Page 43 (1/2)

He lifted his head and looked like he would refuse, a moment before he pulled a tissue from the box on her desk, handed it to her, and pulled out of her

Lauren quickly gave him her back to clean up She snatched her panties, shoved them in her desk drawer and fixed her shirt She turned to find hi close, hands pressed in his pockets

"I’m sorry," he said softly "I don’t knohat the hell came over me I don’t want anyone else to touch you and I’m pretty sure I just screwed this up in every possible way"

The raw vulnerability in him she’d sensed er I don’t want anyone else, but if you act like that again," she hesitated, "I ht come but I won’t like it"

His lips turned up slowly "You won’t like it?"

"Okay, I ht like it, but I won’t be happy I liked it"

He bit back a broader siveher before she could add "Don’t go caveain"

"Never?" he teased

She brushed her fingers over his "Maybe later tonight, but not after that"

He chuckled "I can’t wait"

And neither could she It was tione and exposed herself toto kill her She’d exposed her heart Lauren was falling in love with Royce

Chapter Seventeen

It was near led to his side sleeping, soe Three days had passed, and despite his caveman behavior at her office, as Lauren often called it, or perhaps because of it, she’d changed, let down her guard with hiet howon with theht have arrived at fro that he was failing to protect her, proven by the fact that every day caly was a da from a delivery to her office, but no one at the restaurant claimed to have put it there One had been on his truckdespite the video footage that showed nothing The final one had been left with the security desk at her building, delivered by a little old lady who disappeared, and was never seen again And every single delivery was a taunt that said "I can get to her whenever I want to" and Royce knew it

His cell phone started to vibrate on the bedside table and he grabbed it, certain a call at this hour wasn’t good Lauren’s head popped up "What ti the call that the ID identified as Bill S?" he asked, not bothering with ‘hello’ He untwined hi to his closet

"Senator Reynolds’ house is on fire"