Chapter 8

CHAPTER EIGHT

“Don’t be nervous.”

Remi wanted to snort in reply, but she felt frozen. Yesterday felt like a dream. She’d enjoyed every second of the day she’d spent with Vincent. Loved meeting his friends, trying to find the food trucks Jodelle had recommended, chatting with people in line at the shave ice place, even sitting in the traffic jam they’d gotten stuck in on the way back to Waikiki.

To end the perfect day, Vincent had made reservations at Duke’s. It felt like a completely different experience, sharing it with someone else.

He’d escorted Remi up to her hotel room afterward, and they’d watched a movie on one of the streaming services before watching the sun go down, along with the fireworks the hotel shot off every Friday night. She’d not wanted the day to end, and had been looking forward to what the night would bring. But Vincent hadn’t torn off her clothes to have his wicked way with her, like she’d hoped.

They did make out, and she’d never felt so desired in her life, but Vincent had stopped things before they’d gone too far. And he’d done it in a way that didn’t make her feel rejected. He’d said he wanted their first time to be special. That he wanted to get to know everything about her, her likes and dislikes, so he could make everything perfect the first time he made love to her.

Remi had never clicked with a man so quickly as she had with Vincent. She supposed she should be worried that this was some kind of unconscious need on her part to validate her appeal, especially after Douchecanoe. But deep down, she knew it wasn’t that. Being with Vincent felt…right. As if she’d known him forever, instead of for a single day.

He’d left her hotel room around eleven, and had shown up at seven that morning with fresh coffee, sharing a breakfast of the Leonard’s pastries they hadn’t finished the day before.

It seemed like yet more proof that they were meant to meet when they discovered they were on the same flight back to California. Their plane didn’t leave until around eight that evening, so they’d spent the morning snorkeling in the waters near the hotel.

Then they’d showered, packed, and done a little sightseeing before heading to the airport. She’d managed to upgrade Vincent’s ticket to business class, so they could sit together on the redeye flight. He’d protested, but she’d done it anyway.

And now they were walking hand in hand through the San Diego airport toward luggage claim. His friends Wolf and Caroline were meeting them there. She’d arranged for Marley to come get her, but had texted before the flight and told her a little bit about Vincent, and how he was going to take her home…well, his friend was. Marley had warned Remi that they were going to have a girls’ night soon so she could hear all the details about this new guy, which Remi was more than happy to divulge. She wanted her best friend’s opinion. Valued it.

But first, she had to meet Wolf. The man Vincent had talked about on the plane. The man who was his mentor, who he looked up to, and whose opinion he highly valued. The thought of meeting someone who meant so much to Vincent was making her quake in her boots. Shoes. Flip-flops, whatever.

She felt grubby after a long flight. She hadn’t had her coffee yet this morning, she definitely wasn’t feeling at her best, and she wanted to make a good impression on Vincent’s mentor. This was important to her, and she felt as if she was completely out of her league.

“Don’t be nervous,” Vincent said again, squeezing her hand as they stepped onto the escalator.

“I can’t help it,” she admitted.

As soon as they stepped off the moving stairs, Vincent pulled her aside and backed her against a wall. He leaned in until it felt as if they were the only two people in the world. She held onto his shirt at his sides and stared up at him.

He gently cupped her face. “You have nothing to be nervous about.”

She snorted.

“You don’t,” he insisted.

“Vincent, this is a man you respect. I want him and his wife to like me. To think I’m good enough for you, even if I’m still wondering if that’s true myself. It’s the crack of dawn, my hair is probably sticking out in a million different directions, and I haven’t had any caffeine yet.” Remi closed her eyes at hearing the whine in her tone. She hated when her anxiety spiked like this. She hadn’t worried as much about Baker witnessing it, as he’d literally seen her at her worst when he’d fished her out of the ocean. This was different.

“Look at me,” Vincent ordered.

