“Nothing. I’m just thinking about our meeting with Vienna Teager.”

I don’t need my training to know she’s lying, but I decide to let it slip this time.

“Vi is really cool, and Zane is my best buddy. We’ll have a great time with them.” I let go of her hand and place a soft kiss on her forehead, letting her know that I’m here if she needs me. “I’ll just freshen up, and then we can leave. Mr. Big and I have inspected a lot of places inhabited by spiders, ticks, and mites.”

She jumps off the couch and starts to shake off her clothes. “And you were sitting so close to me?”

Watching her squeal and flail as she tries to get rid of imaginary insects, I want to hold her in my arms, but I don’t think she’ll approve of it right now. So, I take a step toward her but maintain a good distance between our bodies, enough to avoid any insect transfer, and lean forward. When our faces are close, I whisper, “I won’t let any harm come to you, wife.”

The word slips from my mouth before I can stop it. But once it’s out, I don’t know why it doesn’t feel wrong.

Her lips freeze under mine for a second, and she glances at me with wide eyes. We stare at each other for a few seconds, not knowing how to fix this weirdness. But then she asks, “How? Will you shoot them with your gun?”

The curl of her mouth alerts me that she’s joking, and my thumping heartbeat slowly comes down. “I’ll squish them under my boots,” I grunt like a mountain man.

Her breath hitches. “So cruel!” But the rise in her pulse tells me she isn’t appalled by my caveman theatrics.

“I’ll keep you safe, always.” My heart fucking bursts with joy when she rubs her nose with mine.

“I love hearing that,” she mumbles before giving me a soft kiss that’s over too fast and is too tender, and I make her a promise that she always comes first, above everyone else in my life. Including myself.

* * *

“Finally.” I release a breath from where I’m sitting behind the steering wheel.

“You were missing this so much?” Autumn raises an eyebrow.

“I feel safe when I’m behind the wheel.”

“Of course you do, you control freak.”

“Don’t tell me you hate my controlling nature. I’ll have to drag you back to the suite to prove otherwise.”

I don’t know what, but in these two days, something has shifted between Autumn and me. My heart is lighter and more carefree than it has been for as long as I can remember.

She rolls her eyes but fails to bite back her smile as I turn on the ignition.