Page 10 of The Valiant Knight (The Ravensmire Chronicles #2)

From where she stood, she couldn't get past the fact that his voice was unforgettable.

She.

Had.

Goosebumps.

Because she didn’t know what to say, she kept talking about her job.

“I work for Elizabeth Blackhawk in her division, and I handle the tech stuff. You know, the more online things that she needs handled,” she stated, as she found herself endlessly babbling like a fool. “It’s a good job, and I like doing it.”

She blushed.

“I’m sorry. There are times when I don’t know when to shut up.”

What was this?

Her voice was like the most beautiful sound he’d ever heard. The erection he currently had was proof of it. She could talk all day if she wanted to. He’d listen and think about her the whole time.

Honestly, he didn’t want her to stop.

Now, he knew that he was going to enjoy this little job. He could bet on it.

“I don’t mind,” he said. “When are you going to start digging up the remains?” he asked. “I have to be there. My boss put me on this duty.”

Tony looked at his watch.

“As soon as I get into that crypt and do a preliminary ID that it’s a male. I have to scan the bones, and write up my report.”

Well, he wasn’t leaving now.

That was for damn sure.

In fact, he had a penchant for digging a hole if it meant being near her.

What he’d told Graham about slipping out and laying low in his flat was not happening.

No.

Freaking.

Way.

In fact, he wanted to go make sure he talked to the man because someone didn’t warn him. He’d described Gabby, and he hadn’t told him that EXACT woman was in the castle.

Oh, he knew.

The asshole.

“Well, let me help you move the crypt lid, and then, I’ll go speak to Graham. I’ll be here when it’s time to get to the other remains.”

Bet.

On.

It.

Tony had an idea.

He was watching Gabby stare at the man, and the cop stare at Gabby.

Make no mistake, when he was focused on bones, he missed shit, but he wasn’t missing this. He had a front-row seat to the show.

If he wasn’t mistaken, someone was twitterpated times two.

This was fascinating.

“Do you think you can help us dig up the grave?” he asked wanting to see how far the man would go. “I know that most people wouldn’t…”

He didn’t get to finish.

“Absolutely. Let me go get some things handled, and I’ll be back. Give me an hour.”

That worked for Tony.

And clearly, that worked for Gabby too. She looked like she was about to weep in gratitude that he’d talked the man into helping.

“Thank you for your help,” Gabby said. “It’s appreciated.”

Oh, he knew who appreciated it more.

HIM.

When Tony approached the last crypt, he needed help sliding the lid off, and the man was about to show off his feats of strength for the lady.

Call it a hunch.

“Detective?” he called, getting his attention.

Immediately, the man was at his side.

Together, the two men moved to the crypt lid by sliding it sideways and far enough open that Tony could get inside.

It was goddamn heavy, and they would have had to get Graham if it wasn’t for the local cop.

Once the lid was moved, Tony grabbed a mask, and watched the cop move closer to Gabby.

Then, he went there.

“If I leave you for a few minutes, can you not fall into the crypt?” he asked, grinning.

She blinked.

“I felt like I was shoved,” she said, not sure why she said that.

Both men stared at her.

“I’m serious. It felt like someone shoved me backward.”

Uh, that was…weird.

“Maybe it was the ghost,” Tony said, climbing into the crypt with the set of bones.

Finn ignored that.

He wanted to go and get back as quickly as possible so he could be near her.

“I’ll be right back. Don’t fall anywhere unless I’m here to catch you,” he said softly as he stared deep into her eyes.

They went huge.

She stared at him as he walked away, and Jesus, but her heart was racing in her chest. There was something so familiar about the man, and she didn’t like that she’d had a dream about him.

Tony was out of the crypt with the first bone, and he moved closer.

“What was that about?” he asked. “He looked like he wanted to toss you over his shoulder and carry you back to his cave.”

She swallowed.

“Something happened.”

The only reason she was telling Tony was because she needed the voice of reason. He tended to err on the side of science.

There had to be a scientific reason.

Right?

“Remember how I said I had a rough night with my dreams?” she asked.

“Yeah. And?”

She told him.

“I was falling off a cliff, the cliffs outside the castle, and he saved me. He caught me.”

Tony was confused.

“But you just met him. How is that possible?” he asked.

Oh, she had no clue, but it didn’t change the fact that he did, indeed, save her.

Twice.

“Something shoved me,” she said. “I was pushed backward toward the crypt, Tony. I felt it.”

His eyes were huge.

“Really?” he asked.

She nodded.

“I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m not wary of him. You know how I get when a strange man comes near me.”

