Page 31 of Deadly Peril
Then Eva walked in. “There you two are. You didn’t hear me come in?” She walked over to the fire. “This feels good. It’s cold out there.” Then she looked at the bowls. “Looks like you found something to eat.”
“There’s some pizza left, if you want to warm it up,” Jana said, a bit flustered.
“Oh, no, I’m stuffed. I ate already…too much, I might add.” Eva looked at Thaddeus, and Jana shifted in her seat like a teenager caught making out with her boyfriend. “Is there anything new?”
Thaddeus shook his head. “I’m afraid not. I spoke to my boss, but there aren’t any leads.”
Eva frowned.
“But there hasn’t been another incident,” Jana said. “It’s possible there won’t be.”
“Ah, the eternal optimist,” Eva said. “Of course there will be. It worries me.” She looked at Thaddeus. “I’m holding you responsible if anything happens to my granddaughter.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Thaddeus said without flinching.
“All right, then.” Eva walked toward the door. “I’m going to bed.”
After her grandmother left, Jana stood up. “I better go, too.”
Thaddeus stood and handed her his bowl. “Thank you for dinner.”
Jana smiled before disappearing into the kitchen. She didn’t see more of Thaddeus that evening, after he disappeared into his guest quarters. It was just as well.
What had Jana been thinking?
She went to her room and nestled into a padded chair, staring out at the night sky. But all she saw was Thaddeus—his broad shoulders, his long hair, his stunning blue eyes. He’d gotten to her, and there wasn’t a thing she could do about it.
She was attracted to him. And to make it worse, she hadn’t argued with him all evening. The meal together had felt intimate, more than it should have. But she was making too much out of it.
Then she recalled the look Thaddeus had given her, just before Eva had interrupted the quiet moment. In the depths of his eyes, Jana had sensed emotion that she hadn’t known he was capable of. Either that or the wine had affected her more than she’d thought.
She’d better get it together, before she made a fool of herself. There was no disputing that Thaddeus was a hunk. But he wasn’t hers. It was hands off, for a long list of reasons.
She’d recently been through an unhappy marriage. Falling into the arms of a man who was totally wrong for her was ill-advised. Besides, he hadn’t asked her to, and hadn’t done anything to indicate he’d be willing. But what if he did?
Jana sighed. That would be tough to refuse…but he wouldn’t. She knew him that well, at least. He put duty first, so his focus was to keep her safe. He was the kind of guy who would brush his own desires aside, which was unfortunate. Jana closed her eyes and daydreamed about falling into his arms, painfully aware that it was out of the question.