Page 52 of Her Intense Protector

“There’s no scoopage. We like one another. I think, and think is the important word in this sentence, I think that we both want to know where this might go. But right now, it’s way too early to know. I’ve caught his eye for the moment.”

“Jesus, girlfriend, a man doesn’t give his friend the third degree about a woman who has just ‘caught his eye’. Kevie Boy sure did a number on your self-esteem.”

“Want some orange juice?” she asked Eden. Eden shook her head. Sam pulled a glass out of the cupboard and the bottle out of the fridge and poured herself a glass. “Eden, my self-esteem is fine. I swear it. I just don’t want to assume anything. I’m taking this one day at a time.”

“Okay, honey. Look, the main reason I brought you in here was to tell you that the guest room at our house is open for you. The only reason I let Ezio whisk you away last night is that we had the house full with Phil, Greg, Toni, and David and you looked dead on your feet. I did right by you, didn’t I?”

“Absolutely,” Samantha assured her friend.

“So, no scoopage? You’re sure?”

“You still haven’t told me what all went on in Argentina when Asher rescued you. Care to share that?” Samantha raised an eyebrow.

“I told you, a lot of that is classified.” Eden was definitely uncomfortable, and Samantha laughed.

“No scoopage from you, means no scoopage from me. Thems the rules.”

“You’re no fun.” But Eden was smiling.

“And anyway, you’re lying. You’ve got your brother coming to visit on Monday and Tuesday before he gets ready for the big trade show at the Virginia Beach conference center next weekend. So, don’t B.S. me. That room is taken.”

“Pete can stay at a hotel.”

“For that matter, so can I.”

“No, you can’t. You need to be protected,” Eden hissed at her. “Asher can take care of you.”

“So can Ezio. If he’s okay with me staying with him until those men are caught, then I’m staying here.”

Eden smirked. “There is so definitely scoopage.” Then she stuck her head out of the kitchen. “What do you want to drink?”

“Nothing,” Asher hollered back. “We’re all leaving. Ezio is going to take Samantha to the precinct. Leo called his brother and he’s expecting her.”

The women strolled back into the living room. Ezio stood up and put his arm around Samantha’s waist. It felt good.

“You’re not going with us?” Samantha asked Leo. She was surprised.

“No. But I’ll be seeing you around. You can count on that.” Leo Perez gave her a hundred-watt smile, and it was breathtaking. She bet that he had hundreds of women swooning over him. But it didn’t do anything for her. Nope, just a little quirk of Ezio’s lip, and she was a goner.

“I look forward to it.”

“We both do,” Ezio said.

Eden gave Samantha a knowing smile, which Sam did her best to ignore.

They waved Leo, Eden, and Asher good-bye, then Ezio turned to Samantha. “I guess we’re going to the police station.” He sounded disappointed.

“Sounds like.” She sounded equally disappointed.

“Well, we better get going. We’re burning daylight.”

Samantha giggled.

“What?”

“Does every man say that?”

“Yep, it’s mandatory. I learned it from my father who learned it from his father. I’m betting that phrase goes back to the covered-wagon days.”