Page 63 of Lost in You

Lincoln

Nervousness ripples through my chest as I step out of my Uber and murmur my thanks to the driver. Trinity’s tall, dark brick apartment building in Wrigleyville is on a tree-lined street with a few people walking dogs and riding bikes.

I’ve imagined where she lives so many times. I pictured a sterile high-rise, but this is definitely more her.

Taking a deep breath, I walk up the front stairs and enter the key code Dalton gave me to get in the front door. I think she’s home because I called her when my flight landed. She thought I was calling from a road trip to Vancouver with the team.

When I climb the stairs to the second floor, a burly man dressed all in black stands up from the chair he’s sitting in beside her apartment door.

“Can I help you, man?” he asks.

“You must be Gideon.” I offer him my hand and he shakes it, giving me a wary look. “I’m Lincoln, the one who hired you through the agency.”

“I’ll need to see some ID. It’s standard procedure.”

Guess he wouldn’t be much of a bodyguard if he just took my word for it. “Uh, yeah. I’ll get my license.” I pass him the bouquet of roses I’m holding.

Once I show him my license, he nods and passes back the flowers.

“I still need Miss Lorenzo to approve you,” he says.

“Yeah, of course.” I reach for the doorbell, then remember the sandwich I ate at the airport.

I flash Gideon a huge smile. “Do I have anything in my teeth?”

He lowers his brows in annoyance. “No.”

I put my hand in front of my mouth and blow into it, trying to check my breath.

“Don’t ask me to smell your breath,” he mutters. “I’ve got mints if you want one.”

“That’d be great.”

He passes me a couple of Tic Tacs and I chew them up, not wanting to have them in my mouth when I kiss Trin. I’m nervous as a high school kid picking up his prom date.

When I ring the doorbell, she opens the door and gapes at me.

“Linc!” Her hands fly to her hair, which is piled on top of her head in a wild bun. She has green stuff all over her face and is wearing boxers and a worn navy T-shirt that says “Calm Your Tits.” “No!”

Before I can get a word out, she slams the door in my face.

I turn to Gideon and he shrugs, trying to suppress a smile.

“Don’t leave!” Trin yells from the other side of the door. “Just give me a minute!”

I stand there with Gideon for almost five minutes, making small talk about hockey and the weather. When the door finally opens again, Trinity is smiling.

“Hello,” she says smoothly.

Her face has been scrubbed clean and her hair is loose around her shoulders. She’s wearing black leggings and a plain gray V-neck T-shirt.

“Hey.” I grin at her. “Who was that who opened your door before? I didn’t recognize her.”

She waves dismissively. “Oh, no one you’d know. What are you doing? Get in here!”

Gideon is forgotten as I walk inside, using my foot to push the door closed as I wrap my arms around her. She smells lightly of soap and something sweet and tropical. All my fears that this wouldn’t be a pleasant surprise fade as she looks up at me, her eyes bright.

“I can’t believe you’re here.”

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