Page 31 of My Masked Savior
“Stop.” I laugh again, though my stomach twists with uncertainty. “It wasn’t planned. It just… happened. He’s intense, Bas. The kind of man who looks at you like he sees everything you’re trying to hide. And for some reason, it doesn’t scare me.”
Her teasing fades, replaced by something gentler. “That sounds… big.”
“It is.” I trace the rim of my glass. “But it’s also confusing. He’s protective, and sometimes that feels good. Like I don’t have to look over my shoulder all the time. But then I catch him watching me in a way that’s—” I pause,searching for the right word. “Umm, a little too much. Like he’s cataloging me.”
Basia frowns. “Do you think he’s dangerous?”
The question hits harder than I expect. I shake my head quickly. “No. Not like that. He’d never hurt me. I know that.”
“Sweetheart,” she says gently, “you’ve said that before.”
The reminder lands heavy between us.
I take a deep breath, willing away the defensive retort rising in my throat. “I know what you’re thinking, and you’re right to worry. But Damien’s not Marco. He’s calm, in control. When he touches me, it doesn’t feel like he’s trying to take something from me… It feels like he’s giving it back.”
Basia watches me carefully, her fingers drumming on the table. “Just promise me you’ll go slow, okay? People can make us feel safe for all kinds of reasons. Doesn’t always mean they are.”
“I’ll be careful,” I say, meaning it as much as I can.
She leans back, studying me with that perceptive look she’s always had. “You sound like someone who’s already in deep.”
I smile faintly. “Maybe I am.”
“Then I hope he’s everything you think he is,” she says quietly. “Because if he’s not, I’ll personally hunt him down.”
I laugh, but something about her words makes a shiver run through me—because beneath the warmth and affection, there’s a truth I can’t quite name. Thereissomething dangerous about Damien.
Basia leans back and presses her lips together.
“What is it, babe?” I ask. Is she going to tell me to get away from Damien?
“There’s something I’ve been hiding from you, too,” she finally says, then sighs. I blink at her when she drops a bombshell. “My real last name isn’t Barton. It’s Langford.”
“Langford? Like the governor of?—”
“Yes,” Basia interrupts me, making akeep it down motionwith her hand. “That’s my dad.”
“Why are you hiding who you are? And, Jesus, why are you selling insurance, working for pennies, when you could be living in a McMansion somewhere with a butler?”
Basia’s jaw clenches visibly. “I wanted to make my own way. Prove to myself I’m more than a pampered daddy’s little girl. But, More, someone’s been stalking me.”
I gasp, taking her hand in mine. “Stalking you? How?”
My friend’s eyes tear up, and her lower lip wobbles. “I’ve gotten boxes of dead animals in the mail. Notes saying I’m next.”
“Oh my god!” I exclaim, squeezing her fingers. “Have you called the police? Did you tell your dad?”
Basia shakes her head, making blond strands of hair stick to her now-wet cheeks.
“I can’t do either. He’ll sic his security team on me. Maybe lock me up somewhere. I want to live my life, More.”
I look around the crowded bar, wondering if a threat to her is closer than we think. My brain spins, looking for solutions. I won’t be able to sleep knowing she’s in danger.
“Okay,” I say with a nod. “Damien’s ex-military. I’m sure he knows someone who could be your bodyguard. You can afford one, right?”
Basia blinks at me, her mouth opening slightly before she nods. “Yeah, I have my trust fund. A bodyguard, though? I don’t want to inconvenience someone…”
I give her a droll look. “You’ll inconvenience me for having to go to your funeral,” I deadpan. “Besides, he’sgonna be paid for it, it’s not like he’ll be doing it out of the goodness of his heart. Or she! Would you prefer a woman?”
