Page 74 of The Fighter
I spoke the truth, “Youwant it to be a secret. Not me.”
Turning her body around, she stared at me. “Promise you won’t tell anyone.”
This was the part where the panther got up to run away again and there wasn’t anything I could do about it. “Okay, on one condition.”
“What?”
“You have to promise me that you won’t sleep with anyone other than me.”
Pushing herself up, Raven got out of bed and walked into the living room to get her clothes.
I followed. “Raven, promise me.”
“I can’t promise you that. A few years ago I would have sworn I’d never marry, but I might.”
With my hands on her upper arms, I pulled her around to face me. “If you marry someone, it will beme.”
Raven jerked out of my hold. “Don’t make things awkward between us. We had a good time. Let’s just leave it at that.”
My face was drawn tight with suppressed emotions as I squeezed my fist and reminded myself,you knew it might be a one-time thing only.
Raven tried to ease the tension. “I would be okay with doing this again with you, but not if you make it weird.”
Like her, I dressed, and when she walked to my front door, I didn’t try to hold her back. “When, Raven?”
She turned. “When what?”
“When do you want to do this again?” I had my shoulders squared, eyebrows drawn close together, and my eyes on her collarbone. I was holding my breath.
Reaching up on her toes, Raven hugged me, and I responded by closing my arms around her.
“Stay with me tonight.” My voice was low, but my tight squeeze screamed how badly I wanted it.
“Maybe I shouldn’t. I think you’re falling in love with me, Leo.”
She was right, but I didn’t deny or confirm it. “I want you to stay, Raven.”
She sighed. “All right, but just for tonight.”
As soon as the words left her lips, I picked her up and carried her back into my bed.
CHAPTER 18
Sparring with the Ruler
Raven
I had told Leo to keep our night together a secret. But the next day at work it felt like he was shouting to the whole station that we’d slept together. Four times he smiled at me across the room and each time colleagues frowned at the unexpected change in his behavior.
“You have to be grumpier,” I whispered in a warning when I passed him in the hallway.
“Why?”
“Because they’ll know something is different if you aren’t your usual grumpy self.”
Leo just grinned and walked away with a whistle. Later I saw him in a meeting with the top boss at Station Seven. The old captain looked like he was chronically annoyed, so I’d always stayed as far away from him as I could. Rumor had it that he was friends with the demon headmaster from the police academy who had made my life miserable for an entire year. That alone made me avoid him. I didn’t need more powerful enemies in my life when I was already struggling with how to approach the most powerful man in the country.
It was Leo who had suggested that I find a way to interview Khan. Of course, he had said it this morning after we had woken up early to enjoy a fourth round of sex, and so we had both been lightheaded and full of endorphins when I agreed that it was a great idea.
