Page 33 of Shattered

“No, you don’t have a blanket, or no to the extra pillow?” The bastard had the audacity to look amused.

“No, you can’t sleep on the couch.”

“I thought it was a little forward of me to suggest sharing your bed, but if you insist.”

“Koen.” I stomped my good foot like a petulant child. “You’re not spending the night.”

“I am.”

With two steps, he eradicated any hope I had of maintaining a modicum of space between us. He was so close; the citrus and spice of his aftershave filled my nose. I couldn’t help butinhale it.

Dammit. Why’d he have to smell so good?

“Did you just sniff me?” The jerk raised a brow.

“No,” I lied.

“You seem awfully attached to that word tonight.” He dragged his thumb along my bottom lip. “I bet I could convince you to say yes.”

“Kissing me into submission isn’t the way to go, Koen.”

“How about cold hard facts?” He sobered, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear. Grasping my hand in his, he pulled me over to the stairs, where he sat, then pulled me down onto his lap sideways. “Your parents are a bigger threat than I first imagined. Showing up here like they did tells me they’re desperate, and desperate people are dangerous.”

There was true fear in his voice. To be honest, I’d been thinking the same thing since I opened the door to them earlier. The few times they’d approached in the past, Jett was never home. It made me wonder what had changed?

“You and Jett mean more to me than you’re ready for me to admit at this point. Just know I’d burn this city to the ground if something were to happen to either one of you.”

“Koen,” I breathed his name.

“Please give me this, Angel. I have to know you’re protected.”

“Okay.”

Honestly, him staying the night would relieve a great deal of anxiety already consuming me at the thought of Jett and I being alone. It was one of the reasons I agreed so easily, just not the main one. He’d slowly but surely worked his way past my defenses, earning him my gratitude and my heart. For someone who wasn’t used to having anyone they could count on, it was an adjustment for me for certain.

“Oh, and I’m having a security system installed.”

“Of course you are.”

He was lucky I knew he was worth the effort.

7YOU CAN TOUCH IT

Koen

Forty-eight hours of living with my wife had proved to be informative. Not that I'd erase any second of it, just maybe rewind and try harder to pick up on a few things she found annoying. Such as putting the toilet seat down after you finished peeing. Only after a bucket of ice cold water was dumped over the top of the shower while I was in it, did I come to understand how big of a deal it really was.

Next, do not even attempt to have a civilized conversation with Jade in the morning before she’d drunk her weight in coffee, unless the answers you were looking for came in the form of grunts and glares.

But I’d also been privy to her caring, more soft side. Like how she made sure we ate at least one meal a day together. Or the way she snuck an extra pack of cookies or bag of chips into Jett’s lunch bag after he finished packing it. She was so damn selfless, never asking for anything in return. It was one of the qualities that drew me to her in the first place. Even if it took me a lifetime, I’d figure out a way to spoil her the way she deserved.

After parking my Camaro in an open spot near the FBI satellite office, I grabbed my briefcase and the travel mug of coffee, snorting at the memory of Jade’s hesitation as she handed it to me on my way out the door.

“What’s the matter, Angel? You don’t want to share your precious coffee with me?”

“I’m trying to decide if you’ve earned it.”

“How about this?”

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