Burned Deep (Burned 1)

d and came around to take me in his arms. “None of this is new to me. My entire life has centered around protecting what’s mine. Sometimes there are simple solutions, sometimes not. I’m willing to do whatever I have to do. Anything.”

I gnawed my lower lip. Then asked, “You know when to draw the line, though, right?”

“I currently don’t have any lines. Too much is at stake. You. 10,000 Lux. Hell, even your dad’s reputation. You really think I’d let her publicly rip a hole in him again? He’s your father. You love him. And I respect him. So I stood up for him—and you.”

I realized that all of the shadowy parts of our life together were not strictly Dane’s doing or a result of his personal and professional dealings. I’d brought baggage along to darken our doorstep, too. I wanted an end to it all as much as Dane did.

What kind of a person did that make me?

Regardless of good intentions or the need to protect the people and things we loved, the bottom line seemed to be that we’d both do whatever we had to do.

The question was, could I live with that?

* * *

In the afternoon, Kyle joined me on the terrace outside my office.

“You okay?” he asked as he rested an arm against the railing.

“Sure. You?”

He gave a sardonic laugh. “I’ve lost a little sleep over you.”

“Don’t,” I was quick to say. “It’s not worth it, Kyle.”

He stared at me for several suspended seconds, then said, “I happen to think it is.”

With a sigh, I told him, “I care about you, too.”

“Which is why you didn’t want to see my devastatingly handsome face rearranged? Though, for the record, I’d put money on the quarterback.”

“I’d prefer it if we didn’t find out whether you could last a few rounds with Dane.” I still had no doubt who the victor would be. Kyle could hold his own for a while but I knew Dane would channel all that territorial intensity into a standoff. And it wouldn’t be pretty.

A tremor ran down my spine. I didn’t even want to think of the two of them taking swings at each other. I’d had enough drama, enough danger, to last a lifetime.

“So where is Surly, anyway?” he asked.

“Off doing whatever it is that he and Amano do when they’re not here.”

“Then I’m on bodyguard alert, eh? Cool.”

“Try not to enjoy it so much. You could get hurt as easily as I could. In fact, it would be best if—”

“Huh-uh,” he cut me off. “You don’t bother dipping your toe in hot water; you dive right in. So I’m hanging out with you this afternoon. I’ll go get my laptop and set up shop at your conference table.”

As he headed back inside, I said, “Kyle, you really should think twice about this.”

He turned to me and smiled. The pearly white, vibrant one. “And miss out on the chance to twist the knife because your boyfriend knows I’m spending all this time with you? Not a fucking chance.”

While he was gone to retrieve his computer, Molly popped in with a beautiful floral arrangement in her hands.

“These just arrived,” she said as she set the red and white roses in a square crystal vase on the corner of my desk.

I causally asked, “Has Mr. Bax returned yet?”

“No. I’ll phone when he’s back, if you’d like.”

“Thank you.”