unfold her arms and shake her head.
"You're right, though," she continued, sighing. "I'm a web developer. Or I was, anyway, before… this. I took the waitress job because I needed some way of making money that didn't leave a trail."
Lucas nodded at that. "Sure. So when this is over and you're safe, you can pay your bills easily enough. Till then, don't worry about it. I won't let anything happen to you."
"Won't your boss be upset?"
"I'm a partner in the company," he told her, pulling in to park outside her home. "And if the others are upset, that's their problem. I'll take time off if I need to. But you are going to be safe."
He killed the engine and sat back, looking at her. She was watching him with an unreadable expression on her face.
"Why would you do that for me?" she asked. Her voice was soft, in a way that made his bear growl with a different hunger.
"You need help," he said, shrugging again and trying to dismiss the question. "That's what I'm here for."
"It's more than that," she said, firmly. Then her voice trembled as she continued. "This isn't just a bodyguard talking, is it?"
The van was too small, too confining, for this conversation. Lucas needed more space. He opened the door and jumped out, stalking across the road to Emily's apartment. She followed, and he could feel her eyes on him, feel her presence.
Stepping past him, she opened the door and let them inside. She turned to face him in the small living room. It didn't feel that much bigger than his van, now that they were inside, but at least they could move.
"Well?" she asked, hands on hips. The fear was still in her eyes, but she'd summoned up her courage anyway and he had to respect that. Leaning back against the wall, he gave her as much space as he could and answered.
"No, I'm not just speaking as your bodyguard," he admitted. He'd never felt comfortable talking about his feelings, and this was worse than normal. "I'd want to keep you safe whether you were a client or not. I will protect you."
Saying it out loud made him realize how true it was. Was Karl right? Was Emily the one he was fated for? How the fuck should I know , he snarled inwardly, but he could feel his bear stirring at the thought. It certainly seemed to think that she was his mate.
Emily shivered, but for once it didn't look like an expression of fear. Something else lurked under the surface of her emotions. Something that mirrored his own need for her? He didn't know. But whatever she was feeling, it brought her forward, closer to him, close enough that he could have reached out to touch her.
"I know," she told him. "Isn't that strange? I feel safe with you around. Safe and…"
Her words trailed off into silence and as he looked down at her, she blushed.
"And what?" he asked, trying to keep the question from sounding like a demand. But he was having enough difficulty keeping his feelings under control and managing his voice as well was too much. Emily's blush deepened, and she shook her head.
Lucas caught himself growling, and reached down to take her chin in his hand, raising her face to look up at him. The touch was electric.
"Did you mean it back there?" he asked, knowing the answer. "When you told Harry that you wanted me?"
Emily gasped, her blush deepening, but she didn't try to step back or break contact. Instead, she raised her own hand to his, gently holding it as she met his gaze. There was an unspoken connection as they looked deep into each other, her blue eyes sparkling and a nervous smile spreading over her face. Her nod was small but certain.
Lucas realized his heart was pounding. "Emily, I want you," he said simply, voicing the thought that was filling the space between them. Her eyes widened slightly, and she whispered her answer.
"Yes."
8
E mily could barely believe it when she heard herself speak. But there was no denying what she felt inside. She'd been feeling the pull of this man since she'd woken up to find him watching over her, and she
"You're right, though," she continued, sighing. "I'm a web developer. Or I was, anyway, before… this. I took the waitress job because I needed some way of making money that didn't leave a trail."
Lucas nodded at that. "Sure. So when this is over and you're safe, you can pay your bills easily enough. Till then, don't worry about it. I won't let anything happen to you."
"Won't your boss be upset?"
"I'm a partner in the company," he told her, pulling in to park outside her home. "And if the others are upset, that's their problem. I'll take time off if I need to. But you are going to be safe."
He killed the engine and sat back, looking at her. She was watching him with an unreadable expression on her face.
"Why would you do that for me?" she asked. Her voice was soft, in a way that made his bear growl with a different hunger.
"You need help," he said, shrugging again and trying to dismiss the question. "That's what I'm here for."
"It's more than that," she said, firmly. Then her voice trembled as she continued. "This isn't just a bodyguard talking, is it?"
The van was too small, too confining, for this conversation. Lucas needed more space. He opened the door and jumped out, stalking across the road to Emily's apartment. She followed, and he could feel her eyes on him, feel her presence.
Stepping past him, she opened the door and let them inside. She turned to face him in the small living room. It didn't feel that much bigger than his van, now that they were inside, but at least they could move.
"Well?" she asked, hands on hips. The fear was still in her eyes, but she'd summoned up her courage anyway and he had to respect that. Leaning back against the wall, he gave her as much space as he could and answered.
"No, I'm not just speaking as your bodyguard," he admitted. He'd never felt comfortable talking about his feelings, and this was worse than normal. "I'd want to keep you safe whether you were a client or not. I will protect you."
Saying it out loud made him realize how true it was. Was Karl right? Was Emily the one he was fated for? How the fuck should I know , he snarled inwardly, but he could feel his bear stirring at the thought. It certainly seemed to think that she was his mate.
Emily shivered, but for once it didn't look like an expression of fear. Something else lurked under the surface of her emotions. Something that mirrored his own need for her? He didn't know. But whatever she was feeling, it brought her forward, closer to him, close enough that he could have reached out to touch her.
"I know," she told him. "Isn't that strange? I feel safe with you around. Safe and…"
Her words trailed off into silence and as he looked down at her, she blushed.
"And what?" he asked, trying to keep the question from sounding like a demand. But he was having enough difficulty keeping his feelings under control and managing his voice as well was too much. Emily's blush deepened, and she shook her head.
Lucas caught himself growling, and reached down to take her chin in his hand, raising her face to look up at him. The touch was electric.
"Did you mean it back there?" he asked, knowing the answer. "When you told Harry that you wanted me?"
Emily gasped, her blush deepening, but she didn't try to step back or break contact. Instead, she raised her own hand to his, gently holding it as she met his gaze. There was an unspoken connection as they looked deep into each other, her blue eyes sparkling and a nervous smile spreading over her face. Her nod was small but certain.
Lucas realized his heart was pounding. "Emily, I want you," he said simply, voicing the thought that was filling the space between them. Her eyes widened slightly, and she whispered her answer.
"Yes."
8
E mily could barely believe it when she heard herself speak. But there was no denying what she felt inside. She'd been feeling the pull of this man since she'd woken up to find him watching over her, and she
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