Page 76 of Her Guardian
“So, where are you taking me tonight?” I ask curiously, looking over at Boyd.
“It’s a surprise,” he says. “I’m going to drop you off at Salvalagio and I’ll pick you up at seven. Try not to be late this time.”
“I won’t be late,” I laugh, still a little terrified of being woken up by him if I am. I don’t think we’ll make it to our date if that happens. “I’ll be waiting for you in the lobby.”
Another adventure with Big Mafia Boyd.
And I get to spend the entire day with him tomorrow, too.
CHAPTER 29
Sarah
At six-fifty, I’m standing in the lobby, waiting for Big Boyd.
I’m wearing a simple black dress, but I’m glad I didn’t see the price tag. The mythical red-soled heels are on my feet, and they’re surprisingly comfortable. Thankfully, I still remember how to walk in heels. It’s been a really long time since I’ve worn a pair.
A few minutes later, Boyd walks through the front door. His hair has been cut. He didn’t have much to begin with, but it’s trimmed down. His beard has been trimmed as well, much shorter than it was when he dropped me off. His suit is stretched across his broad frame, but fits him perfectly. It looks a lot nicer than the ones he wears every day.
His green gaze finds me immediately, and the way he looks at me makes the air catch in my throat. As he gets closer, I catch the scent of his cologne as it drifts to me before he reaches the spot where I’m standing.
“You clean up nice,” I say, giving him a slow onceover, a grin tugging at the edges of my lips.
“I made sure this suit didn’t have any bloodstains on it,” he says, and I can’t tell if he’s serious or joking. “You, though? You look fucking amazing.”
“Even though I told you not to, you made me Las Vegas pretty.” I look down, the grin not leaving my face.
“Nah, still Sarah pretty,” he says, taking my hands and forcing me to look at him again. “And it’s a beautiful sight. Besides, you still picked everything out—once I got you inside.”
Our eyes meet. Nobody has ever made me feel pretty like Boyd does. The way he looks at me, like he never gets tired of what he sees. Like he can’t get enough. Like he’s dying to kiss me, every time, even right now. My lips are already tingling in anticipation.
“Big Boyd!” Massimo calls out, interrupting our moment. “A word?”
“Sure thing, boss,” Boyd sighs. “Wait right here. I’ll be right back.”
I turn toward Massimo as Boyd stomps in that direction. Massimo flashes me a smile that’s almost warm, which is rather surprising. I can’t hear what they’re saying, but the discussion looks fairly civil. After I see them glance my way a few times, I walk over to the concierge area and distract myself by looking at the headlines on the newspapers available.
“Hmm, what’s that?” I question, picking up a newspaper and flipping it over so I can see the story at the bottom of the page. “Missing tourists. Several of them.”
Even when I’m about to go on a date with the hottest guy I’ve ever met, I can’t turn off the true-crime-junkie-slash-true-crime-podcaster part of myself. I read the news story, flipping to the page so I can finish it.
“These names… I swear I’ve—” I mutter, then I’m interrupted by Boyd’s heavy footsteps, so I put the newspaper down and turn toward him. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah, you told Lea about the date, hmm?” he chuckles.
“I did,” I admit. “Should I… not have?”
“No, it’s fine. I don’t give a fuck if anyone knows we’re on a date tonight,” he replies. “But Massimo promised her he’dtalkto me. Don’t break your heart. I’m sure you can figure out the rest.”
“Wow, I’ve never had anyone havethetalkwith someone before I went on a date with them.” I can’t help but laugh. “My mom… she always said you never really know someone, because she thought my dad was the nicest guy in the world until he murdered one of his students to cover up his affair.”
“That’s true,” he says. “But with me, what you see is what you get. I think you already know that.”
“I bet there’s plenty I don’t know,” I laugh, biting my bottom lip.
“That’s what dates are for, Sarah,” he says. “We skipped ahead a few steps, but now we get to know each other a little better.”
“And you promise you’re not going to break my heart? You promised that to Massimo? The boss,” I ask, searching his eyes for any hint of the heartbreak he could easily inflict, but I don’t see anything except genuineness in his gaze.
