He had elaborate tattoos and very countable abs. Rugged scruff covered his face most of the time—like Wylder’s face. And his eyes were just as intense, but I never felt threatened.
Again … my dad.
“Were you crazy about Mom? Did you feel protective of her?”
I knew her first husband abused her, but she never shared the details, just that I should find a man like my dad who would burn down the world to keep me safe. At the time, her advice fell on deaf ears.
He rubbed the back of his neck, exhibiting palpable discomfort from my questions. Aside from Jessica, I was the only one he would talk to about her—not that he did it willingly. I was pretty sure he felt I was genetically entitled to the information.
“Yes. I was crazy about her. And protective … well …” He shook his head. “That’s an understatement.”
I gathered the bags of clothes from the living room while Dad stood in the entrance with his hands casually in his back pockets. “Did you ever punch anyone to defend her honor … like a true Knight?”
“I did whatever it took to defend her honor and protect her.” He grabbed a few of the bags when he realized I wasn’t going to be able to carry all of them.
“And what did it take?” I led him to the back door, leaving the key on the table that Slade left for me. Clearly, I wasn’t going to need it anytime soon. Not with protective Papa in town.
“Why are you so curious all of a sudden?” He opened the back to his rental vehicle.
“I don’t know … I guess the fire has made me a little sentimental and a walk down memory lane is what I need.”
That … and I wanted to know if he would have killed a man to save her. Like Slade did for me.
We loaded the bags and climbed into the SUV.
“Do you think you have what it takes to kill another person? I mean … I know you teach self-defense classes, but you know what they say. Those who can, do. Those who can’t, teach.”
Before he backed out of the driveway, he gave me a side glance with the most unreadable yet disturbing expression I had ever seen on his face. “If what you’re really asking is … will I kill this guy Slade to keep you safe and out of harm’s way? The answer is yes. I have what it takes.”
I snorted a laugh. “I’m not sure you could take on Slade. He’s younger and very strong.”
“You realize … I’m not exactly weak, Livy. And strength is only one factor and not the most important one. Skill and mindset are the most dangerous weapons.”
“Wow … Jessica said the same thing.”
His forehead wrinkled. “She did?”
“Yeah … uh … I think it was when she gave me the rest of her good advice before I left for college.”
It wasn’t then … it was weeks earlier when we were sparring, and she was kicking my ass with one hand tied behind her back.
“Where to first?” he asked.
“Phone. I need a phone. Then I need a new computer, and I sure as hell hope I can figure out how to retrieve my important files and school stuff from the magical cloud. Oh! And I need keys made for my Jeep. They were in the house.”
Dad took care of everything, including finding all my computer files on the cloud and downloading them to my new computer. We enjoyed dinner at a great Ethiopian restaurant. Then we settled into our hotel room for the night.
I focused on my new phone, searching social media sites for Slade Wylder. No luck.
No phone number.
No way to contact him without going to his house—I didn’t foresee my dad being cool with that.
I should have left him a note. After threatening to leave because of his mysterious female friend, then up and leaving with all of the things he bought me looked like that’s exactly what I decided to do. I thought about his secrecy—his leaving without saying where he was going, what he was doing, or when he’d be home. And … well … I thought he could come home to a place without me and just deal with it.
Chapter Fifteen
As it happened, I didn’t see Slade until Monday morning in the lecture hall where he strategically planted himself and Jericho where there were no empty seats around him … and the asshole didn’t save me a seat.
Apparently sucking dick didn’t earn reserved seating.
Noted …
He didn’t leave class early. Maybe he felt trapped in the sea of students. Maybe he fell asleep. I’d noticed him drifting off several times. The downside to not making the early exit was the throng of students made it really hard to find him after class.
Staying true to the I-don’t-owe-you-anything attitude, I didn’t spend more than ten seconds looking for him before heading to my tree. I approached it with my head down, reading a text from Aubrey.
Her: They salvaged a handful of things from the fire that are yours. Possibly too damaged by smoke??? Go by the house after class and look through things.
Me: K. Thx
When I glanced up from my phone, Jericho trotted toward me with that irresistible smile as the light breeze caught my hair … blowing in my face. The sexy man behind him … not smiling so much. He sat with his back against the tree trunk, jean-clad legs stretched out and crossed ankles. His brief glance returned to the computer on his lap.
“Hi, baby.” I bent over and kissed Jericho’s head, giving his pointy ears the attention they deserved from me.
I strutted in my Wylder-purchased skinny jeans toward him, long-sleeved white tee with the arms pushed up to my elbows like he wore his long-sleeved shirts, and black boots. Straddling his crossed legs, I squatted while grabbing his laptop and setting it aside.
“Miss me?”
He rested his hands on the toes of my boots. “No.”
Pressing my hands to his chest, I lowered my mouth to his, grinning while I hovered a breath away. “Liar.” My mouth moved over his.
He didn’t surrender so easily. I would have been disappointed if he had. My tongue traced the seam of his lips as my right hand moved to the nape of his neck, gently caressing his hair.
His fuse ran out, shifting his hands from my boots to my face. Our one-sided teasing kiss turned into him lashing me with his tongue—almost punishingly. When his left hand threaded through my hair, pulling it hard, my lips ripped away from his, and his mouth sucked and bit its way down my neck. I knew my life would be hell if he left any marks on me. My father wouldn’t miss that.
“Where the fuck were you?” he whispered, his words coarse and chilling.
“To use some of your favorite words … it’s none of your business. However, I don’t keep secrets from you. I’m awesome like that. So … I’m staying at a hotel with my dad for the week. Longer if I don’t find a place to stay.”
He gripped my ass with his other hand and scooted me closer so his erection pressed between my legs. “You’re staying with me.” He nipped rather firmly on my exposed shoulder.
“I’m not sure my dad will go for that.”
“Then he can go fuck himself.”
I chuckled, closing my eyes because his mouth on me did really embarrassing things to my body. And I needed to focus on remembering where we were so I wouldn’t go to town dry humping him. “I’m not sure my dad is the kind who willingly sulks off to fuck himself. If I relay your message, I think he’ll be at your door, laser focused on fucking you up.”