Jane Godman - Colton's Secret Bodyguard

“Hey, Papadum.” Having finally figured out the dog’s anatomy, Bree found his ears and scratched between them. Since that particular caress was Papadum’s favorite thing in the whole world, he promptly fell at her feet in an ecstatic canine heap.

Laughing, Bree turned to Rylan. “He seems to have recovered.”

“I don’t think there’ll be any lasting effects. Just hide the soap—and anything else that you consider inedible but that would fit down the gullet of a large, foolish dog—and everything will be fine.”

“Is that a dog?” Although it was a common reaction to Papadum, when it came from the guy who was still standing way too close to Bree, Rylan found it irritating.

“Papadum is my new guard dog,” Bree explained. “Oh, sorry. I forgot you two don’t know each other. Rylan Bennet... Lucas Brewer. Lucas does the lighting for all my shows. Rylan manages a group of young artists who will be showcasing their work during Spirit.”

Lucas tried to get away with a curt nod, but Rylan smiled and held out his hand. “Good to meet you.”

The other man was forced to return his handshake and make eye contact. Did he get the stern warning Rylan flashed his way? He certainly pulled his hand away quickly and dropped his gaze fast. One thing was for sure, Rylan didn’t think Lucas would forget him...and that had been his intention.

“I’ll leave you to your meeting.” Ignoring Lucas, Rylan spoke directly to Bree.

She smiled, apparently oblivious to any hostile undercurrents. “Papadum and I will see you later.”

Rylan walked away, convinced he could feel Lucas’s stare hitting a point just between his shoulder blades. The guy clearly had a thing for Bree. Did that mean he was the person harassing her? It was a big leap from one to the other, and possibly said more about Rylan’s own insecurities than anything about the other man. Even so, he would be using all his resources to find out more about Lucas Brewer.

When he reached the promotions office, he checked his cell phone. Although he employed a full-time helper, Rylan liked to maintain a hands-on approach to the welfare of his animals. The personalized app he used allowed him to monitor what was going on at the ranch while he was away.

Not for the first time, he wondered what Bree would think if she could see his mismatched collection. Ranch described the property he had bought. Sanctuary was the home he provided for his animals.

From duck pond to donkey stall, the video cameras showed him scenes that were about as tranquil as it ever got. As the number of his adopted animals had grown, he had promised he wouldn’t spend much time away from home. That had been before he met Bree. She had changed everything.

Watching her with Papadum, he could see that she obviously loved animals...even quirky ones. A slight smile touched his lips as he tried to picture her among his other misfits. But what was the point? Looking into the future was a waste of time. As far as Bree was concerned, Rylan had blown it before he’d even started.

Although Bree ordered her favorite Thai meal of pad gra prao goong, she barely touched the delicious stir-fried king prawns with vegetable chili and basil leaves. There were two reasons for her gastronomic indifference. One was Rylan’s presence. The other was the topic of conversation.

His expression grew increasingly stony as he read through the emails on Bree’s cell phone. “I had no idea.”

It seemed like a strange statement. “How could you? I’ve only just told you about them.”

He took a long slug of his beer. “What I meant was, I never would have known you were dealing with all of this.” His gaze searched her face. “You said your brother knows about these emails?”

Bree shifted in her chair. “I haven’t told him about the most recent ones. The ones with the pictures and the violent threats.” She speared a prawn, then dropped her fork back onto her plate. “Or the racial slurs.”

“You have to tell him, Bree. And about how this creep has upped his game and is moving your personal belongings.” Rylan’s jaw muscles tightened. “This situation is dangerous. The guy who is threatening you has been inside your apartment. I don’t understand why you are so reluctant to confront this head-on.”

Bree took a moment to glance around the busy restaurant. With its cool contemporary colors and stylish decor, the owners had given the classic Thai themes of gilded lacquer work and lotus flowers a modern twist. Most tables were occupied, and the early evening atmosphere was relaxed.

Are you here? Are you watching me?

So much for the chilled vibe. It was working on everyone except Bree. Her gaze roamed around the room, lingering briefly on each of the men as she tried to assess which, if any, of them might be responsible for threatening her. This is exactly what he wants.

With an effort, she forced her attention back to Rylan’s comment. “It all comes back to what I was telling you last night. My family is wonderful. They love me and look out for me. Sometimes they care so much they forget I’m an adult.”

Rylan smiled. “You mean they get a little overprotective?”

Bree snorted. “A little ? If they could have me wrapped me up in lambswool for my whole life that would suit them just fine.” She sighed. “They—and they means uncles, aunts and cousins, as well as my parents and Trey—still see me as the little girl who needed extra support. If they think I’m in trouble, my life will cease to be my own.”

Rylan reached across the table and took her hand in his. “Bree, you’re one of the strongest people I know. I don’t see why getting help from the police with this stalker means your family would need to step in and take over your life.”

“That’s because you don’t know how being a Colton works. The combined strength of my family is a fearsome thing...especially when they’re right.”

“My nickname in the army was Lucky,” Rylan said.

“Okay.” Bree blinked at him. “Smooth subject change—”

“Let me finish, wise gal. Although I learned some tough skills in the army, I figured another tour of duty would see me coming back in a body bag. I got out of my commission, just before my unit was wiped out by a roadside ambush.”

“Oh, my goodness.” She squeezed his hand. “I’m sorry. I can’t imagine how awful that must have been.”

He lowered his gaze to their entwined fingers but not before she caught a glimpse of how much the experience had torn him apart. It was clearly something he was not comfortable talking about.

Bree decided to move the conversation on. “So Lucky comes from your knack of escaping just in time?”

“Yes, but that’s not the reason for this story,” Rylan said. There was a hint of gratitude in his eyes as he raised them to her face. “The skills and experience I gained in the army haven’t gone away. Your family doesn’t need to protect you, Bree. Not when I’m around.” His eyes locked on hers. “And that will be for as long as you need me.”

The people, light and noise around them faded. Heat spread throughout Bree’s body. It had the power to overwhelm her, and also complete her. When she looked at Rylan, it felt as though she was standing in the center of a dangerous fire, yet she was completely safe. Her heart constricted, squeezing the air from her lungs. At the same time, she wanted to dance, run, sing, leap...anything to release the energy surging through her.

Before she could speak, Rylan’s attention was diverted. “Isn’t that the guy you met with earlier today?” He nodded in the direction of a nearby table.

Bree followed the direction of his gaze. Sure enough, Lucas Brewer was deep in conversation with his younger brother, Joe.