Page 2 of Her Intense Protector

“You need to find a woman,” Leo teased.

“I found one,” Ezio said.

“Tabitha doesn’t count.”

“Says you. I’ll see you later tonight.”

Ezio whistled and two of the three dogs ran over to him. “You’re a nut, you know that?” he hollered at the black dog with the floppy ears. He picked up one of the ropes and shook it. The big pup shot over to him and grabbed hold. Ezio laughed out loud. “Okay, back inside you big goofs.”

Before he left, he went inside and squatted outside Duchess’s pen for five minutes to see if he could get her to come to him. She finally made it to the middle of her enclosure. He tossed her the treat, and he could swear he saw her eyes say thank you. Then he went over to Tabitha’s pen.

“Okay, girl. Just another week or so, and you’ll have a trainer who’s going to get you all dolled up for some lucky vet. You are going to be the belle of the ball.”

He rubbed his face against the scruff of her neck, delighting in the unadulterated affection coming from the beautiful dog.

* * *

As he was driving the winding roads to Kane’s house he thought about Leo’s words and he laughed. There had only been one woman who’d interested him in the last couple of years. Well, really interested him, that is. He’d been thinking about Samantha Brooks on and off for the last seven months since he’d met her at Asher and Eden’s house. She’d been visiting from Boise, Idaho. They’d danced at the party and snuck away for coffee. They’d talked on the phone a couple of times after she’d gone home, but he’d been fine to let their budding friendship peter out.

When he’d met her, Sam had recently been left at the altar. She was extraordinary; she seemed to take it in stride and was able to laugh about it. Still, Ezio didn’t want to be the rebound relationship. If he were ever lucky enough to date Samantha, he wanted to have a real shot at something with her. But there was still the problem that she had a job she loved in Boise.

He steered into a gas station to fill up his big Jeep. She cost a lot in fuel, but he wouldn’t trade her for anything.

“Yo!”

Ezio looked up and saw a familiar face—Nic Hale. He was the youngest member of the Night Storm team. Even in the last ten months since Ezio had worked with him, it seemed like the kid had aged some…in a good way.

“Hey Nic, you on your way to Kane’s?”

“Yep. I’m taking over Mom’s blackberry cobbler. She left it in my fridge yesterday while I was gone.”

Ezio grinned. Okay, maybe he hadn’t aged quite as much as he’d thought.

“Hey, I see the look on your face. You’ve met my mom; she’s a force of nature, and I’m her baby boy. She’s having trouble letting go, it’s not my fault.”

Ezio held up his hands. “I’m not complaining, she’s a good cook. It’s amazing that Captain Hale doesn’t weigh three-hundred pounds.”

“That’s what he always says,” Nic laughed. “I can’t wait until one of my older sisters pops one out and Mom has a grandkid to dote on. I don’t need all this heat, it cramps my style.”

Ezio couldn’t help the snort that burst out of his nose. “How old are you again?”

“I’m going to be twenty-four.”

“God save me from the young.”

“You’re just saying that because I can kick your ass on the training field, old man.” Nic shook his head in sorrow as he took out the hose and closed his gas cap.

“Just name the day. Just name the day.”

“Tuesday.”

“You’re on.”

Ezio was grinning when he got back into his Grand Cherokee and followed the winding roads to Lake Anna. He was going to miss the Night Storm team when Zed was finally cleared to come back, and he went back to Omega Sky. Of course, he’d missed his team too. It wasn’t like he hadn’t kept in touch with all those reprobates; God knew they needed him to occasionally horn in on their training and kick their asses. But it wasn’t the same as going out on a mission with them. Hell, he was second-in-command on that team, and he couldn’t help worrying about them. Not to say that Gideon hadn’t done a great job stepping up, but still, that was Ezio’s job on Omega Sky.

Then, as if his thoughts had sped across an electric current, his phone rang. He pressed the button on his steering wheel so he could answer it.

“Stark, here.”