Page 232 of Back in the Saddle

“Shit, can’t fit you all in the Camaro, we’ll have to take the Jag,” Titus decreed.

Awesome.

The situation warranted it, and until that moment, I wouldn’t have thought I had it in me.

But I guessed I did.

I channeled Harlow and turned girlie,pretty pleasebegging eyes to Eric.

“Fine,” Eric bit off.

Damn.

That shit worked.

“You go, we’ll follow,” Titus said.

Eric scowled at him, doing some silent badass brainwave communication.

“I got this,” Titus said impatiently. “Go.”

Eric looked at me, he did it hard, and I could tell he was leaning toward changing his mind.

“I’m falling in love with you,” I blurted.

His eyes went dark, his face went soft, he dipped his chin and said, “See you soon, honey.”

Then he was gone.

I jumped when an arm was slung around my shoulders.

I tipped my head back to see Titus smiling down at me.

He smelled like fresh raked leaves and bergamot, with the barest hint of patchouli.

In other words, awesome.

“Well played, baby. Well played,” he said.

I sucked back the rest of my martini.

Titus busted out laughing.

Once he got control of his humor, we headed to his garage behind the garage, got in his amazing, black Jaguar SUV and headed out.

TWENTY-FIVE

CHICKEN TACOS

I’d been patient a long time.

I really had.

So it wasn’t untoward when I snapped, “Oh my God! This is agony.” I turned to the girls in the backseat and asked Raye and Luna, “Did it take this long when they cleared out those traffickers?”

“No, it didn’t take this long,” Luna said quietly, holding Raye’s hand.

“I see the martini wore off,” Titus remarked.

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