Whispers of a Broken Halo by Abbi Glines

“Did you sleep well?” I asked her as I stood behind her while she worked on our coffee.

She nodded. “Yes.”

I glanced over at Cullen to see he was enthralled in his favorite superhero, then slid my hand under the back side of the T-shirt she was wearing. My hand met bare thigh and a panty-covered ass. No shorts. Damn. I was going to have a hard time thinking about anything else.

Her head whipped around to check to see if Cullen was watching me.

“I already checked that,” I whispered, then slid my hand up to her waist.

She stood very still, her breathing growing heavy as my hand went higher until I was gently cupping her right breast.

“I just needed to feel you,” I said in her ear before sliding my hand down her body and letting the T-shirt fall back down.

When my hand was gone, she turned her face back to look up at me.

“I wish I weren’t so weak where you were concerned,” she said, then smiled.

I didn’t. Her desire for me made me want to pound my chest like a caveman and alert the world that she belonged to me. I bent down and kissed her neck, inhaling the scent that was uniquely hers. Bryn tilted her head the other way to give me better access. So fucking sweet.

“We need to stop. Cullen,” she breathed and closed her eyes a moment, then moved away. She took a deep breath, then handed me a cup of coffee. “Here, taste this. Not me,” she offered.

I grinned and took the coffee. “You taste better.”

She blushed and ran her hand over her unbrushed hair. “Th-th-thank you, but”—her eyes went to Cullen again—“just because I can’t seem to tell you no, it’s dangerous to do things in front of him. He could look, and I …” She sighed. “It’s just that he’s never seen me with a man. Ever. He has seen his mother with many, but not me. I’m his constant. Change might cause him to think I’ll leave like she did.” Bryn stopped and took a drink of her coffee.

Another one of the things about her that was going to own me. Her dedication to that little boy. What would my childhood have been like with a mom like her? Or hell, an aunt? Anyone to care that my mother was unstable and not fit to raise a kid.

“Do you work tonight?” I asked her, and the thought of her at work made my chest tighten painfully. The idea of her topless in a bar was going to be the hardest thing for me to accept.

“No. I go back Sunday,” she said, and I could see her tense.

She knew I hated it, and right now, this was new for us. I had to win her trust. Asking her to get a new job wasn’t going to help me do that. Although I was going to talk to Pops today about the assistant he’d said he needed to hire. In his condition, he couldn’t help Hazel anymore. The position would pay well. I just wasn’t sure how to bring it up to Bryn.

“Then, we have tonight,” I replied.

She nodded. “Yeah.”

“Can I have a doughnut?” Cullen asked, turning around and looking at us.

“Yes,” Bryn replied and went to put one on a plate for him, then poured him a glass of milk.

I picked up a doughnut and took a bite while watching her take Cullen his food. I wanted to spend all day with them, but I was supposed to be at work in an hour. I had called Hazel to let her know it would be nine when I got there today. She’d grumbled, but when I’d told her I was going to see Bryn, she’d immediately changed her tune.

“What are your plans today?” I asked her.

She took a doughnut for herself, then broke it into two, only keeping half of it. “I think we might go to the beach. Are you working?” she asked.

Sighing, I nodded. “Yeah. I have to be there in an hour.”

“We will be over by the south entrance to the public beach,” she told me.

The south entrance was directly beside the farmers market. “If you get hungry or thirsty or need to use the restroom,” I said, grinning.

She gave me a saucy smile. “Sorry. Last time I was there, I was told not to come back and to buy my produce elsewhere.”

I knew she was teasing, but the memory of that and how I had talked to her wasn’t something I wanted to remember. It fucking hurt. I reached for her T-shirt and grabbed a handful, then pulled her against me. “Not only are you welcome there, but whatever you want from there is also free. Including the ice cream and soda. When y’all get hot and need to cool off, come see me.”

Her body was pressed against me, and her head was tilted back as she looked up at me. Those eyes of hers were saying things I wanted to hear aloud. I lowered my mouth to hers and kissed it gently and quickly. My hand loosened its hold on her shirt, and I took another moment to run it over the side of her body.

“Do you think we can get him to take a quick nap this early?” I asked.

She laughed at me and moved away. “No.”

“Damn,” I replied, although I’d already known that was the answer.





Chapter Thirty-Two

Bryn

The sunshine and salt water had been the perfect way for us to spend our Saturday. However, the sandwiches I’d made were eaten by eleven, and our water was gone. Glancing at Cullen, who was slowing down, I knew it was time to pack it up and go home.

I looked back toward the farmers market and thought about going and getting an ice cream for Cullen. I had debated that several times since we’d arrived. However, I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I wasn’t ready to face going there just yet. Maybe in a few weeks, if this thing with Rio was still working out and he hadn’t moved on yet, I would go there.