It was all fine until he just had to say there was a bedroom near his. I would have been perfectly happy to keep our living quarters at a distance, but then I can’t freaking do my job of making sure he doesn’t get his ass popped in the middle of the night.
Off the main living space is a hallway directly across from the front door.
Yep. Great. Just. Freaking. Great.
I follow Cole, and he stops outside his room. It’s large, with a king-size bed and a massive flatscreen hanging on the opposite wall. Another set of glass panels is covered by more sheer curtains.
Unsurprisingly, the bed is made and wrinkle-free. The only evidence that a person lives here is a sweatshirt draped over a chair in the corner, along with a water bottle, an iPad, a video game controller, and a partially completed sudoku puzzle on his nightstand.
I have no doubt this man is going to have a hard time dealing with the little messes I’ll leave behind. Oh well, I guess we’ll just live in the painful torture of each other’s company.
I check the lock on the door leading to a small balcony, noticing the masculine, clean scent wafting around me. It’s subtle, not overpowering, as if he marinates in it regularly. I peek into his bathroom, which is,gasp, clean except for a few male products on the counter.
Cole leans against the doorway, not having a care in the world.
My annoyance meter spikes higher.
“Want to see the inside of my closet, too?” His mouth curls with amusement.
I stare at him.
How in the hell is he acting like this is no big deal?
He’s. . .teasing me.
When I don’t respond, his smile creeps a little higher. “I can promise you, it’s likely the least entertaining closet you’ve ever seen.”
I rest my hands on my hips but drop them when my shoulder pinches. I need something to feel the least bit normal. The only thing I can pull out of my bag of tricks at the moment is sarcasm. So, I go with it, hoping Cole Matthews can handle a smartass. Otherwise, this will be one hell of an excruciatingly long assignment.
I cock my head to the side. “No bodies, drug paraphernalia, fetishes, obscenities, or habits other than obsessive cleanliness, I should be aware of?”
His eyes crinkle in the corners, and he huffs a laugh as he returns to the hallway. “Ryder, you’ll find I’m extremely boring.”
Great.Boring and I get along like fire and water.
A few steps away is another fully furnished bedroom with an attached bathroom. It’s only slightly larger than those upstairs, but it doesn’t matter. This will be my room. Just. Across. The Hall.
Fabulous. Maybe I can sleep on the couch.That is, if I actually sleep. Ever.
I glance around the doorway, not needing to explore further. Home. This is my new home for who knows how long. Hopefully, soon enough, I’ll get a handle on how serious these threats are and maybe even get inside them.
“I’ll take this one.”
Cole’s dark eyebrows shoot up. “Really? You don’t want—”
“I’m here to protect you. As much as I’d like us to have as much space as possible. . . ” I step back into the hall, and he follows. I point to the door. “This is a direct line to you. If I’m upstairs, I can’t do my job if someone enters. Here, they have to get past me first.”
He ponders it for a second and then rubs his forehead. “Is that. . . Do you think that’s a real possibility?”
I stare at him. His tone sounds a bit too skeptical for my liking. I can’t tell if his question is based on ignorance or arrogance.
I get he’d like his own space in his massively tidy penthouse. But it’s time he understands that sometimes bad things do happen, no matter how much money you have or how great you are at throwing a ball.
My stance stiffens as one hand instinctively grips the fingers of the other hand in front of me. “I haven’t fully assessed the likelihood of that happening. I’m being paid to make sure it doesn’t.”
His blue eyes, the bluest I’ve ever seen, flick between mine as he pulls his shoulders back, straightening.
“I don’t take chances with someone’s safety, and I expect you to take these threats as seriously as I do if you don’t want them to become a reality. And for me, failing isn’t an option.”
