Page 75 of Guarding the Singer

"I'm not just saying it," she assured him. "It's true. But even better than how you look together, it's how you are together. The fact that you called me and got me out here to help her. The way you look at her, checking in. I know you're observant. You have to be to do your job."

She looked him in the eye and he felt like she was evaluating him the same way he looked at other people.

"I think you're holding back a little when it comes to her."

He balked a little at that.

He didn't really mind when people called him on things, as long as it served a purpose. He could handle criticism.

What he didn't like was when she called him on something he didn't even want to admit to himself.

He'd definitely thought about it, but he didn't like the sound of it thrown at himself.

Because he knew he was full of it.

He knew he was being a bit of a coward.

But it was also because he didn't want to disappoint Selene.

The first time they'd met, it was for a night.

Even though he felt that physical attraction for her, and he was sure she felt it for him, because there was no way that she would have kissed him like that if she hadn't meant it.

The problem was the timing and the place.

He wasn't about to spend the night in the Lincoln bedroom with her and then walk away and he had to.

He'd gone back to duty heading out on a deployment right away.

That kind of separation was hard enough on committed couples, but he'd only known her for a few hours on that night.

Too bad his heart hadn't given a shit about it.

"You're right."

He saw Cali's eyes widen at his words.

"I have been holding back, but maybe not the way you think."

She folded her legs on the coffee table, her eyes lowering to Selene's face before she looked back up at him.

"I'm not going to tell you how I feel about her in words. What I have to say about that is between me and Sel."

Cali smiled sweetly at that. "I like what you call her. She does, too."

"I like what she calls me and-"

She held up her hands halfway to her ears. "I don't need to hear if she calls you Big Daddy or her Hunka Hunka Burning love during sex, okay?"

He almost laughed out loud at that. "Yeah. I'm not going to talk about that."

The lightened mood between them sobered a little.

"I don't want to hurt her, Cali. The last thing I would ever want to do is make her cry when I could save her that pain."

Cali looked at him as they sat there with Selene in the protective circle of his arms.

"William?"

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