“Like I’m…” She swallowed. “Like I’m wanted.”
“Maren.”
He lifted his hand to her face. His thumb moved against her cheek, a slow pass he hadn’t given himself permission to do and couldn’t seem to stop.
“If you don’t want this, tell me to stop, Maren. Right now, or I won’t be able to.”
“I don’t want you to stop.” No hesitation.
He searched her eyes to see if she was lying, or was afraid to say no.
“It’s been a perfect day, Colin, and I’m not ready for it to end.”
He leaned in and kissed her, a soft brush against her mouth, then another as her lips parted. He pulled back to look at her.
Maren’s eyes were still closed. When she opened them, she looked exactly the way he felt.
Her phone buzzed loudly in her purse on the couch. They both jumped as if they’d been caught.
Maren laughed nervously as she pulled away. “It’s probably Shane bringing Juni back.”
“Right.” Colin took a deep breath to get himself under control while Maren dug out her phone.
“It’s Arden,” she said just before connecting. “Hi, Arden, what’s up?” She paused. “Out of breath? No, I um…” her cheeks flushed. “Maybe a little; I was outside and my purse was in here and I might have jogged in.” As she spoke, she bent at the waist, trying not to laugh. Her hilarity was infectious, and Colin found he was trying to hold back a laugh as well. “Dinner plans? Well, we hadn’t thought about… Oh, that’s… Sure.” She stole a look at Colin. “Sure, we’d love to.” She closed her eyes and cringed. “Okay, great. We’ll come right up.”
Maren disconnected and dropped her phone back into her purse. “Arden figured since we’d been in town all day, we probably didn’t have anything planned for dinner, and I haven’t seen the ranch yet…”
“You sound like you’re apologizing.”
“I’m not. I don’t think?” She covered her face and laughed. “Absurd,” she said behind her fingers.
“Maren. It’s all right.” Colin carefully pulled her hands down and held them. “We’ll go.”
Shane’s SUV pulled up just then. They both looked out the window as Colin dropped her hands.
“I heard a text while I was on the phone.” She sighed. “Back to reality, such as it is.” She looked at Colin again, with an expression that said,If only…
It shouldn’t have made Colin feel this good.
TWENTY-ONE
Maren spentthe quick drive to the ranch in a private argument with herself about whether she was relieved or devastated that Arden had called when she did.
Relieved, she told herself firmly.Obviouslyrelieved. They were in protective custody. Colin was her bodyguard. The last thing she needed was to complicate things with a man she’d known less than a month, bodyguard or not, wound-up-like-a-spring or not,made me forget my own name when he kissed meor not.
Her phone buzzed.
Shane right behind you—don’t freak out when you see the SUV.
She glancedin the passenger mirror. Sure enough, an SUV was following them up the winding road.
She sneaked a look at Colin’s profile, the way the sunset caught the line of his jaw. He was watching the road with that easy, total attention he brought to everything. He hadn’t said much since they’d left the safehouse. Neither had she.
It’s been a perfect day, she’d said,and I’m not ready for it to end.
She’d meant it, and he’d known she meant it, and then Arden had called and Maren had spent the rest of the conversation trying to look like a normal person with a normal heart rate.
Colin pulled up to the ranch house. It was a beautiful Victorian, perfectly maintained. Shane’s SUV parked behind them. The back door opened as soon as the vehicle had fully stopped, and Juni erupted out of it with her backpack, arms already spread.
