Page 11 of Hideaway Heart

“I made your brother a promise.”

“What promise?”

“That I wouldn’t leave no matter how hard you tried to make me.”

“Damn him,” she muttered quietly. Then louder, “What’s he paying you to be here? I’ll pay you double to leave!”

“He’s not paying me.”

“Then why are you here?”

“Because I owe him a favor.” I paused. “Actually, I owe him my life.”

A few seconds of silence passed. “What?”

“Six years ago, he saved my life in Afghanistan, and I’ve been waiting for the chance to repay the debt.”

The bathroom door flew open. She’d wrapped one white towel around her head and a second around her body, which she held in place with stiff wooden-soldier arms. It struck me how much prettier she was without any makeup on. I noticed the ginger lashes and the dusting of freckles across her nose and cheeks, like cinnamon on whipped cream.

“Well,Iam not that chance,” she declared, lifting her chin. “So you can just march yourself right on out of here and wait for the next one.” She pointed a finger toward the front door. Her nails were unpainted and trimmed short.

Exhaling, I shook my head. “I’m afraid I can’t do that.”

“Then I’m calling the cops,” she announced imperiously.

“How? This place has no phone, and you left yours sitting over there on the couch.” I jerked my thumb over one shoulder. “If I was a real threat, you’d be in big trouble.”

Her emerald eyes blazed with fury. “This is breaking and entering!”

“I didn’t break anything,” I informed her calmly. “The door was unlocked, and every window in the place is open. You couldn’t get any less secure if you tried.”

She pursed her lips together and drew herself up with a deep inhale. “The fact remains. I don’t want you here.”

“Here’s another fact that remains.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “I’m not leaving.”

We stood there in a stalemate for a solid twenty seconds, neither one of us willing to budge.

Finally, she shook her head. “I can’t believe my brother would do this to me.”

“What, try to keep you safe?”

“No! Stick me with a big, hairy jerk on my vacation!”

“I’m not a jerk,” I told her. “I’m not even that hairy. And if you’d just give me a chance, I think you’ll like me.” I gave her my most winning smile, with just a hint of smolder. “Most people do.”

She rolled her eyes. “Look, I appreciate that you want to repay my brother and all, but he’s overreacting. I’m not Taylor Swift. I don’t need you.”

“And I appreciate that you’d rather not have me around, but I gave my word to your brother, and I intend to keep it.”

“Just because my brother trusts you doesn’t mean I do!” She stamped her bare foot. “I am in a no-trust zone right now.”

“I heard about the breach with your former security team. And that one of them is trying to sue you. All the more reason you need protection.”

“It’s not just that. I’m sick and tired of being pushed around and treated like my feelings don’t matter.” She was so worked up, her towel came loose, and she struggled to keep it in place.

I held up my hands. “I’m not here to push you around.”

“Ha! Just the sight of you is nothing but a giant, tattooed reminder that I can’t call the shots in my own life.”