Текст книги "Phenomenal X"

Автор книги: Michelle A. Valentine

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Текущая страница: 4 (всего у книги 15 страниц)

5

Anna

Xavier pulls me around the side of the building and then we cross the street, hand in hand, heading toward the parking lot. I open my mouth to start asking questions, but quickly close it because a lot of the things I want to ask—like who in the hell is that Deena woman—aren’t any of my business. After all, he doesn’t owe me an explanation, we’re still practically strangers, but I would like to hear how he knew what Jared did.

“How did you know Jared put something in my drink?” I ask as we weave through the tightly parked cars in the downtown lot. At first he doesn’t answer, he just keeps walking straight ahead, pulling me along, so I decide to try again. “Were you watching me in there?”

Xavier licks his plump lips, and my mind instantly goes back to the thought I had on the plane about those lips, and what they’d be like to kiss. “I was standing right beside him when he ordered, and I saw him slip something in it.”

My heart sinks a little. He wasn’t watching me all night like I secretly hoped. “I’ve read all about guys drugging women in bars just to have their way with them, so thank you for saving me from that experience.”

“With or without the drink shit, I wouldn’t have allowed you to leave with him,” he growls. “Whether you realized it or not, you were leaving that bar with me tonight.”

I know him saying that may be considered barbaric, and crazy, but my stomach still does a flip. The thought of him being jealous and possessive over me turns me on so much I can barely see straight. But I don’t want him to know that.

“Pretty sure of yourself, aren’t you?”

We finally reach a matte black motorcycle wedged into a small corner space and he turns to face me. That magnetic stare of his, leveled on me, nearly steals my breath. Fire shoots through me from where our hands remain connected and suddenly I crave more of his skin on mine.

“You’re a good girl, Anna. I’m not going to allow some undeserving asshole to come in and take you away to hurt you. Not going to happen. Not on my watch.”

I bite my tongue, wanting to say a million things but only allowing myself to ask a simple question. “And are you deserving?”

His lips tighten into a line and he shakes his head. “I’m the most undeserving motherfucker in the world…which is why I’m best suited to protect you from pricks like me.”

I furrow my brow. He may come on a little strong at times, but from the few interactions I’ve had with him, I can tell he’s got a good heart. Today alone he’s helped me out three times.

“I think you’re wrong about yourself, X—Xavier.”

I stumble over his name, remembering the command he gave me earlier to call him by his full name. “You’re a good man.”

“You say that now because you don’t know me, but I know me, and I’m speaking from experience.”

I take a deep breath and shrug. “Guess you’ll have to prove me wrong then. I’m an excellent judge of character. I know a good person when I see one.”

He chuckles. “Are you always so positive?”

“Are you always so negative?” I fire back automatically.

“You know what they say about a positive and a negative together, don’t you?” Xavier teases as he grabs the handlebars of the bike and throws his muscular leg over the seat. Immediately my eyes are drawn to the way his jeans hug his legs, distracting me from the question he just asked. All I can think about is how powerful and strong he must be.

Before I know it I begin undressing him with my eyes, wondering if sex with a man like him would be as great as I’ve read about in books and seen in the movies I’ve snuck around to watch.

He smirks and hands me a helmet. “Looks like science is correct. They do attract.”

Blood rushes to my face as I realize he’s caught me staring at his crotch and I’m not sure how to respond. It’s not like I can deny it or anything.

I want to die.

I take the helmet from his outstretched arm and plop it on my head. “Where are we going?”

Xavier reaches over and buckles the strap under my chin, his fingers feathering across my skin. “I would say back to your place, but I doubt you’d let that fly, and quite frankly, I’m not up for being turned down again today.” I raise an eyebrow, and his lips pull into a lopsided grin. “That’s what I thought. Hop on, beautiful, and I’ll take you somewhere special.” He holds out his hand. “Trust me?”

“Yes.”

The answer slips out in a low whisper. I know I shouldn’t, but I can’t help this overwhelming feeling of safety I have when I’m with him. Like he can save me from anything. After all, he’s already proven that he can.

I slip my hand into his. “I trust you.”

That cocky grin of his turns into a full-on, heart-stopping smile. “Good.”

He gives no further explanation of where he plans on taking us, just grips my hand tight as I swing my leg over the bike and squish my body against his. My thighs wrap around his hips, and he positions my hands so I’m practically bear-hugging him. My fingers trace the hard muscle beneath his t-shirt and my entire body tingles.

