Page 304 of Lodestar

It was a message I knew I’d have to reiterate over the years, but there was joy in that because we had many tomorrows ahead of us.

I closed my eyes again, content to just relax as she settled deeper into my embrace, then when, only God knew how long later, she mumbled, “She can have the damn cats,” I just smiled to myself.

Kat owed me big time, and she didn’t even know it yet.

11

STAR

Once I’d toldKatina she could have the kittens and had listened to her squeal with joy amid promises I knew she’d break about looking after the admittedly cute tiny beasts, I watched Conor as he worked.

Though I was busy with a massive to-do list of my own, I couldn’t help myself.

I’d already breached The Bird’s Nest LLC’s management firm and had uncovered the location of the AG’s brothel.

I was supposed to be hacking their security so that I could snoop around for blackmail material to feed to the press once Foundry and Smythe were missing. Conor, however, wasn’t helping matters.

My concentration was shot because he was a distraction—the best kind.

His focus on breaking through the security to the AG’s office was absolute, unlike mine.

I knew the plan as well as he did and knew that most of the hacking would be on him while Troy, Dead To Me, and I would be handling the infiltration and evacuation of our marks. I could feel time ticking away as we waited for tomorrow to come.

Maybe that was what made me antsy.

Maybe that was what made me study him more.

You are mine, Star.

He’d said those words so easily, sofiercely.

My thumb ran over the cameo ring I wore and I wondered how he had claimed me so utterly while I was undeserving of him and his devotion.

I thought about the candy and the ring and the way he’d flown several times though he hated it and how he’d emptied this desk—for me. My mind skipped over his patience in bed and the way he cherished me even though I’d run away from him, even though I’d hurt him by ghosting him.

No, I didn’t deserve him, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t walk toward it in the future.

“Yes.”

The word tripped off my tongue despite there being no context.

He cast me a quick look before his attention reverted to his monitor. “Yes, what? To a steak? God, with those shoestring fries. I’d fucking kill?—”

“No.”

He stilled. “No to the shoestring fries?”

God, could I screw this up anymore?

I cleared my throat. “No. I mean. Um.” I held up my hand. “Yes, to this.”

His eyes danced off my expression and onto the ring on my hand. He rocked back in his seat and his grin was dopey as he asked, “Really?”

“I-I don’t know when?—”

He wafted a hand. “‘When’ doesn’t matter. But an answer is nice.”

Speechless, I licked my lips because I knew he meant that. I was coming to learn that he always meant what he said.

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