by Lori Foster
Miles said, “Honestly, honey, I think we’re both missing the joke.”
“It’s him cursing...” Gasping for breath, she explained to Miles, “He doesn’t use language like that. I’ve never heard him swear!”
“Never?”
“Not even once!” She took three gulping breaths while Gary stood there, red-faced and humiliated. She wiped tears from her eyes and tried to calm herself. “Do you believe that he used to lecture me on my language when I’d say damn or hell?”
Miles shook his head.
She nodded and spoke around her chortles. “One time, I said cock, and he was mad at me for a whole day!”
Her explanation ended on a high note and more gales of amusement. Miles couldn’t help it. He chuckled, too.
Gary growled, “Your sister is a stupid bitch! I knew this was a bad idea.”
Maxi’s humor died. “A bitch?” She swiped away the tears, no longer at risk of laughing. Her eyes narrowed. “I’ll tell her you said so.”
Aghast, Gary cried, “Don’t you dare!” And then, more earnestly, he pleaded, “Isn’t it enough that I lost you? Do you want me to lose my job, too?”
Letting out a long sigh, Maxi shook her head. “Honestly, Gary, I don’t really care what you lose. But I do care that you’re here, because you shouldn’t be. Now, tell me what my sister has to do with anything.”
Gary gave it up without a whimper. He looked around as he explained, “You’re living out here in this dump. It’s not you, Maxi. You’re a city girl at heart.”
“No, I’m not.”
“Harlow wants you to sell.”
“I’m aware. I’ve told her many times that I won’t.”
Undeterred, Gary continued, “But she said if I manned-up and was more assertive, you’d know I was really sorry—because, Maxi, I really, really am—and that you’d forgive me.”
“She’s wrong.”
Before Miles could stop him, Gary ducked down to sit beside her. “We could sell this place and buy a real home. That’s what you always wanted, isn’t it?”
Leaning away from him, Maxi gave him a pitying look. “I owe you, Gary.”
He brightened. “You do?”
“Yes. If you hadn’t so blatantly cheated, I might have married you.” She shuddered, Miles assumed for effect. “Of course, I know now that I would have been miserable with you. But you showed that you’re a liar and cheater, so instead I’m here on the farm and I’m so happy, it’s almost surreal.”
Gary didn’t seem to get it. “You actually like it here?”
A cat poked its head out from behind her, purred and crawled into her lap. She smiled as she cuddled it. “Yes. I love it here.”
Gary inched away from the animal. “You’re afraid.”
Tipping her head to the side, Maxi asked, “Why do you say that?”
He frowned back at Miles. “Why else would you need a bodyguard?”
Rather than answer, Maxi deferred to Miles. “Why, indeed?”
More cats ventured close, most of them black. One with a bent tail brushed against Miles’s leg, so he leaned down to stroke along its back. Doing so gave him some time to decide what to say.
When he straightened, he looked down at the ex, who, in his opinion, sat far too close to Maxi. “The thing is, Gary, nothing about her is your concern anymore.”
“I love her.”
“No,” he said. “Men who love women don’t cheat on them.”
Gary flushed. “It was just that one time.”
“That’s the thing, though. Once is enough to prove you can’t be trusted. It’s over. You should accept that.”
Gary turned back to Maxi. “I won’t give up.”
“Wrong answer,” Miles said, his patience waning. “As her bodyguard, I’m telling you to hit the road.”
Cautiously, Gary stood. He picked a cat hair off his shirt, dusted off his pants and again tried to smooth his hair. “I’d like to speak to Maxi alone.”
Maxi snorted. “My ribs already hurt from laughing. Don’t get me started again.”
The insult brought him closer again. “You never took me seriously. Harlow said that was part of the problem.”
Tsking, Maxi stood, a cat held in her arms. “Sounds like my sister was oh-so-helpful. I’m sure with the best of intentions, but she obviously doesn’t get it any more than you do.” Solemn now, she stared at Gary. “I was going to marry you. I would have been faithful and I would have put everything I had into our marriage.”
Jumping on that, Gary implored, “It’s not too late—”
“It is. Because whatever I felt for you is completely dead. I’m not hurt, not disappointed. I’m not even mad anymore. Actually, I’m relieved. So get on with your life. Go back to what’s-her-name.”
“She meant nothing to me!”
“Then find someone else. But it’s not going to be me.”
Gary fisted his hands. “I’ll go. But this is not over.” He nodded to Miles, then marched toward his car, veering off course only when it was necessary to step around a cat.
They’d come out in force, lounging in the sun, rolling in the grass, digging in the dirt. One had even climbed up onto the hood of Gary’s bright blue Corvette.
He shooed the cat away before getting in and revving the engine.
Shielding his eyes from the sun, Miles watched him go, aware that his tension faded at the same time. “Nice car.”
“Gary’s really into his rides.” She sounded more tired now than anything else. “He leases something new every year.”
Switching his gaze to Maxi’s car, Miles smiled. “Did it bug him that you drove a little yellow hatchback?”
“Hey, I love my car!”
