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SAFFRON
After findingthe perfume in my room, I used the atomizer to fill the little vial I continued to wear around my neck.
I'd looked for him to say thank you, but he was scarce.
I went by his cottage, knocked, and waited for him. But he didn't answer, even though I could sense that he was in there. He was doing what I’d asked and giving me space. But he had done this huge thing, and while we couldn't be together, at least I could say thank you. Right?
Who are you kidding, you want that man.
Want him or not, it wasn't going to happen.
That Friday, as I was heading down to the training center to evaluate my new recruit, I decided to take the elevator from the main office after meeting with my brother. The elevator doors opened and I smiled blandly at the three people in there until my head lifted and I saw that Lock was one of them.
His gaze stayed trained on me. The corner of his lips lifted in a barely imperceptible smile. But still, I kept my bland, neutral face on with a good morning for everyone then turned my back.
The doors opened again and the other two passengers stepped out, excusing themselves on the gym floor, leaving Lock and I alone in the elevator heading down.
It was a short trip down to training. But that final floor required clearance. All agents and operatives had it. If you were working in the main house your pass let you past the first door but to get past the antechamber, you still had to tap in your key code on the off chance that someone who did not belong in the house was snooping where they shouldn't be.
I reached for the keypad, but Lock's fingers on my hips stopped me. The heat of his skin as he stroked my hip bone seared me. “You smell good," he said.
I wasn't sure why, but tears welled in my eyes. All I could do was nod and croak out, "Thank you."
“It was the least I could do."
I expected him to say more, but he was silent. Instead he leaned down and put his lips and nose by the shell of my ear. “You smell good enough to eat, Saff. And just so you know, I’ve been giving that a lot of thought. I miss you."
My pussy, traitor that she was, clenched.
Who said that? Who said that to someone? I miss you. What the fuck was that bullshit?
But before I could ask him to explain himself, or to keep touching me, he released me. And his heat was gone.
As he pressed himself up against the wall in the elevator. I whipped around to glower at him, and he was smirking at me as he said, “I prefer this Saff to the other one. This version of you has fire. The other version just looks sad."
"Maybe I am fucking sad, Lock."
He nodded once then reached around me and tapped in the code.
The doors opened, and he leaned to the side to let me pass.
Too shaken, I walked around him, my body on high alert just being in his proximity. Once I rounded the corner and was certain he couldn’t see me, I booked it down to the training facility lockers, certain I’d just avoided a fucking disaster… literally.
“Fuck. Fuckity fuck."
“I know you used to kiss Mum with that mouth."
I stuttered to a halt when I noticed my brother coming out of one of the training rooms.
"What's got your knickers in a knot?" he asked.
"Nothing. I'm fine. Perfectly fine."
And then Gabe did the unthinkable. He grinned. My brother smiled at me. “It's good to see you more like your old self again. Feeling better?"
"Why do people keep asking me that?"
Gabe chuckled low. "Well, in general, you're tough. A ball buster who is not to be crossed. In the last couple weeks, you've been not yourself."
