“What job?” Devin says again, sitting up, pulling the coverlet over her chest. I want to smack her hand down because there is nothing I would rather see than her beautiful body when I walk out that door.
“I can’t tell you that, princess.”
“What aren’t you guys telling me?” Her voice begins to climb and I can see tears in her eyes, trembling on her long lashes. Her hands are white on the coverlet.
I sigh and touch her soft cheek gently. “I am in security. I have to leave town on jobs all the time. I have one that starts in the morning. I can’t tell you more than that.”
She rears her head back and nibbles on her lip. “I see.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll take care of her.” Kane and Micah nod, moving in around her.
I finish dressing and the rest of them stand and begin dressing as well. When I’m finished, Devin moves in front of me. Her soft hand caresses my jaw and I clench it to keep from melting into her touch and saying fuck the job.
“Take care and come home to me.”
“I will.” I lean over and my lips move along hers hard and fast, drinking in her soft gasp. “I have something to come back to.”
Then I turn and walk out the door, not turning back because I know if I do I’m not going to leave. I’m going to crawl all over her for the rest of the night. And I just can’t.
I’ve got work to do.
I hit the pavement outside the building and breathe in the crisp night air, shivering.
For the first time in my life, I don’t want to leave.
But I step out and hail a cab.
One hour later, I’m on my way to the airport and I’m staring out, my mind back in that room, my body aching for my princess.
I even miss the guys. I feel like I have my team now. Like these three people are what I’ve looked for my whole life.
I’m not going to be a pussy and say that stupid line that all women seem to like. The one from that Tom Cruise movie. But it feels like a moment that we’ll never forget.
For the next two weeks as I’m babysitting a teenage drama queen who saw a man get killed on her street outside her window and is taking every chance to make me wish that I could drop her off at a police station and hope they can get the little pain to behave, I try to push any thoughts of my princess and my partners out of my head. I can’t let need and hunger overrule my good sense when I’m working. It’s a damn good way to get killed.
Finally, the police manage to get the guy and the teenager is safe for now.
I don’t even try to catch a few quick zzz’s in a hotel room. I just need to get home. Get to my family. My heart aches with the need to see them all.
I charter an overnight flight and arrive in the wee hours of the cold morning.
I send a message to Micah and he answers immediately. “We’re at my place.” He sends me the address and I drag my tired ass across to the nicer side of town. He lives in a huge old brownstone by the center of town.
He opens the door as soon as my cab pulls up. He lifts a finger to his lips. “Shhh. She’s still asleep.”
I follow him into the house and stare around at the clean, elegant house. “Jesus, how much money do you have?”
“Does it matter?” he asks, leading me upstairs.
“No. Just curious.”
“Curiosity killed the cat.”
“I’ve got nine lives. Trust me. I’m good.”
He leads me into a huge master bedroom with a gigantic bed taking up the majority of the floor space. “Where the hell did you get that monstrosity?” I whisper.
His head cocks.