Undercover Desires

Trigger Point

Ryland

Sleep? Yeah, f*****g right.

The second I closed my eyes, all I saw was her. Krystal. Her sharp f*****g tongue. That glare she threw my way, like she actually hated me. Like she wasn’t picturing the same damn things I was.

Her body, lean and strong, the way she moved with such f*****g purpose. And those lips—Christ—made for sin. The way they twitched when she was holding back a response, that slight quirk of amusement she tried to hide when she thought I wasn’t looking.

I was wrecked.

Hours passed, the city outside slowly shifting from night to the early glow of dawn, and I still couldn’t shake her. No woman had ever gotten under my skin this fast. I’d had my fair share—beautiful, eager, more than willing—but none had ever made me f*****g ache the way she did. None had ever left me this restless. This f*****g desperate.

Frustrated beyond belief, I dragged my ass to the gym before sunrise. Maybe, just maybe, I could sweat her out of my system.

Nope.

Every goddamn rep, every push, every bead of sweat dripping down my skin, all I could see was her. Krystal beneath me, her body arching, her breath hitching. My hands gripping her hips, keeping her pinned. My name rolling off those lips, all breathy and wrecked.

I nearly f*****g growled, slamming the weights back onto the rack. This was insane. I just met her. She was Travis’s best friend. Off-limits, for all intents and purposes.

And yet, I wanted to ruin her.

Dragging a hand through my damp hair, I stepped out of the gym, still riding that post-workout frustration. And then—

Bam.

Like the universe was playing a sick f*****g joke on me, Krystal crashed right into me.

Her hands gripped my bare, sweat-slicked skin, and f**k, that nearly did me in. She smelled like sleep and warmth, like something f*****g addictive. Her heavy lids, those ever-so-slightly swollen lips—Jesus Christ, she looked like she’d just tumbled out of bed, thoroughly wrecked.

And f**k me, I wanted to be the reason she looked like that.

Her mouth parted slightly, and for half a second, just half a second, she looked as affected as I felt. Then, like the stubborn, infuriating woman she was, she masked it.

“You look like you just crawled out of a swamp.”

I smirked, stepping closer, just enough to watch her try not to react to my scent. “And yet, you’re staring.”

She scoffed, arms crossing over her chest, and f**k, that only made things worse for me.

“I was trying to figure out how someone could possibly smell worse than a sewer.”

Cute.

I leaned in just slightly, my breath ghosting against her ear. “You’re not fooling anyone, Firecracker.”

Her jaw clenched, eyes flashing with something dangerous. Something tempting. “Neither are you.”

I barely stopped myself from grabbing her, from pinning her right there in the damn hallway just to see what kind of sounds she’d make when she finally gave in.

But she turned and walked away, her ass swaying in a way that should have been f*****g illegal.

I stared. Of course, I f*****g stared.

When she disappeared down the hall, I exhaled sharply, dragging a hand down my face before heading straight for my room. A freezing shower did absolutely f*****g nothing.

Once dressed in a plain tee and sweats, I made my way downstairs, drawn to the smell of coffee.

The weekend meant everyone was home, which meant the dining table was already occupied by Travis and my mother. I muttered a greeting, grabbing my coffee and sinking into a chair, still f*****g on edge.

“So, Travis,” Mom started, turning to my brother. “How’s life back in D.C.?”

Travis shrugged, taking a sip of his coffee. “Busy. The company’s growing faster than I expected. Good problem to have, I guess.”

I half-listened, letting my thoughts drift back to a certain frustrating-as-hell woman until—

“So, Krystal’s still working with you?” Mom asked, and my attention snapped back into focus.

Travis nodded, smiling slightly. “Yeah, wouldn’t survive without her.”

My grip on my coffee mug tightened slightly.

Mom tilted her head. “You two go way back, don’t you?”

“Since high school. Same university too.”

My jaw ticked. That meant years. Years of knowing her, of being around her. And yet, here I was, losing my goddamn mind over a few hours in her presence.

“And her family?” Mom pressed, her tone soft.

Travis’s expression dimmed just slightly. “She doesn’t have one.”

Something in my chest tightened.

Travis leaned back in his chair, exhaling. “Krystal’s been through a lot. She doesn’t talk about it much, but… yeah, she’s got no one.” His fingers tapped against his mug. “That’s why she’s important to me. I’d never want her to feel alone. Or to deal with any bullshit she doesn’t deserve.”

My throat felt dry.

I wasn’t an i***t—I knew what Travis was saying. Krystal wasn’t just some friend to him. She was family. Someone he’d protect with everything he had.

And for some reason, the thought of anyone hurting her made my blood f*****g boil.

I stared down at my coffee, jaw tight. I didn’t know when it f*****g happened, but somehow, some way—

I wanted to protect her too.