Total pages in book: 123
Estimated words: 114819 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 574(@200wpm)___ 459(@250wpm)___ 383(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 114819 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 574(@200wpm)___ 459(@250wpm)___ 383(@300wpm)
Cash yawned again.
Dev had to be exhausted too. Shanna probably more than any of them.
Her new assignment had already started. If he remembered correctly, Diesel and Shanna were to make their relationship public tonight. By Saturday night, they’d present as a couple.
Maybe by Monday, he’d be free of the case. He’d agreed to remain on as a consultant until his notice ran out.
And Dev had confessed his love. A warmth spread over him like it had over and over again every time he thought about Dev’s sweet confession.
He flipped the blinker on, taking the final turn before the clubhouse came into view when his cell phone rang. The dashboard display showed Lily Collins’s name. Honestly, he thought about letting it go to voice mail, but guilt and responsibility got the best of him. He reached forward to push the button to answer, momentarily taming his defiance.
“Cash Ryan.” He should probably try for a more professional tone instead of someone who never wanted to talk to his superior again. He just didn’t have it in him right now.
“Are you in a position to talk?” Cash waited in a long line of bikes and cars pulling into the clubhouse.
“I have a few minutes before we’re interrupted,” he said, regretting his innate need to always do the right thing. The instant irritation had him reevaluating exactly how good a guy he was. He didn’t want to talk to her and immediately corrected the time. “About a minute. What’s going on?”
“We’re done,” Lily said happily. “The case has come to a close. You closed the operation. Job well done.”
An excited numbness took over. He stared out the front windshield almost afraid to believe her. An unsteady breath escaped. The guarded side of his personality was afraid to trust her words.
“Did I lose you?” she asked.
“No,” he responded, taking the turn into the parking lot. Since they had arrived at the funeral last and left first, there was still a decent amount of parking spaces left open. “So we’re done?”
“Yes. You found the people responsible for the theft, effectively stanched the hemorrhage, and recovered a large part of the money. You accomplished the goals set out. Congratulations,” she said again.
“Dev actually did it,” Cash said, wondering how she knew the money skimming had stopped. He resisted the needling need to know because who really cared? An array of feelings and emotions then zipped over him so quickly he couldn’t process everything coursing through him.
What caught his attention was the animated, crazy, sexy man who stood in the parking lot, throwing his hands in the air, yelling at the different cars and bikes that tried to park in the prime space he held open. Cash smiled at the scene. His heart was full, his head replaying the moment when Dev had finally spoken of his love.
No, that wasn’t right. His head filled with the sweet kiss Dev gave him to seal his declaration.
When Dev saw him, his anger settled, grinning broadly and pointing Cash in the parking space close to the front door. The grin only held so long. As Cash pulled forward, Dev’s stance changed. He yelled at a pickup truck that Dev deemed was following Cash’s car too closely.
His middle fingers went flying as he took several steps after the truck, prepared to do battle.
Clearly, the heart wanted what the heart wanted. Apparently his came by way of an insane, impetuous, salty, loving, exceptional man. He felt incredibly fortunate.
“Did I lose you this time?” Lily asked with humor in her voice.
“No, I’m sorry. Hang on. Parking.” Cash rolled down the window as Dev pivoted around and came back to his car. “I’m on the phone. Can you give me a minute?”
“Sure.” Dev cocked a brow, looking quizzical as he mouthed something. Who knew what? Cash mouthed Lily’s name hoping that answered Dev’s question.
It didn’t. The look of confusion continued. He wasn’t sure if Dev was going to question him further or leave him to finish. It took a moment for his biker to decide. Then Dev reached a hand around Cash’s jaw, keeping him in place, and bent into the window to kiss him. Another show of possession without caring who might see.
It was a sweet gesture, a claiming moment. “Come in when you can. Millie’s with the girls tonight. Shanna’s on her way back here. Stay until we go home together.”
Cash nodded, knowing Lily heard everything Dev said. Dev left him after another quick kiss. He rolled up the window before continuing. “Let me transfer you to my cell so no one can hear us.” He palmed his phone, working the settings until the call was transferred over and put the phone to his ear. “I’m sorry. Where were we?”
“I said Dev was a large part of the success, but you saw something inside him that no one else did. Then you were able to get him on our side. It was really quite remarkable. You’re the closer. Your reputation’s well-deserved.”