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Her childhood had been a juggling act of nannies, assistants, and private flights in jets, the latter of which had lost its sheen by the time she’d hit double digits. After all, no amount of flying in private jets could replace an absent mother. In the end, it was decided Lexi was better off under the care of Ruth since the woman doted on her as much as she did her own son.
And her father?
As much as he loved her, Mandy was the center of his world. She lit up his life. Having witnessed the many nights he raised her alone and how, as strong and capable as he was, he always seemed lost in those moments without his love by his side, Lexi had never expected anything otherwise.
Now that she was an adult, their small unit had fallen into a nice rhythm. Mandy was around much more than she had been previously, her last three movies having shot in and around the state.
Feeling that things had been going well, Lexi had secretly started looking for a place to call her own. Wanting to take her mind off her current troubles, she pulled up the images she’d saved on Gold Realty, the realtors most used by the rich and famous.
The moment the weathered blue door with the white shuttered windows of the beach house came up, her heart swelled. It was a small, cottage-style home, just three bedrooms and two bathrooms, and its back yard wasn’t more than a patch of grass, but it was surrounded by mature lemon trees with the ocean right on its doorstep.
A white porch wrapped around two sides of the property, leaving her with visions of herself in a swing sipping lemonade as she watched the sun go down, a pair of rescue dogs and cats by her feet.
The entire vision made her heart sing.
Though the property wasn’t big, the price tag was not reflected by the lack of square footage. The location and proximity to the water pushed it into an eye-watering bracket. At least, for the average person. She would have to use a sizeable chunk of her trust fund to secure it and had been prepared to do just that when the fires had started.
She’d called an immediate halt to her plans, not willing to use up her finances when the landscape was in such upheaval. It seemed her decision had been fortuitous given the day’s events. Much as she didn’t want to admit it, the safest place for her right now was at home.
A blur streaked past on the lawn outside, a dog sprinting across the grounds. She tensed, a chill gathering in the pit of her stomach. It was that security man’s dog, Bud. Had he found something?
All thoughts of her dream home faded away as the man himself appeared in view. He seemed in no hurry to go after his dog. It wasn’t until Bud raced back to him that Lexi saw the red ball in his mouth.
They were playing.
She watched them, her curiosity over the man piqued. He wasn’t like anyone she had known before. Most people reacted in a certain way in front of her parents. There was the usual awe and shock followed by the strange compulsion to be noticed by them.
This man had been different.
He hadn’t seemed to care what they thought of him other than how good he was at his job. He didn’t need their attention, wasn’t hungry for it. Didn’t care for their validation or time.
Which made for an intriguing cocktail.
Kane took the ball from Bud, snapped his arm back far behind and hurled it with a strength that made her take note. Biceps rippled, his excellent form seemingly highlighted by the setting sun.
The sight of him was magnificent, causing a tremor to go through her body. She couldn’t stop staring, which was ridiculous. While he might be nice to look at, he seemed lacking in the personality department — the man hadn’t even apologized after bursting in on her today.
Bud bolted for the ball and started running back to him when he suddenly swerved and headed straight for her. Startled, unable to react fast enough, she froze by the door.
Kane turned and caught her staring.
The hot heat of embarrassment washed over her and she jumped away from the door, hiding behind a long white curtain, although that was probably the worst thing she could have done. She should have styled it out, pretended that she hadn’t seen him instead of making it patently clear to all that she had.
Her hope that he would ignore her ridiculous behavior was gone the second a knock sounded on the door. When she didn’t immediately react, the dog woofed as if he was asking her why she was being so silly.
No idea, Bud.
No idea at all.
Breathing out a deep sigh, she stepped away from the curtain and opened the door. Kane cocked his head at her, an expression of mock concern on his face. He held up both hands.
“Can we talk or are you going to threaten me with your mace again?”
“Don’t flatter yourself. I only get that out on special occasions.”
The corners of his mouth twitched as if he were slightly amused, but he seemed unable to crack a grin.
“So I’m special?”
