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“And I suspect you’re very good at that.” He took a gulp of beer and leaned back in the kitchen chair.
“What am I supposed to tell my employees about you?” she asked.
He shrugged one shoulder. “The truth. That I’m your bodyguard.”
“They’ll want to know why.”
He tilted his head. Studied her. “Do you tell your staff everything that happens in your practice?”
“Of course not. But they’ll be curious.”
“Let them wonder.” He shrugged. “You’re the boss. You make the rules.”
She must have looked skeptical, because he sighed. “Tell them it’s related to what’s going on with Alex. The good news is she’ll be back soon. The bad news, at least for your office, is that Gideon will be with her. So you’ll have two armed men in your office.”
“The guns aren’t an issue,” she said. She glanced at her leather bag. “We’re defense lawyers. Some of our clients are… sketchy. Alex and I both have guns. We know how to use them. We want to be prepared.”
“Good to know,” Cody said. He studied her, then leaned closer. “I’m sorry, Sierra. You need protection until we’re sure the Bratva won’t come after you. Either of you. I know you want to get rid of me, but this is for your own good.”
Sierra tilted her head as she studied him. Finally said, “You have no idea what I want, Cody. Because we’ve never talked about what I want. It’s been all about your orders. What you needed to do. And I get it.” She swallowed. “I really do. Our relationship is strictly business. Bodyguard and protectee. Period.”
He studied her, his hand tightening around the can of beer. “Maybe we should talk about it.”
She shook her head. “Talk about what? That I’m your job and nothing else? Not necessary. You made that very clear. How would talking about it change anything?”
“Maybe we need to clear the air. Make sure you understand why it has to be that way.”
She leaned toward him over the suddenly too-small table. “I repeat. Would it change anything?”
He glanced away from her, and a muscle clenched in his jaw. “Probably not.”
“So why waste our timetalking about it?” Her air quotes were two slashes between them.
Cody crossed his arms over his chest. “You obviously have a lot on your mind, Sierra. Go ahead. Hit me with it.”
Frustration boiled up inside her. In the past, she wouldn’t have cared. But Cody was different. She’d become… attached to him.
She pressed her hands to the table. “We haven’t known each other for long, but it’s been an intense week.”
Cody shrugged. “Can’t argue with that.”
“We broke your rules more than once.” She swallowed. “Had sex more than once. And the world didn’t end. The bad guys didn’t swarm in and overwhelm us. You were just as effective in protecting me. Maybe more effective, since we learned to read each other. I… I feel something for you, Cody. And I suspect you feel something for me, too.
“So don’t lie to me and tell me it’s ‘for my own good’ when you throw up those barriers. I’m sick of hearing that. Just say you’re not interested and move on.”
“You want more. You want to pick up where we left off. Is that what you’re saying, Sierra?”
She shrugged. “If you asked, I wouldn’t say no.”
Sierra gulped in air. Watched him. She’d never put herself out there with a man before. Not like she’d just done with Cody.
She felt more for Cody than she’d ever felt for anyone. And she suspected he felt the same way.
But his face could have been carved out of granite. When she caught his eye, he looked away.
That was all she needed to know.
“I’ll show you where you can sleep,” she said, keeping her voice even and her face expressionless as she stood up. “I’ll leave for work at eight tomorrow. I have a lot of things to catch up on.” She walked out of the kitchen and stopped at the door to her guest room. “This is your room. I’ll see you at eight tomorrow morning.”
