Page 6 of My Silver Fox Savior

He’s standing directly over me, emphasizing just how big he is.

“I’m here because a mother lets her kid hang out at the bar. The mother denied it to my face. I could tell she was out of it, just like…”My mom, but there’s no need to add that part. Landon’s being here brings back all those memories. “The daughter, Grace, said her friends like to go to the bar because they let them play video games and give them snacks.” I shiver. “It doesn’t take a genius to figure out they’re trying to make them feel comfortable … but for what?”

“Jesus,” he whispers. His expression gets that severe and strong-minded look I remember so well from when I was a kid. It was an expression that’s stuck with me, one that loudly proclaims,I will not let bad things happen if I can stop them.

“I don’t know what to do. All those kids belong in care, but …”

He reads me again. When he speaks, a tingle dances over my skin. It’s because he’s bringing all these buried memories to the surface. His voice takes me back to that time. “Just because care wasn’t right for you, it doesn’t mean it has no place,” he says.

“I know,” I sigh. “I need to speak with my boss and determine the best course of action. I can’tbelievethat bar is right there.”

He looks across the street, his jaw tight as he nods. He seems ready to tear the bar to pieces with his bare hands. “Some politician probably got some payment one day to sign some piece of paper that makes it okay. What, why are you smiling?”

Crap. I didn’t even realize I was!

“Am I?” I stutter.

“Grinning like a girl on Christmas morning.”

“More like smiling like awomanappreciating that somebody else cares about how corrupt this city can be!”

He narrows his eyes, furthering my obsession with watching all the different things he does with them, where he looks, and the thoughts they hint at.He’s my knight in shining armor, I once told Maddie, my best friend. She’ll freak when she finds out I’ve found him again.

“Yeah, it’s bad,” Landon says. “Some folk might even say it’s not worth trying.”

“I can’t understand that at all,” I snap.

“No?”

“You wouldn’t be here if you could either,” I tell him.

He smirks, making me want to snap at him again. Something about him calling me “girl” really pissed me off. A silence stretches between us. It’s not awkward, exactly, but it’s not comfortable either. It’s like we’re … well … precisely what we are—two acquaintances with a few shared experiences but nothing more.

“Well, good luck,” I say because I can’t take the silence anymore.

“And you,” he murmurs.

I turn away, telling myself I’ve got no reason to feel disappointed. I don’t know what I expected. I shouldn’t even be thinking about anything. I shouldn’t be wishing he was taking an interest in me. I shouldn’t wonder what it would feel like to have his powerful savior’s arms wrapped around me.

It’s weird, especially considering I was twelve the last time I saw him, and he’s almost twice my age. Yet when he calls my name, I can’t stop a giant, relieved smile from spreading across my face.

CHAPTER FIVE

LANDON

“Lily!”

I say her name like it means something. When she turns to face me, she looks at me as though this moment has significance, too. We stand on a grimy street, the sunlight hidden behind gray clouds, yet excitement runs through me.Months, not years…

Usually, I’m sure I could beat down this feeling. I’d be able to fight this ache deep in my gut and ignore how my gaze moves to her wide hips, thick legs, and the ferocious, capable glint in her eyes. Ishouldbe able to ignore it even better now, knowing this can lead nowhere.

“Yeah?” she murmurs, licking her lips.

“Give me your number,” I say, proving it’s been a long time since I’ve done anything like this. I’m so blunt. “Since we’re working in the same area, maybe we can help each other. I know you’re technically not allowed, but since you’re not supposed to be here alone anyway …”

“Yeah, that’s a good idea. Do you want to take mine and then text me?”

When I take out my cell, I’m sure I notice her waiting eagerly, her mouth slightly open, her eyes fixated on me. I wonder if she knows, or suspects, that I wasn’t going to make this about work when I called her name. I was going to ask her on a date flat-out. If my diagnosis has unhinged me slightly, it hasn’t made me completely insane. Yet.

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