She gave him a playful elbow to the side. “I’ve never had a guy cook me breakfast before.”
“Yeah?” Braxton gave her a devastating grin. “Looks like you are having a lot of firsts today.”
Her face heated. He was right. He’d given her a lot of firsts today.
“Do you do this all the time? Cook for women after ravishing them?” She waved her fork over her plate.
Braxton’s grin slipped, his gaze boring straight to her heart. “I’ve never cooked for a woman before.”
Her heart melted like a snow cone in the middle of July. “Looks like there are a lot of firsts for both of us today.”
Bam! Bam! Bam! Three sharp knocks to the front door had Braxton grabbing his shirt and heading for the living room.
She grabbed his arm and dug in her heels, holding him back. “What are you doing? You can’t answer the door. What if it’s the Assassins?”
He took another step and she tightened her fingers on his bicep. Her heart pounded in her chest.
“If you get caught now, you won’t have a chance to find your father’s killer.”
Braxton thinned his lips, and she knew he was contemplating his options.
“Braxton, please. I don’t know what I’d do if you got hurt, or worse.” She swallowed the lump in the back of her throat. She was an idiot. She was falling for a guy who wouldn’t be around much longer. Even if he did find the killer and things were resolved, Braxton would want to go back to Shreveport to be with his mom. His home was in Louisanna, not here with her.
He cupped her face between his massive hands and stared down at her with such tenderness it made her chest tighten.
The visitor pounded out three more hard knocks.
Kate gripped his wrist. “Please, let me answer the door. If it’s those guys, you can have a chance of escaping out the back door.”
He brought his mouth down on hers and kissed her hard. As much as she wanted the kiss to never end, she pulled away and shoved at his chest. “Go.”
She waited until Braxton was out the kitchen door before making her way slowly to the front door. Kate glanced at her reflection in the mirror over the table. Damn, she looked like she’d been rolling around in bed with a hot man.
She tightened the belt on her robe and counted to ten before opening the front door.
Her heart dropped to the floor. Standing right in front of her was the same man that had approached her in the parking lot. She thought she had been so careful about not being followed back to the Bella Luna.
The stranger whipped off his Oakleys and glared at her with intense blue eyes.
“Where is he?” he growled.
“Where is who?” She suddenly wished she was a gun owner. Here she was, standing in front of a guy who outweighed her by at least a hundred and fifty pounds, and she had nothing to defend herself with.
The dark stranger blew out an impatient breath. “Braxton. Where is he?”
Holy shit. “I don’t know any Braxton.” She gave him her best poker face. She sucked at poker. She sucked at lying in general.
The Assassin stuck his hand through his jet-black hair and closed his eyes.“I know Braxton is here. I can smell him all over you.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Kate lifted a lock of hair and sniffed. Smelled like mango and apricots to her.
The stranger growled. “I don’t mean your hair. I mean I can smell his scent on your body.”
She opened her mouth and clamped it shut, both embarrassed and outraged.
“Listen, I’m…”
A growl rumbled through the house. She turned just as Braxton rushed past her and tackled the stranger, knocking him to the hardwood floor.
***
“You know I can’t let you live,” Braxton growled. “If I do, you’ll have the other Assassins on Kate’s doorstep within the hour.” Braxton twisted the stranger’s hands behind his back as he held him down.
“Braxton, get your large ass off me before you really piss me off.”
Braxton stilled, the familiar voice catching him off guard. Slowly he released his hold and rolled off. Damon leaped to his feet in a front flip.
“Damon?” Braxton narrowed his eyes.
“Yeah, it’s me you dumb fuck.” Damon dusted the imaginary dirt off his leather jacket with a scowl.
“Wait, you know him?” Kate stuck her thumb in Damon’s general direction.
“Yeah.” Braxton nodded slowly.
“Is he one of the Assassins?” Kate gave him a wide-eyed look.
Damon scowled. “I’m no fucking Assassin.”
“He’s a friend.” Or so he hoped.
“Well, don’t start having a Lifetime movie moment with me. I’m already mated, dickwad,” Damon snarled.
Braxton gave him a fist bump and laughed. “Don’t worry. You’re not my type. By the way, how is Ava? Is she still playing Little Red Riding Hood?”
“Only in my bed.” Damon cut his suspicious gaze at Kate. “And you are…”
Braxton placed his hand on the small of Kate’s back. “Damon, this is Kate. She owns the Bella Luna.”