Page 12 of Bennett (HC Heroes #15)

L aurel’s breath came in shallow, uneven pants, her heart racing from both the attack and the startling, unwelcome thrill of feeling the handsome guy’s strength surrounding her.

“You expecting someone else?”

She gulped in a breath, her mind struggling to catch up with what just happened. “I wasn’t expecting anyone at all. And maybe I wouldn’t have tried to go all Jackie Chan on you if you’d bothered to knock.”

“I did knock,” he grumbled, his glare hot and unyielding. “Not my fault you didn’t hear it, or that the door wasn’t locked.”

“It doesn’t lock!” she snapped back. “Or did you forget that little detail?”

His scowl deepened, and only then did she notice the doorknob and lock set lying forgotten on the floor.

The crowbar .

“Well, that’s about to change.” His hands were still on her wrists, the warmth of his grip doing weird things to her pulse. “Not sure what’s worse—you intending to stay here without a locked door, or the fact you just tried to stop me with hand sanitizer.”

“It was the only thing within reach,” she shot back, her cheeks heating. “What was I supposed to do? Politely ask the intruder if he was here to murder me?”

A muscle in his jaw twitched, but his eyes held more amusement than anger. “You could’ve just waited five seconds before launching your little assault.”

She huffed, resisting the urge to squirm under his hold. “Maybe next time you could give a little warning instead of crashing in like a damn bulldozer.”

“I wouldn’t have walked in if your door actually locked.” His fingers released her wrists, but he didn’t step back. Instead, his gaze stayed locked on hers, dark and intense. “Which is why I’m here. To fix the damn thing before someone takes advantage of your stubbornness and lack of common sense.”

“Lack of—” she sputtered, her indignation flaring back to life. “Excuse me for not having a fully secured door on my very first night here.”

“Which is why you shouldn’t be here at all.” His words were clipped, each one feeling like a jab. “But since you’re clearly not going anywhere, the least you can do is make sure you’re not broadcasting an open invitation to any idiot with bad intentions.”

She let out a slow, irritated breath. “Whatever. Just put the stupid doorknob on and stop acting like I asked you to be here.”

“Believe me, if I had my way, you’d be a hundred miles from here right now.” His gaze dropped to her wrists, now free from his grip but still tingling with the memory of his touch. “But since you’re too damn stubborn to listen to reason, you’re stuck with me.”

Her heart gave a ridiculous little flutter. “What do you mean, stuck with you?”

“I’m putting this lock on your door.” He jerked his chin toward the lock set still lying on the floor. “And then I’m crashing next door.”

She stared at him. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me. I’m staying in the unfinished apartment next door. In case your brilliant plan of playing independent woman backfires.”

Her fists clenched. “Wow. Your bedside manner is spectacular. Truly. Have you considered becoming a motivational speaker?”

His lips twitched, but the smirk never quite formed. “Just accept the help, Sinclair. And next time maybe reach for something a little deadlier than travel-sized hand sanitizer.”

“Well, if I’d known you were going to barge in like some kind of—”

“Security professional doing his job?” Bennett cut her off, amusement still tugging at the corner of his mouth.

Her fists clenched, but the scathing retort that rose to her lips crumbled under the absurdity of the situation. She wanted to strangle him. Or at the very least, hit him with something heavier than hand sanitizer. She also wanted to laugh.

So, she did.

The sound surprised them both, but Laurel couldn’t stop herself. It was either laugh or scream, and she much preferred the former.

His gaze shifted to her mouth, and he blinked, his composure fracturing just a little.

Something changed. The air around them became charged, and when his gaze returned to hers, it wasn’t just irritated, it was hungry.

The kind of look that made her pulse trip over itself and her stomach twist with unwelcome excitement.

To make matters worse, a tremor rippled through her body…without her dang permission.

What the hell?

Of course, he noticed, and the heat in his eyes intensified.

Apparently, her laugh had disarmed him, and in that unguarded moment, he looked…well, almost human. A little less angry and a lot more like someone she couldn’t afford to be thinking about in such distracting detail.

