Page 123 of Manhattan Secret

“Hey, I’m Laney, and you are?”

Their eyes stray to the very silent Lachie who’s lounged back in his chair like I hadn’t invaded his house at the crack of dawn. My hand moves to the back of his nape and I get a thrill of confidence feeling him shudder.

“Eh, I’m Kim.” One girl introduces, probably unsure of who the freaking hell I am, seeing as how Lachie has turned mute. The other girl is called Janine.

“So,” I say, smiling. My fingers working on his neck. “Have either of you slept with my boyfriend?”

The two guys currently eating my food snort then burst out laughing, the girls look stunned… embarrassed. Ask me if I care? I’ve never once put anyone on the spot like this, but I’m feisty and fighting for my life here, there’s no room to be the mouse Lachie calls me.

When I look down at the man himself there’s heat all over his face.

It’s unmistakable and all my nerves burn hotter.

I smile at his silent praise.

“Well?”

“No, we haven’t,” Janine answers for them both, her eyes, greedy and jealous on Lachie as if waiting for confirmation about what I’ve claimed. “You’re…his girlfriend?”

“You kept that quiet,” one of the boys chimes, spraying crumbs all over himself.

Lachie, the love of my life is quietly eating his own burrito, but you know what? He drops his left arm from the table, and I feel the smallest touch of his fingers on the back of my knee.

Pure electricity races through me.

That touch is almost saying,you’re doing good claiming me, mouse, keep going.

“Yeah, I’m his girlfriend. I’d love to stay and chat, but I gotta run, hope we can another time, okay?” I mean it too. Now that I know they haven’t been in his bed.

I turn to Lachie and find his eyes glued to me.

God, that glance makes me feel all out of sorts. He’s so sexy when he’s controlled. I miss seeing that sleepy look on his face every morning. “I’m going to meet a realtor,” I tell him. “I’m house hunting.” This time when I put my lips on his they aren’t hard at all and I enjoy the close-lipped softness. “Have a good day, baby. I’ll call you later. Nice meeting you all.”

My heart is crashing all around my chest when I look back at him in the doorway and his eyelids are heavy and drowsy with lust.

And I laugh when I hear, not even a few feet down the hallway.

“Do you have a stalker, Fierro? I’ll take her off your hands. I got a boner as big as this table.”

And my prince growls the first words I hear from him that day, “I’ll break every bone in your body and feed them to the dogs if you say that shit again. You’ll keep your mangy eyes off her, you catching what I’m saying to you?”

I look for a house that morning with a spring in my step.

C H A P T E R 32

Lachlan

Oh, my girl.

I half expected her to mouse out and run back to Manhattan to her quiet, ordinarysafelife.

I knew the second she strutted into my kitchen with her head tilted, determined and her eyes full of love. She means business. She’s come for war.

Hand to god, my dick nearly snapped in half with how fast I got hard just listening to her talking.

Just one little touch on the back of her bare leg, I needed a fix.

My brave girl. She’s glory and grace.

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