“Hunter has made his choice. Whether it’s the right one remains to be seen.” He narrowed his eyes. “He’s a good man, Cosmo. We didn’t have to spend long working together for me to figure that out. Don’t take advantage of him.”
“I won’t. I love him.”
His eyes trailed over my face and settled on my arm. “What happened there? When I brought you back from the cabin, you were both barely speaking to each other, and now you’re both sporting battle wounds. What’s going on between you two?”
“It’s called rough sex, Agent Knight. Maybe you should try it sometime and lose some of that uptight stick-in-your-ass attitude.”
The corner of his mouth lifted in a smile, but it was gone just as quickly. “I might have pegged you wrong, Cosmo. You’re almost unrecognizable from the crying boy we brought in. You’ll hear from us soon about the pretrial of our first case. In the meantime, you and Hunter lie low and keep in touch if anything suspicious happens.” He stopped at the door and turned back to me. “And, Cosmo?”
“Yes?”
“Hunter’s good for you. I wouldn’t mess it up if I were you.”
He didn’t have to tell me that, but I appreciated hearing it from him. It was a sort of acknowledgment that he would back off and stop trying to get Hunter to be with him instead.
Hunter came in when I’d turned the bowl of cereal to my lips and drained the last bit of the milk, which dribbled from the corner of my mouth. I gave him a sheepish grin.
“Still hungry?”
I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and nodded. “Someone wore me out last night.”
When he came over, I leaned into him and wrapped my arms around him. “Pick me up.”
“Are you forgetting the magic word?”
“Now?” I bit my bottom lip.
“Someone’s in a naughty mood. How about I make you a sandwich first, and then I’ll give you a bath, and we can play?”
I raised my arms. “But first up.”
He indulged me, lifting me from the seat. I locked my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist. He inhaled deeply.
“Hmm, you need a shower, baby.”
“I stink?”
“Not stink, but you smell of sex, and the scent only makes me want you again and again, but your body needs a break from me.”
I pouted. “Sadly, it does.” I rested my head on his shoulder.
“Everything okay?”
“Hmm. I feel sad.”
“About what?”
“You having to quit your job. What if you get mad at me in the long run for making you quit? Will you bury me alive again?”
He groaned and tightened his hold on me. “Will you never let me live that down?”
“Nope. I’ll hold it over your head for life, and every time I want something, I’ll bring it up again.”
“Brat.” He squeezed my butt. “Do you trust me?”
“More than myself.”
“Then believe me when I say this integrity investigation is for protocol. We don’t need to worry about that. I’m not saying everything will be easy. You’ll have to be involved in so many trials, but we’ll get through it.”
I planted a kiss on the side of Hunter’s neck. Everything was far from over, but I believed him that we would get through it all. With Hunter fighting for me and me fighting for him, it couldn’t go any other way.