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“No, you seem to be explaining just fine. My father told you that I’d trip over myself with eagerness if you showed interest in me. And I did, didn’t I? Asked you out after we’d barely had a conversation.” Her cheeks darkened even more. “How convenient for you.”
“No, nothing about this case has been convenient. It’s been a cluster from the first moment.”
Her lower lip trembled. Trembled! He’d just done that. “Do not cry.”
“Do not be an asshole!” Alina threw right back.
“Impossible. I’m always an asshole.” His hand lifted because a tear had slid down her left cheek and the sight of that lone tear was like a punch right to his gut. “I have rules with charges.”
“Charges?”
“I’m in charge of taking care of you. Your dad is the client. You’re the charge.”
Her brow furrowed. Her head turned into his hand.
Then away.
His hand fell back to his side. “I have never worked undercover with a client before. Normally, I would have told your old man to piss off. Being undercover meant that from the first moment, I’d be at a disadvantage.”
“Then why did you do it? No, wait. Let me guess. He offered you a great deal of money, didn’t he?”
“Yes, but—”
“I think I’m projecting,” she suddenly said, and her spine stopped being so straight. It slumped, as did her shoulders. “I used to do that a lot. A counselor told me—after my mother’s death, I saw this lady for a while—and she told me…” But Alina’s words trailed off. “I’m scared and I’m angry because I was so helpless. All those feelings are getting pushed onto you. You saved me.” A nod. “I should be grateful. I am grateful. But I’m also hurt because…” A low exhale. “It was a lie. I thought it was something special, but it wasn’t. It was just you pretending.”
It seemed as if another punch pounded into his gut. “Maybe we should start over.”
Starting over was a whole lot better than ending. He couldn’t let her end things between them.
She was still in danger. And he just—we can’t end.
“How do you normally start with your, ah, charges?”
“I give them a set of rules.”
“Rules,” Alina repeated. With a weary hand, she pushed back a heavy lock of hair that had fallen forward. “What is rule one?”
Yeah, okay. This probably wasn’t the best thing to say. “Uh…”
“What’s the first rule?”
“Don’t go falling for me. Don’t go getting emotionally involved.” I’m not here to be your lover or your best friend. I’m just here to watch your ass.
Her eyes widened. Her hand froze in mid push with her hair.
“I don’t cross lines,” he heard himself say. “So I let my charges know that nothing personal is gonna happen between us. I’m there to do a job. Nothing more.” Personal involvements would screw a case to hell and back.
Her long lashes swept down to hide her eyes even as her hand slid down to her side. “You kissed me.”
He wanted to kiss her again. And again. And again.
“But that was part of the undercover mission, huh? Nothing personal. Just getting close.” Her lashes swept up. “You’re close now.”
He wanted to be even closer and that was the problem. “I’m your bodyguard.”
“So I’ve discovered.” A dip of her head. “Thanks for saving my life, by the way.” Stiff. Cold.
He didn’t like her that way. He wanted her warm. Smiling. The light shining in her dark eyes. But that light was gone. She was too pale. The bruise along her jaw was too dark, and her body seemed far, far too fragile. “No one is going to hurt you.”