She didn’t want to, but Remi was helpless to deny this man anything. She opened her eyes and stared into his beautiful blue orbs.

“I promise that Wolf will love you. Caroline too. You know how I know that?”

Remi shook her head, her mouth too dry to speak.

“Because he’ll see in you what I do.”

That didn’t explain anything.

Vincent’s lips twitched. “He’ll see the goodness in you down to your toes. You don’t even have to try, and it’s there for anyone who cares to see it. But even more than that, he’ll see how I look at you, and he’ll know.”

She couldn’t stop the question from popping out. “Know what?”

“That you’re mine.”

Those three words should’ve sent Remi running for the hills. In what universe did a man claim a woman he barely knew? But instead, they sent a thrill shooting through her veins. “Okay.”

Vincent pulled back a little and studied her, as if trying to read her mind. “Okay? You aren’t freaked out about that? Don’t want to protest and claim it’s too early, that I’m being a Neanderthal?”

“It is too early. We’re both fresh out of long relationships. But honestly, I feel the same way. You’re mine, Vincent Hill.” The last was said in a whisper, but the smile that spread across his face was all the validation she needed to know he hadn’t been exaggerating; she wasn’t alone in how she felt.

“All right then. When I tell you not to be nervous about Wolf and Caroline, believe me.”

“I’ll try.”

“That’s all I can ask.”

Then Vincent leaned in and kissed her. He didn’t care that they were in a crowded airport. Or that they just seemed to make some sort of long-term commitment to each other. But to be honest, neither did Remi.

The kiss was gentle and loving, and it only made her want more. Made her remember how his hands felt on her the night before as they’d made out in her suite.

When he pulled his mouth from hers, they were both breathing hard, and Remi could feel his erection against her belly. He’d pressed her harder against the wall as they’d kissed, and she felt surrounded by him. Safe.

“I need a second,” he said, when she looked at him in confusion when he didn’t move.

Clarity dawned. “Right. Okay,” she said with a small smile.

“You proud of yourself?” he asked. Then answered before she could. “You should be. I can’t remember the last time I got a hard-on in public.”

Her smile grew.

Vincent took a deep breath and eased away from her, and his hands slid down to her shoulders. “You good?”

“I’m good,” she confirmed.

“Not nervous?” he pushed.

She couldn’t lie. “Still nervous, but better.”

“Good. You’ll see I’m right. Ready?”

She wasn’t, but then again, she was. She wanted out of this airport. Wanted to get on with her new life. Honestly, she really should thank Douchecanoe. If he hadn’t been such a…well…douchecanoe, she never would’ve met Vincent. The thought of missing out on everything they were going to be together—she hoped—was too depressing to even contemplate.

Vincent turned and reached for her hand once more and they began to walk toward baggage claim. “Besides, this will be a good dress rehearsal for you meeting the rest of my team.”

Remi nearly tripped over her feet at that. Shoot, she’d forgotten how close he was to the rest of the men on his SEAL team. The thought of meeting more alpha men like Vincent made her tremble.

“And I need to meet Marley, your parents and your grandmother. If you think I’m not nervous about that myself, you’re wrong.”

Remi thought about that as they walked. He was right. If they were going to make their relationship work, they needed to introduce each other to the most important people in their lives. And she really had no doubt that her people would adore Vincent. He was so different from Douchecanoe.

Knowing Vincent felt some of the same trepidation over meeting her loved ones, though, actually took away some of her nervousness over meeting Wolf and Caroline. She knew Vincent would impress her friends and family, and if he had no doubts about her impressing his, she would believe him.

Then there was no more time to think. A man and woman were walking toward them, and she instinctively knew this was the couple who was there to bring them home. Wolf had a distinguished yet somehow still badass vibe about him, and Caroline was…

Remi silently sighed. She looked down-to-earth and normal.

She was momentarily ashamed of the immediate thought she had about the mysterious woman. For some reason, she’d pictured her being tall, willowy, perfectly made up—and completely out of Remi’s league. But instead, she was kind of…plain.

