“Until you go back home, I’m your keeper, your bodyguard, and whatever the hell else, Lamb.”
“What if I never go home? What if this is my home now, or what if I want to travel the world and never set foot in our godforsaken hometown again?”
“Mm.” The rumble from his chest was low, guttural almost, and I wanted to bottle it up and have the sound for my late nights alone with my vibrator. I didn’t know how he’d turned into the only man I lusted over, especially after the pain I went through after losing our baby. Yet, he was pretty much the only guy I thought about when I touched myself or was getting off. My body seemed to know that and responded instinctually to him all the time. “I think I’d have fun chasing you around the world.”
Was there innuendo there? Had I caught a flash of something more?
Then he cleared his throat and blinked once, and every emotion I thought I saw there was gone. Dante was cool, calm, and collected around me. I was back to being friend-zoned. The little sister.
It was where I belonged. I knew that.
We’d swept that little stint of a relationship under the rug.
The bump wasn’t too big, even if I tripped over it every single time I walked by it.
He dropped me and my bags off at a room on the twentieth floor after making a call to the front desk. I was sure it was the top one, and the room was luxurious enough that I made a mental note to ask him the cost in the morning.
He told me he had to figure out some room logistics before he left me there, putting his number in my phone.
I showered.
I changed into clean clothes.
I cried.
And cried.
And cried.
And then I fell asleep.
When I woke up, it was to a knock at the door the next morning. And I didn’t think before opening up, forgetting to ask who it was.
“Lilah, did you check the peephole?” He glared at me.
“I’m …” I stammered, not at his question but at seeing him standing there dressed in business wear that fit his wide shoulders just right, looking utterly delicious with a bag of what I figured was breakfast food. “I’m very tired.”
I made a show of rubbing my eyes as he sighed and walked past me. He set down the bag on the counter of my hotel room because, yes, it came with a whole freaking kitchen and granite countertops. “You took in a lot of information yesterday, and we also got off on the wrong foot.”
I nodded at whatever he was saying like I was paying attention to it, but I was actually paying attention to how nice he looked in slacks and a collared shirt. The white on his honey-colored skin made me want to tear it off and lick him, my body craving one more taste.
“You sleep well?” He turned and leaned on the counter to assess me.
“Of course. Seems this floor has a lot more luxuries.” I waved my hand behind me. Then, I bit my nail as I assessed everything more. “I’m pretty sure my comforter is down, and my pillow might be made of clouds. My view up here is spectacular too. How much is this costing me?”
“It’s costing you nothing,” he grumbled and dug a food box from the bag and set it on the counter. When he opened it up, I saw a sweet breaded pastry with icing and eggs with chorizo. He then pulled out some fruit I’d never seen.
“What is all this?” I asked, my mouth watering.
He pointed to the pastry. “Pan de Mallorca. It’s sweet and pairs well with their local fruit here: quenepa and guanabana.”
My stomach growled. He smiled and stared at my midsection. “You hungry, Lamb?”
“I don’t think I realized how hungry until this second.”
He pointed to my bed. “Sit. Let me feed you.”
I dragged a hand along the comforter before I sat. “The bed’s much better than the one downstairs.”
He hummed but didn’t say anything.
“The access to this floor is exclusive, Dante.”
He nodded, not giving me any indication as to why we were getting such special treatment.
“Does the government put all their officials up in places like this?”
“I’m contracted, Lilah. It’s technically private but for the government. Different from when I was in Delta.”
I sat on the bed as he took the pastry with the ooey gooey icing from its container and placed it on a plate. “I didn’t talk to you much when you were in Delta Force.”
“You didn’t talk to me at all,” he retorted, an edge to his voice.
Sighing, I combed my hand through my hair, something we both knew I did when I was nervous.