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“But I don’t.”
He looks at me and sighs. “I was an Army Ranger for six years.”
“That’s like special forces stuff, right?”
He smirks. “Yes, Princess. It’s like special forces stuff.” His tone is condescending, earning him a glare from Mark that he ignores.
“That’s cool. So since we’re working together, is there anything I should know? Like, are you always a huge douchebag or is this a morning thing?”
Garrett laughs, and Dylan glares at me. My smile fades at its intensity.
“Listen closely. I’ll only say this once. I take my job seriously. That means I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you from harm, including telling you to shut the fuck up when you’re not getting your way. I won’t allow you to put yourself in danger because you’re more worried about keeping up appearances than listening to instructions. We’re not friends, and you’re not my boss. I’m your protector. Full stop. Do you understand?”
My anger pulses through me. I stand from my stool and pin him with my glare. He stands to his full height and towers over me, but he’s never met my brother. This is child’s play.
I take a breath, planning on a calm approach. “What the fuck is your problem, asshole?” comes out instead. Rome wasn’t built in a day.
He smirks and crosses his arms, making himself seem even bigger. “You follow my instructions, Princess, and there won’t be a problem.”
I notice from this angle how blue his eyes are. They’re a deep aquamarine that fades to silver near the edges. He has striking features, and I realize his scowl has disappeared. In its place is an amused smirk.
“You know nothing about me,” I say.
“I know enough.”
“You’re wrong.”
“You’re all the same.”
“You’re mistaken. My father was a cop, my brother is a cop, and a Marine has trained me in self defense. I’m not an idiot, I know how this works. You’re the one who will put yourself in danger if you think I can’t handle myself. So, I ask again. What is your fucking problem?”
I don’t back down from his hard stare, which didn’t change at all during my tirade. The man is unreadable.
After a few seconds, his eyes soften a fraction and his smirk morphs into a smile. It transforms his face into something friendly. I blink at him and drop my arms, not sure how to react.
“No problem here, ma’am.” He winks at me, winks! Then he returns to his stool. Laughter erupts in the room, and I whip my head toward a familiar rumble.
Luke stands there in nothing but workout shorts as he grins at me. He walks over and tips my chin up to meet his eyes. “My fierce little Sparrow. I knew you were brave, but you just took on one of the most decorated Army Special Forces soldiers in the United States and won. You’re a fucking badass, babe.”
The guys all laugh. He grins at me, and my heart soars.
“Jesus Dylan, you’re going to have to send the president some of those medals back,” Garett says with a laugh.
“I’ll do that right after I reattach my balls,” Dylan grumbles, and the room erupts with laughter again.
Luke turns to Dylan. They stare at each other until Dylan nods and drops his gaze to the counter. It happens so fast you would miss it if you weren’t paying attention. Maybe it was more than just Luke’s blue eyes that reminded the little girl of the timberwolf from her story.
I sit back down and finish my oatmeal as Garrett reenacts our confrontation. He uses a high-pitched voice for Dylan and a deep one for me. We all crack up at his antics. I look up at Dylan at one point, and he gives me a smirk before he shakes his head at Garrett and sips his coffee.
When we finish eating, Luke turns to me. “Let’s get outside today. Want to go for a hike? There’s a path near the house.”
I perk up at that suggestion. “I’d love to.”
He kisses my shoulder. “Go get dressed.” He turns to the guys. “Be ready to go in twenty.” They nod and there’s a flurry of movement as they clean up the dishes.
After changing into leggings and a t-shirt, I head into the bathroom. I’m brushing my hair up into a ponytail when I notice Luke watching me, leaning up against the doorframe of the bathroom. I grin at him, then return to my hair.
“We could just stay in too. There’s a hot tub,” he says, wiggling his eyebrows.
