“I can think of better things to do to get my mind off of it without talking.”
So could he, but itwasn’thappening. In fact, he should leave. The danger had passed and now it was time to retreat. He needed to clean up the kitchen or just be anywhere but here.
“Well, you get some sleep,”Vinceannounced, sitting up.
Fiona placed a gentle hand on his arm. “Don’tleave yet.”
Itwasn’ther words so much as her tone that gave him pause. It was that same frightened voice he remembered hearing in the Congo. “I should,” was his weak attempt to avoid her. Honestly, hedidn’twant to leave but knew it was the safest option.
“Just stay until I’m sleeping.”
Normally he would take such words as a come-on, but he could still hear the tremor in her voice. Only an asshole could say no to her. And while he could be one, hecouldn’tfind it in himself to walk away. “Just until you fall asleep, but no funny business,” he warned her.
“No funny business.” Fiona shook her head.
Fiona pulled the sheets up to her neck as proof, whileVincesettled on top. It added one more barrier between them, not that it was much. He crossed his arms over his chest and crossed his ankles as he stared at the ceiling, wondering how long it would take her to fall asleep so he could leave.
“Tell me about your childhood,” she said after a few minutes of silence.
“You should be sleeping.”
“Ican’t.”
“Well, try harder,” he huffed, wondering how he could escape this torture.
If there was one thing he hated more than relationships, it was talking. He was a man of action, not of sharing his life stories, not that they were that exciting.
“Look, I just had a bad dream and itdoesn’treally set up the right atmosphere to lull me back to sleep, so if you want me to fall asleep, I need something else to occupy my mind,” she snapped. “You know what, never mind. Just go back into hiding andI’llsee you in the morning.” Fiona flipped over in bed so she faced away from him.
He had hurt her feelings again. It seemedthat’sall he ever did. He should just walk away like she said.Hidewas her phrase. That’s what he had been doing. Hiding. It was what he was good at. Not just for work but from life. He ran from any sort of confrontation when it came to matters of the heart. What would it hurt if Fiona knew a little bit about him? She just wanted to take her mind off the Congo and her stalker. He did promise to protect her and that meant even from her own mind. He could do this.
“I grew up in the suburbs outside Chicago,” he said softly, still staring up at the ceiling. “My dad works in finance and my mom is a nurse. Both worked so much they hardly ever see each other or me.” When Fionadidn’tmove, he continued. Thiswasn’tas hard as he thought it would be. He expected questions, but there was nothing. Hedidn’teven know if she was listening or had tuned him out. “I had a nanny, Olga, that raised me. She used to make cookies for me after school every day. I ended up gaining some weight and got teased about it in school. Being short and fat made me an easy target.”
“People can be dicks,” Fiona whispered.
“That they can. One day one of the bullies beat me up. I came home crying with a black eye and busted lip.”
Fiona turned over, gaping at him. “What’s his name? I’ll kick his ass.”
Vincebarked with laughter. He was used to the guys always having his back; it was strange having this woman try to defend his ten-year-old self. “Easy, baby girl. He got his in the long run.”
“Did you beat him up?”
“No, but Olga’s husband used to be in the army. She spoke to him and he started to come over, teaching me to defend myself and even helping me lose the weight. After that, I started growing and everyone left me alone.”
“So when you said you had wanted to be in the Army since you were a kid, it was because of him?”
“It was.”Vincethought back on Sergei. The man had become a father to him as much as Olga a mother. When he was finally a teenager, his parents announced he was too old to have a nanny and fired them.Vincenever heard from them again.
“They sound like great people.”
“They were.”
“I’m having a hard time picturing you short or even chubby,” Fiona teased, poking his now hard pack of abs.
Vincecaught her hand and held it against his chest. “If you had ever tasted Olga’s cookies, you would understand.”
“I bet.” Fiona sighed.“I love cookies.”
