“I’d call it more of a condition.”
He laughed. “I see you haven’t lost a step. Condition. Got it. I can almost guarantee they’ll agree to that very reasonable condition.”
She smiled, finding him charming.
Darius leaned forward; he didn’t seem to find Ethan quite as appealing as she did. “There’s something else. Maybe you should tell Kate how you found her and how you can guarantee that no one followed you.”
She shot Darius a grateful glance for remembering that point. Bringing him along had been a good move.
Ethan hesitated, clearly reluctant to reveal his own trade secrets. “Is it enough if I just tell you that you’re still safe here?”
“Not even close,” Darius answered for her in a low growl.
It felt really good to have a guard dog by her side. More of a guard bear, taking into account his size.
“Like I said, I did some research and stumbled across the Lost Harbor connection. I figured it was worth checking out. As for guaranteeing Kate’s safety, I told my client that I was pursuing a lead but didn’t give any details. I turned my phone off before I left the city, took three different flights in case someone was following me, and I’ve been using a burner phone since I got here.”
That sounded thorough to her.
But Darius still didn’t look convinced. “We called the number that was on your business card.”
“I got that card printed in Anchorage.”
“Got a receipt for that?”
As they lobbed arguments back and forth, Kate looked from one to the other. What the heck were they fighting about? Why was Darius being so hostile to Ethan, after saying he was a decent guy?
“Darius, can I talk to you in private for a second?” She tugged him to his feet and led him around the corner to a little nook, where a door led to an enclosed terrace that contained an outdoor hot tub. He pushed open the door and they stepped outside. Immediately, a rough wind jostled them, like sharp elbows on a crowded bus.
Darius positioned himself so his big body shielded her from the worst of it. With his legs braced apart on the deck and his hair tossed by the wind, he looked like a pirate.
“I thought you vouched for Ethan. Why are you so suspicious?”
“Due diligence, isn’t that what you lawyers call it?”
“Are you sure we don’t call it being territorial?”
His expression shuttered. “You want me to back off.”
“No. You’re thinking of things I should have thought of. I’m just wondering if you think there’s something suspicious going on with Ethan.”
He shoved his hands in his pockets and hunched his big shoulders. “No,” he admitted. “I think he’s being straight. I just—” He made a sound like a growl. “Wish he wasn’t such a charmer.”
Secret joy sparked inside her. Darius was a little jealous. And that was kind of adorable. She kept her face neutral. “Can I ask you something?”
He jerked his head with a nod.
“Big guy like you, have you ever worked private security?”
Surprise lit up his face. “You want me to come with you to LA?”
“I do. I want someone who’s not connected to the law firm. Not that I don’t trust them, but…” She shrugged. “I’d feel more comfortable with someone I know, someone smart and strong. Could you get time off from the station?”
“I have backlogs of vacation time. Nate can take over for a few days. It’s not a problem.”
“So, Sir Armor-All. Would you like to play personal bodyguard for a couple of days? You and me and a hotel room in LA?”
Heat flared behind his eyes. Her pulse picked up and energy sizzled between them. A gust of wind swirled around them, making her sway toward him. Her nipples pebbled into hard peaks. This man, between her thighs…
She took a step back. This wasn’t a hookup, for heaven’s sake. It was a risky trip into her recent past.
Finally he nodded. “Yeah. I’ll be your bodyguard.” The roughness of his voice told her he was feeling the same lust that she was.
“Are you sure?” she asked innocently. “I mean, Ethan’s an LA local, and I’m sure he’s perfectly capable—”
At the fierce look in his eyes, she dropped the act.
“Good,” she said simply. “I was hoping you’d want to come with me. I already feel safer.”
One corner of his mouth quirked up. “You were teasing me about Ethan?”
“Maybe a little.” She shot him her naughtiest grin. “Call it revenge.”
“For what?”
“I’ll think of something.”
He tilted his head back and burst into laughter. She watched the strong tendons of his neck flex and had the impulse to lick his skin, just there.
“Has anyone ever told you you’re a pain in the ass?” he asked her when he was done laughing.
“I’m pretty sure you told me that in one of your first emails.”
“Well, it’s still true.” He stepped to the side, breaking their intense connection, and opened the door for her. “But don’t worry. I take my bodyguard duties seriously. I won’t let anything happen to that ass.”
On her way through the door, with her back to him, she gave her ass a naughty twitch.
She didn’t have to see Darius’ face to sense his reaction to that. She could feel his gaze burning up and down her backside.
This was going to be a very interesting trip.
Chapter Fourteen
The law firm of Cotton and Bryant booked them adjoining suites in an upscale boutique hotel in Century City, a neighborhood that seemed to consist entirely of high-rises. Even though Darius was a ranch boy by birth, he’d lived in both Houston and El Paso—different cities for different marriages. He enjoyed cities, when he wasn’t scanning every passing face for some sign of a threat.
It was a relief to step into Kate’s suite and drop out of watchdog mode.
Kate set her suitcase on the floor and surveyed the impeccable room with a happy sigh. Stargazer lilies and a tropical fruit basket sat on the glass coffee table.
“You know, I think it’s worth putting my life at risk just so I can have a fifteen-dollar kiwi paid for by a fancy law firm.” She plucked a fuzzy brown fruit from the basket and peeled it with her thumbnail. Juice wetted her fingers, and he decided that watching her eat it—her lips on that green flesh—might be too much for him.
“I’m going to do a quick check of the room.” He went from window to window, making sure everything was locked from the inside and inaccessible from the outside. He did the same thing in his own suite.
“Do you want this open or closed?” he asked her from the door that separated their suites.
“What’s safer?” She paused with the kiwi inches from her lips. Damn. He knew that would be trouble. He lost his train of thought.
“Safer in terms of…”
Her eyebrows lifted. “In terms of not getting surprised in the middle of the night.”
What kind of surprise did she have in mind?
He shook off his inappropriate thoughts and got back to business. “Probably open, so I can hear if something happens.”