“Finding living book boyfriends for others…and it’s a power I got from my mother.”
Barely, just fucking barely, he kept from spouting off,That’s who gave me my super power as well.“If that’s your specialty, what’s your kryptonite? What will stop you in your tracks? After all, as your boyfriend, I should know that.”
“A grand gesture. They get me every time.”
“Just how many have you experienced?”
“Zero.”
“Then how do you know grand gestures are your kryptonite?”
“Because I read romance novels. They all have one, and I always fall for the guy who lays it all on the line with one.”
“You like guys who grovel?” Stone resisted an urge to be an ass and say real men didn’t do grand gestures. Because, honestly, there were probably a few who did. None that he knew of, but then again, he mostly hung out with ex-military types who would rather take a bullet than grovel.
“I like a guy who is willing to do whatever it takes to win the heart of the heroine. That might mean groveling. It might mean overcoming a fear. It might mean being the first to sayI love you.”
“I’ll add that to my protection duties—shield you from random grand gesture attacks.”
Sophie raised an eyebrow, amusement flickering across her features. “You see that you do. I wouldn’t want to have to complain to Ms. Birdie that you only did your job half-ass.”
Stone’s lips twitched as he nodded. He now knew herI’d never. And her kryptonite. Two things he didn’t know about any other woman he’d ever dated.
He was prevented from saying as much when both their phones dinged at the same time. Ignoring his, he watched as Sophie flipped hers over and read the screen.
She frowned. “I have a message to give Ms. Birdie a call.”
He pulled out his phone and read his message. It was from Clarabelle.
Your glitches have been brought to the attention of the council. Your assignment with Sophie is temporarily on hold. Possibly forever.
He glanced up at his dinner companion. Would this be their last encounter? The thought gave him heartburn.
“Is yours from Ms. Birdie as well?” Sophie asked.
He shook his head. “It’s from my mom. A family matter needs my attention. I’m sorry to eat and run, but—”
“No apologies required,” Sophie said, waving him off. “Family trumps fake girlfriends…or even real ones as far as I’m concerned.”
“On that we agree.” He stood and hurried to the door. With one hand on the knob, he turned for what might be his last glimpse of Sophie. Damn if the thought didn’t leave a lump in his throat. “Send me a text and let me know if Ms. Birdie is changing things up.”
Chapter 9
The following morning was unusually quiet in Stone’s condo as he sat broodily looking out at the city.
He’d not been surprised at being pulled from duty. Ever since meeting Sophie, his glitching magic had magnified.
What had started as nothing more than minor sputters and random sparkles had grown into weather glitches and power outages when he and Sophie touched. The council, who tracked these things, had decided action was needed. No fieldwork of any kind for him until the matter was resolved.
Stone had never abandoned an assignment, and for the first time to be his protection of Sophie made him irritable. Somehow in the two short weeks of working with her, his opinion of her had shifted.
He no longer thought of her as an annoying fluff assignment. Her laughter, her relentless optimism, the way she looked at the world as if it were a book filled with endless adventures—they had completely disarmed him.
His phone lit up. He grabbed it and grinned when he saw who’d sent him a text.
Sophie:Good morning. Ms. Birdie lined up three perfect candidates for my first columns. Looks like I won’t need a bodyguard for now. How are things with your family?
Stone hesitated, his fingers hovering over the keyboard. He hated texting. If one wasn’t careful it ended up being nothing but an on-going chat that wasted precious time.
