Free Same/Difference (The Depth of Emotion #4) by D.D. Lorenzo Page B

company from here. As far as things with Paige? He wanted to see where things would go. He enjoyed her company, which was a new experience for him with women, but he didn’t want any entanglements. He guessed that they were like-minded. She was playful, but she didn’t give the impression that she wanted any more of an involvement than he did. She was so different from what he was used to that he was enjoying it. She was beautiful, sweet, and entertaining, and she was as married to her work as he was to his. He was pleased that their dinner date was a success. They got along as well as they did in the mountains, but the same thing nagged at him now as it did then.
    Blake.
    He was a pain in the ass then and he could be more of a problem now that he was in with Manny Vallega. He had a feeling there was nothing but trouble in that union. His gut told him it was more than just a casual encounter.
    Part of Falcon’s business was to know everyone else’s. He had a higher security clearance than most people would expect and he’d looked into Manny and Marisol. It started after Carter’s wife died and Marisol was in a psychiatric hospital. He was just as surprised as Carter when he found out that Manny Vallega was her husband. It was not a good pairing. One was psychotic and beautiful, and the other was psychotic and powerful, a deadly combination. Both were as narcissistic as hell, and the collateral damage they could leave behind could be an issue—especially if it involved people Falcon knew and cared about. There had been only one-way to ease his mind; keep them under surveillance. When business picked up at MarSin Falcon his vigilance faltered. But he wouldn’t let that happen again. Especially with regard to Paige.
    He was good at reading people and Paige had been playful and relaxed at dinner. Given her history with Marisol, she would have been a little more reserved if she knew she was in town. He knew the story. In a break with reality, Marisol had attacked Aria Sinclair. Paige snuck into the house where she was keeping Aria prisoner. Aria’s husband was trying to reason with her while Paige came up behind her. Marisol heard her and then attacked Paige, throwing her through a huge glass window. She landed on the stone patio below and spent a few days in the hospital. Her recovery was tough, but she shrugged it off, instead focusing on Aria’s injuries, which were extensive.
    He’d heard the story before meeting Paige. It’s funny how your mind paints a picture. He thought that Paige would have scars all over her from the broken glass, but you’d never know to look at her that anything happened. She was beautiful. When he was introduced to her he’d hidden his reaction well. He was expecting a broken and battered girl and instead met a beautiful and courageous woman. And she was a little thing! She wasn’t as tall as Aimee, but she was definitely model material. Getting her alone was the best decision he made that weekend. He’d frozen his ass off that day, but it was worth every minute. Knowing what she survived before at the hands of Marisol, he felt very protective of her. He reasoned it was his instinct to serve and protect. He wasn’t going to question it further because he didn’t know her well enough to speculate it being more.
    He stripped and got into the shower. His mind wouldn’t stop clicking and making calculations. As he leaned against the tiled wall, he let the steaming water pound out the tense muscles of his neck and shoulders. The story Carter told him was no longer just a bunch of words over a few beers. He could almost picture a haughty, superior Marisol gloating over a decimated Paige while she lay injured. If she was as heartless a bitch as he’d heard, she and her husband were a perfect match, and that wasn’t good for anyone
    Manny Vallega’s heart was as black as pitch. He’d seen photos of the carnage left behind when someone crossed him. Falcon’s heart clenched, imagining