Page 69 of Duty Unbound

“You left Nova?” I asked, still trying to process this.

“Logan and Ty will secure her at the hotel.” His jaw tightened slightly, a muscle jumping beneath the skin. “I couldn’t leave without knowing you were safe.”

“I’ve been left behind before,” I admitted quietly, the words slipping out before I could stop them. “It’s what’s supposed to happen.”

“Not anymore,” he said firmly, his voice rough with something that sounded like anger—but not at me. “Not on my watch.”

The way he looked at me then—like I was something precious, something worth protecting—made my knees weak. His eyes were dark with concern and something else, something that made heat pool low in my belly despite the cold.

Tommy cleared his throat beside me, reminding me of his presence. “Oh, sorry. Ethan, this is Tommy Fitzsimmons. Tommy, this is Ethan Cross, head of my sister’s security team.”

Tommy extended his hand, but Ethan barely glanced at him, offering only a curt nod before returning his full attention to me. His eyes traveled over me, taking in my soaked dress, my shivering form. Something flashed in his expression—possessiveness, maybe—and he shrugged out of his suit jacket.

“Here,” he said. The fabric was warm from his body heat, ifdamp, and it smelled like him—cedar and something uniquely Ethan. “We need to go. I’ve got a car waiting.”

The dismissal was clear, and I felt a twinge of guilt at Tommy’s crestfallen expression. But Ethan’s hand was already at the small of my back, his palm burning through the wet fabric of my dress, guiding me away from the crowd with gentle pressure that felt anything but gentle.

“It was nice seeing you, Tommy,” I called over my shoulder, but Ethan was already leading me toward a black SUV idling at the corner.

He opened the passenger door for me, his hand never leaving my back until I was safely inside. Only then did he round the vehicle to slide behind the wheel.

The interior was warm, and I sank into the leather seat with a sigh of relief. Ethan started the engine but didn’t pull away immediately. Instead, he turned to face me, his eyes roaming over my face like he was memorizing every detail.

“You came back for me,” I said softly.

“I’ll always come back for you,” he replied, his voice rough with emotion. “If I’d known you weren’t in the limo, I wouldn’t have left without you.”

The simple declaration made tears prick at my eyes. I blinked them away, overwhelmed by the realization that for the first time in longer than I could remember, someone had put me first.

Not Nova. Not the tour. Not the endless demands of our carefully constructed world.

Just me.

“Ethan,” I whispered, reaching across the console to touch his arm. His muscles tensed under my fingers, and when he looked at me, the heat in his gaze made my breath catch.

“I can’t believe Nova was okay with you finding your own way home.”

“I’m fine,” I assured him, but my voice came out breathier than intended.

“You’re shivering,” he countered, reaching over to adjust the heat controls. His arm brushed against mine, and electricity sparked between us.

“Not just from the cold,” I admitted, the words slipping out before I could stop them.

His eyes darkened, pupils dilating. The air in the car suddenly felt thick, charged with tension that had nothing to do with the night’s events and everything to do with the man beside me.

“Mel,” he growled, my name a warning and a promise.

I leaned toward him, drawn by the magnetic pull between us. “Take me back to the hotel,” I whispered. “Please.”

That was what he was already doing, but he knew what I meant. The SUV peeled away from the curb with controlled urgency, Ethan’s hands tight on the wheel. I watched his profile in the intermittent glow of streetlights, admiring the strong line of his jaw, the intensity of his focus.

“I can feel you staring,” he said without taking his eyes off the road.

“Can you blame me?” I replied, boldness making me brave. “You’re so sexy when you’re being all protective and commanding.”

A muscle jumped in his jaw. “You’re playing with fire.”

“Maybe I want to get burned.”