“Kevlar!” the man said as he got close. He dropped his wife’s hand and embraced Vincent in that way guys had. Sort of a half hug as he thumped his back a few times. Both men were smiling, and Remi stood off to the side watching.

“Glad you’re all right!” Wolf said.

“Of course I am,” Vincent retorted a little cockily.

Then Wolf turned to Remi. “And I’m glad you’re all right too.”

She was a little taken aback, but she smiled politely. “Thanks.”

“I can’t imagine what you went through. Well…I can, but that’s a conversation for a different time. I’m very glad Kevlar was there with you,” Caroline said.

Remi knew what she was talking about, as Vincent had told her a little about Caroline’s story on the plane. About what made her so respected and admired in SEAL circles. It was hard to believe everything the woman had gone through, and hearing about it was partly what had made Remi so nervous to meet her. She was nothing like Caroline. Couldn’t have survived half the things that woman had. But seeing the genuine welcoming look on her face made Remi relax a little.

As they walked toward the baggage carousel to wait for their bags, Wolf asked Vincent, “What do you need from me?”

Remi looked at Vincent when he said, “I need to borrow your girl posse.”

Both Wolf and Caroline laughed, but Remi was confused.

“I’m already on it,” Caroline told him.

“Aces Bar and Grill?” Wolf asked.

Remi wasn’t sure who the question was aimed at, Vincent or his wife, but they both answered.

“Perfect!”

Then Vincent turned to her with a tender smile. “What do you think?”

“Um…about what?” Remi asked, completely confused.

“Kevlar!” Caroline said in exasperation, slapping him on the arm. Then she turned to Remi. “My friends and I are the girl posse. Kevlar wants us to take you under our wing. Answer any questions you have. Reassure you that dating a Navy SEAL isn’t as horrible as some people like to make it out to be. Sure, it has its challenges, but the rewards are so worth it.”

She looked at her husband with an expression so intimate, Remi felt a little like a third wheel. And when Wolf leaned over and kissed his wife’s forehead, Remi blinked in surprise. How many times had Vincent done that same thing to her? Had he learned it from Wolf? Was it an innate thing that all these tough, capable men just did?

She didn’t have time to think about it, as Caroline was still talking.

“If you’d be willing, I’d love to talk more with you at Aces Bar and Grill. It’s a fun, low-key, safe place we like to hang out. One of our group owns the place, actually, and she’s worked hard to make it less of a hook-up bar and more of a fun place to chill with no pressure or expectations as far as looks, what you wear, or having to deal with Frog Hogs.”

Remi glanced at Vincent once more, and he came to her rescue.

“SEALs are sometimes called frogmen, and a Frog Hog is a woman who wants to sleep with as many of us as she can.”

Remi screwed her nose up before she could mask her reaction.

All three of her companions laughed.

“Exactly,” Caroline said. “Aces is laid-back, and there isn’t any of that nonsense going on there. I mean, I’m sure there are still hookups and stuff, but it’s not as blatant as it is at other bars. Anyway, if you’re up for it, we’d love to have you join us for one of our get-togethers. We try to get out of the house at least once a week. We leave the kids to our husbands and we talk about nothing and everything. One of our favorite things is having women new to the SEAL scene join us, so we can tell them the truth—good, bad, and ugly—about dating someone in the special forces. What do you say? Please say you’ll come!”

There was no way Remi could decline such a kind offer. And the truth was, she didn’t want to. She did have a lot of questions, and it might be fun to hang out with Caroline and her friends. She’d certainly heard a lot about them from Vincent. “Can I bring my best friend?”

“Of course!” Caroline said without hesitation. “The more the merrier. Is she single? Because Kevlar’s teammates are all single…”

“Ice,” Wolf warned.

Caroline simply laughed.

Remi knew that Ice was Caroline’s nickname, a moniker she’d gotten when she’d saved a plane full of people from terrorists.

