My skin felt itchy at my slip of the mind and I tried to regroup.
“We’re going to my old office.”
The sound of Magnus’s voice startled me from my thoughts and I shifted enough to look at him. “What?” I asked stupidly.
Magnus paused and sent me a curious look before saying, “Ranger headquarters…to talk to my captain.”
I nodded and then finally hit on what he’d said. “Youroldoffice?”
Magnus hesitated for a moment and said, “Yeah, I guess I’ve already started to think of it that way.”
“What do you mean?”
Another long pause which made me wonder if he was debating what to say or deciding if he wanted to waste his breath talking tome. Finally, he said, “I took a leave of absence after Hawke tracked me down. I had every intention of returning to the job…”
“But now you’re not?” I asked.
“I made a promise to my grandson,” was all Magnus said, his mood becoming sullen once again. I let out a soft laugh before I could think better of it.
“What?” Magnus asked sharply.
I shook my head. I was too fucking tired to get into it with him again after the three minutes of civility we’d managed so far. “Nothing.”
Magnus’s already hard jaw tightened a little bit and then I heard him sigh. “What?” he asked, his voice softer this time and I felt a shiver of energy beneath my skin. What would it sound like if he said my name that way?
“Nothing,” I said again. But before he could get pissed, I added, “I was just thinking how hard it must be to say no to that kid. I mean, not when he’s asking if he can stick his hand in a wood chipper or something…”
Magnus glanced at me and while he didn’t exactly smile, I swore I saw a sparkle of amusement in his eyes before it was gone again. I realized I’d gotten distracted by how different he looked when he wasn’t all locked up tight and tried to remember what I was going to say. But when he shot me another quick look, the words escaped me so I settled for, “Anyway, he’s an amazing kid.” I turned my attention back out the window as my mind drifted to the many times I’d stood outside the little boy’s room and had had to listen to him cry when he’d been put through some painful test or procedure or whenhe’d been frustrated that he couldn’t go outside and play like a normal kid.
“Fucking bravest kid I’ve ever met,” I muttered quietly.
Magnus didn’t respond, which was just fine with me since I’d said more than I’d intended. I’d been guarding the kid…my job hadn’t been to get emotionally attached to him – or at least not show it. Of course, I’d pretty much kissed that rule goodbye when I’d brought Matty a Christmas present.
“What did you say to him at the wedding?”
“What?” I asked again, pretending I hadn’t heard him.
“You heard me.”
Bastard.
I wracked my brain for something to say because I sure as hell wasn’t going to tell him the truth. I’d already said too damn much. The asshole already thought I was a joke for a bodyguard…I didn’t need to give him more fuel to dump on his bonfire of scorn.
“I told him he was going to be a hit with the ladies,” I said with a smirk.
But to my surprise, Magnus actually smiled briefly and said, “I doubt that.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, caught off guard by how gorgeous the man was when he smiled. I was even more caught off guard that he’d done it in my presence.
“Now if you’d told him he was going to impress Leo, then maybe I’d have believed you, becausethatdefinitely would have put a smile on Matty’s face.”
I chuckled as I thought of Matty’s little friend. “Um, what am I missing?”
Magnus cast me another look and fuck if it wasn’t stunning. Eyes light and bright, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
“Seems Leo and Matty have their own plans to walk down the aisle someday.”
“Really?” I said with a laugh.
