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Bree took a moment to glance around the busy restaurant. With its cool contemporary colors and stylish decor, the owners had given the classic Thai themes of gilded lacquer work and lotus flowers a modern twist. Most tables were occupied, and the early evening atmosphere was relaxed.
Are you here? Are you watching me?
So much for the chilled vibe. It was working on everyone except Bree. Her gaze roamed around the room, lingering briefly on each of the men as she tried to assess which, if any, of them might be responsible for threatening her. This is exactly what he wants.
With an effort, she forced her attention back to Rylan’s comment. “It all comes back to what I was telling you last night. My family is wonderful. They love me and look out for me. Sometimes they care so much they forget I’m an adult.”
Rylan smiled. “You mean they get a little overprotective?”
Bree snorted. “A little? If they could have me wrapped me up in lambswool for my whole life that would suit them just fine.” She sighed. “They—and they means uncles, aunts and cousins, as well as my parents and Trey—still see me as the little girl who needed extra support. If they think I’m in trouble, my life will cease to be my own.”
Rylan reached across the table and took her hand in his. “Bree, you’re one of the strongest people I know. I don’t see why getting help from the police with this stalker means your family would need to step in and take over your life.”
“That’s because you don’t know how being a Colton works. The combined strength of my family is a fearsome thing...especially when they’re right.”
“My nickname in the army was Lucky,” Rylan said.
“Okay.” Bree blinked at him. “Smooth subject change—”
“Let me finish, wise gal. Although I learned some tough skills in the army, I figured another tour of duty would see me coming back in a body bag. I got out of my commission, just before my unit was wiped out by a roadside ambush.”
“Oh, my goodness.” She squeezed his hand. “I’m sorry. I can’t imagine how awful that must have been.”
He lowered his gaze to their entwined fingers but not before she caught a glimpse of how much the experience had torn him apart. It was clearly something he was not comfortable talking about.
Bree decided to move the conversation on. “So Lucky comes from your knack of escaping just in time?”
“Yes, but that’s not the reason for this story,” Rylan said. There was a hint of gratitude in his eyes as he raised them to her face. “The skills and experience I gained in the army haven’t gone away. Your family doesn’t need to protect you, Bree. Not when I’m around.” His eyes locked on hers. “And that will be for as long as you need me.”
The people, light and noise around them faded. Heat spread throughout Bree’s body. It had the power to overwhelm her, and also complete her. When she looked at Rylan, it felt as though she was standing in the center of a dangerous fire, yet she was completely safe. Her heart constricted, squeezing the air from her lungs. At the same time, she wanted to dance, run, sing, leap...anything to release the energy surging through her.
Before she could speak, Rylan’s attention was diverted. “Isn’t that the guy you met with earlier today?” He nodded in the direction of a nearby table.
Bree followed the direction of his gaze. Sure enough, Lucas Brewer was deep in conversation with his younger brother, Joe.
“That’s strange.” She allowed herself a momentary distraction. “When I told Lucas I was coming to AppeThaizer with you tonight, he didn’t mention he would be here as well.” She shrugged. “Maybe I gave him the idea.”
“I’m sure that was it.” Even though Rylan’s expression was unreadable, there was an underlying intensity that Bree hadn’t seen before. It was fleeting, and he turned back to her again, his eyes dropping to her almost untouched food. “Do you want coffee?”
She nodded. “But not here. I definitely got a new pack today.”
He reached for Papadum’s leash. “Then what are we waiting for?”
* * *
