Page 26 of Throne of Secrets

“Ethan,” Max said softly. “You’re a good man. No one could be prouder of what you’ve done, learned, and accomplished than I am. You’ve surprised me more than once with the unique way you solve problems. That inventive, out-of-the-box thinking will keep Guardian ahead of its enemies.”

Ethan’s throat tightened as he stared at the screen. Max was a whisper of a legend. The compliment was so unexpected it stunned him into silence.

Max leaned back again, his face slipping into the shadows. “Take care of your woman, Ethan. And don't let her break your leg while she’s at it.”

The screen went black.

Ethan sat motionless for a moment, then released a breath and chuckled. Rubbing the back of his neck, he leaned forward, replaying the conversation.

His gaze flicked around the workspace, taking in the systems, the secure mesh net, the overlapping firewalls, the redundant encryption layers—all creations he'd developed under Max’s mentorship. It had always been a cat-and-mouse game, trying to stay ahead of Guardian's enemies. It was exhilarating. Challenging. Fulfilling.

And yet … something was missing.

His eyes shifted to the small basement window. Sunlight filtered through the thick, reinforced glass. Outside, life went on. People walked their dogs, neighbors trimmed their hedges, and cars passed by with passengers on their way to mundane jobs.

And next door, Star was probably stepping on loose floorboards, knocking over vases, or accidentally setting the new stain on fire.

Star.

His lips twitched into a reluctant smile. God, she was a walking disaster. A Picasso plastered over a Monet, taped to a Michelangelo, with a side of Jackson Pollock splatter thrown in for flair. A chaotic masterpiece. A hot mess of epic proportions.

And, damn it, he wanted her to behishot mess.

Ethan exhaled and shook his head to clear the distraction. He turned back to the monitors, his gaze locking on the mugshots of the two men from the hardware store.

“Time to play detective,” he muttered.

CHAPTER7

If she didn’t know better—if it weren’t physically impossible—Star would’ve sworn she floated up the stairs after Ethan left.

He wanted to date her.Ethan Wolf wanted to date her.

A giddy smile spread across her face as she twirled in the hallway like a kid on Christmas morning. She spun past the gaping holes in the drywall without glancing at them. The uneven baseboards and patchy flooring didn't register either. Not today. Not when the impossible had just become her reality.

Still grinning, she practically ripped off her clothes and hopped into the shower. Warm water cascaded over her skin as she grabbed a nail brush and attacked the color clinging to her fingers. It took nearly twenty minutes to scrub away the stubborn remnants of her morning mishap, but she didn’t care. The day had transformed from disaster to dream come true in record time.

Ethan Wolf. The man she’d fantasized about for months—the one who haunted her late-night dreams and starred in more than a few X-rated mental scenes—wanted todateher.

She ducked her head under the stream of water and frowned. “Whydoes he want to date me?” she whispered.

The poor man had been the direct victim of her never-ending mishaps. She could list the top five from memory:

The time she’d gotten her scarf caught in her car door, and Ethan had to free her because she’d dropped her keys and was choking herself trying to reach them.

The incident when she tripped over her own feet and knocked him—coffee and all—into a planter on the sidewalk.

The great squirrel debacle when a terrified rodent she’d chased through the house and finally locked in her kitchen had launched itself at Ethan’s face when he came to help.

The infamous “pipe explosion” that had left Ethan covered in rusty water when he’d scared her when she was changing out water heaters.

And today’s grand finale: Enthusiastically blotting his coffee-soaked crotch while kneeling on her kitchen floor.

Yet … he still wanted to date her.

Her father’s voice echoed in her mind:“When the right man comes along, sweetheart, the curse won’t matter.”

“Maybe Ethanisthe right man,” she murmured, running conditioner through her hair. Lord knew that kiss still tingled on her lips.

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