Same/Difference (The Depth of Emotion #4) by D.D. Lorenzo

Paige at their mercy. Yeah, the more he thought about it the more he was certain she didn’t know they were here. She was unprotected and exposed. If the two of them considered Paige either a threat or expendable, he had to keep an eye on them and her He was going to keep her close, at least for the next month. Once she went home she’d be away from them and fine.
    As he relaxed he let his mind wander. She invaded with more pleasant thoughts, and he welcomed every one. The soft candlelight at dinner only enhanced how stunning she was. Her eyes twinkled, her smile was warm, and flickers of light danced through her hair. She had proven, for a second time, that something about her appealed to him. There was no mistaking that the attraction was mutual. He’d have to keep himself in check or Carter would kick his ass. She wasn’t somebody to play with and throw away. His body reacted to the memory of her as well, and once again he relieved his pent up frustrations in the shower. She might be the object of his current fantasy, but he’d tread lightly. If she were anyone else, he would have had her in his bed and on her back by now. He could get lost in those warm eyes, and that scared the shit out of him. Funny how he could put his life on the line without a thought, but with his heart he could think of nothing else.
    The hot steam filled the bathroom and clung to the mirror as Falcon opened the shower door. Grabbing a towel, he wrapped it around his waist and walked into the other room. He sat down at the laptop. If he were going to rearrange his plans, he would spend as much time with Paige as possible. He looked up restaurants, clubs, and shows. He’d make this work while they were together. He didn’t care if it was the two of them or if she wanted her friend to join them, but he wanted to keep her close.
    Once he’d finished with that he grabbed a notepad. He wrote keywords that could prove useful in a search on the Vallega’s. He had one list for Manny and one for Marisol. As more uneasy thoughts came to mind, he added a third person to investigate. Blake Matthews. Although Falcon knew his basic story, something seemed off about him. Instinct told him there was more to this guy than he was telling. Something about him set off red flags. Not that Falcon could give two shits, but the first time he met Blake, he gave him the evil eye. All that weekend he acted like he owned Paige. If he would have tried anything Falcon would have put his fist in his face, but all he did was give him dirty looks. No harm in that. He just had a selfish look in his eye, like he owned her. Now that Falcon was aware of the company Blake was keeping, he had the potential to be deadly. Manny Vallega certainly was and, if Blake was in thick with him, there was no way to know the man’s mental state.

 
     
    B lake was pissed. On his way to meet Manny and Marisol, he saw Falcon Grey getting into a black Mercedes. He didn’t like him and hadn’t since the first time they met. He was a cocky, self-righteous son of a bitch with a misguided sense of entitlement. He could tell he was military when he met him. Blake wasn’t short, but he guessed Falcon was half a foot taller than him. As Blake played the gentlemen, Falcon’s attention was focused on Paige. It wasn’t as though he was making a secret of it either. Blake ached to put a fist in Falcon’s face, but instead allowed his anger to steep all weekend, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. Blake tried to discourage him and narrowed his eyes in menacing looks every time they were in the same room. The stupid ass didn’t even seem affected; he just looked Blake over as if he considered him a nuisance. Blake saw red as compliments dripped from Falcon’s mouth, his eyes blatantly roaming over Paige from head to foot. Yet, whenever Blake tried to get near her, Falcon acted as if he was a pest and blocked his attempts of engaging her. Who the hell did he think he was? Those were his friends !