“I like it, too. Somehow, it suits you. And you’ve been in my ride, so you already know I’m not car crazy.” His three-year-old SUV was comfortable for a man of his size, with nothing showy about it. “So Gary disliked your car?”
“Sooo much,” she said with a grin. “I can’t tell you how often he tried to talk me into leasing. One time when his car had a ding and was getting repaired, he refused to ride in mine. He insisted on getting a loaner instead.”
After seeing them together, Miles wondered how the relationship had lasted as long as it had. “And you had still planned to marry him?”
She brushed her cheek against the top of the cat’s head. “I told you, I’m a terrible judge of men.”
Miles didn’t take offense at that backhanded insult; odds were, Maxi didn’t yet realize that she’d judged him just fine. “At least he makes you laugh.”
She didn’t look up. “I’d had so many plans. The wedding, the honeymoon. We’d even talked about where we’d buy a house, and yes, he’d convinced me a new car would be in my future. Strange how one decision can change all the others.”
The poignant way she said that put him on edge. Did she regret losing Gary? If so, he didn’t know why. “You deserve a whole lot better than him.”
“I do, don’t I?”
“Absolutely. When a guy makes you laugh, it shouldn’t be because you’re laughing at him.”
The grin took the melancholy out of her expression. “Gary cursing was the oddest thing I’ve ever witnessed. I’d love to know exactly what Harlow said to him, and what she actually hoped to accomplish.”
“Ask her.”
Wrinkling her nose, she said, “We’re not exactly chatty right now.”
Yet the woman felt entitled to interfere in Maxi’s life? Miles kept the criticism to himself, especially when he saw Maxi yawn behind her hand.
“One thing’s for certain. Gary never would have fit in here.”
She hugged the cat. “I know. It’s almost fate that he kept me from having to choose between him and the farm.�
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Softly, Miles said, “I think the farm would have won.”
“I like to think so. I want to believe that I’d have been smart enough to see through him before changing my whole life.”
Yeah, she was smart, all right. Smart enough to know what was important, and smart enough to admit when she needed help.
Miles drifted his fingers over her hair. “It’s dry now.”
“No wonder.” She pulled her T-shirt away from her skin. “It feels like it’s ninety out here.”
Taking the cat from her, Miles set it on the porch, then drew her up to her feet. “Let’s go in.”
“At least the air is on now.”
Already the small house had cooled, a nice contrast to the humid day. Miles led her to the couch, then sat with her. “You’ve had a busy day. Why don’t you chill for a bit while I do some computer work?”
“There isn’t anything you need me to do?”
“Not right now.” He kissed her forehead, urged her to lean back, then went to the dining table and his laptop. “Do you mind if I have this out here right now? I haven’t gotten the chair yet from Leese, and there’s more room here for us.”
Eyes closed, she said, “You should make yourself at home. Be comfortable. That’s what matters.”
Already her voice had thinned to a sleepy whisper, so Miles didn’t say anything else to her. A few minutes later, he heard her breathing deepen. When he looked at her, she was utterly boneless.
An hour later when the guys got back, she was still sound asleep.
* * *
MAXI WOKE SLOWLY to the sound of muted conversation. At some time during her nap, she’d stretched out on the couch. A throw covered her, her bare feet poking out the other end.
Her body felt heavy from such a sound sleep.
Someone had turned on the TV, maybe for background noise, but it was the low, masculine voices that she focused on.
She was so utterly, peacefully relaxed, she didn’t want to get up yet, but she did tune in to the conversation.
Justice said, “She’s after Brand hot and heavy. I’ve seen him up in her office for three meetings now.”
“She can court him all she wants, but I don’t think he’ll leave MMA,” Miles insisted.
“He turned down a fight.” That voice she recognized as Leese.
“Why?” Miles asked.
A snort, and then the reply, “I don’t yet know why you left, so how would I know what’s going through Brand’s head?”
“You feel like sharing?” Justice asked. “You were on a winning streak, man, and then suddenly you joined the agency.”
After a slight hesitation, Miles said, “Just felt like a change.”
“Bullshit.”
Leese spoke up again. “It’s his own private business, Justice. Let it go.”
“Thank you.”
Justice grumbled. “Doesn’t seem right, that’s all. Hell, I switched because I knew I’d never be champion.”
“Same here,” Leese agreed.
“You were both top-tier fighters.”
“Maybe, but I had no interest in staying in the second or third spot. The Body Armor agency gives me plenty of room to continue using my skills. Just not in the cage.”
“I miss the cage,” Justice complained. “But if I hadn’t switched gears, I’d never have met Fallon. So it’s worth it.”
“I don’t understand why you two are waiting to tie the knot.”
That was Miles again, and Maxi had the thought that he’d wanted to change the subject. Why had he left MMA? If, as the others said, he’d been doing so well, why give it up?
“I’m still courting her,” Justice said with thick sexual innuendo that made the other two laugh softly. “But we’re working out the details now.”
“Speaking of details...” Leese let that hang for a moment. “Care to share what’s going on with Maxi?”
“Actually, I’d like to get you in on everything. But let me talk to her first, okay? I’m not sure how much she wants shared.”