I’ve never in my life been this turned on by a man. There’s something about him that makes me crave to be wild and out of control. He’s like freedom, wrapped up in one sexy package. A package that has me thinking about doing things that I shouldn’t.

My breasts press firmly against his back, and my nipples pucker beneath my blouse as they rub against the thin pieces of material that separates our skin. I close my eyes and snuggle into him tighter.

“Hang on tight, babe.” Xavier fires up the engine and the bike roars to life as he pulls out of the lot.

The entire machine vibrates beneath us as we zip through the streets of Detroit and adrenaline flows through my veins as I press tightly against Xavier. This is the first time I’ve ever been on a bike, and the ride is exhilarating and sensual all at the same time. I’ve never been offered such a dangerous ride before, not that I would’ve been brave enough to ever go, but I didn’t hesitate for a second before hopping on this bike with Xavier. He seems like he knows what he’s doing, so I trust him.

I’ve never felt this wild and free—like I could do anything and everything. My first day out on my own, and I’m already breaking every one of Father’s rules. I’ve never felt so alive.

When we stop at a red light, Xavier drops his feet off the pegs and onto the ground, balancing our weight with ease. He takes the opportunity to rest his hand on top of mine as they cling to his chest, and his thumb rubs over my fingers, causing butterflies to go crazy in my stomach. The small movement feels affectionate, like he’s reassuring me that I’m safe with him. It’s almost enough to make me not care that I still don’t have a clue where he’s taking me.

Almost.

I should have demanded to know where we were going instead of being a lustfully blinded twit, willing to go anywhere with a sexy stranger.

The light switches to green, and he puts his hand back on the handlebars, sending us forward in a blur once again. I’m not sure how long we ride, but it’s long enough for me to relax and feel somewhat comfortable on the bike, comforted by the continuous purr of the motor. I lay my head on his shoulder and snuggle closer to him, inhaling the spicy scent of his cologne mixed with some sort of soap and something distinctly male. As if it’s even possible, smelling him turns me on even more.

Before I know it we are just outside the city and pulling into one of those all night diners. Xavier backs the bike into an empty space and cuts the engine. I slowly peel myself off of him, and he twists, extending his hand to help me off the bike.

He reaches for the strap under my chin. “First ride?”

I reluctantly nod, unable to lie because I’m terrible at it. “Yes. How could you tell?”

He lifts the helmet off my head and chuckles. “I think the claw marks etched into my ribs are a telltale sign.”

I cover my mouth with my hand as a gasp escapes from me. I knew I was hanging on for dear life at some point, but he didn’t let on that I was hurting him. “I’m so sorry. Did I hurt you bad?”

Xavier shakes his head and a strand of dark hair falls across his forehead as he lifts his shirt to assess the damage. My eyes zero in on the washboard abs on full display in front of me, each muscle clearly defined and very…lickable.

Oh, Lord. Did I just think lickable? Who am I? I’ve never in my life referred to a man as lickable before. But in all fairness, I’ve never had a man like Xavier flash me his unbelievably ripped body before either, so I’m going to chalk it up to unexplored hormones.

The urge to run my fingers along his skin pushes me forward a step. I bite my bottom lip as I trace the angry red marks just above his stomach. I swallow hard. His skin is even softer than I imagined.

“We’ll have to work on relaxing your grip a little, but it’ll get easier every time we do it,” Xavier says, breaking me out of my lustful daydream.

I jerk my hand away from him and he pulls his shirt back down before shoving himself off the bike. “You think we’ll be doing this again?”

He smiles as he straps the helmet to the handlebars. “I think we will. You and I are going to be great friends. I already know it. And friends hang out with each other all the time.”

“Friends?” I question, trying not to sound let down by the idea of only being Xavier’s friend. “What makes you think we are just friends?”

He raises a thick eyebrow and smirks. “Come on, Anna. You’ve made it perfectly clear that I’m not your type, and that you’re never going to sleep with me, so I’ve come to accept that. I’m happy to play the friend and protector role while you find your footing here. Detroit’s a tough city. It’ll eat a girl like you alive if you don’t have someone watching out for you.”

“And why would you be willing to do that for me?”

“I guess it’s because I haven’t met someone as sweet as you in a long time, and I would like to see you stay that way. You need a guy like me around to keep all the assholes away,” he replies matter-of-factly.

I fold my arms over my chest. In just the short time we’ve known each other he believes he can read me just like that? Maybe he needs a curveball thrown his way. “Maybe that’s why I came out here—to get mixed up with the wrong kind of man and make a few mistakes.”

