley. He was the only person in the world that had stayed in her life. She placed another light kiss upon his chest before pressing her ear against it to listen to his steady heartbeat. That was Bradley, steady.
    “Let’s go home.”
    Bradley touched his lips to her forehead letting her know he heard her words, but he remained silent. “Please?” she added.
    He ran his fingers through her hair, pulling it over one of her shoulders before answering. “If that’s what you really want. I’m not sure how hard it will be to change our flights though.”
    “I say we rent a car and drive back,” she suggested, taking even herself by surprise.
    He chuckled. “Are you serious? You do realize it’s at least a fifteen hour drive, right?”
    She nodded. “We could make a trip out of it. We could