Zev rubbed my arm soothingly. “I’m glad your people were here. And thank you for flying back out… again.” He sighed, and I felt his ribs contract in pain. “I owe you.”

“Glad to hear you say that,” Kael smiled flatly. “I’ll be calling that in, I’m sure. I’ve only been here maybe ten minutes more than you two, but from what I can tell, the damage is superficial. Tabitha was the operative I had stationed here, and she managed to put out the fire after securing Talia. It could have been a lot worse.” Kael glanced over at the scorch marks again. “On second thought, maybe not. She wasn’t the most effective arsonist. Clearly.”

“Or reporter,” Zev muttered. “She cornered me in Salt Lake wanting an impromptu interview, and I have a feeling I set her off then.”

“As far as I can tell,” Kael said, turning and leading us around shattered glass doors and back into the house, “she was just an intern. She needed something big to land her a permanent spot as a lead reporter for ScandalSphere.” Our shoes crunched over glass shards, and the pungent smell of burned grass and hardwood floors singed my nose. “She took risks, got caught, and things spiraled from there.”

That was why she’d been so bold, climbing the wall and getting pictures of me. Although, whatever madness had driven her to take it further than that—to out Zev publicly, to burn his fucking house down—was clearly another issue entirely. “Is there a chance she’ll be let out?” I asked. “Like, on parole?”

“For arson and attempted murder?” Zev snorted. “Not a chance. Not if I have a say in it. Which,” he smiled darkly, “I do.”

My lips twitched. “My brave JD.”

“Your vindictive JD,” he corrected, hooking his arm around my waist as we came to a halt between the sunroom and kitchen. “She’s getting the maximum penalty for this shit. I’ll make sure of it.”

Kael looked amused. “Gives me the warm fuzzies. Anyway, yes, she’s in custody. You shouldn’t have any problems, but I can keep Tabitha on site until the press stops foaming at the mouth over your antics. You do know you bring this shit on yourselves,” he added savagely.

“I’m well aware,” I glared. “I think our fake dating plan went kind of screwy.”

“Excuse me?” Zev asked, aghast. He turned me and fitted my front to his before moving his good hand up to hook my chin. “It went perfectly to plan. I don’t know what you’re complaining about.”

“Oh, you planned to make it real, did you?” I rolled my eyes.

Kael made a disgusted sound. “This is getting dangerously sentimental. Seems like a good time for me to leave. You good here?”

“Oh, I’m good,” Zev whispered, holding my gaze.

“Ech,” Kael grimaced. “I’ll see myself out. Just… God, keep your clothes on until I’m gone.”

“No promises.” Zev’s lips curled upward with a decidedly devious tilt.

“Zev,” I muttered. “Sorry, Kael. Thank you.”

“Bye,” he called, already out of the broken patio doors. “I’ll be in touch.”

Zev bent down, skimming his lips along the side of my neck. “We should keep in touch too,” he suggested. His good hand pressed me hard against the solid planes of his body. “Lots of touch. Touching here,” he kissed a spot under my jaw that tickled down to my breasts. “And here.” He kissed the corner of my mouth with almost reverent softness.

My eyes shuttered closed. “Where else?”

He chuckled, his lips hovering over mine. “Where would you like me to keep in touch with you, Isla?”

I kissed him, melting into the blissful warmth of his lips on mine. “I feel like… you should touch me everywhere. So that I get an idea of the best places.”

He kissed me back, short but lingering just enough that I opened my eyes to capture his simmering gaze. He brushed his nose against mine. “Bet.”

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