Page 52 of To Have and To Hold

I led him inside, leaving the door open. “How many people did you have to kill today?”

“It was a slow day.” He touched his thumb against his fingers as if he were counting.

“You’re teasing me.”

His grin grew. “I am. Zero kills. Wait, does maiming count?”

Shaking my head, I leaned my behind against the edge of the white lacquer desk and crossed my arms over my breasts. “I think I should have accepted Horace’s invitation to have him join us. You sound dangerous.”

Em took a step or two, his long legs bringing him right in front of me. So close, I needed to look up to see his eyes.

“I am dangerous.”

The deep tenor of his voice sent a chill over my flesh, leaving goose bumps in its wake. While my increased pulse and twisting stomach could be physical reactions to fear, by the twisting between my legs, I knew it was something else. “You spoke toel Patr?n. He knows I’ll be on a tour with you tonight?”

“I did.”

Something from my earlier conversation with Horace came to mind. “Why did Horace call you Lieutenant Ruiz? Isn’t that your father?”

“I’ve recently been promoted.”

My eyes opened wide. “That’s good. Or...is it? Is it more dangerous?”

His lips quirked. “It’s good. The danger level varies by the day, not by the title.”

He was so close. I cleared my throat, mentally reminding myself that this wasn’t a date. “Let me freshen up and then we can go.” I was halfway to the bathroom when I stopped and spun toward him. “Where are we going to go?”

“It’s a surprise.”

Chapter

Twenty

Isabella

I’d never been on a date.

Never.

Not even a school dance.

Attending an all-girls Catholic school didn’t give me much exposure to men in general. If this was a date, I wouldn’t know how to act. Maybe it was better for it to simply be a tour.

Em and I walked together through the security doors and said goodbye to Horace and the guard on duty. I reassured Horace that I was good.

High in the sky, the sun shone brightly, warming my cheeks. A gentle breeze blew strands of my hair as we exited the building and entered the parking lot. Once outside, Em placed his hand in the small of my back. I unintentionally stiffened.

He leaned down, his deep voice echoing in my ear. “Protecting you. Without Horace, that’s my job.”

I turned. The sight of his handsome face allowed me to relax. “My personal protection from a lieutenant. I should be honored.”

“No, I’m honored.” He led us to a sleek two-door black Mercedes. Compared to the SUV’s and sedans I’d been driven in, this car looked like it belonged on a racetrack. Em opened the passenger’s door. A luxurious ivory leather interior glistened in the sunlight, the new-car smell filling my senses.

“When José or Horace drives, I sit in the back seat.”

“Not today.” He motioned toward the front seat.

While the softness of the leather and the contour of the seat supported me as I sat down, I already missed the presence of Em’s touch on my lower back. I was trying to recall the last time I’d sat in a front seat. It was such a simplistic act and yet, as I stared at the elaborate dashboard, large screen, and windshield, I couldn’t come up with a time.

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