Page 65 of When He Protects

That sonofabitch.“Liar, liar.” Almost a caress. “I can see the lies easier now. Your mask is wearing thin when it comes to me. That’s a warning for you.” One hand rose and curled lightly around her throat. His touch was extra careful as his thumb stroked along the slender column. “You’re not the only one who left a mark.” He remembered exactly when he’d puthismark on her. “Told you last night, you’re mine.”

Her lower lip trembled.

A movement that surprised him. “Esme?”

“Until the case is over? Is that how long I’ll be yours? Until you get the master thief out of your life?” Her hands rose and pushed against his chest. “Until you learn all of my secrets? Is seducing them out of me the technique that you think will work best?”

He didn’t back away. “You’re mine, Esme. I will protect what’s mine.”

“Even if you find out something terrible about me?” That tremble of her lip again. He didn’t think the tremble was part of any act. He thought it was real fear. “If you find out something horrible about me, will you throw me to the wolves?”

Is that what she thought would happen? “No.” Flat. “I could find out that you stabbed a man in the heart, and I still wouldn’t leave you to the wolves. That’s not who I am.”

“Stabbed a man in the heart, huh?” Her right hand pressed just over his heart. “You think I’m cold enough to do that?”

A phone was ringing somewhere in the house. Shit. It was his phone. Ringing upstairs.

“Better answer that,” she murmured. “We both know only a select few have this number.”

It rang again.

“Could be an emergency,” Esme added as her head cocked to the right. “A matter of life and death. My death, most likely.”

“Donotleave this house without me, Esme.” He wasn’t moving until he got her promise.

“Clay said it was safe to visit the neighbor.”

The phone rang again.

“Not without me.” He stared into her eyes. “You do not leave without me.”

“Fine.” Grudging. Very bit out.

“Thanks so much, sweetheart. It’s part of the twenty-four, seven protection rule. I want to be right next to that sweet ass of yours wherever you go.” He backed away. He also swiped a croissant as he ran up the stairs. He bit into it even as he shoved open the bedroom door.

Holy shit, this is heaven.The croissant was light and flaky and the chocolate chips melted in his mouth. Esme had some serious skills.

Like I didn’t know that already.

He swiped up the phone. Gray was calling.Don’t be life or death. Don’t be.His finger slid over the screen even as he put the phone to his ear. “Yo.” He wanted to devour the rest of the croissant. Then he wanted to go and devour Esme.

“We have a problem.”

Dammit.

“Did youknowthat Esme was planning to marry Jorlan Rodgers?”

The croissant lodged in his throat.

“And that she’d been fucking him?” Gray snapped out.

The phone nearly shattered in Tyler’s hand.

Chapter Fourteen

Something was wrong with Tyler.

As they stood on their neighbor’s porch, Esme cast a quick glance Tyler’s way. He’d bounded down the stairs fast enough after his phone call. He’d dressed in jeans and a gray shirt. Black boots covered his feet. A baseball cap—one that he’d turned around backwards—rested on his head. He’d barely spoken to her as they made their way to their mystery neighbor’s house.

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