Page 46 of Guarded from Sabotage

Desire heats his gaze. “I definitely want to.” Then he wraps his arm around my waist and moves towards the exit again, adding, “I can’twaitto spend the night with you.”

Once we’re out in the parking lot, Dante shifts back into protective bodyguard mode, tucking me securely into his side and scanning our surroundings for any possible threat. But there’s nothing—just an expanse of asphalt with grass and a smattering of small trees beyond it.

Not that I expected there to be anything, not with Matt keeping an eye on things. Before we left, Dante told me he’d arranged to have Matt access the security cameras outside, so if anything looked concerning, he’d alert Dante right away. Since we made it through the evening without any interruptions, I think it’s safe to assume everything’s okay.

Still, I don’t mind Dante being extra careful. And honestly, I’d be surprised if he wasn’t.

He shields me with his body as we head to his car, and I never really thought I’d like being with someone so much bigger than me—he’s almost a foot taller and twice my weight—but with Dante, I like it. He makes me feel safe.

Before we get into the car, Dante scans it with a small device he pulls out of his jacket pocket. He doesn’t say what it is, but I know because Finn showed me one when I was visiting—it’s a bomb detector, which seems like overkill, but I’m not going to complain.

A minute later, Dante pockets the device and opens the passenger door for me, kissing me on the forehead before he closes it. When he gets into the driver’s side, he flashes me a smile and says, “Okay. Back home. And I have one more surprise for you when we get there.”

“Another surprise?” I tsk at him. “You’re going to spoil me, Dante. You don’t need to keep giving me things.”

“But I like to,” he replies as his smile turns to a broad grin. “And you deserve it. If it makes you happy,andme happy, I don’t see the problem.”

Well. It’s hard to argue against that. But it does make me think,what can I do for Dante?Besides cooking for him, which doesn’t feel like much of a surprise. Matt and Leo got most of my money back, and it’s sitting in a secure account held by Blade and Arrow for now, but if I asked to access it…

“What are you smiling about?” Dante casts a quick glance at me before turning out of the parking lot and onto the road.

I give him a mischievous smile. “You’ll see.”

Maybe I could get him something historical, like the artifacts he used to collect with his dad. There might be a store near Lake George, or a local collector. I still know people who live in the area; one of them might have a lead.

I bet Hanna would know. She used to talk to all sorts of people when she was a bartender in Lake George. Even though she doesn’t live there anymore, it hasn’t been that long since she moved.

Which reminds me, Ihaveto talk to Hanna. She just got back from Vermont the other day, and I didn’t want to tell her about me and Dante through text, so she doesn’t know that he’s now my… what? If I’m going to spend the night with him, possibly have sex, I’d like to know if he considers himself my boyfriend.

“Dante?”

He glances away from the road for a second to look at me. “What, beautiful?”

A flock—wait, no, it’s called a kaleidoscope—of butterflies takes up residence in my stomach. “Well, I was wondering… I know we’re both adults and we don’t have to use labels, but…”

“But what?”

Just ask.“Would you call yourself my boyfriend? Like… we’re not just casually dating, but something more serious?”

His brows jump up. “Have I done something to make you think this is casual for me?”

“No. I guess… I just wasn’t surewhatyou were thinking.”

As we come up on a curve, Dante refocuses on the road. But he says, “Sarah. I know it’s still early, but what we have is serious to me. And I definitely think of you as my girlfriend. Unless you don’t?—”

“I do.” A spurt of happiness fills my heart. “I want you to be my boyfriend.”

“Good. Because I—” He stops abruptly. His smile shifts to a frown.

“What’s wrong?”

All the lightness disappears from his tone. “Is your seatbelt on?”

My chest constricts. “Yes. Why?”

In profile, Dante’s features are all hard lines and dark shadows. His jaw clenches. “Because the brakes aren’t working.”

“What?”

---