Page 38 of Guarded from Danger

It feels like all the air has been sucked from the room. My chest squeezes.

That could have been Lucy.

“Fuck.” Gritting my teeth, I ask, “Did they find any evidence?”

“I don’t know,” Dante replies, his features shadowing as he meets my gaze. “But Cruz said he’d keep us updated.”

“I’m sorry, Xav.” Regret clouds Matt’s expression. “I’m working on it. So are Leo and Beth. It’s just?—”

Guilt sweeps through me. Matt has been working nearly non-stop on Lucy’s case. And honestly, he’s made a lot more progress than I have. All I’ve done is stay at Blade and Arrow, watching Lucy like a hawk. “Don’t apologize. You’re doing more than I could.”

He doesn’t look convinced. And I know Matt is blaming himself for not figuring this out yet, just like he did when Sarah had all her identity theft shit going down.

Dante looks across the table at his long-time teammate and friend. “We’ll figure it out, Matt. Just like with Jade and Sarah.”

“And Lucy’s safe here,” Erik adds. “So that’s the most important part.”

After a beat, Matt says quietly, “Yeah. That’s true.” Then he forces a small smile as he looks over at me. “That reminds me. I finished checking Lucy’s laptop. It’s clean. No spyware or any sign of tampering. I’ll bring it by later.”

“Thanks.” Wanting to do something to cheer him up, I add, “If you want to stop by around dinner, we could order some pizza. Lucy’s been talking about it. Maybe play some poker, too?”

Matt makes a face at me. “Poker? Against you? I’d like to keep my money, thanks.”

“Actually, you should see Lucy play. I’ve been teaching her, and she’s gotten really good.”

“Has she beaten you yet?” Niall asks. “Because I’d pay money to see that.”

Some of the tension in my shoulders eases as I chuckle. “A couple of times.”

“I guess we can end the meeting, since we’re talking about poker now.” Dante leans back in his chair, signaling a shift of mood. He grins at me. “So. Whenever Lucy’s up for a poker night, I know I’d love to see her kick your ass.”

“I’ll ask her,” I reply with a smile. “If she’s feeling up to it, maybe tonight we can have a poker night. I’ll let you know.”

Would I have considered asking Lucy about having people over a few days ago? Probably not. And while I still want to wrap her in bubble wrap and keep her protected from everything, having our date the other night reminded me that she needs normalcy, too. Dates. Evenings with friends. And maybe soon, if she’s ready, we’ll get back to our old sex life, too.

As we leave the meeting, I’m feeling surprisingly optimistic considering some of the news we just received. But I’m trying tofocus on the good things—a woman was rescued, Matt’s making progress, Lucy’s safe and slowly improving.

Plus, she’s falling in love with me. I can’t leave out that part.

And when I get home, Lucy’s enthusiastic greeting makes everything even better. The moment I walk through the door, she leaps up from the couch and runs over to me, flinging her arms around my neck and kissing me hard on the lips.

For a minute or two or ten—when I’m kissing Lucy, time loses meaning—all I think about is the feel of her in my arms, the swell of her breasts against my chest, her soft lips and her wicked tongue, and the small sexy sounds she makes when she’s aroused.

I let my hands drift to her ass, palming her sweet curves and gently squeezing. She groans low in her throat and presses close, her nipples pebbling into taut peaks that I can feel even through layers of clothing. I’m hard already, jutting insistently into her belly, and a desperate need builds, a longing to feel her slick heat wrapped around me.

Then, a loud cough.

“Well,” Sarah announces, laughter in her voice, “I guess it’s time for me to leave now.”

Lucy leaps away from me, her cheeks flaming. Nearly stuttering, she says, “God, Sarah. I’m sorry. You’re a guest, and here I am?—”

Catching Lucy’s hand, I tug her back to me and wrap my arms around her, making sure she’s standing in front of my very obvious erection. “It’s fine, Luce,” I soothe. “Sarah doesn’t mind. Right?”

“Nope!” Sarah beams at me. “I don’t mind at all!” There’s a knowing glint in her eye that tells me she knows exactly why I have Lucy in front of me. “Anyway, I have to get some work done. So I’ll just take Rambo and head out.”

Still pink in the cheeks, Lucy says, “Thanks for coming over, Sarah. And Rambo, too. Maybe next time, you and Dante can come for dinner.”

“Absolutely.” Still grinning, Sarah practically bounces to the door. “Enjoy the rest of your morning.”

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