You Distract Me

Sawyer

It wasn't a frantic kiss. This one was slow, deep and elaborate, a collision of emotions and unspoken words.

We pulled away a moment later, our rugged breaths mingling together.

"That was—that was... " She couldn't seem to find her words. "I think my heart just exploded."

I gave her a lopsided grin and had the pleasure of watching her eyes melt. Damn, I hadn't felt like this since... never.

"I adore you, Shayne West," she said, her heart in her eyes. "And I don't expect you to respond. I just wanted you to know that I have for a while now. It just took watching you almost die to realize it."

My heart flipped at her words. A mixture of panic and pure bliss battling for dominance.

I instead let amusement enter my eyes. "Adore, huh? What exactly do you adore about me? Is it my face? You tend to stare at it a lot."

She was smart. She saw right through my act, her gentle smile accompanying the poorly hidden sadness in her eyes. She chuckled dryly. "You look like I just declared my undying love to you, Shayne."

I watched her release herself from my hold and step away from me. "That's not—"

"Don't worry about it. How were the cupcakes?" I suspected the arms she folded in front of her indicated a barrier between us, one I'd put there all by myself.

But I had no idea why I was panicking. The most obvious reason would be that I didn't feel the same way.

I was too terrified to find a more palpable reason.

I cleared my throat. "They were fantastic, as usual. But I don't want you doing that anymore if it's still your way of making it up to me. I told you already, it's completely unnecessary."

"Until I'm positive that what happened to you isn't my fault, I won't. It's literally the only way I could ever pay you back."

I nodded. "Okay, if that's what you want. You ready?"

"I am." She picked up her purse and walked towards the door. It was easy to tell I'd put her in a less than happy mood, adding onto the nervousness of meeting her mother.

Man, I was such an asshole. 

"Are you coming?"

I snapped out of my thoughts and headed for the door.

🍀

"Please, he's had enough!"

My head snapped to the weeping woman at my side as we watched Jason Long get beaten to a pulp by a scarred and frightening-looking Byron. The man had healed like an animal, setting in the barbaric looking scar from his burns. He most especially came in handy when I needed someone warned.

What a good man.

We'd finally caught the bastard lawyer. Long had actually managed to reach the airport until one of the men I'd stationed there spotted the motherfucker trying to escape with his busty girlfriend. They'd been taken straight to one of our discreet warehouses.

Speaking of his busty girlfriend...

"Be quiet, woman. Your boyfriend deserves everything coming to him. I'd give him a taste of his own medicine myself, but I simply can't. Did you know he has a seven-months pregnant wife at home? He was going to leave her alone."