Page 9 of Law

Littles were delicate and needed gentleness and love. He had a lot of love to give, just not exactly the gentle kind. So, he was alone, and he probably always would be. Settling for a woman who couldn’t love all of him would only make both of them miserable.

The slap of her tennis shoes against the wooden floor echoed down the hall, reminding him of a fish flailing on the deck of a fisherman’s boat. He could tell from her hunched shoulders she was trying to be quiet.

Luckily, she didn’t have far to go. When she darted back into the office her only option was to return the same way. It wasn’t much of a hunt when your prey trapped herself.

Not prey. This wasn’t one of his games. This was for her own good. Still, he wondered. Her eyes had flashed with more than just fear right before she made the decision to run.

Was he imagining it, or had challenge and excitement flared in those honey-colored eyes, too? And the tell-tale red flush spreading from her chest to her cheeks? That hadn’t been fear, either.

He had to be mistaken. Littles didn’t like being hunted. It was too scary. He’d misread her. His dick had misread the signs, too, which was unfortunate. He had no time for a hard cock.

He hoped whatever she’d left behind was worth the price she was about to pay for running off the way she had to retrieve it.

His little fairy cat— nope, not his little fairy cat. That. That fairy cat. He had a sneaking suspicion he was fooling himself. But he’d cross that bridge later. Either way, she was about to learn what happens when you run from a Viking.

Everything inside him settled immediately. His senses sharpened as he focused on a single goal: finding Lovelyn. He prowled toward the office, attentive to every sound and movement.

At the office door, he paused, focusing on slowing his breathing and heartbeat as he waited and listened. A chair slid across the wooden floor on the right side of the room. He could picture her in the chair, riffling through the papers on the large executive desk in the corner.

His muscles tensed in anticipation, all his senses heightened. The fire crackled in the fireplace, and the scent of burning cedar filled the air. She must have put the entire load of kindling on to burn.

That might explain the cry of pain he’d overheard earlier. He needed to look into that to ensure she hadn’t been badly burned.

As he stepped into the room, he headed straight for the desk. His steps faltered. She wasn’t there.

Paper ripping drew his attention to the fireplace behind him. She stood exactly where she’d been the last time.

What the fuck? Once again, Lovelyn glanced at the papers in her hand before tossing them into the fire. She stood far too close to the flames for his liking. No wonder she’d cried out earlier. Some of the melted sap from the kindling wood must have splattered when it popped, landing on her leg.

He strode toward her and snatched the papers from her hand, startling her once more since, again, she hadn’t noticed his approach. The sense of déjà vu was unwelcome.

Before she could do anything rash and unpredictable, hegrabbed her wrist and tugged her toward the door. She struggled but wasn’t strong enough to stop him. They were getting out of here. Now.

“Wait! Please. Please!”

Not this again. “Little fairy cat, we have to leave now.” Damn it! He hadn’t meant to call her Little. She might not even know what he was talking about. Maybe she didn’t notice. “Do you think they aren’t already looking for us? I’m good, but even I can’t take on twenty armed security guards.”

“What kind of fairy cat?”

Fuck. Okay, so she noticed.

She raised her hand as if to stop him. “You know what? Never mind. I need to get my backpack. Please. It’s right over there on the floor. Everything important to me is in there. I have to have it.”

Without a word, he changed course. Picking up the bag, he slung it over his shoulder before dragging her to the door.

He didn’t check his stride as they made their way down the hallway to the exit point he’d planned. Luckily, it wasn’t far. She was practically jogging to keep up with him, but they couldn’t slow down. He hadn’t been kidding about the security team. To her credit, she didn’t ask him to.

Just before they reached the entrance area, footsteps echoed in the hallway behind them. “Change of plans,” he said, turning down a shorter hallway and heading for the door at the end. As an emergency exit, it had an alarm. But what was one more alarm amidst the chaos surrounding them?

Shoving the door open, Law scanned the area for security, keeping Lovelyn hidden behind him. People raced in all directions, so the two of them should blend in nicely.

“Listen carefully, Lovelyn. We’re going to have to do some acting. I’m going to escort you across the grounds as if you’re in my custody.”

“But what about Zane? I thought you said he was here. I can’t leave without him.”

So now she was worried about her brother? Better late than never. Maybe she’d been telling the truth about not knowing he was there. “I already sent Zane out with my friend. He’s on his way to get medical attention.”

He’d only thought she was struggling before. When he mentioned her brother being hurt, she turned into a regular wildcat. All his focus centered on keeping them moving toward the exit.

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