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CHAPTERELEVEN
Viv sat in the passenger seat again. Usually, that would annoy her, but today, it fascinated her. She shifted her body ever so slightly. The angle made it possible to stare at Red without being obvious. He was a striking figure with a tall, lean physique that spoke of strength and athleticism. His chiseled jawline was accentuated by a hint of five o’clock shadow, giving him a rugged, masculine appeal. His mesmerizing eyes were framed by thick, dark lashes wasted on a man. But all of that, while appealing, was only a shell. What interested Viv more than anything was what he had on the inside.
“What did you want to be when you grew up?” she asked. It was always fascinating to find out what people’s aspirations were when they were younger and see what they turned out to be. People rarely got the fantasy. In her case, how many Bavarian princes were looking for princesses these days?
“I wanted to be rich, so I didn’t have to eat cheap frozen dinners for the rest of my life.”
“Wow, didn’t your mother cook?”
She watched his knuckles turn white as he gripped the steering wheel. “Maybe, but not for me. She left my father when I was an infant. She said it was because I was a boy, and I’d probably take after my father. She didn’t want him, and she wanted no reminders of their life together.”
A lump formed in her throat. She was exposed to a lot of people. Mostly teens and college-aged kids who were born to wealthy families. She’d never met anyone abandoned by their mother as an infant.
“So, you’ve never met her?”
“Nope, and I don’t want to. Anyone who can walk away that easily isn’t worth my time.”
“What about your dad?”
He turned onto the highway that led to Copper Creek. The sign said it was a thirty-mile drive, so she had plenty of time to get to know Red.
“He did the best he could.” He glanced at her. “What about you? What did you want to be?”
She laughed. “Taller.”
“I suppose you should pick another goal.”
“Well, I wanted to be a princess, but my hopes were dashed when Will married Kate.”
“You and a million other girls.”
“Sometimes you win, and sometimes you lose.” She glanced outside at the scenery passing by. The storm had come and gone and didn’t leave much snow. Only a dusting remained on the highest trees. She probably could have gotten away with the Mini Cooper after all. “Speaking of losing, what happened to you and Cameron?”
“I don’t kiss and tell.”
She respected that. “That’s good to know because if my brother found out we kissed, he’d probably lose his mind.”
Red reached up to touch his jaw. “He’s got a good right hook.”
“He’s trained to win.”
Red shook his head. “He sucker punched me. I had no warning.”
“You didn’t fight back.”
He chuckled. “You should have figured this one out already. I’m a lover, not a fighter.”
“My brother says you’re a cheater. Which I’m sure he’s thankful for, or he wouldn’t have Cameron or Natalie.”
“I’m an idiot.” He quickly looked her way and then focused back on the road. “I’m a relationship saboteur.”
She sat there for a few moments. Before she decided to become a bodyguard, she studied psychology, and she’d bet her next meal that being abandoned as a child made Red think he was unlovable. Who wouldn’t believe that? If his mother didn’t love him enough to stay, then what woman would want him?
She leaned against the door and stared out the window.
“Why do you think you do that?”
“Do what?”
