His being there could only mean, firstly, something was wrong with Ginger and/or I was in some peril or secondly, he’d heard things were over with Hawk, I was down the mountain from Tack and he was moving in.
Why… me?
I buried this reaction and met him on the sidewalk, wishing he wasn’t so freaking hot.
“Hey Mitch,” I greeted.
“Gwendolyn,” he smiled.
I stared at his smile.
Why, I will repeat, me?
“I’ve managed not to get shot at or kidnapped for a whole week,” I bragged.
“Good for you.” He kept smiling.
“Please tell me you’re not here to inform me my winning streak is ending and another incident is imminent.”
He shook his head. “Not here for that, sweetheart.”
I tipped my head to the side. “Then why are you here?”
“’Cause Leo spoke to me this mornin’ and he gave me a surprise invitation to girls’ night in with cosmopolitans.”
I stared at him.
I was going to kill Cam.
“Mitch,” I whispered.
“Honey, I said no,” he replied gently.
I felt relief and loss, the first more than the last but I felt loss all the same mostly because he was hot, partly because he was gentle and also partly because I really liked his eyes.
He got closer and I held my ground as his soulful eyes I liked so much locked with mine.
Then he shared, “Every instinct I got is tellin’ me to move in and protect you not only from everything that’s happening with your sister but from two men I’m uncertain are good for you.”
I sucked in my lips and bit them.
“At the same time,” he went on,” I’m sensin’ that you need space to do whatever you’re gonna do.”
I let my lips go and nodded my head.
“That said, I’d be a fool not to tell you where I stand.”
Uh-oh.
“I was another type of man, the type they are, I wouldn’t hesitate gettin’ in there and muddling your head by making my play.”
At that point, I felt I should intervene.
“Hawk is… well, Hawk,” I lamely defended him. “And Tack is giving me space.”
“It isn’t space to install you in his house, sweetheart.”
Well, that was semi-true.