“Tahoe is all gassed up,” Leo says as he pulls me to his warm chest, safely away from Sebastian. He strokes my hair and it makes the guilt burrow deeper. I should be taking care of him.
Why is this happening? I’m harmless. Killing me would be pointless. It makes no sense.
“I don’t want to leave my dad,” I whisper against his suit jacket.
“I know, sweetness. But we have to. It’s not permanent. Just a temporary safe place,” he assures me as he guides me over to the Tahoe.
Zac stands beside the vehicle and opens the door. His dark eyes flare with an emotion that I might equate to anger. I think he’s mad because he’s stuck babysitting me. But before I can worry myself over it, he winks at me, which serves to soothe my guilt of dragging them away to God knows where.
“Everything will be just fine, Clove,” Zac says. “Just let us take care of you. It’s our job.”
I want to argue and tell him his job is taking care of my dad, and to have save lives, specifically my father’s considering where his career is headed. But Leo is already gripping my hips and hoisting me into the Tahoe. His touch, so tender yet protective, warms me, making my stomach dip and body relax. Now is not the time to acknowledge the feelings I harbor toward Leo or any of the others.
“Come here, Lucky,” Ford says, already seated inside the vehicle.
I scramble across the seat to bury my face against his chest. Ford is never without a panty-melting smile. His hazel eyes are warm and inviting. And he always acknowledges me. Whereas Sebastian and Zac tend to respect my father, and not chat it up with his daughter, Ford and Leo choose to ignore the unspoken rules. Leo tends to be my security blanket. But Ford? Ford is my entertainment. He always has time for me. To make me laugh or to take me shopping or to ask me about my day. At thirty-one and the youngest at IDS, he’s closer to my age than my dad’s, and for some reason that makes me feel closest to him than anyone.
“I’m scared,” I admit to him, tilting my head up to look at his beautiful face. His mess of dark, chocolate-colored hair that’s always styled in that sexy just-fucked way is extra tempting tonight. Often, I’ve wanted to touch his hair, but I’ve never had the courage. If he or any of them rejected me, I’d lose them and they’re my family.
He cups my cheek with his massive palm, and I sigh into it, allowing myself his affection. “You never have to be frightened when you’re with us. We’ll always take care of you, Lucky. You know that.”
I smile at the nickname he gave me when he first met me six years ago. My entire world is tipping on its axis. The future feels uncertain. It makes me want to pounce on opportunities I’ve let slip by in the past. Which is why I don’t stop myself from reaching up and touching his soft brown hair.
His smile falls and his hazel eyes harden, making my chest constrict. I’m stunned by his sudden expression change. He drops his gaze to my lips before looking away so abruptly it makes me startle. His jaw clenches as though he’s angry with me. The butterflies in my stomach turn into mosquitoes draining the blood from me.
“Seat belt,” Sebastian barks as he leans in inside the vehicle, making me tense from the sudden intrusion of sound. He snags the belt and crosses it over my chest like I’m a child. His arm brushes against my breasts, however, causing me to gasp involuntarily in surprise. Our eyes meet and I’m set alight by the blaze in his bright blue orbs. I can’t look away. I’m caught in his intense gaze and my nipples ache from the small accidental touch. I’m not going to survive being alone with them. I just know it. My desperate need to be touched must show all over my face based on the way my skin burns with heat, creeping up my neck and over my cheeks for him to see and dissect.
He grips my jaw with his powerful hand and stares at me. “It’s okay, Clo,” he promises.
As soon as he pulls away, I miss the intense moment, the small touch, and his eyes on me. Something in his words tells me he means more than just the predicament. It’s okay, Clo. It’s okay to get turned on when I touch you.
He shuts the door and Ford leans closer to me. I’d been so engrossed in Sebastian’s gaze I’d almost forgotten we weren’t alone. Ford’s body nudges up next to mine. The heat coming off him scorches a trail up my thigh. My adrenaline must be causing this sudden bout of hormones because everything feels too hot, too intense, too much. Ford watches me curiously as Sebastian climbs into the passenger’s seat and Zac gets in the driver’s seat. Leo climbs in on Ford’s side and settles in the last row behind us.