With their men and their weapons safely settled in New York and a lull in their sales here at home, James had more than two minutes to himself for the first time in a long time. Even Delaney was out with Addy and Clara, not that he viewed her as anything but the best kind of distraction.
They’d settled into a nice routine since she started sleeping in his bed. He liked having her there and not just because of the sex. Falling asleep with his nose buried in the nape of her neck and waking up with her head on his chest and her arm wrapped around his waist was something he hadn’t let himself have in so long.
His mind had started fucking with him, dreaming up ways he might actually be able to keep her. Wondering if it was possible to bring his cousins around, to include her in his life without putting the family and the syndicate at risk. It wasn’t likely.
Which is why he shoved the thought from his head no matter how many times it popped back in to torture him. It didn’t matter what he wanted. His first duty was to the family, and if that meant letting her go to keep the family safe, to keep Delaney safe from him, then that’s what he would do. When the time came.
But that time wasn’t here yet. And until it was, he would enjoy her. They would enjoy each other. For however long they could.
Dropping back into his chair, he swiveled toward the computer and keyed up the website where he placed his weekly grocery order. Prices had gone up slightly, but not enough to eat into his comfortable profit margins.
He double-checked the order against the list Addy gave him and added a few more things for the garnishes he liked to keep stocked at the bar before hitting submit. They were set on liquor, but his usual supplier was running a sale, so he stocked up on his best sellers and added a couple of new beer samples to his order.
The door to the kitchen squeaked open and let in a rush of cold air down the hallway just as he submitted his order, and he turned toward the door in time to see Delaney standing in it. Her smile wrapped around him. She’d been smiling and laughing more in the last week than the entire time he’d known her.
“Did you three have fun?”
“We did.” She held up a pink bag. “I even bought stuff.”
“Clothes?”
A wide grin split her face. “Well, I can definitely wear them.” She crossed the small space and stopped in front of him. He reached up to pull her into his lap, and she pressed her lips to his cheek, whispering against his ear. “I’ll model them for you later.”
He plucked the bag from her hands and peeled apart the layers of tissue paper to reveal satin and lace. He barely bit back a desperate groan.
“I’m going to hold you to that.”
She nipped his chin and then eased back to survey the cleared desk. “You’ve been working hard today, it looks like. Last time I saw this place, there were papers up to here.” She held her hand out over the desk.
“I don’t think it was quite that bad.” He adjusted her hand. “More like here. But yes, I did. I deserve a break.”
“I’m happy to distract you.”
He tightened his arm around her waist when she ran her fingers through his hair, her fingernails scratching along his scalp. “I want to take you out.” She jerked in his lap. “On a date.”
“Really? Why?”
“Because I think it would be fun spending time with you outside the walls of this building,” he said. He couldn’t say he thought he was falling in love with her. It was too soon and too cruel. “And I’ll enjoy knowing you have something in this bag on under your clothes.”
Humming low in her throat, she leaned in and pressed a lingering kiss to his lips. “I’m in. But only if you promise to peel it off me later.”
He scoffed. “What kind of fool do you take me for?”
Her laugh was quick and bright. “What did you have in mind?”
“There’s this new axe throwing bar Mike was telling me about.”
“Axe throwing.” She tilted her head, her fingers playing in the hair at the base of his skull, but he couldn’t read her expression. “Is it a good idea to mix axes and alcohol?”
“I asked Mike the same thing. He said they have a drink limit.” He nuzzled her neck. “I’ll protect you.”
“Of that, I have no doubt. Especially because you’re always carrying a gun,” she said after a beat, watching him closely.
His body went rigid, and his fingers flexed on her thigh. “What?”
“At the small of your back,” she replied. She tried to keep her voice light, but there was something in her tone.
“And how do you feel knowing that?”