Page 34 of Texas Kissing

Lily

I bitmy lip as I stared up at him. Part of me was already sliding, instinctually, into full-on denial mode.It’s nothing! A misunderstanding. Goodbye, Bull.

Except...now that the danger was over, I was shaking from how close I’d come to being badly beaten or even killed.Reallyshaking. I shook my head to indicate that I couldn’t speak, turning from him, my lip trembling. Shit, I was going to—

And suddenly, he was gathering me into his arms, turning me back to face him and wrapping me against his chest. I gave a sort of hiccupping groan and then the tears started.Shit!I didn’t want to cry, not about business.That’s so goddamn weak! Don’t let him think you’re weak!But I kept thinking of Carl’s fake smile and being driven out somewhere lonely by him and no one looking for me—

“Shh,” said Bull, almost as if speaking to a timid animal. “Shh—shh.”

I tried to speak but still couldn’t. Eventually, I justpressed my face to his shirt and clutched at the warm, solid muscle of his sides with both hands. I needed something strong and stable and he was the strongest thing I’d ever felt. I sobbed but, instead of spilling down my cheeks, my tears soaked into his shirt. That made me feel better, as if I wasn’t on my own.

When I was all cried out, I gently moved back and looked up into his eyes. The look of concern I saw there almost started me crying all over again.

I knew he’d still want an explanation and that any lie I told wasn’t going to convince him. Not after what he’d seen. And the relationship between us had changed again. Just like when he’d saved my life from the bull, I felt that I owed him.

I hesitated for another moment. I’d kept my work a secret for two long years. Telling Bull was like taking a willing step over the edge of a precipice.

I nodded to my car. “Get in.”

Bull looked ridiculous with his massive body folded into the passenger seat of my little Toyota, but he didn’t complain. Nor did he badger me with questions on the short drive out to the bus, which gave me time to compose myself.

When we arrived, he spent a moment just staring at my home. Inside, he eyed the improvements—the kitchen, the stairs down to the bathroom...the bed. Particularly the bed.

To say I hadn’t been expecting guests was an understatement. No one had set foot in the place but me for two years. I kept it pretty clean, but maybe my norms were all off, after two years alone.

“You did all this yourself?” he asked at last. He didn’t sound surprised that I’d managed it; he sounded impressed.

“Yeah,” I said shyly. Then, “I had some time on my hands.”

He nodded slowly, still gazing around. “So what do you do, Lily, that involves assholes like those guys?”

I took a deep breath. I was way past lying, now. Opening up, after so long, was intoxicating. I folded back the bed and revealed my desk.

Bull took off his hat and ran a hand through his hair as he stared. He stepped forward and brushed his fingers across the partially-completed passports, fingering the covers, examining the bundles of special plastics and the strips of holograms I used. He gave a long, low whistle. “Holy shit.”

“Holy shit,” I agreed.

Bull picked up one of the finished passports at random. The gold letters on the dark red cover were in Cyrillic. He opened it. “Grigori Arsenyev,” he read.

“His real name’s Yuri. Bodyguard of a Russian arms dealer—Luka Malakov. Yuri managed to get himself on a watch list so now he needs a little help getting into the country.”

Bull turned and stared at me.

“What?” Then I realized I’d said it sort of nonchalantly. This stuff was just normal, to me.

“Just…” he shook his head. “I thought you were all done surprising me.”

I allowed myself a little smile.

He opened another passport. “Mexican. I guess the drug cartels?”

I nodded.

“And Russian arms dealers...” he mused.

“Also the Yakuza, sometimes.” I said helpfully. “The Colombians. I don’t discriminate.” I was smiling. But then the mood changed.

“So you do passports foranyone?!”

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