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Josefina Marin, long black hair, beautiful, older, around thirty. Has a list of accolades and awards after her name. A renowned photojournalist and war correspondent, she’s hopelessly out of my league. Dead or alive.
The worst thing is, I can see she’d have been perfect for him. If she lived, I’d never?—
“Stop it.”
I think I would have liked her.
“Seriously, Dakota?” I mutter, throwing back another gulp of the wine. “Stop it. She’s dead and he’s gone from your life. Get over it.”
But I can’t.
How do you get over the man who you suspect just might be the love of your life?
The doorbell rings and I thank the pizza company for the distraction. I pad over to the front of the apartment and fling open the door.
That’s when I forget how to breathe.
My blood turns to molten lava.
“Orion.”
He holds up the pizza box.
I almost take it and slam the door in his face. Almost. But a door in the face won’t stop him, and my knees are weak at the sight of him. I don’t care if it’s a special brand of self-imposed torture I’ve just devised, but I need to soak him up. Just a little.
“Come in.” My breath hitches as his eyes tangle with mine. I step aside and he enters, looking around.
I frown. “There are no men hiding.”
“I know. Who the fuck do you think’s been watching you this month. Four dates? Really? Not one of them’s right for you.”
“And you are?” My heart spins in my chest, blood bubbling with pent-up lust when his familiar scent wafts under my nose, infusing me with all that is him, all that I want and need and miss.
He doesn’t answer. Just puts the box down.
“Pizza smells good.” Orion’s gaze goes to my neck. “Glad to see you got rid of that necklace.”
I put my hand to my throat. “I had to.”
“Needed the money? I hope you got a good price.”
“How…?” I furrow my brow and move farther into the room, stopping on the side of the blue sofa opposite him. It sits between us like the weirdest chastity belt. “I couldn’t stand it, but I sold it to a guy at a pawn shop. The guy totally ripped me off, but I know the indignity of it being sold for way less than it’s worth will turn Trent on his spit in hell. But how did you know?”
“I put a tracker on it so I could find you when you insisted on being a one-girl vigilante team.” He comes around the sofa toward me and I back away, my heart leaping into my throat.
He doesn’t stop until my back hits the bookshelf.
“Is that how you found me here?”
“No. I asked Smith. It was easier than looking you up, but harder, too.”
“Harder?” I scoff. “Why? You made it clear how you feel about me.”
He takes a step back and rubs a hand over his beard.
I narrow my eyes at the tattoo he had added to that hand. It’s a vine with delicate leaves and flowers that look like little trumpets.
Orion sees where my hard gaze is focused and drops his eyes to his hand. “I usually get new ink when a mission or job ends. But I didn’t want anything of this job on me. Except one thing.”
