Cocky Protector - Kat Mizera Page 0,28

every day when I wake up, I thank my blessings that it’s her I’m sharing it with. The key is to find the person who complements you. At least it was for me. Em is tough as hell, but also maternal and smart and has a sassy side that gets me hard just thinking about it. That’s the kind of woman who makes up for the loss of adrenaline rush.” He paused. “But the truth? It never goes away completely. That’s why when she started managing the club, I took over as head of security. I get to bust a few heads now and then, and when Joe put Westfield Security up for sale, I bought it from him because I do get off on the rush. I enjoy the occasional jaunt into this world, and Em understands that. Westfield & Carruthers helps people, while also giving me the occasional excuse to use my skills, and that’s enough for me. I’m not twenty-five anymore, you know? And kids…well, that changes everything.”

I considered what he’d said. “But did you know that going in?”

“No, but I knew not having her in my life would be unacceptable. That was all the convincing I needed. She was the one who told me to buy Westfield—because she knows me better than I know myself.”

“Important trait in a mate.”

He met my gaze curiously. “This is about Shannon?”

“Yeah.” I wasn’t going to lie. Chains had been through this, so he understood better than I’d been expecting.

“And this started from one date a decade ago?”

“Yup. One evening of drinking and dancing, and one kiss that ruined me for all other women.” I shook my head. “And believe me when I say I know how ridiculous that sounds.”

Chains smiled. “Mate, when I met Em, she was getting ready to turn herself into the police for a crime she didn’t even commit. That girl turned my head inside out within minutes, so I knew she was the one for me within a couple of days. It doesn’t sound ridiculous to me at all.”

“So, uh, you think starting something with her is, uh, a good idea?” Why did I feel so uncomfortable talking about this?

“Looks to me like you already have.”

He had no idea how right he was.

Chapter Fourteen

Shannon

The CMA Primadonna was a big beautiful boat. As Ace and I approached the dock, I was momentarily mesmerized by it. It wasn’t the size of a cruise ship, not even close, but it was long and elegant, with several levels, lots of windows and an upper deck that was probably amazing in the summer. Two men rushed forward to greet us and take our suitcases, and as we walked across the short gangway onto the deck, sliding glass doors opened into a beautifully decorated reception area.

There was a huge Christmas tree on the left, a stairway on the right, and another set of sliding glass doors on the other side of the boat. We were immediately welcomed, shown around, and given our room keys, which doubled as access to getting on and off the boat.

We were pretending to be a couple on the cruise, which was fine with me, because every time he held my hand or put his arm around me, my skin literally tingled from his touch. Plus, we’d already expressed interest in each other so it didn’t feel like we were pretending. Everything was so damn easy for us, I wondered if it was like this for all couples. Probably not, because it definitely hadn’t been this way when I met Douglas.

“This is beautiful,” I told Ace under my breath as we took the stairs down to our room.

“Are you glad you came?”

“I guess we’ll find out in the next day or so.”

We unpacked a few things in our room and I looked at the two twin beds curiously.

“Aren’t we registered as a couple?” I asked him.

“Erik told me it’s a European thing. There was no option available with one bed. The deluxe suites are all booked.”

“Boo.” I stuck my tongue out and he laughed.

“We can push them together if you get frisky.”

“If?”

“You planning to attack me when we turn out the lights?”

“I might.” I loved pretending I was confident about my abilities to seduce him. It was the furthest thing from the truth, but fun nonetheless.

“I’m looking forward to it.” He grabbed me and lightly kissed me. “But we should take a walk around, learn where everything is. The spy in me can’t help myself. I need to