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What was he going to do about this attraction to Sierra? Maybe he should call Mel and ask her to send another operative to guard her.
He closed his eyes. If Mel had someone else available, she would’ve sent them. But instead of giving him the usual several days off after his previous assignment, she’d called him as soon as it ended.
He’d put her in a bind if he called her now. Plus, he’d have to admit he was attracted to Sierra and he’d let that distract him. Not the kind of thing you admitted to Mel Melbourne.
So he’d suck it up. Force himself to look at Sierra as his job and nothing more. No fantasizing about the taste of her lips, that wide mobile mouth. How she’d feel wrapped around him. The sounds she’d make when she…
Damn it! That had to stop now.
Taking several deep breaths, he shoved his awareness of her down deep and squared his shoulders. Walked into the house and locked the door.
Sierra sat in the living room, perched on the edge of the couch. As soon as she saw him, she jumped up. “Everything okay?”
Her face was tight with worry, and he sighed. “Nothing to worry about. A couple of kids were looking for a place to park. They knew Jason and Laila were gone, so they picked the farm. I scared the crap out of them and sent them on their way.” He’d have to make it a point to ask Jason and Laila not to tell anyone they were leaving when Cody needed to use the farm.
Instead of being relieved, Sierra frowned. “If word has gotten around that they’re gone, does that mean we have to leave? Find another place to stay?”
“Can’t do that,” he said. “The animals have to be fed. And the alarms I have in place will warn me if anyone else shows up.”
“Why didn’t they warn you about the kids?” she asked, studying him with a puzzled expression.
He sighed. “Because I screwed up. I plugged my phone into the second rental car, but it didn’t charge. The outlet must be broken. It died, and so did my warning alerts.”
Her expression softened. “You’re beating yourself up about that, and you shouldn’t. Not your fault the outlet didn’t work. And no harm was done.”
“But it might not have been kids who wanted to make out,” he said, clenching his teeth. “It could have been a threat.”
“But it wasn’t,” Sierra said, her voice calm. “So get over yourself.”
He studied her for a long minute, and his shoulders relaxed. She meant every word she’d said. “I put you in danger.” He leaned toward her, studying her eyes. Her expression. Wondered why she was so calm and collected about his screw-up. “Aren’t you pissed off?”
“Nope. Because I know you’ll be even more vigilant because of that.” She shrugged. “You’ve done everything right so far, but no one’s perfect, Cody.” One side of her mouth curled up. “Not even Super Bodyguard. Let it go.”
He studied her for a long moment. She was so careful. She’d known exactly how to handle the maybe-cop who’d pulled her over. She’d been ready to leave her house at a moment’s notice. She’d stuck close to him. Paid attention to his orders. Hadn’t whined about anything, except when he took her phone.
So why wasn’t she losing her shit over his mistake?
Another layer to the puzzle of Sierra Baker.
He’d just sworn he’d stay away from her. That he’d wipe his inconvenient attraction to her out of his mind. But after her easy forgiveness, he wanted her even more.
He was in trouble.
“I’m heading up to bed,” he said, easing to his feet as if he were exhausted, although nothing could be further from the truth. “It’s been an exceptionally long day. I’ll see you in the morning.” He unplugged his phone and shoved it into his pocket. Then, without another look at Sierra, he checked all the doors and windows and hurried up the stairs to his bedroom.
* * *
Sierra watched Cody check everything in the house, then hurry up the stairs. What was going on? Why was he being so hard on himself?
She was too tired to figure it out tonight. She’d barely slept the previous night, after her encounter with the cop on Harvey Road. Every tiny sound she’d heard had jerked her awake. Maybe a decent night’s sleep would help her think more clearly.
She wanted to call Jack and make sure he was okay, but Cody had the SAT phone. He’d hear it if it rang during the night, and he’d answer it. Jack would ask for her, and he’d bring the phone to her room. So she wasn’t cut off from her brother. It just felt like it.
But Jack probably wouldn’t call unless he had a problem, so she could relax. Put that fear aside overnight. She’d call him in the morning.
She probably owed her parents a call, as well, and she’d call them after she talked to Jack. For tonight, she’d assume everything was fine unless she heard otherwise. If she went another night without sleep, she’d be useless to herself and to her law practice. She wouldn’t be much help to Cody, either. So she trudged up the stairs and into her bedroom. A light shone beneath the door of Cody’s room, and she wondered what he was doing.
Reminded herself it was none of her business.
