Page 18 of Shades of You

Gabe had personally asked me to attend, so I came, balancing on a razor’s edge. Both hoping and dreading seeing Evan again as adrenaline surged through me. To keep myself busy, I pulled two beers out of the fridge and opened them, then handed one to her. “I’d kept to the shadows during the ceremony behind the Big House and finally worked up the courage to make an officialappearance at the reception. Evan saw me and went apeshit. He rushed me and pushed us both into the pool. When we got out, we started sniping at each other. I was this ball of emotion, and I didn’t know how to handle myself. I was this close”—I held my thumb and index finger a centimeter apart—“to punching his lights out when the SEAL got between us and ordered me to stand down. I was so out of it I didn’t even correct him for calling me soldier instead of Marine, something I normally do without thinking. It took a while for him to get through the red haze in front of my eyes, but obeying direct orders is too ingrained in me. And this guy was obviously an officer used to giving commands. I stepped back and he got me out of there. Things would have gotten really ugly between Evan and me if he hadn’t stepped in.”

“I’m so sorry for what you’ve been through. You and Evan were so close.”

I took a long pull of beer. “At least some good came from it. Evan realized that his hatred of me wasn’t helping, and I realized I needed to be part of my family. We’re trying to… reconnect.”

A sympathetic smile stretched her full lips. “I’m glad to hear that. I hope it works out between you two.”

“We’ll see. There’s a lot of shit to process. For both of us.” My mood started to darken as memories rushed through my mind. Rolling my head around on my neck, I tried to keep my shoulders from stiffening.

Brenna must have seen. She changed tack, reaching out to poke my bicep, and her touch sent an unexpected jolt through me. “What about this? Obviously, you work out a lot.”

I willed my fiery blood to cool, fighting off my reaction. It took me a second to remember we had been talkingabout what we enjoyed doing. “That is definitely not fun,” I said, a smile finally tugging at the corner of my mouth. She had a way of lightening the mood, even when the shadows loomed close. “Just part of the routine. I joined a gym in Dove Key and work out there.”

“Ah, the glamorous life of a security expert,” she teased gently.

“Something like that.” The timer dinged, and I pulled out the pizza, then served it onto two plates.

“Thanks,” she said. As I handed her the plate, our fingers brushed briefly.

“Of course,” I replied. “I’ll try to get to the market tomorrow and get some more… real food.”

We settled at the kitchen table, an island in the stormy sea that had become my thoughts. As she took a bite, her eyes closed in appreciation. Something twisted deep inside me.

This was a terrible idea.

Protecting her should’ve been straightforward—keep her safe, end of story. But with every familiar smile and gentle tease, the line between duty and desire blurred. If one of my guys were this entangled, I’d have reassigned him faster than you could sayconflict of interest. And yet here I was, unable to take my own advice. And I sure as hell wasn’t about to say anything to Miles or Garrett about what Brenna meant to me. The pull toward her was gravitational, undeniable. How the hell was I supposed to keep my hands to myself when every cell in my body screamed to close the distance between us?

Pedro hopped off the couch and sauntered over to the table. He sat and curled his tail around his legs, staring between us. I grabbed at the subject change. “Never thought I’d be a pet person.”

“Life’s funny like that,” she said softly. “You think you know exactly what you want, who you are… Then someone or something comes along, and suddenly you’re not so sure.”

Her words were too close to the bone, echoing the chaos churning inside me. “True. But some things are nonnegotiable.” Like keeping her safe. Like resisting the urge to cross lines that shouldn’t even be in view.

“Like what?” Brenna prodded gently, her gaze searching mine.

“Like… professionalism,” I managed, seizing on the word like a lifeline.

“Of course,” she replied, and a shadow flitted over her face, like she was disappointed at my answer.

I dropped my eyes to my plate again. I’d always had a thing for her. It had kept me going during dark times, been a lifeline of happy memories in a churning, dark ocean. And now, at last, she was more than a memory. And I couldn’t act on my desires. We ate in silence for a few moments, the weight of my unspoken words pressing down on me like the humid air outside. I was supposed to protect her, but who would protect her from me? From the intensity of what I felt?

Chapter Nine

Brenna

The unfamiliar roomaround me was quiet, and I was blissfully comfortable. I stretched luxuriously, surprisingly refreshed despite the turmoil that had sent me seeking refuge in Hunter’s apartment. After crossing the plush, carpeted floor, I found the robe I’d draped over the chair during my unpacking session yesterday. Wrapping it around myself, I experienced a momentary sense of intimacy as if he were somehow holding me with the fabric. I padded out of the room and down the hall, anticipation building steadily.

But Hunter wasn’t there, and an unexpected twinge of disappointment caught me off guard. “Guess it’s just you and me, Pedro,” I murmured to the kitten, who blinked at me lazily before resuming his nap on the sunny windowsill. A smile rose on my lips as I remembered Hunter’s embarrassed mumbling about buying the kitten a bed and placing it in his bedroom when the fluff bundle had been scared. All while denying he was becomingattached.

“You don’t fool me, you big lug.”

The bookshop would remain closed today, which was probably for the best. I needed time to think, to process all that had happened in the past twenty-four hours. After a hot shower that did little to calm the flutter in my stomach, I slipped into shorts and a faded T-shirt. Descending the stairs, I braced myself for whatever remnants of last night’s chaos awaited.

But it wasn’t chaos that greeted me—it was the sight of Hunter. He was sitting at a cluster of desks within the big open area of KeyMark Security. Two unfamiliar faces sat with him, all deep in conversation. During dinner, he had told me that his two employees were friends and fellow Marines who had worked with him in South Beach, then followed him on his new venture. They certainly looked the part. My heart did an odd skip at the sight of Hunter, clad in black and looking every bit the part of the brooding protector. His button-down shirt was rolled up at the sleeves, revealing strong forearms, and the jet-black jeans clung to him.

“Morning,” I called out, more cheerfully than I felt.

Hunter looked up, a flicker of something unidentifiable crossing his features. “Hey, Brenna. Sleep well?”

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