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Skyla pushed a long strand of hair behind her ear and pulled the dark locks over her shoulder, exposing the butterfly tattoo with her mom’s name scrawled inside one of the wings. “You have to stay away. Otherwise, it’s all for nothing.”
“What is, Skyla? Talk to me. What was the deal you made to save my life?” There, he’d finally asked the question burning in his mind, but he dreaded the answer.
Skyla fidgeted with a piece of cheese before replacing it back on the plate and putting the plate aside. “Blake, I couldn’t let you die. Hallie and Orly would’ve been devastated. And Caden, I can’t even imagine. Not to mention your family and other friends, and co-workers. It would’ve been awful for them.”
He held back a grin at how she’d conveniently left herself out of all the people who would be upset over his death. “And you?” He asked.
“What?” She jerked her head up to meet his gaze, then quickly looked away.
“Would you have been devastated? Would it have been awful for you?” Blake knew he was pushing her, but he wasn’t about to let up now. They needed to clear the air and her adorable way of fidgeting with her food and averting her eyes like she was a shy school girl was only making him want to kiss her again even more. In fact, he was about thirty seconds away from kissing her again unless she stopped him.
Skyla hesitated answering him, but by the sadness written all over her face, and the sorrow reflected in her whiskey-colored eyes, he already knew the answer. The only question was, what had she given up for him?
“I mean, I guess I would’ve missed your constant brooding at the bar, hovering like you have no place else to be.” The corners of her mouth lifted the slightest bit, but it was the little eye roll that had him grinning at her sarcasm. Then she turned serious again. “You have to keep your promise to me, Blake. You have to stay away. I mean it. I’m telling you to stay away from me, for your own safety.”
Blake nearly barked out a laugh, but bit his tongue and held it in. “I think we both know I’m terrible at following orders, and that also goes for keeping promises I didn’t make, especially when someone I care about is in danger.” There, he’d admitted it. He cared about her.
He leaned in until he could easily see the gold flecks in her eyes, and gently captured her chin with his thumb, giving her every opportunity to pull away, to stop him, to say something before his mouth touched hers. But she leaned into him and closed the distance between them.
His mouth found hers and it was like a surge of energy went through him as she accepted his kiss, eagerly drawing him in. Her hands went to the back of his neck, her fingers shoving their way through his slightly damp curls. She angled her head and he deepened the kiss. A soft sigh from her throat had her parting her lips and he surged in, wanting, needing to be closer. To taste her. To feel every inch of that mouth that sassed him, that drew him into her life, that supported him even when she hadn’t said a word to him.
He had almost hoped their first kiss had been a fluke. It would’ve made things so much simpler, but now with her mouth on his, his tongue licking at the seam of her lips and exploring the sweet, hot taste of her again, there was no doubt in his mind. He wanted to keep kissing her. Hell, he wanted to keep her. Period.
But there was still so much to talk about. To figure out. He pulled back, ever so slowly, not wanting to give her the wrong idea, but needing to know more before they could lose themselves in each other. He left his hand cupping her cheek and placed a soft kiss on the tip of her nose. His gaze crashed into her whiskey-colored eyes, and it was like they were magnetic, pulling him in and never wanting to let go. He’d never felt anything like this before, and Skyla Madigan was the last person he ever thought he’d find this kind of attraction with. “What did you give up to save me?” He asked, the words nearly catching in his throat. Because whatever it was, he instinctively knew it was too much.
Her eyes closed, her long dark lashes resting on her cheeks and he traced the pad of his thumb along her beautiful high cheekbones. She was breathtakingly beautiful, even after the wreck she’d put her body through. “A lifetime supply of healings.” The words struck him like a bullet, but then her eyes flew open and her lips crashed into his in a kiss that left them both breathless and desperate for so much more.
His head spun and his balls tightened, all while his gut sank at the thought of what she’d admitted. Skyla had basically traded her own life for his, and there was no way in hell he was going to let that stand.
Several minutes later, when they finally came up for air from the kiss Blake never wanted to end, he looked at her, and maybe for the first time, saw the real Skyla Madigan. Not the bar owner. Not the savvy business woman. Not the tough as nails woman who dealt with drunk men twice her size. Not even the friend she’d been to Orly and Hallie. Just her. His breath caught in his chest at the miracle of it all. He’d known her for years, long before Orly and Hallie had ever come into their lives. And even after, he hadn’t given this woman a second thought. Then Caden gave him this assignment, and all Blake had done was assume the worst about her.
