Passing His Guard

Nikko snarled an oath and Aiden tensed, preparing to get an earful. “First of all, I ain’t into that shit anymore. I left the Special Forces two years ago. Second of all, I don’t talk about MARSOC. You assholes do enough of it around here for me—”

“Hey, don’t you dare lump me in with that group of vaginas. Your shit is your shit, man, and I don’t need the deets. But Rya

“Wait, hold up. What do you mean Rya

“I mean someone snagged her yesterday and I’m damn lucky I got her back. I’m about to go toe to toe with some really bad guys here. I can’t be with her all the time, and until this shit gets resolved, I don’t want her alone. I need you to come out to Manhattan and help me watch out for her. If these guys discover what I’m up to, shit is going to get ugly fast. Oh, and did I mention I’m fighting tomorrow night and I need someone I can trust to corner me?”

“The fuck you say? That shoulder of yours is in no condition to fight, and if you get caught brawling outside the CFA, you can kiss your career good-bye.”

Aiden closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. There wasn’t anything Nikko could say that he didn’t already know. “My shoulder will hold. And I don’t have a choice. These guys are the real deal, man. Told me they’d kill her if I don’t fight, and I have zero doubt that bastard would carry through.”

“What the fuck are you still doing in New York, man? This is crazy. Get her the hell out of there!”

“I can’t. It isn’t that easy. My family is involved, and this is the goddamn mob we’re talking about, man. If I screw this guy over, he won’t quit until he finds her and me. We’ll constantly be looking over our shoulders, and I’m not ru

“How are you going to explain why I’m there?”

“I’m going to tell her you’re here to corner me for my fights. Which is true—I need someone I can trust in my corner.”

“Whatever you say, man. She won’t hear it from me. Give me your address. I’m on my way.”

Rya

“Shit . . .” She pulled off her cheaters and dropped them onto the desk. Closing her eyes, she pressed the heels of her palms against them, hoping that would somehow dam the moisture determined to fall. When another landed on his paper, she grabbed a tissue from the desk and dried her eyes before blotting at the contract.

“What are you doing?”

A startled “Oh . . .” escaped her lips. Rya

Rya

“I’m not surprised. How do you know all this?”

She rolled her eyes. “Because that’s what I do for a living. I find people. I investigate them. I study and gather information. I don’t want you fighting this guy.”

“I don’t have a choice, and arguing about it won’t do me any favors. Just because the guy’s an asshole doesn’t mean he’s a good fighter, Rya

“No, it doesn’t. But his sixteen-and-two fight record might.”

Aiden shouldered off the doorway and strolled into the office, moving with that undeniable grace that defied his size. “I can take care of myself in the cage. I’m not worried about it. What I am worried about is you, and I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe. If that means I have to fight, then I’ll fight.” Aiden shrugged as if it was no big deal. “Moralli needs to believe he’s won.”

“Why? What are you going to do?”

Planting his palms on his desk, he lowered himself until they were eye level. The knot in her gut dissolved into a battering of butterflies. God help her, this man was gorgeous. His amber-flecked eyes bore into her with the intensity of the sun, scorching her to her very core.

“What I should have done a long time ago. Listen, I have a friend coming to stay with me for a while. He’s going to corner me when I fight. I don’t trust any of Moralli’s men to do it.”

“Okay . . . Is there anything I can do to help you? I feel terrible you’re in this mess because of me.”

A measure of tension eased from his shoulders. “It’s not your fault. I should have known that bastard wasn’t going to let me go. If you really want to help, you could put together a dossier on every guy I’m scheduled to fight. I want to know everything you can find out about them. If you can get me videos of their fights, that’s even better. I always study my opponents before I get into the cage with them, and by the looks of things, I’m going to be short on time.”

“Of course I’ll do it. Anything you need, just ask . . .”

Aiden cocked his brow in question at her open-ended offer. It wasn’t how she’d meant it, but his panty-dropping smile told her exactly how he’d taken it. The hum of nervous energy skittered through her veins. She wanted him so badly but was afraid to let him get too close. At this point, she was clinging to self-preservation. As much as his doubt and mistrust in her might have been deserved, it still hurt—badly—and she wasn’t sure she wanted to open that door again. Did she love him?—absolutely. Was she still holding a part of herself back?—most definitely, and some niggling of doubt told her he was doing the same.

Aiden’s spicy scent mixed with the seductive lure of clean male sweat. She nervously wet her lips with the tip of her tongue. His gaze dropped to her mouth, and the low growl rumbling in his throat called to every feminine instinct inside her. She had zero doubt that if this desk wasn’t between them, he’d be on top of her right now.

The chemistry between them sparked, making her all too aware of her heart hammering inside her chest. Her skin felt too tight for her body. Feeling fidgety, she reached up to tuck a stray curl behind her ear. “It’s umm . . . getting late. If you want to get cleaned up, I can go see about throwing something together for supper.”

“There’s nothing here. I haven’t had a chance to shop yet. We can order in or I can take you out,” he offered.

She’d had a long day and the thought of getting ready to go out wasn’t nearly as appealing as the idea of staying in with him. “If it’s all right with you, I’d like to stay here. I’ll order something while you’re showering. What are you hungry for?”