None of it, Maxi silently stated. It had been difficult enough admitting to Sahara and Miles what had happened. She felt...violated. Vulnerable. Anytime she thought of waking outside, her stomach twisted.
But she knew that wasn’t realistic. Not only were they Miles’s friends, they were also bodyguards. If they could help him in some way, well, that’d be helping her, too, while also cutting back on the risk to Miles.
“I like her,” Justice announced. “She’s gutsy.”
Apparently agreeing, Leese said, “Most women would have fallen apart after being shot at. But she held it together.”
“She’s got backbone,” Miles agreed, and he sounded so admiring, she suddenly felt bad for playing possum.
“I remember her hanging around Rowdy’s a bit, when you two were hooking up. But that ended, right?”
Justice laughed. “They’re still hooking up, if you ask me.”
Miles didn’t reply to that, asking instead, “What do we have left?”
Leese let it go. “I think this is it. Once we have this camera in place, there shouldn’t be anywhere around the house, barn and pond that you can’t see what’s happening. Problem will be all those woods, and anytime it’s dark. She has so much land, it’s impossible to light it all at night.”
“Until this is resolved,” Miles said, “she won’t be out alone at night anyway.”
“How long you going to live here with her?” Justice asked.
“Long as it takes.”
Mmm, Maxi liked the sound of that. Maybe Miles didn’t mind the job so much after all.
After a yawn and a stretch—which immediately made the men all go quiet—she sat up and looked toward them.
Whoa.
Because they’d apparently been working outside while she slept, they were all shirtless. Lord help her, what a way to get alert. Her mouth went dry as she looked from one naked, chiseled chest to another, then naturally moved down to those impressively cut abs.
Even Justice, gargantuan man that he was, lacked any body fat. The men were all lean, honed strength, body hair and testosterone.
Miles laughed. “You’re embarrassing Justice, honey.”
She snapped around to face forward. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize...”
Justice said, “He’s kidding. I don’t get embarrassed.” Then he walked around to the front of the couch, where she couldn’t help but see him all up close and personal. “You sleep well?”
She nodded and tried not to look at that expanse of bared skin. There was just so much of it, from the low waistband of his jeans to those broad shoulders. She groaned, “I’m not awake enough for this.”
Leese made a noise. “Leave her alone, Justice.”
Justice winked at her. “You’re in luck, because we’re heading out now to install the last camera.”
“How many are there?” she managed to ask without croaking.
“Miles can tell you all about it.”
A few seconds later, the front door closed and Miles sat down beside her. The couch cushion dipped and their hips touched.
He was still shirtless, and in her opinion, he was by far the most handsome of the three. Even better, his skin smelled of sunshine, and clean sweat, and, oh my God, it was delicious.
He handed her a glass of tea, his gaze tender. “Feel better?”
“I didn’t feel bad.” She sipped the tea and hoped it would help to cool her down even though Miles had shifted and his thigh now pressed firmly to hers.
“You were exhausted. Nothing wrong in admitting that, you know. You’ve been through a lot.”
She still felt like a wimp. “What time is it?”
“Almost dinnertime. We’re throwing ste
aks on the grill in a minute.”
“Steaks?” Then the rest of it registered and she asked, “Grill?”
“Yeah. Leese brought me a chair, so my makeshift office is in the bedroom now. After the incident this morning, we decided more cameras were needed, and while they were out buying those, they also stopped and got a grill and propane.”
“That’s a lot of stuff.”
“If you don’t like the grill, I’ll keep it, no problem.”
“It’s not that.” The idea of all they’d accomplished while she snoozed unsettled her. “How long was I asleep?”
He touched her cheek, his fingertips gently caressing. “Don’t worry about it. You needed the rest.”
How could she not worry when it seemed she’d missed the entire day?
Looking far too serious, Miles said, “You weren’t alone. One of us was always in here with you.”
The blush rushed to her face. She hadn’t even considered that, but of course, now she did. Good grief, what if she’d snored? Had Justice or Leese seen her looking ridiculous?
Smiling, Miles tipped up her chin and kissed her mouth. “You looked soft and sweet, and if those two weren’t already in committed relationships, I wouldn’t have let them anywhere near you.”
That got her face even hotter. “I wasn’t suggesting that they’d be interested.”
“They’re not blind, honey.”
Hopefully that meant she hadn’t drooled on herself or squished her face too much on the armrest.
Moving on, Miles asked, “What would you think about a party? The guys want to come back every so often to check on things, and Justice is convinced that this would be a terrific setting for everyone to get together.”
A party sounded wonderful to her. She hadn’t gotten together with other people her own age for quite a while. “Who’s everyone?”
He shrugged one hard shoulder. “Friends of mine, their wives or girlfriends. We could do a bonfire and a cookout, if you’re up for it.”
She loved the idea of using the house and property to entertain. It’d give a whole new facet to her ownership of it, something more lighthearted and fun to contrast with the sadness and the threats. “I’d like to meet your friends. And maybe if enough people started showing up here, whoever is harassing me would be convinced that I’m not a woman alone.”