“What? They are,” Caroline said not so innocently. “Right, Kevlar?”

Vincent’s lips twitched. “They’re single.”

“See?” Caroline told her husband.

“Marley’s married. Has two kids,” Remi interjected.

“Oh, well, that’s awesome. She’ll right fit in with our crew then.”

And of course, that made Remi uneasy again. She didn’t have children. Did that mean she wouldn’t fit in?

“Start thinking about all the questions you have. I’ll get your number when we’re in the car and I’ll text you a few dates and times to see what will work.”

“Oh, my schedule is flexible. I work from home, so whenever you guys usually get together will work for me,” Remi told her quickly.

“Cool. What do you do…if you don’t mind me asking?”

“She’s an artist. She draws the Pecky the Traveling Taco cartoon,” Vincent answered for her. Remi felt his arm go around her waist, and when she looked up at him, saw a look of pride on his face.

“No way! Seriously? Oh my God, wait ’til I tell the girls! There’s no way any of them will miss our next Aces get-together!”

It was surreal that not only Vincent, but now Caroline knew of her little cartoon. As they waited for their bags, Caroline asked rapid-fire questions about how she came up with the ideas for her strips, how she got started drawing, and a hundred other inquiries related to Pecky and his friends.

By the time they had their bags and were all heading toward the parking garage, Remi felt as if she’d known Caroline forever. And she hadn’t missed how Wolf was constantly keeping watch over his wife. Staying between her and the bulk of the crowd around them, putting his hand on her arm and pulling her out of the way of a man who wasn’t paying attention where he was walking, keeping his head on a swivel as if he was constantly looking for possible threats, and placing a protective hand on the small of her back as they walked out of the airport.

Come to think of it, Vincent was doing the same thing.

She was hyper aware of every time he touched her, and she couldn’t help but lean into him as they were waiting for their bags to come around. She was tired. She understood because of the time change, traveling overnight back to the mainland was the most reasonable way to make the most out of tourists’ time on the islands, and she was thankful she didn’t need to go into an office or anything and could adjust to the time change at her leisure. But she was even more grateful for the extra time with Vincent before she had to go back to her real life.

Despite all his assurances, a small part of her was still worried that once he got back into his normal routine, after he’d had time to reflect on everything that happened, he’d wonder what the heck he was thinking. After all, they really hadn’t been apart since they’d lifted their heads from the water and realized they were alone in the ocean. That forced proximity might’ve caused feelings for her that weren’t authentic. He’d had to take care of her, protect her, and maybe now that they were home, he’d come to his senses. Maybe after they parted ways, she’d never hear from him again.

He’d given her no indication that this was it for them. Exactly the opposite, actually. Even now, Vincent’s hand was pressed firmly against her spine as they walked toward Wolf’s car. It was just her own worries trying to undermine her confidence.

“I apologize in advance for Matthew’s car,” Caroline said with a laugh as they headed into the parking garage. “BABS is obnoxious.”

“She’s not that bad,” Wolf protested.

“Big-Ass Black SUV,” Caroline told Remi. “BABS for short. And the thing is huge. Ginormous. Could take on a train and win.”

“Which is the point,” Wolf said with a satisfied grin. “When you drive her, I know you’re safe.”

Caroline shook her head and rolled her eyes. She gave Remi a look that clearly communicated her amusement with her husband.

Secretly, Remi thought it was sweet.

When Wolf clicked the key fob he had in the hand that wasn’t touching his wife, lights on an SUV blinked not too far in front of them. As they approached, Remi had to agree with Caroline, the vehicle was huge. She didn’t know car models, but she recognize the Cadillac emblem on the back.

Wolf and Vincent got their bags put in the back while Caroline and Remi climbed into the car. As soon as Vincent joined her in the backseat, he reached for her hand. He squeezed it and lifted a brow, as if to ask if she was good.