He smiles and takes my hand. “You shouldn’t say things like that to a man who’s a walking mistake, and one who would like nothing better than to take you home with him.”

There he goes again with that suave dirty talk that makes me want to jump his bones.

He doesn’t give me a chance to reply, just tugs me toward the door of the diner. The place isn’t packed, but isn’t entirely empty either. The white tile floor is worn but clean, and the booths look like they’ve seen better days. The open kitchen in the middle of the restaurant allows all the patrons to watch exactly what’s going on with their food as it’s prepared.

The counter is packed with mostly gray-haired old men making small talk with each other, and the waitress, wearing a blue uniform, who is refilling their coffee. None of them seem to notice that we’ve come in until the woman glances up and spots us.

A huge grin spreads across her face, making her round face appear even more like a perfect circle. Her dark hair has a lot of gray streaks through it—very noticeable because of the way she has her braids pulled up—and she seems more like a grandmother rather than a rabid wrestling fan.

“Xavier Cold!” she exclaims as she sets the pot down and scoots around the counter. “Boy, you better get over here and give me a hug!”

The moment she embraces him, Xavier wraps his huge arms around her petite frame. “It’s so good to see you, Nettie.”

She pulls back and then abruptly smacks him on the arm. “Boy, what’s the meaning of staying gone for over two years without a goodbye?”

He closes his eyes and sighs. “Come on, Nettie. You know I hate writing.”

She shoves her hands onto her tiny waist. “Would it have killed you to call us more often than twice a year?”

He nods. “You’re right. I’ll try harder, I promise.”

She narrows her eyes at him. “You’d better. Just remember you aren’t too big for old Nettie here to whoop your butt if you don’t act right.” Nettie’s eyes flick to me. “Speaking of acting right, who do we have here?”

“Nettie, this is Anna, my…friend.”

Being introduced as just his friend hurts a little. I know we’ve just had this talk, and this is exactly the kind of relationship I should have with Xavier, but it doesn’t stop me from wanting him. The fact that he’s given up his pursuit so quickly stings.

I extend my hand and Nettie’s smooth, brown skin makes contact with mine. “It’s very nice to meet you, Nettie.”

“Mmmm hmm, you too.” She lets go of my hand and her gaze returns to Xavier. “I can tell she ain’t from around here. Way too sweet. Don’t you be taking this pretty little girl down to the Block, Xavier, you hear me? A girl like her doesn’t belong down there. Hell, a girl like her doesn’t belong in a dump like this either.”

“I heard that!” the cook yells from across the counter.

She waves her hand dismissively. “Oh, hush, Carl. Ain’t nobody talking to you. Go ‘head, Xavier, sit wherever you want, honey. I’ll bring you out some water.”

“Hey, Carl,” Xavier tosses over his shoulder as he pulls me toward a corner booth.

“What up, X! Good to see you, brother,” Carl answers as he pulls the white cook’s cap off his head, wipes his brow with a dish towel, and goes right back to cooking without washing his hands, grossing me out a bit. But I refuse to be rude.

Xavier sits across from me. “Don’t mind Carl. That skinny little fucker is harmless.”

“I heard that too! Don’t forget who taught you all those wrestling moves before you went and got a real trainer. I can still take you,” Carl taunts Xavier.

Nettie smacks Carl on the butt with a dishtowel. “Hush, you old fool. Everybody here knows you didn’t teach our boy a damn thing. So quit flapping your gums and get back to what you’re actually good at—”

Carl waggles his bushy, white eyebrows at Nettie. “You know what I’m good at.”

Nettie twists her lips. “Yeah, cooking, fool. Now get back to it. I’ve got a hungry bunch here tonight.”

Carl shakes his head and laughs as Nettie brings us out two waters and places them on the table. “You want the usual, honey?”

Xavier shakes his head. “Not today. I’m on a new protein diet to help build muscle. I’m trying to bulk up.”

“Lord, sugar. Your arms are already big as tanks. What’cha want to get any bigger fo’?”

That’s a very good question, Nettie.

He shrugs. “I’ve been thrown a bone to go after the championship belt and I have to be in top shape. I want the higher-ups in the biz to know how much I want it. How seriously I take my job.”

“If you take your job any more seriously, honey, you’ll put one of them boys in the hospital…for real.”

“You know all that’s fake, Nettie. We’re professional. Everything we do is choreographed and thought out ahead of time.”