Bennett’s gaze dipped to her mouth, his expression flickering with something raw and unguarded. The sudden intensity in his eyes made her pulse stutter and heat pool low in her belly.

And then just as quickly as it had flared, the moment vanished.

His body went rigid, his jaw locking as if forcibly pulling himself back from the edge of something neither of them wanted to name. With an expelled breath, he stepped back, putting a deliberate few feet of space between them.

He cleared his throat. “Better get this lock fixed before you try to murder me again with a pack of tissues next time.”

The memory of her failed attack almost made her laugh. Almost. Instead, she leaned back against the wall and crossed her arms, watching as he bent to retrieve the doorknob set from the floor.

The guy was like a switchblade—dangerous, sharp, and way too appealing for his own good. Or hers, for that matter.

“Funny thing about hand sanitizer,” she said, her voice taking on a casual tone that belied her still-racing heartbeat. “In 2020, a guy in Michigan built a flamethrower entirely powered by it. Thing was powerful enough to light a bonfire from twenty feet away.”

Bennett paused, his gaze lifting to meet hers. “Are you telling me you’re planning to build a hand sanitizer flamethrower?”

She shrugged. “Depends on if you keep barging in unannounced.”

He huffed out something suspiciously close to a laugh before turning his attention to the broken lock. “I’ll keep that in mind. And for the record, I was only trying to do my job.”

“I know,” she admitted begrudgingly. “You can see how that might be a little confusing when you come waltzing in like you own the place.”

“Waltzing?” His brows lifted as he produced a screwdriver from his back pocket and began to unscrew the old knob with precise efficiency. “Sweetheart, I don’t waltz.”

She snorted. “Pretty sure you don’t sweet talk, either.”

“Why would I? Seems like it’d be wasted effort on you.” His lips twitched, that hint of a smirk slipping through again as he removed the old doorknob. “You’d just make some smartass comment about how charm is an outdated social construct meant to disarm rather than engage.”

Laurel blinked, momentarily thrown. “Well, damn. Look at you, using actual words. Guess you’re not just a pretty face after all.”

“Don’t spread it around,” he said dryly. “I’ve got a reputation to uphold.”

Her lips quirked into a smile even as she tried to keep her guard up. The man had a way of throwing her off balance. And now he was making her laugh when she should be throwing him out.

Or at least pretending she wanted him to leave.

“Just so we’re clear,” she said, watching as he slid the new doorknob into place, his big hands sure and capable. “You don’t actually have permission to stay here.”

“Tough. I’m staying.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Until the system is finished?”

His gaze shifted back to hers, unwavering. “Until the asshole responsible for the damage is caught.”

Her chest tightened at his bluntness. “You think it’s that bad?”

“I think it’s bad enough someone called in the sheriff.” His fingers tightened on the screwdriver. “And it’s bad enough that you shouldn’t be here alone. Which is why I’m sticking around until this whole mess is sorted out.”

“Even if that means crashing in an unfinished apartment?”

“Even if that means crashing in an unfinished apartment,” he repeated, his expression unreadable as he turned his focus back to the lock. “I’ve slept in worse places.”

“I don’t doubt it.”

Her gaze wandered over him, unbidden. The broad lines of his shoulders, the way his muscled arms flexed with each precise movement. The man was extremely competent, and she hated that it made him even more attractive.

“And just so we’re clear,” he said, repeating her earlier words as his gaze flicked back to hers, unwavering. “I do have permission to be here. Annie asked me to.”

Her stomach did a weird flip. “She what?”

“She asked me to stay in the building and keep an eye on you until we figure out who’s vandalizing this place.” He shrugged like it was no big deal, his focus already back on the lock. “And considering your talent for improvising with cleaning supplies, I’d say she has a point.”

Laurel glared at him, but the edge of her irritation had dulled. Partly because he had a point, but mostly because her aunt had gone behind her back and arranged for this overprotective pain in the ass to babysit her.

Well, that explained Annie’s cryptic, “Try not to let Bennett drive you too crazy” .

