I WOKE TO A faint buzzing that grew louder as consciousness seeped into my being.

Groaning, I swatted groggily at my phone on the nightstand next to the bed. When I couldn't quite reach it, I attempted to escape the firm hold that August's arms had on me.

I should have known that was never going to work.

He pulled me into his chest and muttered, "Leave it," into my hair.

"What if it's important?" I countered, rubbing my eyes even as the phone stopped vibrating. Clearly, I wasn't too worried it was an emergency, but that didn't mean I couldn't partake in my favorite pastime: messing with August Fletcher.  "What if something's happened to Eloise?"

August sighed. "You really should have just brought Eloise with you."

A strangled laugh escaped my lips. "I knew you weren't going to be happy to see me show up on your island. I didn't think bringing my hedgehog would exactly help."

August's fingers started moving in circles on my hip. "You think I wasn't happy to see you?" 

"I–" My phone began vibrating again, cutting me off. I reached for it, and this time, August allowed it, loosening his hold so I could swipe my phone off the bedside table.

And I wish I hadn't.

"Parker," I said, his name coming off more sharp than I intended when I answered his call. I wouldn't have answered at all if not for the fact that he called twice in a row.

August audibly groaned at hearing who it was.

Like it or not, it was a Wednesday morning. And I did have a job that I was being paid to do outside of lounging in August Fletcher's bed during all hours of the day. I really had nothing I could logically complain about, considering the rest of my colleagues were working away in New York, where they had to endure the ungodly temperatures of August without a beach to enjoy out their back door.

"Quinn," Parker responded, a little taken aback by my tone. "Did I catch you at a bad time?"

"Yes," August grunted as he tucked me back into his side.

I rolled my eyes at him even though I was turned on my side, and he couldn't see my face.

"No, not a bad time," I said, intently brightening my voice. "I was just working through a piece of the article that I've been stuck on."

August chuckled at my lie, his breath warming the back of my neck and sending a shiver through me. His close proximity was making it very hard to concentrate on anything other than, well, him. Because god, everything about this man was undeniably sexy, even when he was making fun of me.

Whether it was how I shivered in his arms or how my breath hitched at the feeling of his breath against my skin, August seemed to take note of my preoccupation. His fingers began to drift, sneaking beneath my oversized Warriors shirt–one from his closet this time–as Parker replied.

"Do you want me to take a look at it?" he offered. "I'd be happy to give you some feedback."

Shit. I should have anticipated his response, but now I was stuck, mouth gaping as I tried to figure out what to say. Although, that was more because of August's wandering hands than anything else.

"No, that's–" My voice hitched as August swirled my nipple with his fingertip. "Okay. That's okay. I think I'm close to fingering–figuring–it out."

August's whole body shook as he tried to contain his laughter, and I had to bite my lip to keep myself from losing it, too.

But it was about to be a lost cause. August was taking my accidental slip-up as a direction, and I had to swallow a groan when his fingers traveled down my body and slipped between my legs.

And since I hadn't worn any bottoms to bed last night, August quickly found what he was searching for. I was already embarrassingly wet for him. But it wasn't my fault he was so....August. And it certainly didn't help when he let out a hushed, "Fuck, Castle."

I captured a moan in my mouth as soon as Parker's voice cut through the moment. For a scary second, I nearly forgot I was on the phone.

"Well, let me know if you do need help. That's kinda what I was calling to offer anyway. Since...well..."

He drifted off, and I drifted off, struggling to maintain focus when August's finger slid over my clit rhythmically. I arched into his hand, wanting more. Needing more.

But I also needed to know what Parker wasn't saying.

"What?"

Hopefully Parker mistook my breathiness for concern. Or anything that wasn't the truth: the subject of my article had his fingers between my legs while we lay tangled in his bed.

"Well..." Parker spoke tentatively, the exact opposite of August's torturing, which couldn't have been any more bold or purposeful. "You've been down there for weeks and have barely reported anything back, Quinn."

"After you called the last time, I sent my–" My voice broke off as August dipped a finger inside me.

"Look, I'm not trying to upset you," Parker said, mistaking my lack of speech for the wrong kind of emotion. "I just wanted you to get a friendly call from me versus a not-so-friendly call from you-know-who."

I did know who, and he was right. I would much rather be having this conversation with Parker than have my boss breathing down my back unexpectedly.

"I know," I said with a sigh. A sigh that was really an ode to August. He'd taken to rocking his erection into me, grinding against my ass in a way that only added to the dirty dilemma I was in. "You're right."

August nipped at my neck, telling me he didn't like that I was agreeing with Parker. Or maybe that I was still talking to Parker at all.

