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Nope, it seemed much smarter if he simply hunkered down and snuck off like the coward he was. He’d decided on this safest course of action when she had spotted him in the mirror of her vanity table.
Startled, she’d grabbed the knot on her towel securing it with her hand and jumped up, white as a sheet. Seeing the fear in her eyes, he’d instantly regretted not warning her of his presence earlier.
Really stupid, Kane!
He put both hands up to indicate that he meant no harm, but before he could react Lexi did the one thing he hadn’t anticipated — she rushed at him, all the fury of the world flashing in her eyes.
She yanked open the door, her yells seemingly amplified by the endless grounds.
“If you think you’re going to spy on me in my own house, you have another thing coming!”
Quick as a flash, despite having only a towel to conceal her modesty, she reached behind the door…
And pulled out a bottle of mace that she leveled at him.
The shrinking violet, terrified girl that he’d pegged her for only a moment ago was a figment of his overripe imagination. Kane could only gape at her, fire shooting from her eyes.
Behind him, Bud had sprung out from his hiding place. Seeing the threat to him, Bud bared sharp, sharp teeth, snarling a warning that only a fool would ignore.
“This isn’t what it looks like,” he began, hoping that he could calm the situation before things got worse. He wasn’t so much concerned for himself — he could disarm her before she’d even know what had hit her — but there was a chance the spray could go off and get into Bud’s eyes. And an even bigger one that tackling her would cause the knot in that tiny towel to unravel…
Which, all things considered, would not be a smart move.
Lexi’s eyes narrowed. “It’s funny how you all recycle the same excuses.”
The “all” in her sentence bothered him.
“You get a lot of men sneaking around your room like this?”
“Every now and then. Though they don’t usually get quite so close.” She looked him up and down, mind racing. Assessing. “Where’s your camera?”
“Camera?” Suddenly the fog that had been in his head since the moment he had seen her, lifted. “You think I’m paparazzi?”
“I’m the one asking the questions. You are trespassing and we can probably throw sexual harassment in too since you caught me half-naked. I’m sure your boss would love that.”
Considering how vulnerable she should be feeling, it was miraculous she was so calm. Kane felt a grudging respect that almost overrode his flickering annoyance at being caught.
Wilson was going to give him hell for this.
“Miss. Rockefeller! Are you alright?!”
A man shouted close by. Footsteps thundered toward them, heavy and sluggish, as if the person wasn’t used to this much exertion. When the security guard rounded the corner, out of breath and red in the face, Kane wasn’t surprised to see he still had one hand on his cell. The display was lit up. Whoever he was talking to was still on the line. The imbecile wasn’t prepared to deal with a potential situation even now.
A simmering heat bubbled inside Kane’s chest.
As a marine, one of the first things he had been taught was that when you were on the job, it was your sole focus. Lives depended on him being able to stick to that simple order. While they weren’t on tour now, and this man was clearly not a soldier, the rules of engagement were the same: he had been hired in a protective capacity, one which he clearly wasn’t fit for.
The guard went for his weapon, fumbling with the holster as Kane saw a sudden vision of himself lying dead on the ground because the idiot had turned trigger happy.
“I’m not a reporter. I’m also not a threat to anyone. I’m actually here about the job. This was just reconnaissance work to show you where your weak spots are.”
Lexi blinked at him, confusion clouding her eyes. “What are you talking about? What job?”
“The new security detail.”
Since they were conversing now, Kane signaled Bud that he could stop being aggressive. The dog relaxed his jaw, though he still stood protectively beside him, pressing into his leg to let Kane know he was there. He was trained to understand how dangerous weapons were, and while there was one pointed at him, his dog would stay frosty.
“You’re bluffing, trying to buy time to get yourself out of this.” Lexi didn’t seem to have any idea what he was talking about. A sinking feeling gathered until it became a tornado that smashed into him harder than a speeding truck.
