Page 115 of The Right Garza

The other swaggers toward me.

Heart cartwheeling in my chest, I lean back against the passenger door of my car and wait.

We’d had a hearty breakfast together this morning after a round of toe-curling shower sex. We’d listened to current events on the radio as we crawled through lazy morning traffic. Then we’d kissed goodbye outsideBarefoot Runawayas he dropped me off with dinner plans for later.

But just over an hour ago, he called to tell me I wouldn’t be seeing him tonight—and who knows for however many other nights—because of a job urgency.

This isn’t unusual, but rather something that I’ve had to get used to. It’s his job. We could be having a normal, mundane routine, and then without warning or preparation, he would have to up and leave. Gone, for anywhere between two days and two weeks.

I’ve no idea where he’s going this time, seeing as he’s prohibited from sharing that info outside of Red Cage—because I’m just a girlfriend, not a wife. All I know is that it’s “R&R”, which I’ve been told means ransom and rescue.

The last time he’d left so abruptly, I didn’t even get a chance to hug him goodbye. That job had kept him away for over two weeks and it damn near killed me. So when he called me earlier, I was determined not to let him leave this time without seeing him, kissing him, smelling him, touching him... Which is why I left the B&B even with a major A-lister about to check in, and drove here like a mad woman.

He stops in front of me, a ghost of a smile on his lips, and the butterflies go mad in my belly. Even after all this time, they still flap about wildly for him. He’s the socket to my plug. I come alive when he’s near, my whole body zapping with electricity.

“Hellcat,” is all he says.

“I couldn’t not kiss you goodbye this time.”

One corner of his mouth curves up. “I love how needy you are for me.”

No shame to my game. “Always.”

He closes in on me, pinning me to the car with his hips. “Glad you came.”

“Let me see you,” I beg softly.

As he never fails to do, he gives me what I want—he removes his aviators. Those beautiful dark eyesburnfor me, confirming all that I already feel in my heart.

He belongs to me.

“How long will you be gone for this time?”

He shrugs. “For as long as it takes to get the job done.”

I press my palms to his hard, formidable chest and groan miserably. “Sometimes I hate your job.”

His teeth tug on his bottom lip and the act sends a shiver through me. “I’d quit, but my girlfriend is a little high maintenance. Burns holes right through my pockets.”

I punch his chest. “Shut up.”

He leans down and captures my mouth with his, slipping his tongue inside. I suck on it before rubbing mine against his, getting lost in him.I don’t want you to go.

Obnoxious honking from the jeep across the lot rips a jagged slash through our moment. And I grip his biceps to keep him to me, not ready to let him go.

“Gotta go, baby.”

No. “Okay. Wait…”

I turn and open the car door, lean inside and grab the small, black box wrapped with a white bow from the seat, then pop back out to face him.

“Since I doubt you’ll be back in time for your birthday, I might as well just give you your gift now.”

A grin splits his face as he takes it, and I grin in turn. I don’t know anyone who loves receiving gifts as much as this man does. He’s like a boy on Christmas morning. Want to make him grin? Wrap something,anything, in a gift box and hand it to him. Sure, he might punch you in face if he opens it and finds a rock inside, but it’ll be worth it just to see that rare, heart-stopping grin of his.

“No peeking until your birthday,” I tell him as he starts to tug on the bow.

He shoots me a look of protest and starts to object, but the jeep behind him honks again.