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Pulling her closer, Ethan rested his chin atop her head and squeezed gently. “No need to lock you away. Maybe some bubble wrap. And a designated clear zone.”
Star giggled. “Thanks.”
“Hey,” he said softly. “My life wouldn’t be half as interesting if you hadn’t moved in next door. Just … be careful tomorrow.”
“Believe it or not, I try to be careful.”
“I believe you.”
She tilted her face toward him. He lowered his head and captured her lips in a kiss. It wasn’t soft or tentative like the morning’s kiss—it was deeper, slower, more deliberate. His tongue traced the seam of her lips, and she opened for him with a low sigh.
She wasn’t entirely sure how it happened, but she ended up straddling his lap, arms wrapped around his neck, completely lost in the moment.
When Ethan broke the kiss, his eyes were dark with heat. “You,” he whispered, “are going to be trouble.”
Star met his gaze and slowly nodded. “I’m gonna beallthe trouble you can handle.”
His brows lifted. “Sounds like a challenge.”
She shook her head. “Not a challenge. Just a fact. I'm a living, breathing, hot-blooded American woman.”
He grinned and lowered his head to kiss her again. Just before his lips met hers, he murmured, “Thank God for that.”
Yep.Star’s brain melted.
She was officially living the dream.
CHAPTER8
Ethan managed to pull himself away from Star and her porch about half an hour later.
Not that making out in her backyard wasn’t fun—hell, it had beendamnfun—but he had unfinished business that needed his attention.
Thor raised his head from where he’d been sprawled in the sun on Ethan’s back patio. The old dog let out a low groan before getting to his feet and following his human into the house with the lumbering grace of a retired warhorse.
“Come on, buddy,” Ethan said as they stepped inside. “You eat, and I’m grabbing a shower.”
Thor padded toward his water bowl while Ethan headed for the stairs.
By the time Ethan had finished a quick shower to clear his head, Thor had demolished his food and tracked water in a dribbled trail from his bowl to his bed. Ethan sighed, grabbed a towel, and mopped up the mess.
“Every time, Thor,” he muttered. The dog thumped his tail once in unapologetic satisfaction and flopped onto his side.
With the floor cleaned and his mind slightly more focused, Ethan headed downstairs to his secure workspace, his phone in his pocket and Thor trailing behind him. He secured his personal phone outside his office and entered. The moment he stepped into the room, his mindset immediately changed. The warmth and humor from his time with Star faded, replaced by a Guardian operative’s cold, analytical focus.
Settling into his chair, he fired up his system and scanned his messages. He pursed his lips and opened a new window to send a high-priority message to Jason King.
Less than two minutes later, Jason was calling.
Ethan answered. “What’s up, Jason?”
“That’s what I was going to ask you,” Jason replied. “Priority message before dinner usually means something’s wrong.”
“It is,” Ethan said, cutting straight to the point. “I need to borrow some Guardian resources.”
Jason’s tone sharpened. “Oh?”
“My neighbor—a very good friend—overheard what we believe to be a Mafia hit being discussed. It was completely random. Max and I ran a facial recognition match with timestamp overlays from the hardware store’s security cameras. We got a license plate hit and ID'd one of the men: Enzo DeLuca, a known associate of the Bianchi family.”