Remi smiled back at him. Honestly, she’d been worried about meeting his friends, but she was relieved that he’d been right. They were down-to-earth and she felt comfortable with them almost immediately.

Caroline made small talk as they drove through the streets. The plan was to drop her off first, then they’d take Vincent home. With every mile they got closer to her condo, the more unsettled Remi felt. It would actually feel odd to be alone once more. She and Vincent had been together nearly every minute since they’d met.

Wolf pulled into the parking lot at her condo, and instead of feeling relieved to be home, Remi felt…sad. The vacation had been good, and then terrifying, and then fun. And now it was over and she had no idea what the future held, aside from an upcoming girls’ night with Caroline’s friends.

“It was so nice to meet you,” Caroline gushed as she turned in the front seat to look at Remi. “I’ll text you later today and let you know when we’re gonna meet up at Aces, and give you the address. I really hope you and your friend will come, because the girls are gonna be so jealous that I got to meet you already. And remember to think of questions you have for us about military life and the Navy and SEALs and, well…anything!”

“Caroline, take a breath,” Wolf said with a laugh. “You’re gonna see her again, this isn’t the last time you have to talk to her.”

“I know, I’m just excited,” Caroline told her husband with a huff. “I’d totally get out and hug you, but that would probably be weird. But expect a hug the next time I see you for sure. I didn’t used to be a hugger, but being around all my friends and their kids has changed me into one.”

“Give me a minute to walk her to her door?” Vincent asked, interrupting Caroline’s gushing.

“Of course,” Wolf said. “I’ll just be here making out with my wife.”

“Matthew,” Caroline protested. Her cheeks were pink as she slapped Wolf’s arm halfheartedly.

Remi was smiling as she climbed out of the large vehicle and met Vincent at the back. He refused to even consider letting her carry her own suitcase and instead gestured for her to lead the way.

She looked back at him once when they were walking up the sidewalk, and butterflies swam in her belly when she caught him staring at her ass. Smiling, she turned and unlocked her door. Vincent stepped inside and placed her suitcase in the small foyer.

Then he pushed her backward until she was up against the wall. The door was still open, but she couldn’t see BABS or any of the other vehicles in the lot.

“Vincent?” she asked when he didn’t do or say anything.

“I have things to do,” he said strangely. “Need to call Tex, Bertie—to chew her ass out and see if I can suss out if she was behind what happened—my commander, my team. Check in with them, make sure they’re all good, see if anything I need to know about happened while I was gone.”

When he paused, Remi said, “Okay.”

“But the thought of not being able to turn my head and see you is killing me already. Of not hearing your little hum of enjoyment when you have your first sip of coffee. Seeing your eyes light up when you see a box of malasadas. Not watching you wrap everyone you meet around your little finger with a kind word. In short, sweetheart…I’m gonna miss you.”

Remi felt like she’d just melted into a pile of goo on her foyer floor at his words. Had anyone ever said anything that had made her feel so good before? No. The answer was definitely no. “Vincent,” she whispered.

“I’m serious. You’re already under my skin, Remi.” His gaze roamed over her face, as if he was trying to memorize it or something. “And I like you there,” he went on. “I sure as hell hope you were serious when you agreed to see me when we got home. Because I was. I am. I’ve never felt like this before. It’s overwhelming and exciting at the same time.”

She knew exactly what he meant, because he’d perfectly described her own feelings.

Then he lowered his head and rested his forehead against hers. They stood like that for what seemed like minutes, but was probably only seconds.

“I need to go,” he said, but didn’t move.

“I know.”

“You need to get some rest.”

“Uh-huh,” she mumbled as her hands gripped his shirt even tighter.

Then he lifted his head. “You don’t have to go out with Caroline if you don’t want to.”

“I want to,” Remi reassured him.

