“You didn’t put up much of a protest.”I add the steaks to the pan.“Hopped on my bike without a backward glance.Proper little back warmer.”
“A what?”
“Never mind.”I should never forget that she’s not part of my world.That would be as damn dangerous as all the other shit.For both of us.
But those worlds, hers and mine, aren’t in this room right now, and all I can think of is her sweet smile and her sexy-as-fuck body.And her scent, does she bathe in fucking flowers or what?It messes with my self-control like nothing else ever has.
“She needs me.”Scarlet gestures to the stairs.“Plus, I took an oath to do no harm.That’s why I came.”
“Very commendable.”The steaks sizzle and I press the spatula into their meaty surface.I swallow and wonder what Scarlet would taste like, down there, on my tongue.
“And what rules do you live by, Reaper?”
I close my eyes, focus, then turn to her and set my butt against the counter.“Loyalty.Respect.Vengeance when it’s due.”
“Does that include the two guys dead on the roadside back there?”
“Yes.”I flick off the gas beneath the steaks and set down my beer.She’s like a goddamn magnet, I have to get closer, learn more.I step up to her so I’m practically standing between her legs.Is it my imagination or does she part them to invite me in?
“And they deserved it,” I say gruffly.“They shot at you, an innocent.That’s not cool and it made me fucking mad.”I stare into her eyes.“You’ve done nothing to them.”
She holds my stare.The brown flecks in her green irises are the color of falling autumn leaves.
“What are you running from?”I ask and take another step forward so her legs are either side of mine.
“I don’t know why you think I am.”Her gaze slips to the left.
I pinch her chin and make her look at me again.“Your accent is East Coast, New York, I’d say.”
“And what of it?”
I raise my eyebrows.“I’m curious.I want to know more about you.”
“Why?”
“You’re intriguing.”
She gives a small laugh and moves her head so I drop her chin.She takes another drink and then licks her lips again, and damn it, my cock twitches.The woman is so fucking sexy but clearly has no idea.
“Why Denver?No wedding ring so no husband to follow.You can work in any ER.Denver is nothing special.I doubt you have family here.”
She says nothing.
“Something happened in New York that you had to get away from.”I nod slowly.
“Someonehappened.”Her jaw tightens and she places her drink to one side and folds her arms.
Okay, so now we’re getting somewhere.“A guy?”
“An asshole.”
“Plenty of them about.”I was a rough-and-tough lawbreaker but I was no asshole when it came to women.Women I liked at least, not just when I needed some action—that didn’t count.“What’s his name?Where’s he live?”
“Does it matter?”
“I’ll go take him out.”I point to my Glock on the counter.“You won’t have to worry about him finding you then.”And I’d be true to my word.I’d blow the guy’s brains out if he’d hurt her or even made her cry for that matter.
What is going on with me?That’d be inviting a pile of trouble I had no reason to be dealing with.
