Page 44 of Sinning for Santa

Finn smiles, his whole facing morphing with it and I can’t help but smile back.

“He calls me his right hand man, but really he means best mate.”

“The best mate title depends on the day and how much you’re annoying me.” Devon snickers.

“Pleased to meet you, Finn.” I smile, swiping at my tears. “When are you going to give me my licence back?”

His brows shoot high and he grins. “I like her.” Then he reaches into his back pocket and holds out my ID.

I glance at Devon, as if to ask if it’s really okay for me to have it back, and when Devon’s hold on me loosens, I hurry to stand and accept it from Finn’s grip.

“Thank you.”

“A word of advice,” he offers, and I gear myself up to be scolded. “If you really want to make Dev panic, try and hide better. I’ll introduce you to the Anderson boys, those two eight year olds know all the good hiding spots.”

“No, you fucking won’t.” Devon complains from behind me, and my lips lift high as Finn smiles back.

“Well, I’m heading back to bed for a couple more hours of sleep since this fella woke me spewing orders,” Finn says, bowing his head in farewell as I frown.

“Oh. Sorry.”

Finn laughs, while Devon mumbles something under his breath, and I turn to face him.

“What was that?” I ask.

He grins. “I said, you will be sorry.”

I stare at him and his gaze doesn’t waver.

“Is this where you kill me? Because technically I didn’t run. I was just exploring and found this place,” I gesture to the attic spacearound us. “And then I was curious about the town, so I was people-watching.”

“So why were you praying if you were peoplewatching?” Devon asks, approaching me, and I have to tip my head back a little to keep my eyes on his.

“Well, the prayer was because the devil was coming for me.”

If I didn’t believe he was the devil, I do now with how utterly wicked his smirk is.

“I will always come for you, little mouse.”

I roll my eyes. “You haven’t even known me for a whole day. You tricked me into kissing you. You killed two men right in front of my eyes. You held me against my will. Took my ID and phone, carried me like a sack of potatoes, forced me into a car and drove me out into the middle of nowhere and made me eat all of that food before you… you…”

He’s grinning from ear to ear. “Say it, love. What did I do?” He leans in closer. “Lit you on fire from the inside out?”

I blush.

Dammit.

He chuckles, and I wave him off.

“My point is you can’t tell me you’ll protect me when we barely know each other. Why would you care about protecting me? And, hell, you’re probably what I need protecting from.”

“Damn right I’m the one you need protecting from.” He lurches forward and picks me up by my thighs, wrapping my legs around his waist as a surprised squeak flies from my lips.

Stop doing that. No wonder he calls you a mouse, Jaxcen.

“But the thing is,” he says, his lips hovering before mine as he walks us back over to the window box. “Do you really want to be saved from me?”

He lowers my arse to the box seat and leans over me, forcing me to nearly lay right back.

---