Page 78 of Enforcer's Obsession

I didn’t know.

But as I lay with Nico that night, the white of the bandages stark against his tanned skin as he held me tight and stroked me until I feel asleep, I realized it didn’t matter.

TWENTY-FOUR

Nico

“If you don’t hurryup, I’m going to change my mind,” I said to Hope.

“You wouldn’t!” she said, her eyes wide.

I couldn’t help but smile. “I definitely would. You look fine. Let’s go,” I said.

She smiled, the sheepish, almost embarrassed grin on her face only emphasizing her beauty.

“I know,” she said, her face tilting up brighter, “it’s ridiculous. But I’m excited, and I want to make sure everything is right.”

“As long as you’re there, everything will be fine. Let’s go,” I said.

Then I grabbed her shoulders, turned her, and walked behind her as I used my hands to guide her to the garage.

Touching her felt so…natural.

Even Champ barking as Hope walked by felt natural.

He’d been here less than a month, her not too much longer, but they felt like a part of my life.

I wasn’t sure what to do about that.

“I hate these scrubs,” I said, looking down at the pale blue monstrosities, that did nothing to emphasize Hope shape, not she needed it.

“That means they’re perfect. I’m going to take care of animals, not win a beauty competition,” she said as she reached for the car door.

“There’s no competition, no matter what you wear. But you have an entire wardrobe that barely gets a second glance,” I responded, rounding the car after she had settled in her seat.

I opened the door and sat down, and she looked at me.

“Aren’t you the one who insisted we keep everything normal?” she said.

I grinned and glanced at her out of the corner of my eye as I left the garage. “You’re not going to throw my words back at me, are you?”

“Only if forced,” she responded, smiling.

“Fine. But if something happens to your scrubs, definitely don’t blame me,” I said.

She laughed, the pure joy in the sound making my heart thud.

Reminding me of how special she was.

To think that her barely above minimum wage job, something that most people, especially ones that I knew, would have scoffed at, gave her such joy.

But it did.

As the days had passed, she’d lamented that they’d probably have to hire someone to replace her soon, and at the agony in her voice, I had no choice but to fix it.

“Remind me of the rules,” I said as I got the car to the freeway.

“No leaving the building. No trying to duck the guards. If I see anything, and I quote, any fucking thing, that makes me nervous, I bolt,” she said.

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