Page 225 of Wild Card

Her toothbrush sitting next to mine…

I step into the shower, noting the multiple bottles of shampoos, conditioners, hair masks, body washes, the bright pink loofah sponge that stands out in the otherwise basic space.

Her presence is everywhere.

The scalding hot water does little to ease the tension coiled tight.

I shut off the water, wrapping a towel around my waist, not bothering with the pajama pants Willow laid out.

Fuck the fact the house is full of people.

She’s giggling at something on her phone when I enter the room, and her eyes dart up, her laughter halting.

Even with all the shit in my head, my cock reacts to the way her eyes heat, roaming over my form.

I give myself the time to memorize her sitting in the bed, wearing one of my tees, looking straight out of a dream.

“The first time I saw you at Tom’s, you were wearing jeans and a plain black shirt. My heart skipped a beat.” She raises her gaze to me. “Then at the park, running with a dog you borrowed, I didn’t think you were real. My graduation, you wore a navy suit. When you dress for work, the gym, the pool—all of it is burned in my brain.”

“Baby, where you going with this?”

“Today, when I saw you in the tux, my breath literally left my lungs. And now, it’s a reminder you are the most beautiful man in the world.”

I stalk to the bed, dropping the towel and lifting her so when I lean against the headboard, she’s straddling me.

“Came around that corner, Bex spouting some shit. The next second, my world shifted. The gorgeous brunette with striking green eyes captured me. My heart didn’t skip a beat—it stopped altogether. Just like it has every day since then.”

Her face softens, her fingers mapping the ink on my chest. “I love you.”

Guilt burns through my veins, my conscious screaming at me. “Which is why I hate to do this.”

Her light brushes stop, her body going stiff. “No.” The whisper is torment.

“We got word Max is involved in a hostage situation.”

“Is he okay?”

“Not sure of the details. Robbie is assembling an intelligence team.”

“What does this mean?”

“Means we are joining Hayes Security again. The rest in uncertain right now.”

“Uncertain?”

“Yeah.”

“But an intelligence team is like a command center, right? Like the movies?”

I don’t correct her about the Hollywood version of ITs. Nor do I confess my place in the team.

“Are other police units joining this team?”

Fuck! I hoped to graze over this part. She picks up on my hesitation, shaking her head.

“Don’t do that. Don’t keep anything from me.”

“This isn’t with the force. I’m going in as a Marine.”

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