Page 19 of Triple Protection

I groan. "It's not you, hun. He's just been let down by every woman in his life. I won't go into too much detail. The stories are his to tell, but his Mother loves him, but was more like a drill sergeant than a mother, if you know what I mean. Look, I love Isabella, but she doesn't take shit from anyone, especially her son. Then his high school sweetheart took all of their money and ran off with another guy during our first deployment." Angela gasps, squeezing my hand as if she doesn't realize I'm still holding it. "And then the first female client we took on tried to force herself on him."

"Oh, my God!" Angela squeals. "No wonder he hates me!"

I shake my head. "He doesn't hate you. He doesn't trust you yet. He doesn't trust any woman, frankly, but he'll come around. You're not his mother, or his High School sweetheart and you're certainly not going to force yourself onto him." I pause and shoot her a crooked grin. "At least I don't think you're going to."

She gasps again in mock outrage and smacks my chest with her other hand. I laugh. "Give him time. He'll come around. He's a good dude, he's just a little gun-shy when it comes to women." She nods thoughtfully.

"How come you guys got out? I mean, you didn't finish your twenty years for retirement. What happened?"

"Our helicopter crashed. Alex and I made it out with a few broken bones and some bruises, but there was a time in there where we didn't think Brick was going to make it. We were all medically retired for some reason or another, but after thatcrash, things were just different. It didn't feel like we were serving our country anymore. It felt like we were fodder for a cannon. We saw what a crash like that did to our families and we suddenly realized how much more our families meant to us than fighting bad guys overseas. Now, we can fight bad guys here on our home soil and still visit our families whenever we want."

She nods thoughtfully. "You're close with your families, then?"

"Yep! When we were recovering in the hospital, all of our families came to be with us and they got to know each other and keep in touch to this day."

She rests her head on my shoulder. "That's so sweet. I'm glad you all have your families. Will you visit them soon? With the holidays coming up?"

"I'm not sure yet. We'd have to work around protecting you, but we'll figure something out. What about you? Home for the holidays?"

"Ugh," she groans. "We always do Christmas Dinner together, but it's absolutely painful. I hate going home, but I don't know how to tell them 'no' either. My dad would throw a shitfit. So I'll go, try to pretend I don't hate it, and then I'll have another year to recover."

I lift her chin so I can look into her eyes. "It can't be that bad."

She bites her lower lip. "One of you will have to go with me, right?" I nod. "Then you come, and you'll see."

"Are you asking me out on a date?" I tease, wiggling my eyebrows at her.

She laughs, her mood instantly lighter. "It would be the worst date imaginable." She rests her head back onto my shoulder, so I lean my cheek against her head, still holding her hand. I revel in the feel of her, how comfortable she's becoming with me physically, and I let myself fantasize, if only for this flight, that we aren't client and bodyguard, but simply boyfriend and girlfriend, flying to Austin on vacation.

And what a beautiful fantasy it is.

Chapter fifteen

Brick

Brick

After retrieving our luggage and checked weapons from the airport carousel, we pick up the luxury SUV Alex rented and drive the short trip to the hotel. The other three want to grab a quick bite to eat at the hotel bar, but I hate smelling like airplanes after a flight, so I run up to the hotel room and hop in a quick shower.

After a Navy shower, I rush out of the bathroom with one towel wrapped around my waist while I try to rub my hair dry quickly with another. I'm running late and the others are waiting for me in the lobby.

"Sorry, I wanted to grab my earrings." Babygirl's sweet voice sings and I freeze in place, ice suddenly flowing through my veins. She turns to leave, stuttering for a moment, and I know I'm caught.Fuck fuck fuck.My gut drops. My biggest fear from taking this position, well maybe second biggest fear, was being realized right now.

A lazy smile crosses her face as she takes in my bare chest and hips, and I try to burn that image into my brain for the rest of my life. She likes what she sees. She's attracted to me. At least the top half of me.

Her lazy, hooded grin of lust is quickly replaced by confusion, concern, and maybe a flash of betrayal.

There's no hiding my prosthetic now.Fuck.A million scenarios play in my mind. She'll fire me, unable to do the job. She'll be disgusted at the scarred appendage. She'll realize I can't be the man for her, the man she needs me to be. She'll realize I'm not whole, not complete. Or worse, she'll label me fully in the bodyguard column and never in the boyfriend column. Shit, when had those two lines gotten blurred?

Her eyes lock on mine and all I see there is hurt. Hurt?

"You never told me." She whispers.

"You never asked." I spit back, defensive. I instantly know it's not my best move, but I wasn't prepared to have this conversation today.

Angela reels back as if I've struck her, offended. And she has every right to be. "What the fuck? Why would I ask that?" she replies.

I don't know what she sees in my face, but the hurt is quickly replaced with anger. "Why wouldn't you tell me!?"