Page 56 of Disgrace

“I see you’re distracted again,” he said.

Familiarity comforted her.

Love wrapped around her.

Hope held her.

Still, Siena’s gaze darted over her shoulder to the door. “How in the hell did you get in here?”

John shrugged. “Used the back door when someone was coming in, and picked your lock. I’m buying you a new one, by the way. No one else has a key, right?”

“The enforcer who watches after me.”

His gaze narrowed. “Yeah, I saw that prick, too. Is he fucking decent to you?”

“He’s okay.”

She wasn’t lying.

John nodded. “Can you change out his key?”

“Probably. Sometimes he’s leaves them sitting in the cup holder when he runs into a place.”

“Good enough for me.”

Siena shook her head. “What are you doing here, John?”

His grin deepened. “Do you not want me here, babe?”

How could he possibly think that?

“Of course, I do, but it’s danger—”

John interrupted her protests by grabbing her wrist, and yanking her in to him. Her book fell to the floor the second his lips crashed against hers. The kiss was enough to quiet her worries, make her wet between her thighs, and remind her of all the reasons why she loved this dark-in-his-soul man.

“They saw you,” she whispered against his lips.

John hummed a low note. “Saw me, what?”

“Around Kev’s place the day it was burned down.”

He stiffened.

Siena shrugged. “Was it you?”

“Yes—someone else, too. But they were there to keep a look out.”

“Because of what they did to Cella’s husband?”

John shook his head, and kissed her lips again. “Nope—maybe partly. But mostly, no.”

“Then, why?”

“Did you think I was just going to wait until I could see you from afar by chance again?” John laughed darkly, and kissed the tip of her nose. His affection was a bright contrast to how cold his voice and words were when he spoke. “No fucking way, bella. I am all in on this. Us, I mean. I tip hands to my favor, not the other way around. I needed a way to get you out from under their thumbs a little bit—now you are. See what I did there?”

Siena blinked.

John grinned.