Page 19 of Island Guardian (Brookwell Island #7)

Chapter Twelve

What did he want?

The whole story. A kiss. Her trust. And that was just the beginning of a list that was growing longer by the minute.

Rhett didn’t say any of that. He couldn’t answer her at all without taking another calming breath. He was more thankful than ever for Max’s training and the discipline he’d learned at the gym this past year.

He felt himself teetering on the edge of scaring her and he fought hard to dial it back. The way she stood there holding her ground, her chin up and her eyes defiant, made him proud.

Weird. Possibly inappropriate. She didn’t need him to be proud of her, but there it was anyway.

“Those messages from Gallo aren’t benign,” he began. “I’m angry with him, not you.”

“I’m angry with him too.” The tension eased from her jaw. “He arrived days early and he’s been a jerk when I refused to change my schedule.”

“That’s not the half of it,” he grumbled .

She couldn’t possibly have read those messages. How could he help her without instilling more fear?

On the one hand, he was grateful, on the other…

he worried. There was so much more to this than she was telling him.

Maybe more than she knew. Everything inside him clamored for the whole story of her history with Gallo.

Of his connection to her parents. There was a threat here.

He could feel it, but how could he learn the details without invading her privacy?

“What kind of family friend is this pushy?” He decided it was best to start there.

“Luca Gallo,” she said with a quick nod.

Good grief, her curls were adorable and distracting when they bounced along with her expressive movements.

He had a flash—not for the first time—of what those curls, her deep dark eyes, and that curvy body would be like in bed.

He shoved his errant thoughts aside before he scared her in a whole new way.

“Your parents know him well,” he said. “They must trust him to have given out what amounts to your home address.”

“Yes to both.” She pressed her lips together and swallowed hard. “You’ve been wonderful, but I can’t ask you to do any more for me. You gave me the breathing room I needed to get my head on straight. I’ll go back and deal with this.”

“Deal with Gallo?”

“Yes.” She folded her arms, her earlier defiance already crumbling. “And my parents.”

“That’s a load of crap.” It came out a whole lot meaner than intended.

But she didn’t flinch. She laughed. A big loud belly laugh that he didn’t know what to do with. Had to be a coping mechanism. “Did I say something funny?”

“I guess so,” she managed when she caught her breath.

She dropped down into the deep cushions of his couch and toed off her shoes. He tried not to dwell on those sweetly painted toenails. She was a study in contrasts. “Just because I haven’t, doesn’t mean I can’t.”

“True,” he allowed cautiously. He glanced at her work phone. “If that’s your choice, I’ll go back with you.”

“Rhett, please.” She rubbed her temples. “This is my mess. You tried to help, but it’s my job to go back and clean it up. I have to set the, ah, boundaries,” she finished with a snap of her fingers.

“You’re rattled,” he observed. “You never miss a word in English.”

“I’m frustrated that they won’t listen, yes,” she admitted.

He propped a hip on the big arm of the couch and watched her where she was tucked in on the opposite end. Hopefully, he looked more relaxed than he felt. He was strung tighter than a bow, looking for the best way to tackle what felt like a serious enemy.

“Do you trust me?”

She flung an arm wide. “I wouldn’t be here otherwise.”

Good. “Tell me how you would clean it up.” Did she realize she was twisting the opal engagement ring back and forth on her finger?

“I will go back and do what I should have done at the start. I will tell Luca to go home.” She nibbled on her lip.

“I will make it clear that I’m not interested in marriage.

” She sniffed. “After that, I will call my parents and tell them to stop. I don’t need them to arrange a marriage for me.

I’m probably not mature enough for one anyway. ”

“That last is another load of crap,” he muttered.

Her smile lit up the room. “I do like the way you call me out.”

“First time for everything.” Still, it made him happy to hear her say it.

She shrugged. “You’ve heard my plan. I’ll go book my ticket.” She started to rise, no doubt going for the cell phone on the counter.

“In a minute.” It was all he could do to sit still when he wanted to pull her into his arms. To use his body to convey the feelings he wasn’t sure he could safely put into words. Not the time for that test. “If going back is the right answer, we’ll go together.”

“You’ve done enough.”

He hadn’t even gotten started. “You shared your plan. Let me offer the counterpoint. First, if we skip the wedding, Ilsa would be crushed. The people here at the Cove looking forward to a party tomorrow night will be disappointed.”

