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A perfect pair.

For now.

Until the inherent conflicts between them made it impossible to have a future together, of course.

But he’d worry about that later.

Much, much later.

Because right now, he had to protect her.

Because that’s what good bodyguards did.

TWENTY-THREE

The next morning,Bella woke up restless and unsettled.

It was still dark, but Falcon wasn’t in the bed either.

She frowned as she sat up, trying to figure out why she was upset. Not merely because Falcon wasn’t there, right? She wasn’t already dependent on him, was she?

No. Of course not. They’d had some highly personal intimacy at the event hall, and then had gone out for drinks afterwards. He’d made her laugh, and she’d made him laugh. They’d traded stories about the bridge days, and she’d regaled him with tales about crazy dude ranch guests.

They’d danced in the shadowy corner to a jukebox, romantic and slow.

It had been a perfect date night…its perfection preserved by the fact they had stayed away from any inflammatory topics. She hadn’t asked him to talk about the revenge quest he’d been on for so long. Neither of them had discussed kids or marriage or the Hart Ranch, or her soon-to-be-acquired business.

It had been light and fun. The way dating should be at the start with someone.

Except they weren’t at the start, even though they were.

What were they doing?

Her phone dinged, and she rolled over to look at it. It was the email from her attorney, with the letter of intent and the first draft of the contract.

Her stomach sank. Diana’s catering business. Which she’d promised a lot of money for. Which she was going to own shortly.

“Argh!” She flopped back down in bed and pulled the pillow over her face. Did she want it? No. Did she? Maybe? Was she just scared? Shouldn’t she be excited? Or maybe she was excited, but her mind was trying to convince her she wasn’t.

She should have just given Diana the money. Invested in the trucks. Then she could co-own a business without having to actually do anything with it.

But that was just money.

It didn’t changeher.

It didn’t givehera purpose.

It funded someone else’s purpose, but didn’t giveherone.

Unless her purpose was to fund other people’s dreams?

That felt empty. Too distant to make an impact. Too… Argh!

Her phone rang, but it was Brody’s ringtone, so she had to answer. She rolled onto her side and picked up. “It’s awfully early out there.”

“Is Falcon with you?”

She sat up quickly, alarmed by Brody’s urgent tone. “I assume he’s in the living room.”