“Mistakes happen, child. You should know that better than anyone else.” She gives him a pointed look, but he doesn’t say a word. It’s like he doesn’t have to. These two have such a history they can communicate a thousand meanings in just one look—a look that passes me by because I’m clueless as to what in the world she could be talking about.

“So that’s meat and egg whites for my boy. What about you, Anna, what’ll it be?” She turns her attention back to me.

I glance around and notice most of the other patrons are having breakfast, so I figure that’s a safe bet. “Um, I’ll take the pancakes and sausage.”

“Oh, I like this one—she’s got a healthy appetite.” Nettie nudges Xavier’s arm with her hip as she writes down our order on the notepad. “You can bring her around any time.”

Xavier rolls his eyes while Nettie cackles before turning to head toward Carl. “Sorry about that.”

I smile, liking the idea that Nettie is teasing him to lighten him up. “Not a big deal. I think it’s funny that she treats all the girls you bring in here like that.”

He rubs his scruffy chin with his fingers. “I’ve actually never brought a girl in here before.”

I raise my eyebrows. “Really? I find that hard to believe. You’re trying to tell me that this isn’t where you bring all the girls who turn you down for sex? Hoping that by bringing them here it will impress them and get them to change their minds?”

He bites his bottom lip. “Does this make you change your mind?”

The way he rakes his teeth slowly over his bottom lip draws my attention to that stupid, sexy mouth of his. I force back a sigh as I once again find myself thinking about kissing him. If he weren’t so attractive, continuing to pretend that I’m not interested would be a hell of a lot easier.

Finally, after focusing on his last question, I shake my head.

“While I find it ridiculously charming that this place humanizes you, it doesn’t change my answer. I still won’t sleep with you.”

His lips stay together, but one corner turns up into what appears to be a knowing grin. “That’s what I thought. So maybe we need to establish some friendship boundaries, so there’s no confusion about our relationship.”

I take a sip of water to quench my suddenly dry throat. “What kind of boundaries?”

“You know, some basic rules so we don’t give each other any mixed signals about moving past the ‘friend zone.’ I’m a big fan of specifying exactly where one stands.”

I rest my chin in the palm of my hand. “I suppose you already have some of these rules in mind?”

Xavier smirks and holds up a finger. “Rule number one: no getting naked in my bed.”

I laugh. The thought that I’d ever be brave enough to strip down and hop into his bed on my own is comical. There’s no way I’ll ever muster up the courage to do that. “I don’t think you’ll have to worry about that one.”

I hold up two fingers, ready to add some boundaries of my own. “Rule number two: no kissing.”

He shakes his head. “That rule sucks. Friends kiss. That’s not one I’ll abide by.”

“Not open-mouthed they don’t,” I argue.

He sighs and holds up two fingers. “Amended rule number two: no open-mouthed kissing.”

The thought of his lips on me in any form gets my blood pumping, but as long as I know there will be no tongue involved, I think I’ll be able to control myself. “I can live with that.”

“Third and last rule,” he says while holding up three fingers. “If either one of us starts developing feelings for the other person, we have to tell them. We don’t want any pent-up sexual frustration building between us.”

I lick my lips and bat away the idea that the ship containing all of my lust for him has already sailed, but he doesn’t need to know that. It’s not like I’ll ever act on them. “They sound like three solid rules to me.”

“Agreed,” he replies as Nettie returns with our meals.

“What are we agreeing to over here?” Nettie asks.

Xavier pulls his fork out of his rolled up napkin. “We were just establishing the rules of our friendship, Nettie.”

“Friends, huh? Okay, if you say so.” The doubt in her voice is clear. “I’ve never known you to have a girl as a friend, Xavier Cold.”

He shrugs as he cuts into his eggs. “What can I say? Beautiful here, is different.”

Nettie smiles at me and winks. “Different is good, honey.”

She doesn’t give me a chance to reply, or ask what she meant by that exactly, before she walks away and tends to the other people in the restaurant.

6

Anna

Xavier clears his plate and orders seconds before I even make it through a quarter of my food. When I give him a quizzical expression, he simply shrugs and informs me that muscle burns a lot of energy and constantly needs to be refueled.

I take a sip of my water as I eye his broad shoulders and wonder how much time he spends perfecting his body. “So is that all you do?”

He leans back and stretches his arm along the back of the booth, making himself comfortable. “Eat?”

“That, and work out? Do you ever have time for much else?”

He shakes his head. “Typically, no, but right now I’m on vacation.”

