Josh nodded. “How will your engagement figure in this? Will it cause problems?”
“Maybe. I don’t know.” Ashley did her pen tap thing. “When we discussed this, I told Matt a security company might work better. I thought they could keep to the background, and that would be enough. He refused to trust anyone I might hire and told me I needed someone twenty-four hours. I joked and said that sounded like a husband, and that’s when he came up with the fake fiancé idea. At first, I thought it was overkill. The letters made me uneasy, but the idea of someone coming into my house…” She trailed off. Blinked. “I’m scared. I don’t even know what I’ve done to deserve this level of attention. That terrifies me too.”
“You’ve probably done nothing more than smile or offer kind words,” Josh soothed. “Are you tired?”
“Yes, but every time I close my eyes, I imagine someone inside my house, invading my privacy. I start shaking.”
“Put your planner away, and we’ll go through your background. Frog filled me in on as much as he knows, but if you’re like my sister, I figure you don’t share everything with your big brother. Tell me about your boyfriends. Who have you dated in the last couple of years? Any nasty breakups?”
Ashley scowled and set aside her planner. She sipped her tea. “Is this necessary?”
“We have to start somewhere.”
“I haven’t dated much. I spent time with Cole Mackinson. He’s a lawyer for a firm in the central city. We had dinner together a few times, but there was no spark. Murray Anderson. We went bowling and for dinner, but we’re both busy. It was difficult to find nights we were both free, so we gave up trying. I heard he’s dating a school teacher now.”
Josh took notes, clenching his pen. He loathed hearing Ashley’s history with other men. “Anyone else?” He forced out the words, both wanting and not wanting to learn the answer.
“I’ve gone out for casual dinners with guys I’ve met via party functions. I haven’t had anyone serious in my life. No bad breakups.” She laughed, and it held an edge of distress. “Sort of sad, right? But the thing is, I work hard and put most of my energy into my job. I intimidate a lot of guys.”
Their loss. She didn’t scare him. Intrigued him. Challenged him. And where the hell was his mind wandering? Ashley was Frog’s younger sister. He’d made a promise to his friend, which meant he’d keep his hands off and do his job.
If only she wasn’t so pretty. So enticingly sexy.
“What about when you’re in Wellington for the parliamentary sessions? Do you see anyone there?”
“I went to the movies with a guy I bumped into in a restaurant. Frank Paulson. I still see him, and we might go out for a drink if I have time. We’re friends rather than anything romantic.”
Josh jotted a note. “Any problems related to your electoral seat? Maybe a constituent who disagrees with the party direction.”
Ashley frowned. “There was a woman who volunteered for us, and her husband arrived to drag her home to cook him dinner. We helped her get into a women’s refuge. That was hairy. We served him with a restraining order because he kept hassling me and the staff. That was last January. I heard he moved to Australia.”
“Name?”
“Justin Watkins.”
“Anything else?”
Ashley shook her head. “Nothing I can think of. My life is busy and drama-free. No, nothing else because I never have time to get into trouble. That’s what I told Matt. What if our engagement”—she did air quotes—“makes things worse?”
“As your fiancé, I can hang around more than a security man. It means you can focus on your work and holding your seat. Frog suggested we say we met through him and kept the relationship low-key because I was overseas on active duty. You didn’t want to draw attention.”
“Yeah, but what Matt hasn’t considered is the possible flak I might receive when we call off the engagement. That’s the part that makes me unhappy. I’d hate to come across as flighty.”
“Blame me. I’ve got broad shoulders.”
Her gaze flickered to his shoulders and chest, and a flash of raw need struck him along with confusion. Why did the first woman who’d interested him in months have to be Ashley Townsend?
He hustled into speech, ripping his gaze off her to focus on his list. “Well, you could mention you had a stalker and required protection. Or, if you want to keep the issue private, you can tell them I had trouble settling and fitting into civilian life again. That’s not a lie. I have no idea what to do with my future. I’m tired of war, and it wasn’t the same after my brother Dillon retired. Helping you gives me time to make a plan.”
“We don’t even have a ring,” Ashley muttered. “I’ll get questions.”
“Actually, I have a ring for you,” Josh said, and for once the mention of an engagement ring didn’t make him nervous.
“Oh.” Her gaze met his, her brown eyes full of wonder and feminine mystery. “I hope you didn’t waste money—”
“It’s a nice ring, one Dillon let me borrow. It belonged to his wife.”
Ashley’s brows rose.
