Page 69 of His to Protect

“True. You and Declan are different, but that doesn’t mean you two aren’t also the same, in other ways.”

“We’re not in love. It’s too soon.”

She cocked her head to the side. “Is it?”

Yes. Absolutely. I’d known Declan for, like, a minute. Less than a month, in real time.

Still, I couldn’t imagine there was anything else I could I learn about him that I didn’t already know. Not when it came to the type of guy he was, how he handled problems, how he cared for women and the people in his life.

A warmth suffused me, making my skin itch.

It would have been nice to blame the feeling on a sudden sulfite allergy due to the red wine.

Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on perspective, I knew that Gabriella was right.

We hadn’t known each other for that long, and perhaps it was too soon for us to be declaring our love for one another…

But that didn’t mean I wasn’t, at the very least, beginning to fall in love with him.

The thought was sobering and I set my glass down on the countertop.

“What do you think about the apartment?” Blue asked, breaking my train of thought. “Do you want to move in?”

I looked around the apartment, and imagined myself coming home after a full night of work at Fireside Grill, or after a date with Declan.

I imagined him bringing me here after a date and us having a lazy Sunday morning before he went to work, relaxing in the large, soft bed I’d seen earlier, or watching the news with coffee mugs in our hands, feet entwined as we curled up next to each other on the couch.

My imagination painted a perfect picture…with only one blemish.

If I moved into this apartment, it meant saying goodbye to Declan at the end of dates and watching him walk away, leaving me all alone.

And while it was small and cozy and warm…it wasn’t the same as being at his house, knowing that when he came home and I was asleep, he’d be crawling into bed behind me, pulling me into his arms and against his chest.

A soft smile tipped the ends of my lips up and I looked back at Gabriella, whispering, “I’m going to have to think about it.”

Her smile was large and wide. “I thought you might.”

“I should probably get going,” I said, just as my phone began ringing in my purse. “I have to be at Fireside in a few minutes to help Declan with payroll.”

I reached into my purse and curled my fingers around my phone, assuming the caller was Declan, and answered without looking. “Hey there.”

A voice that made my blood chill and my jaw drop replied, “Well, hello to you, too, Katrina.”

“What do you want?” I snapped.

I heard Kevin’s sickening chuckle, and I flinched.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Blue reach for her phone.

I started shaking my head, telling her to stop, when Kevin said, “You’re smarter than I ever gave you credit for, Katrina, but I’m tired of this game of cat and mouse. You’ve thrown your hissy fit, but it’s time to return home.”

“Yeah…I think it’s him,” I heard Blue saying in the kitchen. While I was looking at her, she covered the phone and whispered, “Tyson says keep him on the phone as long as you can.”

I nodded, feeling my hands tremble. “I’m not coming back to Kentucky, Kevin. In fact, I met with a lawyer yesterday. I’m filing for divorce.”

“Yeah, call Dec, too,” Blue said, and set her phone down.

I flashed her big eyes and mouthed, “No.”

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