“You were equally restless this morning when we left Breckenholt, as well as during our travels yesterday.”
He grunts. “I don’t love facing backwards and not having an idea of where we’re going,” he admits in a mumble. “But I’m fine.”
Picking up my phone and the blazer I draped across the seat next to me, I gesture to the space I cleared. “You are welcome to sit here.”
He grimaces. “I don’t want to crowd your space.”
“I would not have offered it if I was not amenable to the idea.”
He snorts a small laugh, shaking his head at me. “You’re something else, Princess.”
I am going to assume his remark is related to my manner of speech and not anything else about me. “Please,” I say and gesture to the empty seat again. “If it would make you more comfortable, that would also put me at ease. If my bodyguard is nervous, how am I supposed to feel?”
He seems to debate for a moment, but then he slips over to the seat beside me and lets out a sigh as his gaze fixes out the window. “Thank you.”
Though I did not expect it, my body relaxes as soon as his does, and I cannot decide if it is because he was truly making me nervous or if I am starting to like having him close. When things got out of hand at the church, he was right at my side, his arm wrapped around me in a way that made me certain nothing bad would happen to me. “Thank you for protecting me at the meeting today, Elliot.”
His eyes drop to his knees, as if he is remembering the events of the afternoon. “I know today didn’t go like you hoped, but you’ll figure out what you’re doing.”
“How can you be sure?”
He offers a bright smile that warms the interior of the car. “Because you’re a lot more than a pretty face, Princess. Anyone in their right mind can see that.”
His smile may have warmed the car, but his words warm my heart. This man keeps surprising me, showing me facets of himself that I never would have guessed were there if I had stuck to my first impression of him. Not only is he strong, talented, and intelligent, but he is friendly, kind, and insightful. He is stubborn and clever and…goodness, he certainly takes up a lot of space. This town car has always felt spacious, but at the moment it feels small. I am more aware than ever of how big Elliot is when a bump in the road jostles me into his shoulder.
Now I see why he chose to sit on the opposite side before.
Not one to rescind an invitation, I fiddle my thumbs and try to focus on anything but his clean scent filling my nose. The warmth of his body seeping through the sleeve of his black jacket. The scars dotting his large hand resting on his thigh. What calamities have his hands seen?
“At least Grimstad was not there today,” I say to break the silence.
He chuckles. “He was, actually.”
“What?” My voice cracks as embarrassment washes over me. “Why did you not tell me?”
To my surprise, Elliot smirks as he watches the countryside go by. “I didn’t realize you’d want to know.”
“Of course I would want to know if my rival is watching me crash and burn!” Oh, what must that man think of me now? If he was arrogant before, he will be insufferable now.
“I figured he would make you nervous, and I was paying attention to other things. But don’t worry. Hex kept close to him to make sure he didn’t cause any trouble.”
There is that, I suppose. But there is something in the way Elliot is avoiding my gaze that makes me think there is more to today’s disaster than what I am aware of. “Elliot,” I say with warning in my tone.
He glances at me. “What?”
I narrow my eyes at him. “‘Other things’?”
To my surprise, that is enough to make him sigh and shift to better look at me. “Someone was watching the hotel in Breckenholt, and I saw him again in the audience at Kirkstead.”
I should probably feel some fear after a declaration like that, but the connection is too vague and Elliot’s demeanor is relatively calm. “And? Who is he?”
“I don’t know,” he grumbles.
“A reporter? Or he could be someone eager to hear what I have to say and was not satisfied in Breckenholt.”
Elliot rolls his eyes. “He was watching the hotel for most of the night, and his appearance doesn’t match any of the known journalists in Candora.”
Two appearances do not make a pattern, so I am having a difficult time finding a reason to be worried. “Perhaps he is working forHollywood Hot Scoop.”
