Page 33 of Colton On Guard

They made a good couple. She might not realize it yet, but he had a sneaky suspicion that if they could manage to work things out, a long and happy road lay ahead for them.

Whether or not they discussed this now or later, he decided he wouldn’t press her. Instead, he’d follow her lead.

After a quick shower, Parker headed to the kitchen to make coffee. Then he started breakfast, figuring he’d make something basic and hopefully she’d like it. Bacon, eggs and toast. Plus orange juice, if she wanted it.

Whistling while he worked, he realized he could get used to this. Though he knew she intended her stay to be temporary, just until whoever had been breaking into her house was caught, he couldn’t help but hope she’d be there a while. Even though he fully intended to put the pressure on the Shelby police force to make sure they caught the guy. No one, especially not a woman he cared for, should be made to feel unsafe in their own home.

Pleasantly sore, Genna opened her eyes and reached for Parker, only to find his side of the bed empty. As she sat up, she realized she smelled bacon and coffee, two of her absolute favorite morning things in the entire world.

Locating her discarded T-shirt, she pulled it over her head. She grabbed a change of clothes from her duffel and went down the hallway to the bathroom to shower.

Standing under the hot spray, she wondered how she should act around Parker now that they’d made love. Could they go back to the casual friendship they’d begun to enjoy? Did she even want to?

And what about her job? If the two of them started some kind of relationship, would her employment status suffer if it didn’t work out? While she hated to be pessimistic about their chances, she also had to be realistic. Her husband, the man who’d pledged “‘til death do us part,” had cheated on her with a woman she’d considered her best friend.

Not only that, but things had been rocky between her and Chad for a while before they’d ended. Which was an understatement. No way did she want to go through anything like that ever again.

She decided to be upfront and let Parker know she wasn’t in the market for any kind of relationship. Though she wasn’t fond of the term, if they could make a friends-with-benefits situation work, she’d be open to that. But nothing more.

Decision made, her nerves settled. She dressed, combed through her wet hair and headed to the kitchen to see what he’d rustled up for breakfast.

The moment she entered, he turned and smiled. She felt the power of that smile all the way to the soles of her feet. For a split second, her resolve wavered.

“Good morning,” he said. “Did you sleep well?”

Heaven help her, but she blushed. “I did,” she replied, her voice surprisingly steady. “How about you?”

“Fine.” His intent gaze seemed to peer into her soul. Her stomach turned over and her knees turned to mush.

“I still can’t have a relationship,” she blurted. “I’m just not ready.”

“I understand,” he said. Since she’d expected him to argue, she wasn’t sure how to react.

“My marriage was pretty awful,” she finally admitted, turning her back to him while she grabbed a cup of coffee. Bracing herself for a bunch of questions, she carried her drink to the table and took a seat, all without looking at him.

Finally, when he didn’t probe, she raised her head. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.”

She had no idea how to respond, so she didn’t.

“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked, his gaze steady.

To her surprise, she realized she did. “I met Chad in college,” she said, sitting back and taking a sip of her coffee. “At first, he was everything I wanted in a partner. He was attentive, considerate, and he seemed to anticipate my every need.”

She sighed and took another drink. “Later, I learned that’s something narcissists do. It’s called love bombing. I didn’t know that then, though.”

“How long were you married?” he asked, his voice as gentle as his expression.

“Seven years.” She didn’t even have to think about it. “Once I had that ring on my finger, he changed. Or maybe he just allowed his true self to show.”

Thinking of all his rules, his little punishments if she failed to follow them, and his escalating temper, along with all the insults and snide comments designed to put her down, she felt ashamed.

Something of her thoughts must have showed on her face.

“It’s okay.” Reaching out, he covered her hand with his. “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”

Eyeing the quietly handsome man across from her, she realized that she did. “He had anger issues,” she said, waving her hand as if those simple words didn’t convey a wealth of trauma.