The Promise of Love by Billi Jean

liked to touch it. Her hair was just a bit darker than his—lighter, maybe, at the tips.
    “Fine, give me a few, I’ll drop Paris off and be up there after.”
    Her heart sank. She tried to hide it, but as soon as David hung up, he gave her a half smile and tugged her braid. “I’ll be gone for a bit, but not long, so don’t look so sad.”
    She snorted and thumped his chest again.
    “Aw, come on, admit it, you’ll miss me,” he teased, kissing her knuckles. When that got him nothing, he kissed along her neck up to behind her ear and tightened his arms until she could feel his biceps and pectoral muscles flexing. “I sure the hell will miss you, princess.”
    The press of his body, especially the long, thick evidence of exactly what he meant, thrilled her, but at the same time, her heart clenched. She swallowed past a sudden painfulness in her throat and pasted on a smile for the first time since he’d run to her rescue.
    Is it all about the sex? Why does that matter so much? Focus, here, now, with him.
    But it did matter, and she couldn’t stop the worry, or the realization that she wanted more, much more of David Jansen, than a sexy weekend getaway.
     

Chapter Five
     
     
     
    “All right, here I am. What’s the deal?” David snapped. Paris had been too quiet on the drive back to her hotel, and the brief peck on the lips had been so different than her other kisses he’d wanted to pull her back and ask what was wrong, but hadn’t had the time.
    “We have to go to meet with Duke,” Will said.
    “I heard that, why?”
    “Because he wants to meet you, why else?” Petrok said. “Hey, I don’t want to bust up your little vacation, Jay-Jay, but this is work. Get your head on straight.”
    “My head is always on straight, Red.”
    She snorted and flipped him the bird.
    He took that and strapped on his firearm, adjusting his shoulder holster with a flat stare in her direction. She was amused, no doubt, but he really didn’t care. In fact, he wanted this over with so he could get back to Paris and find out what was up with the tension he’d felt building between them.
    “He wants to meet us so he can do what? Be sure of us?” Will asked, standing from where he’d been seated at one of the cafeteria tables.
    “Something like that. He wants you to train his men, remember? So he wants to see how you are, and probably give you some drugs,” she murmured. “Just remember to fake it. Under no circumstances would I recommend taking what he dishes out.”
    “Not a chance. I just beat that other shit,” David grumbled. Besides, no way would he chance harming Paris if Duke’s messed-up drug was as bad as it sounded.
    “Ditto,” Will said. He was relaxed, not at all as if he was anxious to get back to Paris or pissed he’d only had hand jobs and not the super soft, silky wet slide of Paris’ body around his cock. For some reason that eased the lockdown David had on his muscles. But it also gave him a dose of ‘damn right’ he needed time to analyze, but wasn’t getting. As soon as he was done here, he was going back to her. All he could make out was that he didn’t want Will too close to her. Maybe they’d share again, but he had to let Will know that things weren’t going the full share.
    As soon as Petrok stood she started walking. They got up as well, but not as fast. A few of the men casually eating watched her, but if the redhead knew, she ignored every single one of them. He’d never seen her take up the offers she got, so it wasn’t a surprise she didn’t show any interest.
    “Hey, about Paris,” Will said next to him. “I kinda think you’re on board there more than usual.”
    David focused on following Petrok, not sure what Will meant by that. “I’m on board, yeah.”
    “Yeah?” Will muttered. “Did you tell her you’d be back?”
    David scowled at him. “Of course, what kind of guy do you think I am, man?”
    Will raised his eyebrows at that then rubbed his hand over his