“Good. She’s…she’s good people. As are all the women. They’re good role models as SEAL wives. They’ll tell you things as they really are. They won’t sugarcoat anything. They’ll tell you all the bad stuff that goes along with being a SEAL’s significant other, as well as the good. I need you to be sure you want to be with me, Remi. Because if we do this…I’m one hundred percent in, and it’ll break me if you’re not. I’ve seen too many relationships crash and burn because of expectations not being met and misconceptions about being with a special forces operator.”

“I’m really boring, Vincent,” Remi blurted. “My idea of a good time is being in comfy clothes on my couch. Not going out. I’m not super social…like, at all. I’d rather sit at home and draw than go out. I forced myself to do the things I did in Hawaii because if I was going to be there, I figured I might as well see everything I could. But I would’ve been just as happy sitting in my room, on the balcony, watching the ocean from afar rather than being in it.” She huffed out a breath. “Would’ve been safer too.”

“But then we wouldn’t have met,” Vincent told her with a smile. “And if you think I care that you’d rather be at home than out on the town, you’re wrong. Honestly, that sounds like heaven. I do like hanging out with my teammates, and I hope you’ll learn to enjoy that too. And Caroline wasn’t lying about Aces. It’s very low-key and almost like hanging out at home. But if you hate it, I’d never force you to do anything that makes you uncomfortable.”

“Vincent?”

“Yeah?”

“I already know…I’m already sure. I’m one hundred percent in now.”

He stared at her for a beat, then his head dropped and he crushed his lips to hers. Remi moved her hands from his waist to his back and held on as he kissed the hell out of her. She gave as good as she got. She might be an introvert nerd artist, but this man brought out a side of her she never knew she had. She wanted him. Needed him. Would do anything to have him yank her pants down right that second and take her against the wall.

“Fuck,” he panted after he tore his mouth from hers. One of his hands was on her ass, squeezing, and the other had shoved up under her shirt. It felt like a brand on her breast.

In return, she’d been caressing his cock through his jeans and was holding onto his bicep with her other hand, digging her nails into his skin.

They were both breathing hard, and Remi had never been as wet as she was right that moment. She wanted nothing more than to drag him up to her bedroom and get naked. But he had things he needed to do. And Wolf and Caroline were waiting for him.

He reached down and took the hand that was still holding his dick, lifting it up to his face and kissing her palm. He took a deep breath. Then another.

“I’ll call you later. Give you time to take a nap. Make sure you eat something good when you get up.”

“You mean not a doughnut?” she asked with a small smile.

“Exactly.”

“Only if you do the same. I mean, it’s been a week since you’ve had a Thin Mint cookie. Don’t eat the whole box I know you’ve got stashed in your freezer.”

He grinned at her, then sobered. “You know me better than most people, and it’s been two damn days.”

“Three,” she corrected.

“Right. We’re doing this,” he said firmly. “I’ll call you later. You want to have dinner together?”

“Yes.” Remi supposed maybe she should put some space between them. Things were moving extremely fast. Marley would probably tell her to slow her roll, to be careful. But as she thought before, if Remi couldn’t trust Vincent, a man who’d literally saved her life, who could she trust?

“I’ll pick you up at five-thirty. We’ll go back to my place. It’s not as nice as this, but I want you in my space. That okay?”

Remi nodded eagerly. She wanted to see his apartment. You could learn a lot about a person by seeing where and how they lived.

“And tomorrow I’ll take you to Aces. So you can get to know it before your girls’ night. It’ll make you more comfortable meeting the others if you aren’t worried about your surroundings.”

He was right. Of course he was. “Thank you.”

“But to warn you, my team is gonna want to meet you. They might be there tomorrow night.”

That made her nervous, but she wanted to meet the guys Vincent thought of as brothers. He’d talked a lot about them, and she felt as if she halfway knew them already. If they were going to have a relationship, one that worked, she needed to befriend the men who were most important to him. “Okay. And I’m guessing you might hear from Marley. She can be a mama bear. She already knows about you, and what you did out there in the ocean…keeping me safe and all…but now that we’re dating, she’s going to want to know a lot more.”

