Page 137 of Hushed

“What happened? Is it over?”

Gage kissed her nose. “Things are still messy. But Reggie thinks Maggie might be in trouble. He got what evidence he could, and we left him at The Cage for his regular shift.” He pressed a finger to her lips when she started to protest. “Don’t worry, pet. We’ve got eyes on him, and Samuel is nearby in case he needs a quick rescue. I just wanted to come check on you.”

“How long is his shift?”

Gage looked at his watch. “Another four hours?”

Four hours felt like an eternity in their current situation.

“Have you seen Maggie? Is she OK?”

Gage shook his head. “I haven’t laid eyes on her myself. But Reggie says she’s alive. He’s just worried about her.”

“So she wasn’t trying to hurt me?”

Gage held her and kissed her forehead. “Not intentionally. If it was their plan to lure you back, she doesn’t seem to have been aware.”

Kenzie felt a sense of relief. “That’s good.”

“What are you working on?”

She smiled. “Wedding playlist for my client.”

“That sounds fun. Can you come lay down with me for a while?”

“I can, but I won’t sleep. I took my second dose of medication a little while ago.”

Gage grinned. “Good. I didn’t want to sleep anyway.”

Kenzie laughed. “You’re insatiable.”

“Admit it. So are you.”

She nodded eagerly, and he stood, hooking his hands under her butt and making sure her legs were around his waist. She instinctively put her arms around his neck, and he carried her towards the stairs that led to their room.

In the bedroom, he set her down, and pulled her top off her her. They were frantic as they tore clothes off of each other while kissing and touching. It was a frenzied scene of lust and desperation as Gage showed her exactly how much he missed her, and Kenzie made it clear she couldn’t stand the thought of anything happening to him. When they both came undone, they clung to each other like never before.

Laying there in the afterglow with him, she sighed with a happy smile on her face. “I love you, Gage,” she whispered. It wasn’t something she’d ever had an easy time saying to a lover. Maybe because she’d never really been in love before.

“How would you feel about an extended stay in New Orleans when we go for the grand opening?” she asked after a long stretch of silence.

He rolled onto his side and propped himself up with his elbow. “How long of an extended stay?”

She shrugged. “Maybe a month? I was looking around, and I’ve got some contacts that could get me work at some local clubs.”

“You know you don’t have to work unless you want to, right?”

She nodded. “I want to.”

“I figured. I just wanted to make sure. If you want to take a month off and go to New Orleans, we will.”

She grinned. “Thank you. I just think it would be good to spend some time together in a completely new place.”

“I don’t disagree. Reggie confided in me that New Orleans is where he wouldn’t mind ending up when this is all done.”

Kenzie’s mouth dropped. “Really? Would we be able to see each other?”

Gage stroked her bare arm. “It might be complicated at first. But we would make it work.”

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