“So have the party,” she suggested. “Celebrate the near miss.”

Did she have to be so contrary? “A wedding reception without a wedding or a bride. Huh.” He tipped his head to the side. “I’m sure it’s happened.”

“Definitely happened.” Trina smiled. “At a property I managed for a time.” Her eyes twinkled over the memory. “The party was quite lovely. Everybody had a delightful time and the hotel received a wave of positive reviews.”

“You have a way of finding a silver lining,” he murmured.

“My hidden talent.”

Not so hidden. She’d spun gold from straw for his family after a fire destroyed a chunk of their coastal resort in South Carolina, hosting the weekly Ellington family brunch at the Inn until their own space was rebuilt.

“To continue, I skimmed those messages from Gallo.” He lifted his chin toward the cell phone on the countertop. “I’m asking you to please, see this through. The wedding, the reception. Returning home with a husband in tow strengthens your position and will make it easier to set those boundaries.”

“Are you just being a man?”

“I sure as hell hope so.” Restless, he shoved to his feet. Started pacing. “You know Gallo better than I do, but I don’t think you should face him alone. Definitely not alone and single.”

She shivered.

“He scares you.” He held up a hand. “Don’t even try to deny it. I saw your face.”

“Yes. But that’s in the past. I’m an adult.”

“Adults can be scared,” he allowed. At the moment, he was scared she’d shut him out when she needed him most. “This is an opportunity to be smart about how you handle that fear.”

Her deep eyes were locked on him. “I’m listening.”

He didn’t linger on the quick win. “Remember, I’ve known you for some time. If it were as easy as telling him no or telling your parents to back off, you wouldn’t be in this predicament. Either you like the drama?—”

Her brows snapped together. “Absolutely not.”

“Didn’t think so. So you need some backup to get through this.”

Her shoulders slumped and she curled in on herself. “So you want me to stay.”

So. Much. “Yes. I want you to stay. I want us to get married. To celebrate at the reception.” Because he intended for a slew of wedding pictures to blow up on social media before they returned to Brookwell.

She might not like his tactics but she would thank him later. With any luck at all, the social proof would send Gallo running back to Italy in shame.

There was a serious problem in their past. One he wasn’t thrilled to dwell on, as his imagination tended toward dark and ugly explanations. He still hoped that when she finally told him the whole story it wouldn’t be nearly as bad as he feared.

“And then I’ll stay with you, in Brookwell, as your husband. ”

“ Hm .”

That sound was way too sexy and she had no idea how it fired him up. If she ever learned, she’d have a giant advantage in their relationship.

“I have one additional request,” he said. At her nod, he continued, “I’d like to dig a little deeper into Gallo’s intentions. You haven’t read the messages, but the tone worries me.”

“Now you are just being a man.” She flicked away his concern. “There’s no reason for jealousy.”

“I know that,” he said, teeth clenched. “I’m asking, Trina. But I might not wait for actual permission.”

Her lips parted and her eyes filled with worry once again. “The tone is that bad?” she whispered.

“In my opinion, yes. If I could do some digging, it’s likely to put my mind at ease.

” That was as close as he’d come to lying to her.

Because he planned to have Max send the information to the Guardian Agency research team for analysis.

They were probably already getting started.

Thanks to their partnership with the Ellington properties, security concerns were addressed immediately.

If they cleared Gallo’s actions as nonsense, he’d let it go.

Though he wouldn’t let her face the man alone. Never again.

“All right. But I have one condition,” she added before he could celebrate.

She walked over until she stood right in front of him, chin lifted. He admired that edge of determination, the glint in her dark eyes. “Tell me what’s in it for you. The truth.”

He was pretty sure the full scope of his truth would scare her.

He would need to tiptoe carefully down this path.

He was invested in this course to protect her, yes.

But he also craved the right to touch her, to wind his fingers through her silky curls and taste her full lips.

To breathe her in and feel her soft curves and warm skin against his body .

Of course, that wasn’t at all the relationship they were talking about.

Still, he was pretty sure it would be enough for him just to be the person she needed in laughter or fight.

He’d been searching for so long for a worthy focus outside of himself and the business that demanded so much of his time.

Trina was that worthy focus. Even if they never managed a traditional marriage, he was confident they could create something special.