I twist my lips. “You vacation in Detroit? Shouldn’t a vacation be somewhere tropical or something?”

He lifts an eyebrow. “What’s wrong with Detroit? I was born and raised here.”

I quickly try to backpedal, not meaning to offend him. “Nothing. I like it here so far.”

A smile pulls across his plump lips. “I’d like to think that’s your way of saying you like me, considering you just got here today.”

I fight back a smile. He’s right. Xavier has made the first day of my new life more exciting and invigorating than any other day I can remember. “I do like you.”

He leans into me, licking his lips. “Still not enough to change your ‘friends only’ rule though, right?”

“Right,” I quickly agree. “But it is nice to have someone to talk to.”

He nods. “I know exactly what you mean.”

Xavier’s next round of food comes to the table, and Nettie smiles at me. “So, Miss Anna, are you a wrestling fan?”

I shake my head. “No, not really.”

“You’ve never seen my boy here perform? He’s really somethin’.” She pats his shoulder.

“To be honest, Nettie, I didn’t even know who he was until my cousin told me today. Then she pulled videos and photos up of him on the internet.”

Xavier chuckles, drawing my attention to him. “You really had no clue who I was, did you?”

I shrug. “Hate to disappoint you, but not everyone’s a wrestling fan.”

“Maybe you’d like it if you gave it a chance.” Xavier glances up at Nettie after checking his watch. “Tension will be on in a few minutes. Let’s turn it on and make my girl a fan.”

“You got it, sugar.” Nettie makes her way over to the counter and grabs the remote for the television hanging on the wall, changing it to a different channel.

After the commercial break, a hard rock intro blares through the speakers as the words Tuesday Tension flash across the screen, followed by clips of wrestlers beating the crap out of each other. When Xavier’s face appears in the montage, I’m mesmerized by the cocky grin on his face before he tackles another man down onto the blue mat, using enough force to make me flinch at the thought of physical pain.

“That was one of my favorite matches.”

Xavier’s words draw my attention back to him.

“Do you ever get hurt?” I quiz, wondering how someone can subject their body to so much and be able to walk away without a scratch.

The corner of his mouth lifts up into the same cocky grin I saw moments before on the screen. “You worried about me?”

“More like curious…and worried too, I guess,” I admit. “I don’t like to see people in physical pain.”

He shrugs. “I can’t say that I’ve never been hurt, but I’m damn good at my job—as are most of the guys on the show. We wouldn’t be there if we didn’t know what we’re doing. The goal is to never really hurt one another, but to put on a good show. Give people their money’s worth.”

“So none of it is real?” I ask as the show plays on in the background.

“The show has writers. Every storyline is well thought out. Sometimes they get inspiration from things actually happening in our lives, but the pain—when we do actually get hit—hurts like a motherfucker. The guys who make it in the business know it’s mind over matter. The key is to turn off the part of your brain that experiences pain—to shut everything out. Being able to do that is going to make me the champ one day. My body can take punishment,” he explains.

“Is that a goal of yours? To be the champion?” I ask, trying to figure out what makes him tick.

He nods toward the television. “That’s the goal of every man on the show. It’s the ultimate prize, and people will do whatever it takes to get it.”

I wrinkle my nose. “That sounds pretty cutthroat.”

“Believe me, beautiful, my job isn’t all rainbows and fucking sunshine. I’ve got to watch my back constantly. A lot of the guys are pissed I’ve climbed to the top so fast. They don’t think I’ve earned a shot yet, even though our boss believes I have.”

I stare into his eyes. “Have you earned it?”

His gaze drops down to the table as he says, “I’ve been through some shit in my life. Nothing I’ve ever achieved has come easy. I’ve fought for everything I’ve ever gotten, including working my way to the top of Tension. There’s no one more dedicated to the job than me. So, yeah, I’ve earned it.”

I open my mouth to dig a little deeper because I’m so curious about him, but quickly shut it. So many questions race through my mind—like what kind of shit has he been through?—but I’ve only known the man a few hours, and I don’t want to come off sounding like a nosy pest. But the curiosity burns through me like a pesky itch begging to be scratched.

Before I go against my better judgment and pry anyway, a voice on the television calls out Xavier’s wrestling name loud enough to jerk my attention back to the show. The man with broad shoulders and rippled muscles shoves his dark hair back off his face and points his black eyes directly into the camera.

“Phenomenal X, how convenient you choose now to take a personal vacation. What a load of crap. Such lies you tell all these fans who support you!”

