Matt nodded. His mind already on the two men he intended to interrogate. He cupped Jena’s cheek as she smiled up at him. “I’ll fix this,” he promised.
“I know you will, but please go easy on Grunt and Joe. They really weren’t that bad.”
Matt shook his head. Sure, he’d go easy. If going easy meant throwing them in jail and forgetting where he put the key. They messed with Jena. His Jena. He stared at her. He wasn’t sure she knew she belonged to him. He’d need to make that clear. Later. Right now he had goons to deal with and a story to unravel.
Not caring that Abby was watching, he pulled Jena off her seat and kissed her hard.
“Be good,” he ordered.
She looked a little dazed, which made him feel chuffed.
“Can we send Pete to pick up some food?” she said. “I’m starving. I missed lunch.”
“No. No more sending Lake’s men to fetch food. Pete is here to guard you.”
“Matt.” She put her hands on her hips. “Everyone I know who’s out to get me is in here. Please. I need to eat.” She batted her eyelashes. Like that would work.
“Fine.” He let out a sigh. “Pete stays here, but you can call the pub and get them to deliver something.”
She pouted. “The pub doesn’t deliver. Well, not to anyone but you.”
“Tell them it’s for me, then. Once they hear where you are, someone will be over in record time just to get the gossip.”
With a shake of his head, he left the women to sort out food as he strode towards his office. His heart pounded painfully at the thought of what could have happened. He could have lost Jena. He didn’t know how he would cope if he lost her. Especially seeing as he’d just found her. He stopped dead at the door as realisation sucker-punched him. He loved her. He looked back at her. She was laughing with Abby, her head thrown back, her cheeks flushed and her eyes sparkling. She was so damn beautiful it hurt to look at her. To hell with this. He spun around and strode back to her. He saw the minute she spotted the look on his face, because her eyes went wide and her mouth made a startled little O shape.
He clasped the back of her neck and stared her in the eyes. “Just so we’re clear,” he said. “I love you and I’m keeping you.” The look of shock almost made him smile. Instead he kissed her until they were both breathless.
As Jena swayed gently on her perch, looking stunned and more than a little turned on, Matt said to Abby, “Take good care of her.”
“Don’t worry, I’m on it.”
He ignored Abby’s wide grin and headed back to his office.
As the door slammed shut behind Matt, Jena turned to her friend. “He loves me?” She stared at the closed door. “He did say that, right?”
“Oh, he absolutely said that.” Abby’s eyes sparkled with delight.
Jena pressed her fingertips to her swollen lips. She could still taste him, and it was an addictive taste, one she definitely wanted more of. “He’s keeping me?”
“You are so in a relationship.” Abby laughed hard.
Pete joined in the laughter. Great, she was entertainment for the mindless masses.
“When Dougal comes over,” Pete said, “I’m going to change my bet. I think the wedding will happen within the month.”
As Jena’s head began to clear, she frowned at them. “This isn’t funny and it isn’t a game. That man”—she pointed at the door—“seems to think he owns me.”
“Ah, but he loves you as well,” Abby said with a grin. “Don’t forget the love.”
Jena climbed off the stool and started to pace. “He can’t keep me. I’m a person, not a piece of property. Aren’t you supposed to ask a person if they want to be with you before you declare you’re keeping them? Who the hell says things like that, anyway? Men with too much testosterone, that’s who. And love? How can he love me? We haven’t even been out on a date. He’s only staying in my house to protect me from Frank. This doesn’t make sense.”
She stood still long enough to face Abby. “We can’t be in a relationship. I would have noticed.” She started pacing again. “So what if we slept together? People do that all the time. Men do it all the time and they don’t keep the women they sleep with. This is insane. He can’t drop a bomb like that and wander off. Can he?”
She shook her head. No, he couldn’t. Where the hell was he? She needed to clear a few things up. She took a step towards his door.
“Bad idea,” Pete said.
For once, she agreed. She’d have to wait until he was finished yelling at Grunt.