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My breath caught as a growl moved through Finn. His teeth nipped my lower lip as my hips did a tentative circle.
And, well, any self-control I had left slipped away when his arm tightened around me.
My arms folded around the back of his neck as my hips rocked against him, feeling the need building toward an apex I so desperately needed.
And then we heard it. Something crashing outside.
We both sprang apart and were on our feet in an instant. I reached for my phone and baton while Finn did this impressive—and sexy in an action hero sort of way—jump over the back of the couch to rush toward the front door.
I was not—I repeat was not—a "let the big, strong man handle it" type of woman. I handled everything in my life. And yet, I went ahead and stayed right where I was for a solid moment or two, letting Finn rush outside, before I managed to unstick my feet from the ground, and follow more cautiously behind him.
I tip-toed into the foyer, taking slow, deep breaths, hoping they would calm the frenzied flip-flopping of my stomach.
A shadow moved into the doorway.
From there, it was pure instinct, pure fight or flight.
I swung my arm out, extending the baton, then slammed it outward.
And what brilliant, terrifying thing did I utter to my potentially very scary attacker? Not some Buffy-esque sarcastic quip, or some action-movie threat. Nope.
I shrieked out, "No, not today!" instead.
"Not today?" Finn's voice asked, a little winded because I'd just whacked him across the chest with a steel freaking baton. "So, another day would be good?" he added, smirking at me even as he reached up to rub the center of his chest.
"I know, right?" I asked, letting out a shaky laugh as I retracted the baton again. "Apparently, if someone came at me tomorrow, it might be a different story," I added, shaking my head at myself.
"You need to strike higher," he told me, still rubbing his chest.
"Did that hurt?" I asked, lips curving up.
"Try not to be too pleased with yourself, but yes," he admitted. "It's gonna bruise for sure. But if you strike higher, you can do some actual damage."
"Noted," I agreed. "What was the noise?"
"Your table out here is knocked over. Your mug is broken," he added, tone apologetic.
"Damnit. That was the one I got online," I grumbled. "She shut down her shop not long after. Is it windy out?" I asked.
"No. It's still."
"Could it be a cat? Everyone lets their cats out around here."
"I don't think so."
"You think someone was out there?" I asked, stiffening.
"I can't say for sure. I didn't see anyone, though. This neighborhood has a lot of places to slink off to, though. You ever have an issue with people on your porch before?"
"No."
"Probably just kids fucking around. Maybe a raccoon. They fuck shit up for fun. Surprised you don't have a security system out here."
"I know. I keep comparing the types and second-guessing my decision."
"I'll get you a list of the best ones," he told me as he moved back inside, closing the door.
"My application was approved for a rescue dog too," I told him. I'd been a little too wrapped up in my guilt about the girls to let myself be happy about that development.
"Get something big," he told me. "Anything someone could kick out of their way isn't going to cut it if you want it for protection."
"Yes, big and mean-looking is what I am after. Former junkyard dog or something."
"You'll feel safer," he assured me.
"Any other safety tips?" I asked, angling my head to the side a bit. "Like perhaps having a big, strong, ex-military man at the house to leap over couches to protect me?" I added, watching as his eyes danced at my words.
"I would... shit," he grumbled when his phone started going off in his pocket.
"Who would be calling this late?"
"Work," he said, reaching into his pocket.
"Oh, yes, scandal never sleeps," I agreed, watching as he pulled out his phone, swiped, and brought it up to his ear.
"Yeah? Okay. Where? Where?" he asked again with more emphasis, making me think this particular job might mean some more traveling than usual.
Just when things were starting to heat up, damnit. I needed to hit the store for some more batteries at this rate. Because the throbbing that was between my thighs certainly wasn't going to wait until he managed to get back from a business trip.
"Yeah. I don't know. A couple hours. Yeah. Okay. Right. Got it."
"You have to go?" I asked, dropping my phone and baton down on the mail table, hoping my voice didn't come off as whiny as it had in my own ears.
"Mmhmm," he agreed, tucking his phone away, and nodding.
"For a while?"
"Couple days," he told me.
That wasn't that bad.
So long as he let me jump his bones the moment he got back, that is.
