Page 8 of Shadow Redemption
“Then what is?”
“I’m not safe to be around, Ruth.”
She stared. “That’s ridiculous. I only feel safe when I’m with you.”
His grip tightened. “I have a lot of enemies. Any number of them would love to put a bullet in my head. I don’t want you caught in the crossfire.”
Harsh laughter burst from her. “Looks like I’m already in someone’s crosshairs. What’s a few more? Ben, I trust you to keep me safe.”
“I hope so because this assignment will require that you trust me implicitly.”
“What do you mean?”
He edged a little closer, watching for signs of fear or distress. Relieved when there weren’t any, he said, “Maddox knows you trust me, and he chose me for a specific role in addition to bodyguard for that reason.”
“I don’t understand.”
But she did. The knowledge was in her eyes. “Yes, you do. The boss wants me to act like I’m your boyfriend.”
Ruth dragged in a ragged breath. “No!”
Ben let go of her. This wasn’t going to work, no matter what his boss wanted. If she was terrified of him, he couldn’t do the job properly. Maddox would have to come up with something else, maybe assign a female bodyguard to protect Ruth. Ben would return to the shadows and do what he did best. Hunt in the darkness.
He started to turn away when Ruth’s hand on his arm froze him in place. This was the first time she had reached out to touch him of her own volition.
“Ben, please, look at me.”
His gaze locked with hers.
She closed the gap he’d created. “Any woman would be honored to have you for a boyfriend, including me. I don’t want this arrangement because I’m in the spotlight all the time. You just said there are people who want to kill you. As soon as the media gets wind of a man in my life, they’ll be relentless. Your face will be splashed all over the world. I don’t want you to die protecting me. You mean too much to me.”
His heart skipped a beat at that last statement. What did that mean? “A boyfriend is the best way to flush out your stalker. He’ll come after anyone he sees as a challenge to his claim. If you won’t accept me at your side, will you be comfortable allowing another male operative in that role?”
She flinched. “Don’t ask me to do that. I can’t. Not after....”
Not after the abuse she’d suffered at Tornio’s hands. Moving slowly so he wouldn’t spook her, Ben wrapped his arms around her and tucked her against his chest.
Mistake. Such a huge mistake. Ruth fit against him like she’d been made for him. How would he place distance between them when her stalker was caught and the mission ended?
“What are we going to do?” she whispered, her head resting over his heart.
“Whatever is necessary to flush out your stalker. In order to carry off this ruse, I’ll have to touch you when we’re in public. People expect certain behavior between dating couples. Will you be able to tolerate my touch?”
Her mouth curved a little. “I’m not having a problem now, am I?”
Yeah, but how long would it last and would she be able to handle more than one touch? “If we do this, I’ll be holding your hand and touching your back, arms, and shoulders as often as possible for the next two days. We have to make sure you don’t flinch away from me. Someone will notice and report the odd behavior. That will torpedo our plan before we have a chance to spring the trap.”
“I still don’t like it,” she murmured.
He stilled. His touch? “What don’t you like?”
“Putting you in danger.”
Ben tapped her nose in a gentle reprimand. “Ruth, my job is dangerous. Dealing with a stalker is less problematic than running down terrorists and human traffickers.”
She gave a huff of laughter. “Well, when you put it that way, this situation doesn’t sound all that bad.”
Yeah, except for the part where he would have a target on his back from the moment his face appeared in the media. Ben cupped her cheek. “I’ve missed hearing your laughter the past three weeks,” he murmured.