And without thinking about or considering the consequences, she’d saved his life, giving up whatever chance of freedom she might’ve had before. His gaze never left hers, and her hand was still at the nape of his neck, her fingers playing with the little hairs there. He used his thumb to trace a line down her cheek, along her jawline, and down the side of her neck, reveling in the feel of her soft skin, wanting to put his mouth on every inch of her. He wanted to kiss that butterfly tattoo, lick the hollow of her throat, and find out if she had any other tattoos under the black tank tops he always saw her in.
“Blake,” she started to say, but he didn’t want to hear it. He knew she was just going to tell him to stay away from her again, and that just wasn’t happening. He would never walk away from someone who’d just saved his life, but definitely not when they were in trouble, and especially not after the kisses they’d just shared.
“Why do you call him AJ?” Blake asked, interrupting whatever she was going to say.
Skyla smiled, a hint of light returning to her eyes, and Blake cocked his head, wanting to see more of it. “Cause Arlo J just sounds stupid. Besides, he doesn’t care what I call him, as long as I keep my end of the deal.”
A deal she’d made because of him. “We’re going to fix this,” he said. And that was a promise he planned to keep.
“No,” she started to protest, but he quieted her with a soft kiss on the lips, his fingers never leaving the velvety skin of her face and neck. “Blake, you can’t -”
“What do you think I do?” He was growing impatient with her need to protect him when he was the one who wore a badge and gun every day.
Skyla nibbled her bottom lip. “I know you’re a big bad FBI Agent, but as we’ve seen, you’re not impervious to bullets. AJ warned me to tell you to stay away.” She shook her head, swiping at a stray tear on her cheek. “I was there, Blake, when Nico shot you. One minute he was getting his drugs back and telling me I had to go with him to heal his father, and the next you were there, and he just fired. No remorse. No hesitation. It was like he was a completely different person. He didn’t care if you lived or died. He didn’t care about anything, but what AJ had sent him to retrieve. The drugs, and me.”
Blake stared at her for a moment, taking in everything she’d just said. “What drugs?”
Skyla shoved a hand through her hair, pulling it away from her face. “Last week, I was looking for an ink cartridge for my printer, and I accidentally found a box hidden behind some random things on the top shelf of my bookcase where I store the extra liquor. I knew it hadn’t been there before, but I had no idea who put it there or what was in it. So, I opened it and there were hundreds of little baggies of powder. Drugs. I called AJ and told him to get that shit out of my business, but he told me he’d take care of it in time and warned me not to ever call him again. I called him every day, and I guess tonight, he finally got sick of my nagging, and decided to send Nico to come get it. I still can’t believe Nico is his son. I had no idea. I swear.”
Blake ground his teeth until his jaw ached. He should’ve told her. He should’ve protected her instead of letting her fend for herself. “And you walked in on that?” Blake didn’t even want to imagine how much danger she’d been in while he was sitting with his friends, thinking about what he was going to say to her.
Skyla nodded. “Nico had it when I found him. But I wasn’t in any danger, Blake. Don’t you understand, they won’t hurt me. I’m too valuable to them. But they obviously will hurt the people I care about to get to me.” The fear and pain in her eyes was almost too much for him to bear. “That’s why I need you to stay away. Tell Caden and Hallie, and everyone, to please stay away from Madigan’s,” and then she added on a sad note, “and me. I’d never forgive myself if anything happened to any one of you.”
Blake gently squeezed her hand, the one he’d been holding this whole time. “Nothing is going to happen to Hallie or Orly. As for me, Caden, and the guys. I dare you to try to keep us away. You can start by going out there and telling Caden and Hallie that they can’t be around you. That when you need them most, they should just walk away, abandon you. Go ahead,” he said, getting up and gesturing for her to precede him.
When she sat staring at him with wide eyes, and didn’t move, he sat back down on the bed, reclaiming her hand. “You were there for Orly when she didn’t have any friends here. You stood by Hallie, even when I didn’t, or was that not you who came with drinks in hand when her store windows were smashed? Do you really think we would ever turn a blind eye when you’re the one who needs help now?”