“I’m all right with that.”

“When I started dating Douchecanoe, she stole my phone and got his number, then texted him questions nonstop. He blocked her that same night.”

“Give her my number, sweetheart,” Vincent said. “I don’t care if she has it, and she doesn’t need to be sneaky in order to get it. I’ll answer all her questions. I’ve got nothing to hide.”

“So says the Navy SEAL,” Remi quipped.

Vincent’s lips turned up in a grin. Then he sobered. “There are things I can’t talk about. Things about my job. My missions.”

“I know,” Remi reassured him. “All I care about is that you come home safe. I don’t care where you were or what you did. Only that you and your friends don’t get hurt.”

Vincent stared at her for a long moment.

“What?”

“You’re already the perfect SEAL partner and you don’t even know it. Many women can’t handle not knowing where their man is going or for how long.”

“I’m not saying I’ll like it, especially not knowing how long you’ll be gone. But I get that it’s a part of being with a military guy. I’ve never felt like this about anyone in my life, Vincent. So I’m willing to deal with the not-so-good parts of being with you in order to have the great ones. Because I have no doubt those will be completely worth it.”

Vincent opened his mouth to reply when a loud honk came from the parking lot.

Remi blushed. “I guess Wolf’s sick of waiting for you.”

“He’s just messing with me. I guarantee he’s enjoying having a few minutes alone with his wife. Look at me, Remi.”

She met his gaze.

“I’ll call you later to make sure we’re still on for dinner. If you need anything, anything at all, don’t hesitate to call or text. I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.”

“Okay. Same for you. I mean, I don’t know what you’d need from me, as you’re the badass SEAL, but still.”

“I need your smile. I need your kindness. I need your adorable snort-laugh. I need you, Remi. Just you.”

He was killing her. She didn’t want to let go of him, but she knew she had to. A glimpse of their future flashed through her brain. Of the sadness of having to let him go on missions, but also the happiness and relief she’d feel when he came back to her.

Was she really going to do this? Get into a relationship with a man who willingly put himself in danger time after time, and just hope he came back alive and well after each mission?

Yes. Yes, she was. Because she’d never felt like this before, not with anyone. He made her come alive in ways she never expected. She’d do whatever it took to keep feeling this way.

She lifted her chin and kissed him, feeling brave and confident in their blossoming relationship. He returned her kiss and tightened his arms around her for a moment, before she was the one who stepped away. He needed to go. They both had things to do.

“I’ll see you later.”

“Yes, you will,” Vincent said with such determination, goose bumps broke out on Remi’s arms. She stood in the door as he strode down her walkway toward Wolf’s SUV. He turned before he got into the backseat, and she waved. He gave her a chin lift then hopped into the backseat and closed the door behind him.

As Wolf backed out of the parking spot, Caroline rolled down her window and called out, “I’ll text you later with the details about girls’ night!”

Remi yelled, “Okay!”

And then they were gone. She slowly closed the door to her condo and put her back to it. Silence greeted her. Sliding down until she was sitting on her ass, Remi wrapped her arms around her legs and rested her cheek on her knees. She’d never disliked being alone before, but now…it was discomfiting. It reminded her too much of coming to the surface in the ocean and realizing that she’d been left behind. That feeling of dread, of realizing no one knew where she was, or even that she was in danger. It was terrifying.

Taking a deep breath, Remi forced herself to get to her feet. She had things to do—laundry, putting in an online grocery order for delivery, cartoons to draw, phone calls to make, a nap to take. She didn’t have time to break down. Besides, she was fine. Everything had worked out.

But a niggling thought deep down inside worried over what Douchecanoe might do when he realized his plan hadn’t worked.

Vincent might think what happened was because of his ex, but Remi was sure he was wrong. And she might be an overweight, nerdy cartoonist and not a muscular Navy SEAL, but she’d do whatever it took to make sure Vincent wasn’t in any danger because of her.