I shake my head, even as my heart flips.
揕et抯 not get carried away, okay? I抦 a copywriter for an apparel company. This is a marketing gig and it抯 over in a few more shoots. When it抯 done, I think I just want to lay low and let fate do its thing. I don抰 want to get my hopes up.?
揘o, but條ook at him! He抯 eating you with his eyes. I don抰 buy him thinking this is just a dumb marketing ploy. Not in a million years.?
I wish I shared her confidence.
I manage a tense smile.
揌e told me his mother got after him. Apparently, she抯 pulling for us and told him it抯 like a romance movie that needs to end with grandkids for her.?I smile with my cheeks heating again.
Eliza blinks at me.
揌e told you that??
I nod. 揥e laughed about it later.?
揇akota! You shouldn抰 wonder anything.?
揅ome again??I look at her, not following.
揧ou抳e got a dude telling you about his cute little fights with mama. A dude who also looks at you like you抮e his hottest fantasy come to life.?She leans forward and flicks me softly between the eyes. 揇akota, you don抰 fake that stuff. Lincoln Burns is basically your boyfriend and I hope to God you抮e ready.?
I barely remember to rub the bridge of my nose, too stunned by the insane possibility she might be right.
And if she is?
Oh, crap.
It抯 eight p.m. sharp when Lincoln emerges from his office. I came in late to catch up on some work after that heart-pulverizing morning talk with Eliza.
揥hy are you still here??He stops at my desk.
揕ucy抯 emails took the whole day. I didn抰 start ad work until after four.?
He leans against my desk, a tower of a man who still looks hot even when he抯 at his most mundane.
揑 appreciate the commitment. Are you coming home with me tonight??
I do fairly often these days. It抯 practically habit now.
揑s that an invitation??I look at him slowly, trying to play it cool but failing.
揂lways,?he growls.
I giggle. 揥ell, okay.?
揑抣l be ready in an hour or so. If you get to a good stopping place anytime soon, could you order us some dinner??
揥ill do.?
He moves closer to me, bends down, and kisses me. 揑 told myself after I dealt with that last proposal I抎 get a reward.?
揕et me guess桰抦 your reward??
揝ince you抮e the hottest thing in my life? Yes.?He kisses me again, showing just what sort of reward he has in mind.
And I抦 happy to oblige, savoring his tongue against mine, the brash way he moves inside my mouth. I can抰 peel my eyes off him until his back is turned and he抯 heading for his office, shooting one last longing, heated look over his shoulder.
God.
This man.
He抯 a human chess piece and it抯 scary how easily he抯 put my whole heart into checkmate.
An hour later, after work is done and we抮e in the town car on the way home, I say, 揑 shouldn抰 work so late. But my hardass boss has me doing double duty…？
揌e pays you well for both jobs. Plus, certain duties that come with one hell of a bonus.?The way his eyes rake me up and down promises perks infinitely better than money.
揗aybe, but why do you work so late all the time??
揅ontracts tonight. They keep the money rolling in so I can pay my employees梡articularly beautiful ones who are mighty serious about salaried hours.?
His words make me smile.
揟hanks, but I don抰 just mean tonight. Word is you抳e been all work and no play for a long time.?Yes, I抦 pushing now. A little more determined to figure Lincoln out.
He gives me a long look before he speaks.
揃lame it on the Corps, I guess. The military made me crave hard work and the devil抯 hours. Also, my mother retired not long after my father died. There was plenty to do at the office and long hours were necessary in the transition. Working like hell helped me,?he says, an odd hardness in his voice.
揌elped how??
He sighs. 揑t was easier to deal with my old man抯 death if I could keep my parents?legacy alive. If I didn抰 have spare time on my hands to dwell on the grief, it didn抰 need to hurt so much.?
His eyes darken, russet-brown dimming to walnut.
揑抦 sorry, Lincoln. I can抰 even imagine…？I reach across the seat for his hand.
He takes my fingers and squeezes hard.
揑t抯 whatever. The business does better every year, and Ma抯 good work lives on. I抦 damn proud of that,?he says.
揧ou should be.?
He reaches for the door and pushes the button to roll up the privacy screen. 揥orking around the clock also kept me from getting into other trouble棓
揙ther trouble??
揧ou know what happened with my engagement falling through, but it抯 not just that. If I抳e learned anything from my parents and Wyatt, it抯 that relationships are fucking hard, and losing them is death. I decided I didn抰 have the time or will. Not until a chick with a raven tattoo invaded my life and started sending me erotic poetry.?
I grin. 揂re you saying you could give up the workaholic loner life??
揑抦 telling you I抦 bewitched, Nevermore.?
He runs his fingers through my hair, a subtle tension in his face that makes me burn.
Poor Louis barely has time to stop in front of the building before Lincoln pulls me out, ferrying me up to his place.
Hours later, after we抳e shared another magical night, Lincoln抯 tongue traces the inside of my mouth. He pulls away, brushing his lips against mine.
My arms are still clasped around his massive back, slowly guiding my hands to his butt.
揧ou still taste like wine,?I whisper.
He kisses me again.
揑s that good or bad??
揑 don抰 care what you taste like when you kiss me, just as long as you do.?
He rolls off me and pulls me beside him. 揘evermore, you wore me out.?
I touch his face, running my hand through his thick hair, fully aware my heart is rabbiting in my chest.
I抦 so close to saying something I can抰 take back, but I want him to say it first. I抦 not brave enough to go it alone and it frustrates me.
揑 could stay here in bed with you forever, you know,?I tell him, picking weaker words.
He presses me closer and holds me tight, a possessive glint in his eye.
揗e too, sweetheart. With you, the world stops. I just wish it stayed paused longer,?he says with a heavy sigh.
He drifts off to sleep, and I抦 left floating in this perfect haze of nerves and questions and what-ifs.
Sweet baby Jesus.
I never knew I could feel as happy as I am when I抦 in his arms. He adores me, showers me with wine-flavored kisses, and the sex梩he sex!
It never fails to leave me the best kind of sore, like Lincoln still wants me to feel him with every step I take.
But a voice in the back of my head whispers like rustling leaves, You抮e letting your guard down. Nothing this great ever lasts.
I tell it to shut up.
It抯 my natural pessimism speaking, old wounds wanting to talk crap.
It has nothing to do with me梬ith us.
Six feet something of chiseled muscle sleeps peacefully beside me like a lion, graceful and honest.
A man this powerful couldn抰 lie if he tried.
Nothing could break him.
He抯 strong, brave, intense, and for now, so loyal.
And as long as I抦 with him, nothing will hurt me. I mean, he goes to a tent city multiple times a week to check on his friend and drops everything when his mother calls.
There抯 a reason for his madness. It抯 why he fights so hard to protect the people in his life.
揟his isn抰 like before,?I mouth to that annoying little chicken inside me.