Page 130 of Guardian Daddy

“Quit?”

“Quit this particular job, I mean. I would stay on as your guard without pay.”

He would?

Wow.

“But I honestly think Ink will be fine with it as long as you are. Rhodes would be the real issue.”

“I’ll take care of Rhodes. So we can be open about this?” she asked.

“Baby, I won’t allow anything less. I want to be able to touch you whenever I like. To claim you. To show everyone who you belong to.”

She blushed.

“And who I belong to.”

Cate couldn’t stop herself from burying her face in his chest. She felt overwhelmed but in a good way for once.

A light chuckle escaped him, and he rubbed her back with long, slow strokes.

“Good girl. Such a brave girl for me. Now, I think you’ve had enough tonight. How about we snuggle under your blanket and watch a movie?”

Yeah. She thought that sounded perfect.

33

The car rammed into the back of them and she screamed as their SUV spun.

They were going to be run off the road! They were about to get killed!

“Ethan!” she screamed.

“I’m here, baby. I’m here.”

“Ethan!”

The car struck again. The SUV flipped. Over and over it tumbled.

“Baby, wake up! Wake up!”

She stirred, finding herself lying upside down. Turning her head, she looked for Ethan.

“Ethan!”

He lay there, eyes open, staring at her.

Dead.

He was dead.

The sobs ripped her apart . . .

Alarm filled Ethan as he heard her scream. He sat up, looking around. Shit. They’d fallen asleep in the living room.

Cate thrashed around and he grabbed hold of her as terror raced through him. She sounded so scared as she screamed.

“Ethan!”

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