Page 13 of Smith

“I called Jonas back to Maryland. He’s your backup. But I agree—tomorrow I’ll ask Cooper to join us. How’s Aria?”

Driving me wild with her filthy mouth and sexy lips.

“Like nothing happened. We’re going to get something to eat now. I’ll make sure she’s good before I leave.”

“Any chance you could talk her around to letting you stay there?”

Not if Zane didn’t want my dick to have an accidental slip and fall into the gorgeous woman.

“I checked into her. She’s right, there’s no trace of her owning this house. The person who was following her peeled off in Galena and no one followed us here. If it’ll make you feel better I can stay in my truck tonight, but I don’t think that’s necessary.”

Zane paused before asking, “There a reason you don’t want to stay there?”

I was still contemplating how to answer my boss when he read my silence.

“You know her father will happily relieve you of your balls if you touch her.”

“Yep.”

“Christ,” he bit out. “Is there any chance this ends without you doing something stupid?”

“Unlikely.”

Zane, as I’d learned, had a creative vocabulary, one that he was right then demonstrating with creativity and flare. Before he finished his tirade he included some frightening threats of bodily harm.

“That was impressive, boss. I’ve never heard so many cuss words used in a sentence.”

“If you fuck this up, we’ll see how impressive you think a Big Daddy colonoscopy is.”

“I thought we agreed to nix the Big Daddy and instead go with Viper King. I’m not sure Big Daddy lends itself to maintaining your scary-as-fuck reputation.”

I heard Zane’s exasperated sigh before he issued his warning. “Keep your dick in your pants, Smith.”

“I can make no promises.”

Another sigh, this one incensed.

“I swear on all things holy…”

I tuned out Zane when Aria came back into the living room. Fuck, she was steal-your-breath beautiful.

“Gotta go,” I told Z. “I’ll be at the office at eight-hundred.”

“If you’re gonna be a dumb fuck, don’t forget to wrap it?—”

I disconnected the call and pocketed my phone. Aria’s gaze followed my movement and lingered in the general vicinity of my crotch.

Time to leave.

“Ready?”

“Was that Zane?” she asked, not lifting her eyes.

“Yep. Ready?”

Her pretty brown eyes danced with humor when they met mine.

“In a hurry, Sailor?”

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