“I killed a man in St. Isidore last year.” Probably not info he should give away, but he needed to burst her little bubble of adoration. She wanted to make him out to be some kind of angel. “Guns are illegal there. The local police have no idea who did it.”
“Just for fun?” she asked flippantly. “Another day, another dead man?”
“Of course not.” Goddamn her. Why wasn’t she running back to the car, running far away from him? “There’s nothingfunabout it.”
“Then why?”
“He was a threat to my teammates.”
“And your dad?”
“He was a threat to everyone in my house. He nearly killed my mom the last time he beat her.” Scott clamped his mouth shut, and breathed slowly through his nose to regain his control.
“Youarea protector.”
Memories of his little sister’s accusing eyes speared him. Not everyone would agree. He shook his head and forced his muscles to stay loose. “I’m a fucking tool, Valerie. A weapon with a brain. It doesn’t matter who’s behind the order, or the reason for it. The fact that I can do it at all should bother you. Maybe even scare you.” Didn’t she understand?
“You don’t scare me,” she said in a soft voice. “I envy you.”
His head tipped back in surprise. “Why the hell would you do that?”
“Because you did what I couldn’t.” She stepped closer and flattened her palm over his heart, sending his pulse into overdrive. “You saved your mom.”
Aw, shit.“Don’t—”
“If I’d been braver or stronger or… I don’t know, maybe my dad would be alive now.” Her voice cracked, and kept his hands safely clenched in his pockets. “If I’d listened to him when he pleaded with me to stop working with Papá, if I’d understood the threat…” A tear slipped down her cheek.
“Hey, no, baby.” Scott had her in his arms before he could think it through. Caressing her hair, her back, pressing her close as she burrowed into him. “Don’t do that to yourself. You were a kid.”
“So were you,” she said, her words muffled against his chest.
He wasn’t sure he’d ever been a child. “You don’t want to be like me.” Holding her in his arms was heaven, and he was an ass for even noticing at a time like this. “I’m sorry about your dad, but what happened to him is on the man who killed him. One hundred percent.”
“Maybe someday I’ll believe that.” She sighed and lifted her head to meet his gaze, her golden-brown eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “You know what does scare me?”
“No,” he said, unable to look away.
“The thought of not having you with me to face down Duncan.”
Scott’s heart twisted, and he swallowed hard. She knew exactly what to say to tap that protective instinct she’d called him on earlier. No doubt she wanted him to stick around, but was her seduction a cold calculation to ensure she had a bodyguard, or did she actually wanthim?
He searched her eyes for any signs of manipulation, any hint of dishonesty, and found none. Only a look of desire that tightened his chest. But then, she was an expert. He didn’t know whether to run away or to kiss her. But honestly, there was no choice.
“I’m not going anywhere,” he said, and leaned in to capture her soft mouth.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Fort Worth, TX
Tuesday, 5:45 p.m.
VALERIE WELCOMED SCOTT’S LIPS LIKE a parched desert flower welcomes the rain. The kiss instantly turned deep and hungry. She laced her fingers into his hair, tugging him closer as she explored his eager mouth, the rough slide of their tongues hurling delicious shivers down her spine.
His eager touch set her on fire as the sounds and sights of the cold night faded away. She never wanted to leave the protective cover of the broad oaks with their twisted branches and wide boughs. Never wanted to leave Scott’s warm embrace.
“What. The. Fuck?” Alan’s angry voice shattered the moment.
She jerked her head back, breaking the kiss. How could she have forgotten about Alan? She tried to pull out of Scott’s arms, but he held tight, every muscle in his body rigid as he looked over her head at the other man. Scott’s unreadable expression had returned, but his thumb still traced a slow, thrill-inducing sweep along her waistline.
