His face pales, and I almost laugh. “Relax, kid. I’m having a good day. Keep your fucking eyes to yourself, yeah?”
He swallows and looks down at his computer. “Yeah,” he says. I ruffle his curly hair like he’s eight and not eighteen. His nose wrinkles, and I almost feel bad.
I leave him and walk back to Kathrine, clearing my throat. She turns her head to look at me. Her eyes do a once-over, checking me out before jumping back to my face.
“Can I help you?” she asks with a lifted brow.
Oh, we’re playing it this way.
“Yeah,” I say, adjusting the snapback on my head before sliding my hands into my pockets. “I was looking for the owner.”
“The owner?” she asks. “Is there a problem?”
“Problem? Nah.” I shake my head. “I’ve been told she’s leaving for a little while, so I wanted to give her something before she took off.”
“She’s leaving, huh?”
I nod, loving the way she’s acting like she doesn’t know me. Loving the fact that she’s the only one who really does.
“And what is it you wanted to give her?” She licks her bottom lip, looking at me with curious eyes.
I walk closer to her, removing my hands from my pockets. She drops hers to her sides as she looks up at me.
“What are you doing?” she asks, almost breathlessly.
I look at her with a sense of wonder I can’t control. It’s amazing how one single person can give your life so much meaning.
Everything else could fade to black and disappear and life would still be worth living as long as she was still by my side.
Kat takes my breath away with her beauty. She steals pieces of me every day.
The way she laughs, the way she smiles.
The way she loves.
Kathrine doesn’t do anything half-assed; she means it with her whole heart and gives it her all.
And I’m the luckiest son of a bitch alive because she’s mine and she’s going to have my last name.
“This,” I say, grabbing her and pressing my mouth to hers. Her hands go to my arms as my tongue slips past her lips. I kiss her with everything in me, until we hear cheers and someone yellingget a room. I pull away from her, still so close but not touching her lips.
“I once told youwhen a man loves a woman, he fights for her. He works his ass off every day to make sure she knows she’s loved.”
She blinks.
“I promise you that I will never stop fighting for you. I will always make sure you know how much I love you. In public, in private, I don’t give a shit.”
She grins.
“We’re leaving in two days. Get things settled here. I’ve got to move out of the loft above Red.”
“Okay,” she says, her cheeks slightly pink. I quick-kiss her lips, tap her ass, and turn toward the door. Claire is standing by the kitchen watching us. “Hey,” I say. “You doing okay?”
She nods, but doesn’t give me a smile.
I know she’s uneasy about me. She has every right to be. I’m not K’s Prince Charming and I’ve never pretended to be. I’m the knight who rides in on the black horse, ready to fight any motherfucker trying to take my woman. Even Claire if she wants it that way.
“Tell Austin I said hello.”