Deadly Reunion (Hardy Brothers Security Book 20) by Lily Harper Hart Page B

on the floor and she was completely naked. “What are you doing?”
    “You’re keyed up and need something to do with the energy,” Mandy replied. “I was asleep, but now I’m worked up, too The only thing that’s going to put both of us to sleep is … this.”
    “Nudity?”
    Mandy smiled to show James she wasn’t angry with him. “You’re not naked yet.”
    “I’m not sure going from a near screaming match to loud sex is a good idea,” James admitted. “I think that’s sending the wrong message.”
    “And what message is that?” Mandy challenged. “Are you afraid to lose yourself in me instead of anger?”
    “Oh, baby, I always want to lose myself in you,” James said. “It’s just … I feel like I should be doing something to help Finn.”
    “You can’t do anything to help Finn until the morning,” Mandy pointed out. “You can do something to help me, though.”
    James exhaled heavily through his nose and mustered a smile. “What do you need help with, wife?”
    “Well, I’m pretty sure I can’t go to sleep without an orgasm … or three.”
    “Three, huh? Something tells me I can manage that.”
    “I know you can,” Mandy said, moving toward the door. “I wouldn’t have married you otherwise.”
    “All right, baby. I hope you know what you’re in for.” James moved to follow his wife, shedding his boxer shorts on the floor next to her clothes before shutting off the office light and shoving Finn’s shooting out of his head until morning.
    “Just out of curiosity, James, how do you know the sex is going to be loud?” Mandy asked, giggling when he snagged her around the waist and carried her into their bedroom.
    “History, baby. Now shut your mouth and go to work. We both need a good night’s sleep, and we’re going to have to put in a workout before that happens. Giddyap, woman.”

9
    Nine
    “ I ’ve got good news and bad news,” Grady announced, breezing into Mandy and James’ kitchen the next morning with a bag of breakfast food containers in his arms and a grim expression on his face. “What do you want first?”
    “Eggs,” Mandy replied, rubbing the side of her cheek as James pushed a mug of coffee in front of her. “Hash browns and toast, too.”
    “Yes, little glutton, I’ve got your food,” Grady said, dropping the box on the kitchen table and giving his sister-in-law a sidelong glance. “You look exhausted, kid. Did James’ freakout last late into the night?”
    “I wasn’t freaking out,” James muttered, taking a seat at the head of the table and making a face. “Why does everyone think I freak out?”
    “Because we’ve met you,” Grady replied, rolling his eyes. “You look exhausted, too. Did you guys fight?”
    “Almost,” Mandy replied. “He wanted to pick a fight as a form of punishment for himself, but I dropped my clothes instead. We compromised.”
    “Nice,” Grady said. “It’s good to know that in a time of crisis you two can always be counted on to continue your sex fiendish ways.”
    “A classic never goes out of style,” James said, offering Mandy a wan smile as he squeezed her hand. “We had a late night. I couldn’t sleep.”
    “Finally I had to knock him out,” Mandy supplied.
    “With your boobs?” Grady asked.
    “No, I made him take nighttime cold medicine,” Mandy answered honestly. “I did my best, but I wasn’t enough for him.”
    “You’re always enough, wife,” James said. “Heck, three-quarters of the time you’re too much. I just couldn’t get this thing out of my head. The more I think about it, the more it bothers me. Nothing about this makes sense.”
    “I figured,” Grady said. “What about you, kid? Do you have work?”
    “I called in sick.” Mandy slathered a piece of toast with strawberry jam and enthusiastically bit into it. “I’m off and yours for the day.”
    Grady’s eyebrows flew up his forehead as surprise washed over him. “You voluntarily called in sick to work? What happened