Forbidden Temptation My Mafia Fiance's Alpha Father (Brooklyn and Aden)

Chapter 113

Brooklyn

I stare at Colsen, trying to decide if he's on to me or not.

"What do you mean?" I ask, trying to keep my voice nonchalant.

If Colsen were to discover that Aden is tasking me with helping him bring Colsen down, he could rip me to shreds right here, right now.

Colsen glances up at me, wiggling the fingers on his left hand.

"No ring," he says, and I glance down at my own hand to realize that he's right-I'm actually not wearing Hudson's ring tonight. "Everything all right with you and your fiancé?"

I hesitate, wondering how to play this.

I actually hadn't left the ring at home on purpose-I just...hadn't remembered to put it on after my shower. But could I use this to my advantage?

Do I want Colsen to know that I'm free? I hesitate, wondering what Jolie would do.

"Sorry," Colsen says, and I look up into his face to see that he really means it. "I didn't mean to touch a sore subject."

"No, it's okay," I respond breezily, giving him a little smile. "It's just... Hudson is having a little...trouble. Being faithful."

I mean, it wasn't a lie. And Jolie said to stick to the truth as much as I can.

"We're engaged, but something has been missing for a while. We don't have the bond I would expect..." "Oh," Colsen says, his eyebrows going up in genuine surprise.

Then he puts his plate of tacos back down and pushes all of the food to the back of the table so that he can scootch closer to me.

"His loss," he murmurs, his eyes drifting down to my mouth.

Suddenly anxious, I turn my head away from him and lift my beer to my lips, taking a sip.

Colsen takes the note and leans back a little.

"I actually don't know a lot about Hudson," he says casually. "I know he's in school, but he keeps a low profile as far as mob heirs go."

"Yeah, well," I reply with a little bitter smile. "Apparently he's got other things on his mind besides Aden's work and mating me."

"Oh?" Colsen pushes. "And what's his style there? Does he have lots of girls who he sees for a short time, or just one serious side piece?"

I blink at Colsen in surprise, realizing that he's pressing me for information.

Simultaneously, I grasp that I actually do have information on Aden's heir-dangerous information that very few people have. And Colsen's looking for it.

But I won't give it. Hudson is still my friend; his secrets are safe with me.

"Can we talk about something else?" I give Colsen a sad smile that I hope suggests this is a sore subject. "Not easy to talk about the fact that the shifter I'm engaged to doesn't want to bond with me."

"Of course," he nods, again

yel

apologetic. "Im sorry, Brooklyn. I haven't been the most tactful tonight, have I? I didn't mean to pry...I'm just," he shrugs a little. "Genuinely curious about your life.”

QUMS

I bite my lip, deciding to push this a little bit. "Are you, though?"

Colsen goes still, waiting for me to continue.

"I mean," I start awkwardly, looking down at my beer. "I know that the dive bar that you took me to was filled with people from all of the underworld families and packs."

I steal a look at him. "That was embarrassing for me, and it caused a real rift between me and Hudson

when he found out. Whatever Hudson and I are to each other, I do care about him."

Guilt passes over Colsen's face. He's either a crazy good actor or...maybe he actually cares about how I feel.

"I like you, Colsen," I whisper, the truth spilling out despite myself. like you, maybe a lot? But I don't know if I can trust you, or if any of this is real, or if you're just using me to get a leg up on Aden."

Colsen nods, breathing out of his nose and looking down at his feet. He gives a sharp shake of his head.

"You're right," he sighs. "I shouldn't

have done that. It was...a little bit of

a coup for me, to be able to shove t

in Aden's face like that." Colsen. looks up at me again, giving me à

little smirk. "And I know you enjoyed

that part a little bit, too."

I blush, looking down at my beer as I remember what resulted from me shoving that day in Aden's face like that.

I remember Aden pushing me up against the door, his lips hot on mine-I remember moaning into his mouth and pulling him tight against me, wanting more.

Colsen doesn't know how much I enjoyed it.

"But I'm sorry," he continues, using one finger under my chin to turn my face gently back to his. "If it means that I lost your trust, then I wish I hadn't done it. Because, whatever's here, Brooklyn..."

He shakes his head lightly, and I know that that little shake contains a wealth of emotion, "it's real for me. And I hope it is for you too."

I bite my lip, not wanting him to know that...well, that it's real for me too, despite myself.

"Damn it," he whispers, his eyes on my mouth again, where my teeth press into my lower lip. "You make it hard for a guy to be chivalrous when you do that."

Slowly, I let my lip drag out from beneath my teeth, my mouth open. I swear a very tiny shudder passes through him.

"Whatever you want," he murmurs, bringing his eyes back to mine with an effort. "It's on your terms now. I promise, anything that happens between us is just for us."

And suddenly, I know precisely what I want.

I raise my hand and place it, gently, on the side of his neck, my skin humming at the touch of his own against my palm.

And then I pull his mouth to mine.