Page 37 of Savage Promises

I choke. “You took a helicopter to buy this?”

Explains why it’s still warm.

“Aye.” He rolls up his dress shirt sleeves, exposing strong forearms covered in tattoos.

The sight of those lean, muscled arms leaves me speechless, so I keep eating.

Shane takes a bite. “Jesus fucking Christ,” he mutters. “I forgot how good these were.”

We eat in silence while my heart hurts thinking of Shane taking a helicopter to get Neve’s favorite ice cream down at the Jersey Shore.

“Why are you quiet?” he asks, opening a bottle of trendy glacial alkaline water.

“I’m eating.” I wipe my hands on a napkin.

He notices I’ve inhaled half the sandwich already. “You were hungry.”

“I’m always hungry, Shane.” My comment gets his attention. “But sometimes I don’t have time for...food.”

He leans in and murmurs, “I’ll make sure you never go hungry again.”

I bristle, “I don’t need someone breathing down my neck every second. I’m not your future queen. I’mnot Neve. No one cares about me.”

His eyes flash with raw tension. “I. Care. And it’s my job to keep you safe.”

That hits harder than I expect. “Not necessary. Change of subject. How is yourrealjob going for you?”

He grumbles, running a hand through his hair. “Busy. Surveillance, logistics, keeping people in line. Sometimes it feels like there’s no end to it.”

I tilt my head. “Must be exhausting, carrying the weight of an empire on your shoulders.”

He gives a short, humorless laugh. “You have no idea.”

Before I can respond, Carl clears his throat to get my attention.

“Excuse me.” I leave Shane and stride over to my architect where he hands me his pricing to pick up the construction costs and turn this place into my own.

“I’ll email updated sketches before the end of the day,” Carl says with a firm nod and away-to-gowink to Shane.

I take the handwritten estimate on thick letterhead and fold it. “Great.”

“I need ten percent down to hold your financial commitment for sixty days, Ms. Donnelly,” Carl says, zipping up his briefcase.

“Understood,” I agree, thinking of which accounts to drain for the deposit. “You’ll have a check in twenty-four hours.”

I turn back to Shane. His sandwich is gone and he’s watching me. Me. LikeI’mthe only thing worth seeing in the room.

“What?” I ask him, my voice pitching in surprise.

I consider bringing up the kiss from the last time I saw him. How it’s lingered on my lips. In my thoughts. Haunting my mind every minute I’m not completely consumed with something else.

He breaks the stare to glance around. “Great choice for a new club. It’ll be amazing.”

Something in his tone tightens my chest. “Thank you.”

“You have a name in mind?” Shane asks.

I smile and bite my lip. “Luxe.”

---