Page 67 of Protecting Love

“I had two bowls,” Stefan said.

“If you puke, you clean it up,” he said.

“My mom says that too,” Stefan said.

“Do you want to watch the rest of the movie?” Ian asked. “I thought you’d be later than this.”

It was barely ten. “We snuck out early. You two enjoy. I’m going to shower and watch TV in my room.”

Because he needed to cool the hell down after that kiss.

What the hell was he thinking doing that?

Fuck.

She’d done it first. Made the first step.

But he had more control. Or thought he did.

Maybe he shouldn’t have opened up like he had. Maybe he shouldn’t have shared he had a son at home or that his wife played him for a fool.

But he had. And he’d seen that she saw him as human after that.

Until she didn’t believe him.

He could have played that angle. He could have said it wasn’t true.

But he didn’t like to lie.

And then taunting her before he left again? Getting that last word in?

Yeah, that’d felt like his control was back.

He was taking charge again.

Ridiculous he even needed this pep talk over protecting someone from a fucking dead rodent.

He’d been on alert all night. He’d checked out every person who came to their table, but most were just getting close to Jamie Wilde.

No one spent much attention on Paris. No one talked to her about more than business.

And her idea of cutting early?

Thank God!

But now he was home locking his gun up, and yanking his shirt off with more force than necessary.

He stripped and climbed in the shower, thrilled that his dick wasn’t still straining at his pants.

That settled down the minute he got in the elevator to find Marcus pulling up.

Shit.

Paris had no idea that he’d told Marcus to return in thirty for that reason.

So that he wasn’t tempted to stay longer.

It was as if he knew himself. That he was seeing something that could never be.