Page 77 of Vengeful Guard

She manages to bluff for a long time before I lay down my next hand. A full house.

“Go on.” My eyes flicker down to her body.

“You’re enjoying this.”

“Aye.”

Paige groans and stands up, frowning.

I don’t think she’ll really do it, but as I watch, she pulls off her shirt, revealing smallish, perfect breasts and a pair of boy shorts her ass is hanging out of.

I take a sharp breath, and my eyes are on her breasts immediately, trailing down to her slight pouch of a belly, and then the hint of a tattoo on her left hip.

Curious, I move closer, scooting the chair toward her.

I reach out and put a hand on her hip, touching the edge of the sparrow tattoo, and she gasps.

I turn her around and trace the tattoo with my fingers, and she trembles before I pull away.

“Pretty,” I mumble, and I don’t know if I mean her or the tattoo.

“It’s a best friends’ tattoo.”

I raise an eyebrow.

“Four sparrows. For me and my three best friends. They’re like sisters to me.”

She sits down, trying to hide her breasts, and I scoff.

“I’ve already seen what you’ve got, princess.”

“Can I ask you a question?”

“Shoot.”

“Have you ever been in love?”

I frown, panic rising in my throat. “Does this have anything to do with O’Malley?”

“None of your business.”

I tighten my jaw, but I don’t say anything. I don’t want her thinking I’m jealous, even though I am. “No. I’ve never been in love. I don’t even know if love exists.”

She nods slowly. “I’ve never met anyone that I really...that I wanted to be with.”

My eyes widen. “You’ve...you’ve never been with anyone? Does that mean?—”

“I’m a virgin.” She hides her breasts with her hands as she lowers her head, and I gape at her.

“Jesus.”

“I’ve just never found anyone I wanted to sleep with. At least not yet.”

“Are you on the hunt, then, sweetheart?” I lean closer over the table.

“Maybe. I just want to have a connection with someone. Burkes don’t really make it to seventy years old. Murphy’s already after me, and...I don’t know. I just want to make the most of whatever time I have left.”

I sit back in my seat, sobering. “I get that. I’ve thought about life a lot, and about death a lot. We see it too much, in this life. Even you, as sheltered as you’ve been. It’s a dangerous life to live, and you have to have the guts for it.”

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