Ellie straightened, rubbing her eyes. “I’m not that tired. My apartment is only about ten minutes from the station.”
Hal shook his head as he began to lead her to the door. “We’re not going to your apartment. You have to get out of the city.”
She stopped abruptly, pulling her arm out of his grasp. “I’m not leaving the city. Didn’t the watch commander explain that to you? He said he was assigning someone to protect me here, in Santa Martina.”
Hal turned to look her in the eyes, trying to convey how serious he was. “First of all, I’m not a police officer. I’m private security.”
She looked dismayed rather than relieved at that. “You’re a security guard?”
“I’m not a mall cop,” Hal replied. “I run an elite private security company. We provide bodyguards for politicians and celebrities— and private citizens li
ke you. Nobody’s ever been hurt under our protection.”
“Oh. Well, great. Then you can protect me right here.”
“No!” Hal exclaimed. “I have to get you out of the city!”
Ellie’s blue eyes narrowed, reminding him that she was one tough woman. “Mr. Brennan, can you protect me or not?”
Hal gritted his teeth. Of course he could protect her— he’d showed up expecting to guard her right there in Santa Martina. But that was before he’d known that she was his mate. His instincts, not to mention his bear, were roaring at him to not merely stand between her and any possible threat, but to get her far away from anyone who might try to harm her.
“Because if you can’t,” she went on, “I’ll talk to the watch commander again and ask him to assign a police officer.”
“I can protect you,” Hal said immediately. “But you’d be a lot safer if you left Santa Martina.”
“I already had this conversation,” Ellie replied. “I’m not going anywhere. I already ran through my sick leave this year. If I take off for more than a couple days, I lose my job. Anyway, I thought no one ever got hurt under your protection.”
Take her home and keep her safe, Hal’s bear demanded. Grab her and carry her away to the forest!
I can’t do that, Hal replied. But I will take her home. To my home.
“All right,” Hal told her. “I’ll guard you here. But you can’t go straight to your apartment. I need to have my team check it first.”
“Check it for what?”
“Hit men. Bombs.”
“Oh.” The delicate skin of her throat bobbed as she swallowed. He could see the fear under her cool exterior, and it made him want to kill the men who had frightened her.
He laid his hand on her shoulder. Touching her, even through cloth, gave him a surge of desire. It was hard to do nothing but keep his palm there, comforting and still, when he wanted to scoop her into his arms, kiss her, and hold her safe and tight.
But she’d shown no sign of responding to him the way he had to her. She wasn’t a shifter— she knew nothing of mates. He had to give her time to get to know him. In the meantime, he’d be professional.
“I swear, I’ll keep you safe,” Hal said, willing her to believe it.
Ellie let out a sigh and leaned into his hand, as if she liked having it there. Then, to his disappointment, she pulled away. “So, do we go to a hotel?”
“No. We’re going to my place. I have a guest bedroom.”
“Why not a hotel? Security, again?”
Because I want to welcome you into my home, Hal thought. Because it’ll make me feel safe knowing that you’re in my lair, where I can protect you.
Fishing for a reason that would make sense to her, he said, “Yeah, security. And...” His gaze fell on the empty coffee cup. “It’s got a cappuccino machine.”
For the first time, Ellie smiled. It was like the first bright burst of sunlight on a cloudy day. Sure, it was at the promise of coffee rather than at him, but he’d take it. “Cappuccino, huh? Lead on.”