“Kyle’s fine. He misses working with you, but he’s killing it on midday, and his wife is happy to have him home for dinner every night. Fowler’s only focused on you.”
Jasper
Spending the day with Emi was better than I could have imagined. I even liked the kale. Kind of like spinach with more backbone.
If only the conversation with her news director had gone better. She swore a blue streak for almost five full minutes after reading the lawsuit Fowler hit her and Channel 5 with.
It took her half an hour to calm down and stop pacing after that.
The sun is arcing toward the horizon. I don’t want to leave Emi’s side, but I need to walk the perimeter before dark. Check the fence line, verify the motion sensors are all working, set a handful of tripwires…
Emi’s wrapped in a blanket on the couch with her tablet balanced on her thighs, but when I pull on my coat, she frowns. “You’re not going anywhere, are you?”
“Gotta check the gas level in the generator and make sure no one’s been snoopin’ around the fence line. I won’t be long.”
“Can I come with you?” Emi sets the tablet on the coffee table and rolls her head from side to side. “I haven’t been outside all day.”
“All right. But you stay close. I can’t protect you if I can’t see you.”
I bundle her up in one of AJ’s jackets, then grab my SIG from the bedside table and clip the holster to my belt.
Emi eyes the gun. “I don’t suppose you have another one of those, do you?”
“Come again?”
“I was born in Texas, Jasper. I know how to shoot.”
Fuck. This woman gets hotter every minute. I return to the safe and find a Glock 19 for her. In under ten seconds, she’s dropped the mag and checked the chamber.
“I’ve shot one of these before,” she says, flipping the safety on, then slamming the magazine back into place. “Stop looking at me like that, Jasper.”
“Like what?” As soon as she has the gun secured in the little hip holster, I slide my hand around her waist. “Like you’re an amazing woman and I’d do near anythin’ for the chance to see where this goes?”
Her cheeks flush in the late afternoon sun coming through the front window.
“You…uh…you can keep on with that look.”
“Oh, really?” Dipping my head, I plant a kiss to the tip of her nose. “Is that a yes?”
“I didn’t hear a question,” she teases.
Drawing back enough to meet her gaze, I slide my left leg between her thighs. “Will you consider bein’ with me when this is all over? Long term?”
“Why, Jasper Blade, I don’t know what to say.” She grins, light dancing in her eyes.
“Say yes.”
I punctuate the words by scoring my teeth along the shell of her ear, and she shudders in my arms.
“Yes. Absolutely. As long as you promise to do that again,” she says, her voice not entirely steady.
“Oh, I can definitely promise you that, sweetheart. That and a whole lot more.”
Chapter Eighteen
Emi
If it weren’t for the threat hanging over our heads, this would have been the perfect day. The perfect night too.
