I couldn’t trust in this, could I? That my teen crush actually wanted me now? That this was more than a just a quick fuck to… scratch an itch?
My phone rang from the living room. “I’d better get that. It’s probably my parents again,” I murmured, and Ford released me. I’d texted my mom to give her a heads up about the break-in so she didn’t panic, and she was now getting back to me.
“Yeah,” he said, pulling on his t-shirt. “I’ll start cleaning up the mess.”
I found my phone still in my backpack by the door, and I answered it.
“Indigo! I just heard.” Yep, it was my mom.
“It’s okay, Mom. Nothing’s missing, and… Ford is here to fix my locks.”
“Ford?” my mom echoed. It was like his name instantly calmed her but also pulled out her sadness.
I knew the feeling. Ford was so closely associated in all of our minds with Buck that it was hard to even think about him without the pain of Buck’s death nearly splitting me open.
Just seeing Ford’s truck around town would make me change my plans to avoid bumping into him.
“Yeah, he, um, saw the sheriff’s car and stopped in to make sure I was okay. He’s going to fix everything up and stay here with me until he’s sure I’m safe.”
“Stay there? Oh.” My mom sounded confused, and who could blame her? It wasn’t like Ford and I were even friendly a week ago. Not even an hour ago.
I heard him moving around behind me, picking up fallen furniture and straightening things. I shot him a glance and found him watching me. There was tension in his face like my mom had the same effect on him that he had on her. He didn’t show tons of emotions, but I was starting to see the differences between his moody, intense looks. Protective Ford. Angry Ford. Sad Ford. Aroused Ford. Those emotions all looked the same on him… almost.
It made sense. We all suffered a loss with Buck’s death. Maybe Ford even more than the rest of us—he’d been there when it happened.
“Yes,” I continued. “He’s concerned like you are. I’m sure it’s fine, but he’s playing big brother.”
I immediately wished I hadn’t said that. We’d just crossed over from him being replacement big brother to something else, and I very much preferred the something else. My pussy still throbbed from him being inside me.
Ford frowned like he didn’t like it either.
“Well, I’m glad he’s there,” my mom said, still sounding slightly bewildered. “He’s going to stay? With you?”
“Yes. Until he’s sure I’m safe.”
“Okay.” I heard her exhale. “I trust him. He’ll know what to do.”
I watched Ford moving about the small house, his muscles bulging when he picked up the end of my couch to move it back to where it belonged. He was fierce and capable. Pushy and protective and possessive. For the first time in a while, I felt… something. And that was saying a lot.
“Yes,” I agreed. “He will.”
In so many ways.
Chapter
Eight
FORD
* * *
My honor may have been tattered over my broken vow to Buck, but now there was no going back. Now that I’d tasted Indi, now that she’d been vulnerable with me—showed me the pain I’d caused—I wouldn’t change it for the world.
Indigo was mine now. She belonged to me whether she realized it yet or not.
We hadn’t gotten far on the clean-up yesterday as I’d pulled her back to bed and kept her there. Now, in the early morning light, I stalked around her place, examining everything before I put it to rights. Trying to figure out who the fuck would do this. And why.
I found myself back in her bedroom, staring at that bulletin board as if drawn to it. My life now was based on seeking the truth… and vengeance. This board called to me and scared the shit out of me.
I pulled all the pins out and took down the papers. “What are you doing?” she demanded. Her hair was mussed from a night of fucking. She was no longer naked—which was a shame—and in a pair of jeans and a pale blue top. Her feet were bare.
“This isn’t healthy.” I pointed at the board. That may or may not be the truth, especially when I was fixated on the exact same thing. Enough that I had three team members helping me investigate it all. But we were SEALs, not a one hundred pound wilderness guide.
The fact that her house had been broken into had me on edge. If it was related, she was in real danger.
But I wasn’t going to tell her the real reason–that it wasn’t safe for her to be looking at this board. Hell, even thinking about this shit. She’d maybe poked a fucking hornet’s nest.
“Who are you to decide what’s healthy and what’s not?” She tried to snatch the papers out of my hand, but I jerked them out of reach, demonstrating our size difference.