Ghosted (Team Zero #3) by Rina Kent

His lips brush along my forehead. “I told you that you’ve fucked yourself with me, Firefly. There’s no way I’m letting you go.”

“Give me your word,” I insist. Julian is so big on his word. I’ve noticed that he rarely gives it, but when he does, there’s no going back.

He offers a curt nod. “You have my word.”

My body sags against him, and my breathing evens a little. I’m still so lost and don’t even want to process the reality of Zoe’s death. I have to call Liam and tell him the news. I have to know why Zoe died. But my mind goes blank. I don’t want to think about any of that.

I just want to forget. Even for a moment.

My fingers thread into Julian’s hair as I kiss my way up his throat. “I need you, Julian.”

I don’t have to ask twice. His lips find mine and he kisses me slowly and sensually. My head turns and my heart starts palpitating.

Julian doesn’t rip any clothes. He takes his time to kiss his way along my face, my puffy eyes, and my drying tears. He kisses them all as if wanting to take the pain away.

He leans me against the cushion. I wrap my legs around his waist. Time and thoughts cease to exist. I revel in his hands all over me and kiss him with passion and abandonment.

When he thrusts inside me, it’s not just fucking or sex, or even grief. This time, he worships my body as if it’s the most sacred place to be.

Although his grip on my hips is controlled, he leisurely rolls his body and savours me. Slowly, almost too slowly. He places both my legs on his strong shoulders. I gasp against his mouth. The position allows him so much depth like never before. He hits my spot with ever thrust. Pleasure crawls through my veins in the sweetest, strongest build-up I’ve ever felt.

The orgasm shatters me into a million pieces.

I come, screaming his name and making all sorts of noises. The sweeping sensation is beyond orgasms and fucking. This one is like falling into a deep abyss with no bloody way out. It’s so raw and intense that my eyes fill with tears.

Then, I realise as he growls and tightens inside me, that in Julian’s way, he’s been making love to me. That alone drives me to the brink all over again.

I black out from the feral rawness.

When I come to, Julian is holding me tight against his chest. Both our skins are slick and sweat glues a few strands of dark hair to his ethereal face. Julian grabs his jacket and drapes it around me.

“Are you all right?” His deeply concerned tone adds to all these chaotic feelings jumbling inside me.

“I am. Don’t worry.” My voice is above a murmur. I’m still too boneless from that mind-blowing sex.

He doesn’t look convinced. “Let me take you home.”

Home.

Where is that? I don’t have a home. Zoe used to say ‘Home is wherever you want it to be’ – which I still think is a quote she stole from someone. But Zoe was right. For me, it seems that home is wherever Julian is.

One way or another, he’s become my home.

He starts to pick me up, but I stop him and curl further in his lap. “Let’s stay here for a while longer.”

“It’s not safe,” he grunts but remains in place.

“No one comes here. It’s been abandoned for years.”

His inquisitive gaze roams around the small lake house that looks like a cottage and is just as cosy. “What is this place anyway?”

I tell him all about it. How Zoe and I used to consider this our playroom – I don’t mention her name, though. I just say ‘a friend’. How we ran away from our foster homes to meet here. How we used to spar together. Then, I recall she’s never returning here and I almost choke on my words.

Julian’s hand slips under the jacket and he rubs my back. He doesn’t have to ask, he already knows that the friend I’m talking about is gone. Probably because I’ve been talking about her in past tense.

“Is this the friend you mentioned the other day?”

I nod.

He kisses the top of my head. “Thank you for bringing me to your special place with her.”

I smile a little. “You kind of followed. I didn’t bring you along.”

He grins, and the rare gesture melts my heart. “You know what I mean.”

“Sure.” Zoe brought Shadow here anyway, so I wasn’t breaking any code.

I wonder why she never told me about him when she obviously cared about him. Was he her secret? If roles were switched, would I keep Julian a secret? I kind of do from Liam. He’d be vehemently against whatever relationship Julian and I have. He has a strong prejudice against criminals to the point of obsession.

But in Julian’s case, Liam would only be judging the exterior.

Julian runs a lot deeper. A leader. A godfather. A friend. And the most wonderful man I’ve ever known. He has some possessiveness problems and he drives me crazy at times, but I kind of love that about him, too. There’s also the whole Omega drama, a family of killers, and his closeness with that redhead witch, but I can overlook that. I can even overlook the whole mafia firm because I know he’s not doing it to hurt anyone.

He’s just a man who’s never been loved.

I had Zoe and Liam. He had no one. Shadow, Mist and even Kyle don’t count. They’re as screwed up as he is. I don’t think they have the words ‘love and care’ in their dictionaries.