Page 44 of Knight's Fall

“He’s a great dog. Anytime you need a sitter, I’m more than willing.”

Isobel smiled. “I may take you up on that.”

Courtlyn turned her attention back to Wings. “You guys are having a late lunch.”

“Busy day. How’s your shift going?”

“Same as usual. I should be getting back to the kitchen. I just had to check with one of our regulars.”

“They have you waiting tablesandcooking?”

She smiled at his protective tone as if he might stand up to Tabby for overworking her. “Not really. It’s just Malcolm. We’ve sorted of bonded since he’s been coming in, and I think he likes our conversations. I don’t mind popping out to say hello. He usually waits until it’s not so busy, so I don’t get behind or anything.”

BB nudged Wings with his elbow, his smile wide. “Don’t mind him. He’s just mad he got his ass whooped today because he was thinking about you the whole time.”

Wings glared at him. “BB,” he growled in warning.

“What? What does he mean, get your ass whooped? What happened?”

Courtlyn knew Wings still favored his leg on occasion, but for the most part, his injury had healed enough for him to get back to work. Even with his injury, Courtlyn had a hard time imagining anyone overpowering his solid frame to kick his ass.

When no one answered her, she studied Wings’ profile as he tried to render BB to ash with his glare. He was embarrassed, and she liked to think it was because he didn’t want her to see him as less than a virile man. He had nothing to worry about in that regard. He was all man, and she had been calling him “her man” in her head for a while now.

“If you got your ass kicked, I’m guessing the other guy must be at the emergency room.”

Wings’ head snapped back around as his friends erupted in laughter. She held back her own giggle but smiled at his astonishment. His initial surprise gave way to something she wasn’t expecting. His icy eyes darkened to a light cerulean blue, and his nostrils flared as they often did right before he reached his climax. She’d become accustomed to every nuance when they were together, and this particular one was tattooed to her memory.

She could feel the blush infusing her cheeks, and she decided it was time to go back to work before she climbed on the table and kissed him with all of the passion she felt for him.

“I’ll leave you all to look at your menus. We’re a little shorthanded, but your waitress should be over soon. Good to see you, BB. Nice to meet you, Sam and Isobel.”

She’d barely set foot into the kitchen when a firm grip on her arm stopped her. A tingle traveled up her arm and down her spine. She turned around and smiled at the sight of Wings standing in her kitchen, looking enough like sex on a stick that she could be persuaded to quit her job in that instant and spend the rest of her life at his side.

“You’re not supposed to be back here.” Her voice sounded odd to her ears — husky and low.

His hand traveled up to cup the back of her head before he captured her lips with his. The kiss was not the intense, soul-searing kiss she’d braced herself for. It was gentle, light and sweet, and when he pulled away, she was thankful he kept his hold on her. She was sure she would melt into a puddle at his feet if he released her.

“I worked out with my team this morning, and after that, we practiced arm-to-arm combat. Isobel and I were paired, and she did kick my ass. She’s smart and agile and fights dirty when warranted. I’m not embarrassed because she’s taken down stronger men than me. I don’t want you to think that I went back to work too soon or that I can’t handle the hard stuff. I’m good. Even better after seeing you.”

“I have no doubt that you can take on anything they throw your way. I will be embarrassed to say this out loud, but I would love to see you in action.”

“You’ll see me in action. Tonight. And it will be well worth the wait.”

He turned and went back to his friends, leaving Courtlyn standing in her kitchen with her heart pounding and her body wanting.

Chapter Twenty-One

Courtlyn snuggled deep against Wings’ side. Her arm draped over his stomach, and her leg hooked over his. His arm was her pillow, and his fingers stroked her hair as he talked.

His voice was naturally booming, but it calmed her. After satiating their desire with mind-blowing sex, they started talking. She didn’t know what time it was, and she didn’t care. She wanted nothing to shatter their idyllic moment.

“We thought we had the upper hand. We were sure the target had no idea we were close. This is back when Jay was our team leader. It wasn’t long after Panther joined the team, before he and Sydney got married. BB and I were paired to go in. There was nothing standing in our way, and we had a clear line of sight. We were moving in, and then the ground shifted under my feet. Next thing I know, the ground gives way, and I fall a few feet into this dirt pit. The sons of bitches built booby traps all over the place. They were the kind you see in the movies. Like a rope hidden under branches, so when you step on it, you get strung up a tree. It was the craziest thing we’d ever seen, but the traps were effective. It gave the target time to get the hell out of there while we were trying to get our team out of the traps.”

“Oh, no! I have to admit, the traps sound old school hillbilly, but they were ingenious.”

He shifted without releasing her, so he could look into her face. “Ingenious? You think so?”

And then he tickled her. She squealed and squirmed to try and get away, but he had her pinned beside him. Then he flipped them until she was underneath him. His arms held the bulk of his weight so he towered over her without crushing her.

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