Page 27 of Blake

“Blake steers clear of commitment. He doesn’t even have house plants for fuck’s sake. So the fact that you’re here and the way he all but pissed on your leg when he walked towards me was a bit of a giveaway.”

Her instinct was to deny it, to say he was wrong, that nothing had happened but that would be wrong. Mainly because it was a lie but also because it would diminish what they had agreed to start. “I like him.” She found herself wanting to snatch the words back as soon as she made the admission.

Waggs merely nodded. “Not blind, woman. Blake is one of the good ones despite what he might have you think. Don’t let him hide from something that could be beautiful because of what happened in the past.”

Pax wanted to ask what he meant. What had happened in his past? But Blake appeared with the results of the MRI in a folder which he handed to Waggs.

He smiled at her as he moved closer, until their shoulders were touching. “Miss me?”

“Sure. I can’t go twenty minutes without you now that I’ve had you.”

“Pax, not in front Waggs. I’m shy.” His look was one of mock offence.

Pax laughed and rolled her eyes at him. “Of course you are!”

“Well, the ligament is fucked good and proper this time.”

Waggs’ assessment wasn’t something he hadn’t already figured out. “Yeah, I kind of guessed that.”

“There’s no way Jack is going to let you go off on this mission with Pax without back-up.”

Pax felt Blake tense. “Jack can’t fucking stop me,” he replied bristling with aggression.

“No, he can’t, but you would be a fool to disobey him.”

“I’m not leaving Pax to handle this situation on her own.”

Pax felt increasingly guilty for the hassle she was causing. “I can—”

Blake pinned her with a look. “No, you can’t.”

Ignoring the instant knot of desire at his sexy growl she went on the defensive. “Don’t you tell me what I can and can’t do.”

“Like you when you’re all sass and sexy but I won’t give on this, Gracie.”

His use of her real name caused a pang, and Pax softened her tone really liking that he called her sexy and sassy but not willing to back down either. “I know you want to help but with your leg like it is you could get hurt.”

“I love that you care about me, Gracie, but I’ve got a dick and that dick means I don’t let my woman go across the other side of the world to confront her asshole of a father who had her attacked. You are mine, and I protect what’s mine.” He curled her closer to his body as he said the words and looked at her lips before lifting his eyes to hers.

Pax felt her body relax into him. He made her feel cared for, protected, and so fucking turned on she wanted to jump his bones right then and there.

Waggs rolled his eyes at them both. “Oh, for fuck’s sake. Will you two stop with the foreplay? I’ll come with you and I can see if Reid will too, or maybe Decker. I have a few days leave owed me anyway.” Pax felt Blake tense slightly at that and wondered why.

“I can’t ask you to do that,” Pax said.

“You ain’t asking. I’m offering so I don’t have to watch you two flirting with each other anymore” He pulled out his phone as he walked away.

“Fine, call Jack.” She felt Blake tense again wondered what had caused the sudden change in him. He seemed on edge all of a sudden.

“You okay?”

“Got you in my arms, haven’t I?”

Pax felt a smirk cross her face. “You like me.”

“Yeah, babe. I like you,” he replied as he watched Waggs pace and talk a frown still on his face.

Pax let him get away with his evasive answer, but she knew he was hiding something and all of a sudden Waggs words came back to her. Was he hiding something big from her or was she doing her usual trick of self-destructing before she could get hurt? Determined not to let that happen she pushed the gloomy thoughts away and kissed him lightly.