“It could have been, Meg. If it was what you really wanted.” Dirk crossed the room and yanked open the door. “Have a good life, baby.” And then he was gone.
The sound of his footsteps descending the front stairs made her feel dizzy. Meg heard him fire up his Harley and rev the engine. Dirk popped the clutch, gunned the motor, and roared away, the sound of his muffler slowly fading.
Her heart throbbed dully. He wouldn’t be back. She knew it deep in her soul. Dirk Reynolds wasn’t the kind of man who came back once a woman turned him away.
Meg dropped down on the sofa. Her eyes burned and hot tears scalded her cheeks. She’d done the right thing. She’d given up Dirk for little Charlie. But dear God, she hadn’t realized it was going to hurt so much.
Chapter Thirty
“You up for a ride? I’ve got something I need to do and it’d be better if you went with me.”
Which was Ethan’s way of saying he wasn’t about to leave her there alone. With Byron Mahler dead, the immediate danger was over. But the man who’d killed Delilah was still out there, waiting, perhaps, to make good on his threat to murder another model.
Seated behind the computer in her bedroom late the next morning, Val glanced over to where Ethan stood in the doorway in his usual T-shirt and jeans. The man was eye candy no matter what he wore, but her favorite would always be Ethan Brodie in a tuxedo—accessorized with a black tactical vest and a big black semiautomatic pistol.
For a moment, she smiled. Then she remembered how terrified she had been, remembered the sound of bullets smashing into flesh, and her smile slid away.
“A break sounds good,” she said. “I’ve got more studying to do, but I could use a chance to get out of the house for a while. Where are we going?”
“Down to my office. Sadie’s expecting me. I’ve got some ideas I want to run past her. Since you’re not just a pretty face, maybe you can help.”
Her smile returned. “Okay.” Besides, she was interested in seeing where he worked. She didn’t know if she could handle the dangerous sorts of jobs he did, but—Val broke off the thought.
What Ethan did for a living was none of her concern. They would only be together a little while longer. Sleeping with him was just a matter of sexual gratification, something that worked for both of them.
Or was it?
How much of a lie was she willing to tell herself?
“Grab your purse and let’s go.” He set a hand at her waist as she walked past him out into the hallway. Just that light touch sent shock waves the length of her body. They were definitely compatible physically. Still, she wasn’t ready for a complicated relationship. She had too much on her plate already.
It didn’t take long to reach Ethan’s Bellevue office. The sign etched into the door read Brodie Operations Security Services, Inc.
Ethan led her inside, into a black-and-chrome interior that was very tasteful and masculine. Nothing like the scarred wooden desks and linoleum floors she had imagined from old detective movies she’d seen.
She spotted Dirk the minute they walked in, sitting at his desk, his feet kicked up on top, staring off into space. There was none of the restless energy she always associated with him, only a darkness she knew instantly had been caused by his breakup with Meg.
“Hey, Dirk,” she called out.
“Hey, Valentine.”
“It’s Valerie now. Or just plain Val.”
“I know. Somehow Valentine always seemed to fit you.”
She smiled, wishing there was something she could say to make the darkness go away. She knew he and Meg were over. Her friend had called in tears. Meg was crazy about Dirk, maybe even in love with him, but she was sure it would never work, and she had Charlie to think of.
Meg was probably right. Neither one of them should have gotten involved with the men assigned to protect them. But when she glanced over her shoulder at Ethan, when she felt his solid, reliable presence behind her, she couldn’t regret a single moment they had shared.
Her chest tightened. She didn’t regret a thing, but looking at Dirk and thinking of Meg, she began to realize how much losing Ethan was going to hurt.
“Sadie’s office is on the second floor.” Ethan led her in that direction. Before they reached the stairs, the front door opened and Nick Brodie walked in, looking as handsome as he had the last time Val had seen him. The family seemed to have amazing genes.
“Hey, Val,” Nick said, then nodded to his cousin. “Ethan. I heard you two were back.”
“We ran into a little problem in Atlanta and the tour was cut short.”
“I heard. You still working the Larsen case?”
