* * * * *
IT SHOULDN’T BE this hard to follow one person, Eli thought. But yet when Kaylee walked through to the kitchen, she looked up and saw him and walked back out. She snuck out to the back porch when his back was turned. No matter what he did or when he did it, somehow she could anticipate his plans and blow them all to hell. Guarding one small girl shouldn’t take this much of his mental energy. It was maddening and annoying and exhausting.
The bathroom was probably the only place he could be sure she’d be safe.
When she walked across the room to use the powder room next to the kitchen, she glanced behind her and then spun around. Startled, Eli stopped dead in his tracks.
She jabbed a finger at his chest. “What are you doing? Stop following me!”
“It’s my job.” Eli made sure his voice held no emotion. It probably didn’t matter to her that she was driving him crazy, but he definitely didn’t want to hand her that kind of ammunition. Most women loved the power they held over men.
“Surely you don’t think there are armed assassins lying in wait for me somewhere in your brother’s house?” She looked at him like he was an idiot. Even when she was angry, she tempted him. Her smooth brown skin was completely free of makeup and her dark hair was twisted and pulled back into a long ponytail. There was nothing about her that said seductress but she was fatal to his control anyway.
Eli took a deep breath and resolved not to take his bad mood out on her. It wasn’t her fault that she was exactly his type physically. Mentally, she was far too young for him, but that didn’t stop his dick from reacting like he was a teenage boy with his first dirty magazine whenever she was near.
“It’s my job to assume there are armed assassins waiting for you everywhere. In my brother’s house. In your house. In the supermarket. In the goddamned bathroom.”
“You’re going to follow me into the bathroom now?” Kay’s mouth fell open.
For a hyper-charged moment, Eli couldn’t stop his gaze from dropping to her lips, then down to the generous cleavage concealed beneath her fuzzy pink sweater. She had the kind of shape that women bemoaned and men celebrated. After having a baby, she was even more round and soft. A pinup girl in the flesh.
A baby pinup girl, he reminded himself. One who was far too young and sweet for him to be lusting after.
“When Jackson made the decision for you to go solo, things changed in that moment. There’s going to be even more intense media scrutiny on you now, and that level of coverage brings out the whack jobs. You don’t think you need protection, but you do. You have no idea how much.” He added the last part under his breath.
“Ugh! You are impossible!” Kay stomped into the bathroom and closed the door firmly behind her. The loud punch of her turning the lock made him smile. His girl had spunk.
Except she’s not your girl. She’s your charge. You’re only relation to her is to keep her alive.
Eli hoped she never figured out exactly why he was keeping her so close. Plenty of his clients had received death threats that didn’t amount to anything. But this one had been very specific and chillingly calm. Jackson had wanted to tell her immediately, but Eli wouldn’t allow it. Kay was a sweet girl and she wasn’t prepared for that kind of stress. He’d shield her from it as long as he could.
It was his job to do the worrying.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
MATT WAS REALLY happy to see his friends. After being gone for the better part of the past two months, it was nice to see everyone was thriving and happy. Raina had popped out a few more inches and for the first time actually looked pregnant. There was no lingering tension between Trent and Mara. They were back to their sickeningly sweet lovey-dovey mode. Eli was following Kaylee around like a guard dog, and he wasn’t exactly sure he even wanted to know what was up with that. But for the most part everyone was great.
Now he just wished they’d all go away.
“Stop fidgeting. And stop doing that,” Penny said through gritted teeth while simultaneously moving her bottom away from his hand.
“This is the longest party ever. How many ways can you say happy birthday?”
“It’s nice your friends wanted to throw you a party.”
“It is nice. It’s also incredibly long.”
He couldn’t think past dragging Penny home and making love to her. Standing next to her with her baby-powder scent tickling his nose was pure torture. The only reason he’d been so determined to come in the first place was because Trent had told him he was planning to propose here. Now it had been almost three hours and he hadn’t done it yet and Matt couldn’t get him alone to ask him about it. Maybe he’d decided to do it later in private.
“We need to sneak out a little early.”
As soon as he spoke, the music stopped and he heard a gasp. He pushed forward a little to see Trent on bended knee while Mara stood with her hands over her mouth.
“Will you marry me, Mara?” Trent’s voice carried across the room, loud and clear.
Matt grinned. It was hard to shock his sister, but she looked really surprised. Her eyes lifted and met his across the crowd. She stood there, her eyes darting around wildly for a few moments.
“Mara?” Trent prompted.