The crowd boos the man, but it doesn’t stop him. “Why don’t you tell them all the truth, X? Tell them all that you’re too afraid to face me again after you cheated your way to a win last Tuesday. We both know who the better man is. Why don’t you tell them all how much pain I caused you? No, you’re too ashamed to let the world see how jacked-up your face is thanks to me. I want a rematch!”

I glance over at Xavier, who is focused intently on the screen. His hands ball into fists as they rest on the table in front of him. Whoever this man is, he certainly seems to be getting to him. If all this was so fake and scripted, why is he getting so angry?

The man on the show leans his elbows on the red ropes casually, like he’s completely comfortable being a jerk on national television, and holds the microphone up to his lips. “Whatever your reason for running, X, know that I’ll be right here when you get back—ready to kick your ass all over the place.”

Music blasts again as the man drops the mic into the ring and smirks as the camera zooms in on his face.

That guy gives me the creeps. “Who is that?”

Xavier’s nostrils flare a bit, like the mere thought of this man disgusts him somehow. “That’s Rex ‘The Assassin’ Risen. He’s the other guy the boss is looking at as a contender for the belt.”

“As in the championship?” I clarify.

“Yeah,” is all he says.

I tilt my head. “I take it you don’t like him very much?”

He shakes his head. “Fighting outside the ring is strictly prohibited, and we all sign a contract that states that we won’t do it. We fight—we get booted, without hesitation. There are too many guys chomping at the bit to take our spots for the company to worry about loose cannons. Assassin has begged for an ass beatin’ for a while, but the fucker knows I won’t touch him. He gets under my skin, and he loves to push my buttons.”

“So what did he do to antagonize you? Was it over a woman?”

His brow furrows. “What makes you assume that?”

I shrug. “Seems like that’s one thing you’re willing to fight over—contract or not. You were ready to pound Jared over me back at the club earlier, so I just assumed.”

“You assumed wrong. I don’t fight over women.”

“So then why did you protect me? You didn’t hesitate for even one second to call out Jared.” I try to point out how he’s just contradicted himself.

His blue eyes search my face, like he’s looking for answers to that very question for himself. “I don’t know how to explain it, and I’m sure I’ll fuck this up when I try to because it sounds crazy even to me.”

I reach over and touch his hand, wanting to hear his reasons so badly I can taste it. “Try.”

His tongue darts out and licks his lips. “Have you ever felt a connection with someone without even knowing them? When I look at you, I see goodness. I’ve not had a lot of good shit happen to me in my life, so when I see something pure, I’m drawn to it.”

I trace my fingers over his hand. “What do you mean? You have an awesome career, you’re famous…how is that not good?”

“That stuff isn’t real. It can all go away in a heartbeat.” He pulls away and rubs his face. “I told you I’d fuck this up. I guess what I’m trying to get at is that I’m alone. Other than Nettie and Carl, I have no family—no one. I’ve been on my own a long time, not living the way I should, and at one point I dug myself into a hole so deep, I wasn’t sure I’d make it out alive. It’s not a life many people want to get mixed up in. Working here saved me. Detroit is a rough place, so when I see a nice girl like you coming into a city filled with pricks like me, I worry. I don’t want you to become jaded down the road when the world’s cruel realities set in. You have too much light to be clouded by the dark.”

I smile. It’s crazy to think he’s so compassionate about me after only a few hours and while his intensity is unfathomable, I’m completely flattered. “So you’re saying you want to become my personal bodyguard and protect me from the big bad city?” I tease.

He reaches back for my hand and laces his fingers through mine. “There are lots of things I would like to do to your body, but yeah, if you want to look at it like that, guarding it from other guys is definitely a top priority.”

I giggle as heat rushes to my face. Oh, how I would like to tell him to do with me as he pleases, but I know I’ll hate myself if I allow some man I barely know use me like that. I may not have much experience with men, but I’ve seen enough in movies and read enough books to know that a lot of men toss women aside after they get what they want from them. Even if that man causes tingles to explode throughout every inch of me with one simple touch. I don’t think I could do that if he didn’t love me.

Gah! I have to stop thinking about him that way. Every time I think about him, my stupid brain thinks of sex—more specifically, what sex would be like with him. How it would feel. How he would taste.

I need a subject change. Fast. “So how long are you on vacation?”

“A little over a week. You going to miss me when I head back out on the road?” He smiles, fishing for information.

I shrug, trying not to take the bait, but eventually give in and smile. “I might. You are my friend, and official bodyguard in Detroit, after all.”