Page 80 of Protecting his Heart

“Sorry.”

He blanked his mind, concentrating on Evan’s breathing and following it with his own. The heat of his skin bled into Owen’s, warming more than his body, and Owen smiled against his back. If he had this forever, it would still not be enough time.

There was no going back from this.

He loved Evan with every fibre of his being, and god help anyone who tried to take that away from him.

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Chapter 25

Evan

Concussion sucked.

Evan had borrowed Owen’s phrase, and it truly was perfect. He had it a little easier than Owen had, but the lights and the headache were the worst. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d spent so much time off work but these past couple of months had been a test of their limits, for sure.

He settled on the sofa, closing his eyes against the bright TV screen but still listening to it. He’d been catching up on the news stories, but they were so depressing, so he’d turned it to a daytime morning show instead. Owen would get a kick about that if he saw him. However, his boyfriend was back at work—even with a cast. He couldn’t begrudge him the time, though. Owen was pissed as hell about the incidents, and he was determined to find out what was going on. If he’d been more certain of who was potentially the next target, he might’ve been a little more relaxed, but Owen was determined to protect Evan in case it was him. And to do that, he needed to be at work, working.

Evan groaned when the doorbell rang. He’d put everything he might need within arm’s reach so he wouldn’t have to move for a few hours, but he hadn’t thought about answering the door. He sighed, contemplating ignoring whoever it was, but then the doorbell rang again, the sound slicing through his head. They’d only keep pressing it if he didn’t answer.

He shuffled across the floor, careful not to move too fast, and looked through the peephole. A woman stood there, but he couldn’t see any parcels or anything. He opened the door, careful to keep the chain on—he would prefer not to be murdered and then have Owen complain to him about it.

“Hello?” he said, squinting into the sunlight.

“Um, hi. Um, I’m sorry to bother you, but I’m…” She trailed off, and Evan studied her again, his stomach fluttering when he understood who she was.

“Hold on,” he said, closing the door enough to remove the chain and opening it again. When he faced her full on, there was no denying who she was. “Jessica?”

Her shoulders lowered, and she exhaled heavily. “You know who I am?”

Evan licked his lips. “Kind of. I was recently told your name, that’s about it.” He could fudge the truth a little, but it was for her sake, not his parents’. “There’s no denying it now I’ve seen you.” He gestured to her. “Come on in. Despite the sunlight, I can feel it’s not warm out there.”

Jessica stepped across the threshold and rubbed her hands together. “You’re right about that.”

“The heating is on, so you should warm up quickly. Can I get you a hot drink?”

“Tea would be great if you have it. Otherwise, water is great.” She glanced around.

“I have tea. Please, make yourself comfortable. It won’t be long.” He headed for the kitchen but paused. “Oh, I can put the light on.” He reached for it, but her words stopped him.

“No, it’s okay. I heard what happened to you. You have a concussion, right? Lights bother you?”

Evan nodded and then wished he hadn’t. He cleared his throat, calming the nausea. “Yeah, a bit, but I don’t want you to trip over anything.”

She waved him away and sat on the edge of the sofa. “I’ll be fine. In fact, do you want me to do the drinks?” She rose again.

This time, Evan waved her away. “No, it’s okay. It won’t take long.”

Look at them being all polite. He entered the kitchen and braced himself on the counter, taking a few deep breaths before setting the kettle boiling and fetching two cups. While he waited for the water, he messaged Owen.

EVAN: Jessica just turned up on our doorstep. Not sure what it’s about, but I’ll keep you posted.

He put the phone down and made the drinks, making sure to leave the milk and sugar on the side in case she didn’t use them. He put it all on a tray, and then his phone chimed.

OWEN: Do you want me to come back?

EVAN: No, it’s okay. Let me see what’s going on first.

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