Page 41 of Crimson Love

“I knew you liked it.” I try to change the subject. “It’s okay to be impressed. I have more skills than I give myself credit for. And I have a lot of skills, Lennon.”

She bites her lip. “If I didn’t have so much to worry about, that would be intriguing.”

I’m about to tell her to spill the truth about everything plaguing her so she can be intrigued, but we’re interrupted.

“Lennon! Hey, Lennon!” We stop and turn. Blake stands in the middle of the atrium with a man. Blake looks as happy as Smoke when I take him to the dog park, but the man is more like Panther—like he’s looking for his next kill shot and won’t let anything, or anyone stand in his way. “We’ve been looking for you.”

“Oh my God,” Lennon whispers. The color drains from her face leaving her several shades paler than she already was. “It can’t be.”

I look back to Blake who’s hurrying our way. The man follows but there’s nothing about him that’s rushed. His stare is intense and never wavers from Lennon.

“You know that guy?”

She doesn’t answer but she does shift closer to me.

Not just close.

She presses her front to my side.

This isn’t the first time I’ve touched Lennon, but it is the first time it’s been like this. I feel every swell and curve that I’ve appreciated since she literally bulldozed into my life.

I like it a lot.

So much, I shift her duffle from one hand to the other so I can hold her right where she is, not that it feels like she’s going anywhere.

I wrap my arm around her lower back. My hand lands low on her far hip and flirts with her ass in a way I’d love to take the flirt out of the equation. From the feel of it, my dick would like that too.

Neither of us say another word, because Blake comes to a stop and motions to the man stalking toward us.

Blake’s smile spreads from ear to ear. “You have a visitor. I’ve been trying to call you.”

Lennon’s tits rise and fall against me as her breaths shallow and quicken, but she never shifts her stare from the stranger who comes to a stop next to Blake.

“Hello, love,” the man says. He’s got a slight accent I can’t place. “I’ve missed you.”

“I had no idea your uncle was coming to visit,” Blake goes on. “You never talk about your family.”

Uncle.

Interesting.

Despite the bags weighing her down, Lennon manages to wrap an arm around my back. Her tone doesn’t match the action of her white knuckling my shirt. “This is a surprise. I had no idea he was coming either. As it turns out, I’m busy.”

“If you would only answer my calls, we could have planned. I know how you don’t like surprises.” Lennon’s uncle speaks through a generic smile that doesn’t put me at ease. In fact, it’s enough to send little kids running the other way. I, on the other hand, want to punt him into Lake Winslet. He turns his sharp gaze to me but continues speaking to Lennon. “It seems you’re not the only one surprised. Who is the man you’ve attached yourself to so quickly?”

Blake glances back and forth between Lennon and me. “Yeah, when did this happen?”

I drop the duffle and reach down to claim her chin in my fingers to force her to look up at me. I cup her face in my hands and take in her intense stare. It takes only a moment, but I get the answer I’m looking for.

She wants this.

Hell, she’s begging for it.

And I can’t wait another moment to give her what she wants. What she needs.

I lean down and put my lips to hers. Just like I thought, she doesn’t argue or pull away.

She’s an active participant.