Page 7 of When He Protects

“Yeah.” Tyler dropped the cue.

Her smile spread across her face. Her disarming dimples winked. “You took out the bad guys?”

“Who is she?” Gray whispered. “Other than, you know, the future mother of my children.”

Not fucking happening.But he ignored his buddy. It was either ignore him or punch his ass out. “They’re in custody,” Tyler answered her question. He should move toward her. He should not be drinking her in like a man dying of thirst. And why had he just elbowed Gray? Because the asshole was practically drooling, that was why. “Don’t you have people to arrest?” he snapped to the Fed.

“Of course, they are in custody.” Esme gave a decisive nod. “Bet you didn’t even break a sweat subduing them, did you?” She strolled toward Tyler. All relaxed. Confident. Sexy.

She stopped in front of him.

He looked down at her.

“Can I get my ruby ring back?” Esme asked sweetly. “Sentimental importance, you know. And Ididhelp save the day.”

“Evidence,” Tyler bit out.

Gray nudged him. “Use more words.”

“The ring is evidence,” Tyler managed to say. “You’ll get it back, eventually.”

Her jaw angled up. “I suppose I can wait.” Her gaze shifted to Gray and dipped from the top of his head down to his black dress shoes. Then up again. She nodded. “Are you some sort of agent, too?”

“She knows?” Gray asked.

“She knew the first minute that she saw me,” Tyler told him. Like that didn’t set off alarm bells.

“A lucky guess. My mother always did say I led a charmed life.” Esme’s hand moved to her chest. Pressed lightly to her damn gorgeous breasts. “It’s been such an exhausting night. Please, can I get an officer to escort me out of here? To take me home? I just…a man held a gun on me earlier,” she revealed as she looked—wide-eyed—at Gray. “I’m shaken.”

She hadn’t appeared shaken at the time. Tyler’s head cocked as he studied her. Shesoundedshaken right then, but there was something about her eyes. Something that said…I’m not scared of any damn thing.

“Sure,” Gray said, clearly more than happy to help her. “We can get you an escort home. No problem. We’ll need to get a statement first. Your contact information.”

A sigh slipped from her, and then she was glancing back up at Tyler. “Meeting you was very interesting.”

He could not look away from her.

And he could suddenly remember their kiss all too well.

“How many did you take down?” she asked.

“Five.” He’d give Gray credit for the leader since Tyler hadn’t gotten the chance to knock out the SOB.

“Impressive.” A pause. “Was it hard?”

“No.”

Gray called out for another agent. Probably the person who would escort Esme away from the scene. They would have questions for her, first, though, as Gray had indicated. Questions needed to be asked. A statement taken. Protocol had to be followed.

She drifted past Tyler. His hand reached out and touched the back of her hair. He could have sworn the darkness felt slightly…damp. Tyler frowned after her.

“Holy shit.” Gray soundlessly whistled. “I think she may just be the woman of my dreams.”

“No.” Very, very definite. “She’s not. Get over that shit. Now.”

“Bossy.”

Yeah. He was. And she was also not for Gray. But he wasn’t going to argue the point because he had work to do. Victims who needed to be freed. More statements to be taken. A scene to secure.

---