"Everyone here understands that you have a near-impossible mission..." Parker started, and I tensed, worried he would give away what that mission was. The whole mission. But then he said, "But we just want an update on how it's going."

"It's going good," I said, wanting to reassure him. But August didn't seem to like that adjective, curling his finger deeper inside me, setting off a burst of pleasure that had me scrambling to fix my mistake. "Great. It's going great."

"Great," Parker repeated. "Looking forward to seeing more of your notes then."

"Will send them soon," I promised. And since I knew I was about to come apart, I added, "But I gotta focus on this first. Talk later, Parker."

"Bye–"

I didn't hear him finish his goodbye before I hung up, turning my head to moan into the pillow as August kept his pace finger fucking me.

"Let's hear that update, Quinn," he murmured in that deep, husky voice of his. It only added to the pure bliss building inside of me. "How's it going?"

"It's so good, August," I gasped. "So, so good."  

"That's my girl," he hummed, sounding deeply satisfied.

If there was one thing I'd learned about August in the short time we'd been intimate, it was that he got off on getting me off more than any other man I'd met. And hell, that was so hot. He rocked his hips into mine again, picking up his pace as we writhed together on the bed, and I had a feeling that he was going to come from just the friction alone.

"I will never get over how fucking good you feel," he panted against my skin. He was wrapped around me, everywhere, sending shivers across my whole body. His lips whispered down my neck before sucking on a sensitive spot, and I saw stars. They danced through my vision seconds before an orgasm ripped through me, and I came with August's name on my lips.

He didn't stop what he was doing, though. Of course not. His fingers kept going, his hips kept moving, all while his delicious voice washed over me. "I love feeling your pussy grip me like that, baby. I can't wait to feel it around my cock."

"Oh my god," I groaned because it was the only thing running through my mind at that moment.

And then August echoed it, cursing as he stilled and moaned into my neck, letting himself go.

Fuck. I was quickly realizing that I was so screwed. Because while everything about August and I felt right...everything about why I was here felt wrong. And while I'd been able to push it away the last couple of days, Parker's comment about my mission lingered in my brain.

"Maybe if you keep hanging up on him, he'll get the picture to stop calling," August said, cutting into my thoughts as he struggled to catch his breath, slipping his fingers from my body. I peeked over my shoulder to catch him casually sucking them into his mouth to clean them off.

Christ.

"Maybe," I acknowledged. "But if he does call again, you can't do that, Fletcher."

"You asked for it," he chuckled, his eyes piercing mine with their intensity.

"Unintentionally," I argued, and then, because I couldn't help it, I brushed my lips over his. Gently. They were just right there, so close and so perfect. I felt his lips curve beneath mine, and when I pulled away, August was grinning. "You know that people from the agency can't know about this."

"I know." He nodded, his expression turning solemn. "If I wanted Parker's scrawny ass to know about us, I would have made sure he knew. I would have had you screaming, Castle. But that's not what I wanted. I wanted you to hang up the phone."

"You're ridiculous," I muttered with a smile.

He shrugged. "You did hang up."

"I didn't want him to hear me...you know."

"I do know," August said smugly. "Because those sounds are just for me."

I had no argument for that, so I nestled further into the bed and examined him–all smiley and adorable. It was such a different look on him, and I loved that I was the one to put it there.

I really didn't want to be the one to take it away.

"You must be feeling better," I commented.

"You make me feel better," he replied evasively.

"How's your knee?" I asked more pointedly.

"It's fine."

"August...."

"It's a bit sore," he finally answered. "Should probably ice it some more."

"And maybe not move so much," I countered, thinking about how he'd been curled around me a minute ago.

"It was worth it," he declared, unbothered. "Definitely worth it."

"The more you aggravate it, the longer it will take to heal." August sighed, and I added, "I'll go get you some ice."

"Thanks, Castle." His eyes tracked me as I slid out of bed, walking around to the other side of the bedroom. "And you might as well bring your laptop when you return. I'll answer whatever questions you need to know to get Parker off your back."

"Whatever questions?" I asked, lifting a brow as I stopped in the doorway to look back at him.

August's lips drew into a line, but he nodded.

And I just hoped he would follow through on that.

I'd gained a lot of knowledge about August in the last few weeks, but there was one thing I still didn't know. One thing I needed to know that I hadn't wanted to push on because the longer I spent around him, the more I wanted to leave it alone, let him live in peace and keep his secrets. They weren't mine or anyone else's to take. But if he was willing to talk without feeling pressured...

All I could do was cross my fingers that he'd tell me why the hell he left football. 

Mostly so I could figure out if I could ever find a way to bring him back to it again.

☀️

a/n:

do you think August is going to spill? 👀

thanks for reading!
xoxo amelie