“I want another layer of protection.”
“Wow.”
“What?”
“When you go into protector mode, you go all in, don’t you?”
“Yeah. I do.”
This was not a battle I was going to win. “Fine. I’ll fold on the new phone thing, but I need to call my best friend first.”
“Why?”
“Why? What do you mean why? She’s my best friend. She knew I was leaving town and I told her I’d call her when I got settled.”
“But you’re not settled,” he pointed out. “You’re in a shit storm and the best idea is to go underground.”
“Colt—”
“Mia.”
We stared at each other and finally Colt said, “I’ll get a message to her, but you shouldn’t call her.”
“How are you going to get a message to her? If you call her and she doesn’t hear my voice, she’s going to worry. If you send one of your guys to talk to her, she’s going to worry.”
He smiled. “I guess I’ll have to convince her that you’re safe and not being held against your will.”
“She doesn’t trust bikers,” I announced. “She told me I should’ve chosen someone else to help me get rid of the guy at the bar. That I made a mistake by approaching you.”
“Probably,” Colt agreed. “But you’re in it deep now, darlin’.”
“In what, exactly?”
“You kissed me.”
“Actually,youkissedme.”
“Damn right I did. I’d do it again in a heartbeat, too.”
“Is this the possessive biker thing Shelly was trying to warn me about?”
Colt let out a laugh. “What did she tell you?”
“I’m not sure I understand exactly what she was trying to tell me. Did you—were youclaimingme? When you kissed me in public?”
“Sweetheart, if a kiss was all it took to claim a woman, I’d have a damn harem.”
I glared at him.
“You’re cute when you’re riled. Grab a beer and stop thinking so much.”
“Just when I think I’m about to like you, you’re an ass again.”
He took a bite, chewed, and swallowed. “How am I an ass?”
“The next time you’re stressed, I’ll just tell you to chill out and completely ignore how you feel. See how you like it.”
“I didn’t tell you to chill out. I told you to stop thinking so much.”