And Carter’s note. Don’t strangle Bennett if he gets too bossy .

Apparently, she was the only one who hadn’t known Bennett would be staying in the building.

She sighed. “I’m sorry, Bennett.”

His head jerked back before he turned to meet her gaze again. “What for?”

“For my aunt’s manipulation,” she replied. “Though, you don’t seem like the type to do something you don’t want to do.”

“I’m not,” he said simply. “So don’t let it bother you.”

Laurel wasn’t sure what to make of his admission. Did that mean he actually wanted to protect her? Or was it just part of the job?

Either way, the guy was here, and from the look in his eyes, he wasn’t planning on going anywhere anytime soon.

She blew out a breath, and the last remnants of her irritation slipped into something closer to reluctant amusement. “Since you’re the designated babysitter, should I start calling you Nanny McBroody?”

His lips twitched, but he didn’t take the bait. “Pretty sure nannies don’t have to install door locks to keep their charges safe from lunatics.”

“No, but they’re usually less growly.”

“Growly?” He glanced at her, one eyebrow arched in challenge. “Never been called that before.”

“Well, you are,” she insisted, crossing her arms. “All stern and scowly. Heaven forbid someone so much as sneezes wrong.”

“Maybe it’s because you keep throwing things at me.”

She bit back a grin. “One time. You’re lucky it wasn’t a bottle of water.”

Bennett chuckled, a low, rumbling sound that sent warmth trickling through her veins. “You’ve got guts, I’ll give you that.”

“Is that your way of saying you’re impressed?”

“Impressed?” He scoffed, turning back to his work. “More like mildly entertained.”

She winced. “Ouch. Try not to flatter me too much, my ego might explode.”

He tightened the last screw and tested the doorknob with a few firm twists. “There. Locked and loaded.”

She raised her brows. “Well, aren’t you just a regular handyman.”

“Part of the job description.” He turned and handed her a key. “Keep this door locked from now on.”

Fisting the key, she nodded. “Yes, sir.”

His eyes met hers, the humor in them pulling her lips into a smile. “You know, you could just say thank you.”

“I could,” she replied.

His eyebrow arched. “And?”

“But where’s the fun in that?”

A soft snort escaped him, but he didn’t bother hiding his amusement. “You’re impossible.”

“So I’ve been told.”

As he reached down to retrieve his screwdriver, she couldn’t deny the warmth spreading through her at the realization that he was actually willing to stick around. To protect her.

But, of course, she couldn’t let him see that.

“A prepared man. You really don’t do things halfway, do you?” she quipped, shoving the key in her pocket before folding her arms over her chest again.

“Not my style.”

“Good to know.” She regarded him closely, trying to read his expression. “So, what’s your next brilliant move, Mr. Security Professional?”

He shrugged. “Making sure your door actually locks was step one. Step two is getting settled next door.”

“Lucky you.”

“Something like that.”

The way his eyes held hers made her stomach twist in the most distracting way possible. And then, as if he hadn’t just sent her thoughts spiraling, he turned and headed for the door.

She let her arms drop even as her eyes remained on him. “Since you don’t have a door to lock, will you use brute strength and sheer stubbornness to keep the bad guys away?”

“Pretty much.” He turned to face her. “But don’t worry, I’ve survived worse.”

“Like my vicious attack?”

A smile twitched his lips. “Exactly. It’ll take me days to recover.”

She snorted, shaking her head. “Well, I guess I should be grateful you’re willing to make the sacrifice.”

He had his hand on the doorknob when he paused to give her one last, unreadable look. “Just try not to throw anything else at me.”

Laurel grinned, her earlier irritation all but forgotten. “No promises.”

He opened the door and twisted the lock into place with a click. “Goodnight, Laurel.”

“Goodnight,” she replied, and as he stepped out, she added, “Thank you, Bennett.”

The faintest hint of a smile graced his lips before he nodded and closed the door behind him, leaving her alone in the suddenly too-quiet apartment.

With Bennett staying next door, Laurel had the feeling that life just got a lot more complicated.