Page 64 of My Vigilante Valentine

“And yet, here you are.”

Yeah. Here I was.

“You were wearing sandals,” I said, smiling a little as confusion wrinkled her brow. “That day, with the mug. I think you came in on your day off after someone called in sick, so you were wearing sandals instead of your usual kicks.”

“Okay…”

I licked my lips, feeling ridiculous. “That’s why I risked catching the mug even though I’d had to shoot over there from across the room.”

Her mouth parted on a soft gasp, her eyes going all warm in a way that made me feel like she was seeing me differently—not just as the guy who lurked in the shadows and jumped around on rooftops, but as someone who’d been looking out for her long before she ever noticed.

“And you wanted to protect my feet?”

I grimaced. “Please don’t say it like that.”

“Like what?”

“Your face—it’s like you’re looking at a cute puppy. It wasn’t cute.” I shifted in my chair, sitting taller. “It was heroic. Manly.”

She cackled, drawing the eyes of several of our fellow diners.

I wanted to relax and enjoy the sound like I always did, but movement at the bar caught my attention, and I honed in without fail. The man who’d been watching us stood from hisbarstool, draining the last of his drink before tossing a few bills onto the counter.

And then, just before he turned toward the door, his gaze met mine.

Steady.

Unflinching.

As if he wanted me to know…something.

And the thing was, he didn’t feel like your average criminal. He was so normal-looking, so average, that he’d probably blend into the background in a lineup. But he’d clearly been watching us all night. He had to be the guy.

My muscles tensed, ready for action, but he simply walked out the door.

“Was that him?” Luna whispered.

“Don’t know. But we should probably head out, too. Give him a chance to follow us if he wants to.”

Even as I suggested it, every cell in my body threatened to rebel if I tried. Like they’d just lock up and keep me frozen here, if that was even a thing.

“No dessert?” she asked.

My lips pulled into a thin line as I weighed my options.

Keep Luna here and watch her eat dessert as if it wouldn’t be the most dangerous thing we’d face all night, or take her outside where that kind of danger would pale in comparison to the serial killer kind?

I had no good choices, so I held up my hands, letting her decide.

15

nothing more than a blur

“I think I made a mistake not getting dessert,” I said as we walked down the dimly lit street, my heels clicking against the pavement in a steady rhythm.

The night air was cool against my skin, but Jax’s arm was warm around my waist, and I tried not to obsess over how addictive it was to be tucked against his side like this.

His thumb traced small circles on my hip, and each one sent little sparks of electricity through my body.

---