“Oh,” is all she could respond.
What else should she say? She didn’t know a lot about the setup they all had, but she’d pieced together enough to know that John wasn’t part of the Daddy Guard. They were all former cops. He was a fireman. This sort of thing—what she was facing—wasn’t really the type of problem he usually solved. He had experience pulling people from burning buildings or overturned cars. He rushed into infernos and battled fires.
He didn’t fight the mob.
Askinganythingof him would be asking a lot. Too much. Yet she wanted to be with him. She trusted the Guard, but around John was where she felt safest.
It would be wrong to put that on him, though. Protecting her wasn’t his job.
But…
It was John who had come for her. He and Trevon were the ones who’d rescued her back there on Hollywood Boulevard.
Why?
He seemed to know all these questions—and her feelings—when he said, “I’m staying with you, Trixie. Right here.”
“You are?”
“There’s no way I’m letting you out of my sight.”
“Why, Sir?”
He chuckled. “Well, the first time I met you was when you were stuck on the side of a mountain, in danger of falling off. And don’t forget about the wildfire that was coming toward you.
“The second time you’d managed to get stuck on Athena’s roof. And then just a few minutes ago, you had a pair of thugs chasing you over the Walk of Fame.” He grinned. “I think you might need some supervision.”
She laughed. “Fair enough.” Silence followed as she thought it all over. “But you aren’t part of the Daddy Guard. Right?”
“Not officially. But I’m friends with all those guys. Besides, they won’t mind the assist on this case.” Trixie could feel the heat from his body as he stepped closer, as if there was an energy radiating off him. And when his fingers gently stroked her cheek, his touch was electric. “I’m not leaving you, Trixie. Not now. Not ever.”
She gulped. Was she understanding him correctly?
“Never?” she asked.
“Never, honey.”
“Why, Sir?”
Trixie knew the answer in her soul before John ever voiced it. Still, it was nice to hear him confirm it.
“Because,” he said, “I’m…” He stopped himself with a curt smile, as if he was only now realizing the words that were spilling from his mouth. “Well, we’ll talk about all that another time. Right now, let’s get inside. I bet you’re ready to be all cleaned up. And you need to eat something.”
It wasn’t lost on Trixie that John was acting like a Daddy.
LikeherDaddy.
Was that what he’d been about to say? That he was her Daddy? She wished he was ready to finish that conversation. Hopefully he would be soon.
Right now, she was safe and with her friends. And John.
That was all that mattered.
Chapter Fifteen
John wasn’t the type to move too fast.
He dated, sure. But he never assumed a woman he met wasthe one. In fact, he’d never felt like any of them were.
