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Hunter captured her eyes. She lost herself in the depths of his warm brown orbs, so much so that she jerked when his fingers slipped over hers. A brush of warmth accompanied the touch, intensifying as his hand closed around hers and held it.
“What we can,” he repeated. Snow hurried to change, told Juliet where they were going, and joined Hunter as he made his way toward the elevator.
19
Snow was fairly certain most bodyguards didn’t hold hands with their clients, but she didn’t pull away as they entered the elevator. She didn’t release his hold as they sauntered out into the cool San Diego night. A sleek, deep purple Bentley was parked out front. He let her go briefly to open her door, and then once he was in the car and had shifted into gear, his hand meandered over to reclaim hers again.
“You’re driving us tonight?”
“This is my personal vehicle,” Hunter said. “I thought it would draw less attention than if we’d taken one of the Elir’s drivers or something owned by the studio.”
“And throwing anyone who might be following us off the scent by stopping for ice cream?”
“Exactly,” he said, his expression solemn and serious and burning.
Late-night cravings. Right. She certainly had one, but it suddenly wasn’t for ice cream. She chewed her lip to ward off the smile that thought brought and continued watching his profile once his attention was back on the road. Hunter was so good-looking; his firm jawline and set expression were perfect for intimidation. He had intimidated her at first, but she warmed knowing this steely man was here to protect her.
“What kind of ice cream do you like?” Snow asked.
“I’m partial to fruit,” he said. “Strawberry cheesecake happens to be my favorite. Especially if it has little graham cracker chunks in it.”
“That sounds delicious,” Snow said.
“But you don’t eat ice cream anymore? Ever?”
“I had a bad experience several years ago,” Snow said. “My body reacted. I kept breaking out in hives across my throat and back, and it felt like needles were pricking my entire body. We couldn’t figure out what was going on, so I saw a nutritionist who helped me test different things in my diet.”
“You had food allergies?”
“We thought so, but it turned out I was nearly diabetic. Once I changed what I ate, the awful, bloated pain went away. It was hard at first. I was a major junk food junkie.”
“You?” Hunter’s skepticism was blatant. He turned the corner and pulled into Whitland’s Ice Cream. He glided his car into the first available stall, shifted it into park, and faced her.
“Hard to believe, right? If it had sugar in it, I was all over that. I can’t eat that way anymore.”
“So when you did eat ice cream, what was your favorite?”
“Chocolate anything. The more chunks the better.”
Hunter chuckled. “Let me guess, chocolate is out of your diet too?”
“I let myself indulge sometimes. I miss it, if we’re being honest, but I love how good food makes me feel. I don’t wallow in pain after I eat.”
“That is important,” he said, getting out of the car. Snow did the same, watching him as he perused the perimeter, one hand on his hip.
“Is the coast clear?” she asked.
“No suspicious activity yet. Come on.” He offered her a hand again, and once his warm brown hand held hers, they stepped into the frigid ice cream shop. Snow ordered a yogurt parfait popsicle, and Hunter got his strawberry cheesecake before heading back outside.
“I thought we’d drive for a bit before heading to our destination,” he said, setting his ice cream in the center console.
“You going to be able to eat that and drive at the same time?”
“I’ll manage.” He rested a hand behind the headrest of her seat and peered behind, not relying solely on the backup camera. Soon, they were out onto the street and heading for a less populated area in Oceanside. Cars thinned, and so did the lights and establishments, exchanging instead for lines of dated but nice-looking homes.
Snow took a bite of her popsicle. “Have you always wanted to be a bodyguard?” she asked, enjoying the tart blend of blueberries, pomegranates, and raspberries.
“Not always,” he said. “I started out in the Army. I was stationed in Fort Irwin and served there while my wife and I lived on base.”