Oh, he did.

Tony gave her the only piece of advice that he could.

“You should sleep with him.”

She stared at him.

“What?” she asked. “Anthony!”

He laughed.

Then, he explained.

“I’m an anthropologist. I’m looking at this from a purely scientific point of view.”

Well, yeah.

He generally did.

Tony continued.

“You’re showing all the signs of female interest. He saved you in your dream, and he saved you from falling into the crypt.

Your cheeks are rosy, and your eyes are dilated.

You want to jump his bones. I say just do it and see what happens.

Unless you take the sexy cop for a ride, you’re never going to know. ”

Gabby sputtered.

Holy.

Freaking.

What?

“I swear you’re HR’s nightmare,” she said, not sure what else to say.

But she wanted to do just that.

Now, she needed to think about this because what she wanted, and what could happen were two different things.

He laughed at her comment.

Yeah, tell him something he didn’t know.

“Well, buckle up. He was just as interested in you, Gabs. His body language changed, and he puffed out his chest. Then, he purposely volunteered to move that marble slab, which was hella heavy, and to dig up a body. Girlfriend, he’s interested.

Bang that drum and see what happens. Sometimes, you have to throw caution to the wind. ”

She was horrified.

And turned on thinking about it.

Crazy Gabriella needed to go away, so sane Gabby could get their work done.

“Can we just work?” she asked.

Tony was akin to a dog with a bone. He wasn’t letting it go anytime soon.

It was for her best interest. He wanted his friend to start living and enjoying life—not hiding from it like she always did.

Her ex was an asshole, but there were so many decent guys out there.

“How do you explain that dream, and what happened here?” he asked. “If that wasn’t some divine intervention…”

She corrected him.

“It’s a coincidence.”

Oh, well, he had news for her.

There was no such thing.

As Feds, that was like the first rule Elizabeth taught all of them. If it looked like a coincidence, and acted like a coincidence, it was, indeed, NOT one.

That was the only time that saying worked like that.

“Uh-huh. Sure,” he said, handing her a mask. “Put this on so you don’t breathe in any mold. I’ll transport the bones to the table in the storage room. I’ll set up to work there,” he said, pulling his mask on now that they were done talking.

She was curious.

“What do you need me to do?”

Oh, well, that was easy. He needed his friend to know that not all men were assholes, and there were some good ones out there.

But he knew how that would go over.

Like a lead balloon.

“You should take a tour of the estate and see if you can find the grave. Work on that, and then, we can go from there.”

If Tony was setting this up correctly, the cop would follow her like a duckling.

And that’s exactly what he wanted.

It looked like Cupid, Elizabeth Blackhawk, had given her quiver to Tony because he was going to work on getting his friend into a better situation.

With gentle guidance.

At his suggestion, she wouldn’t mind getting some fresh air.

As soon as they got the bones into the storage room for Tony to scan and catalog them, she was going to walk off some sexual frustration.

Because she was feeling it.

So, she pulled on the mask, and the whole time, she was thinking about one thing.

How his body felt against hers.

* * *The Ravensmire Castle* * *

The Barn

Five Minutes

Later

Oh, they were about to have words.

Someone had set his ass up. By not telling him that his dream woman, literally, was in the castle, it had caught him off guard.

And Finn didn’t like shit like that.

Not.

At.

All.

When Finn found his friend, he went there and didn’t give him a chance to explain.

“You set me up!” he said.

Graham began laughing.

Yes, yes, he had.

“That’s the freaking woman in my dreams, and here you are, messing with me!”

Graham wiped his eyes.

“Sorry, Lad, but I couldn’t help it. You should be asking yourself how you dreamed about her before you ever saw her more than what I did.”

He had a point.

“How did I?”

He shrugged.

“I don’t have a freaking clue. It must be kismet, my friend.”

Well, that was neither here nor there.

Finn needed his help.

His brain was spiraling out of control, and now, not only was he seeing and hearing the woman from his dream, but he could smell her.

She smelled like flowers.

And he wanted her.

God.

That was the bottom line.

He needed her.

Graham continued to work as he was dumping feed into the one pen to feed the ducks.

That made Finn question everything about this man and his sanity.

Was he raising a zoo?

“You have ducks too?” he asked.

“I mean, I don’t have ducks. The owners do. They just let me take care of them,” he said, and then laughed. “I totally have ducks. Which is why I can’t lose my job, so don’t piss them off by saying shit about who owns the castle.”

They were there again?

Really?

Oh, well, he had other issues to worry about other than telling anyone about the Blackhawks.