Page 121 of Cowboys & Navy SEALs

“Oh, yeah.” He probably thought she was a complete moron. Where else would they go? Sutton mentioned that Corbin had been briefed about her situation. How much did Sutton know about her relationship with Tuck? Did he realize that Tuck had abused her for so many years? It was embarrassing that she’d been weak enough to let it happen. She tried to keep a lid on herpast as much as she could. But now that she’d shot Tuck and put him in the hospital everything was splitting wide open.

“You ready?” A hint of amusement flickered in his green eyes. Or were they gold? Whatever color they were, they were mesmerizing. She took in his features—messy, nut-brown hair, olive skin, prominent cheekbones, white even teeth, razor-sharp jaw that had a stubborn set. A heatwave blasted over her when she realized that he’d caught her staring at him. This was the second time tonight.

She lifted her chin and forced her feet to move forward. “Yes. Where is the SUV parked?”

“In the back.”

“All right. Lead the way.” She wondered how long it would take before this incredible attraction subsided. Hopefully, it would be soon, or else she’d make a complete fool out of herself.

Chapter Six

It was crazy how drastically Corbin’s life had changed in a matter of a few hours. When he realized who his first assignment was, Corbin was shocked beyond words. Interesting that in a crowded room, he’d been drawn to Delaney. Of course, she’d noticed him first. Then she acted so cold at the bar. He wished they’d not met each other the way they had. It was making everything awkward.

They drove in silence to Delaney’s condo. All the while, Corbin’s brain raced to come up with witty comments, but he couldn’t seem to make his tongue speak the words. When they arrived, Corbin shifted his focus from this tension with Delaney to the logistics of how to keep her safe. He couldn’t let her mess with his mind and keep him from doing his job.

From what he could tell, her high-rise building had top-notch security … a doorman, guard at the front desk, cameras, and most likely a few guards manning the parking garage. Plus, Delaney had hired a service that provided bodyguard protection around the clock. In fact, the same guy who’d fought with Corbin at the bar followed them back to Delaney’s apartment. The big man’s jaw had dropped to the floor when he realized the veryguy he’d had an altercation with would be Delaney’s primary protection detail.

All in all, Anton seemed like a decent guy. Now that Corbin understood the situation, he could see why Anton acted the way he did. Anton held up his hands in a gesture of truce. “Hey man, I had no idea who you were. Sorry about what happened earlier. I just saw someone harassing Miss Mitchell and reacted.” His eyes widened. “I mean, I saw what I thought was harassment,” he corrected, his face going red.

Corbin could tell Anton was sincere. Also, the poor guy looked haggard with a ripped shirt, black eye and swollen lip; whereas Corbin’s jaw was a little sore and the tux stained, but that was it. One of those situations where,If you think I look bad, you should see the other guyapplied.

“We’re cool,” he’d told Anton, and he meant it. Corbin couldn’t blame the guy for doing his job. And it couldn’t hurt to have someone parked outside Delaney’s door. Of course, Tuck Allen had blown right past the high-rise security and bodyguard. Corbin had no doubt that Hugh could also break past security and get to Delaney if he so desired. His jaw hardened. What Hugh wouldn’t be counting on, however, was him.

During his briefing session, Sutton had shown Corbin video footage of the night Tuck broke into Delaney’s condo. He and his female accomplice slipped through the back during a furniture delivery. Then the woman changed into a revealing dress and pretended to be a tipsy party-goer who’d gotten locked out of her room, a few doors down from Delaney’s. She flirted with the bodyguard and offered him the doughnuts pumped with a strong sedative. When the gullible man was passed out cold, Tuck used his key to enter the apartment.

Tuck’s plan had been relatively simple, yet spot-on effective. Sutton promised to keep Corbin informed about Tuck’s condition, as the threat seemingly hinged on that. Corbin didn’tlike being put in a vulnerable position, waiting for Hugh to attack. He asked Sutton why they didn’t attack Hugh first. But Sutton explained that Hugh Allen was elusive with many protective layers around him. “It’s better to let him come to you, then cut off the head of the snake. Otherwise, there would be too much risk and collateral damage.”

“You can sleep here.” Delaney opened the door to the guest room which was a couple doors down from the master bedroom. “Sorry about the mess.” She went to the bed and grabbed an armful of clothes. “I use this room as storage,” she explained. “I’ll just put these in my bedroom.”

“Okay, thanks.” The room was nice—much cleaner than his bedroom on a good day. Delaney’s high-rise condo was classy, the large windows offering a spectacular view of the city. Unfortunately, that wouldn’t work for the situation. The first thing Corbin made Delaney do when they got inside the condo was close the blinds. Even though she was high up, there were other buildings close enough for someone with a high-powered telescope to have a bird’s-eye view.

Delaney came back into the room. Her pinched expression said it all. She was uneasy around him. Now that Corbin realized what had happened with her ex-husband, he understood why she’d given him the brush-off earlier. He felt a little guilty for pressing her. It was probably good that she wasn’t interested in him. They needed to keep this professional. More than anything, Corbin wanted to prove to Sutton that he could keep Delaney safe at all costs. To do that, he couldn’t let himself get distracted by the vulnerable look on Delaney’s delicate, heart-shaped face or the gentle sway of her hips as she glided in her sleek heels. The way her glorious hair bounced on her shoulders. He coughed, wondering if he should clear the air tonight or wait until the morning.

“I’m sorry you don’t have any of your things.” Her voice trailed off.

He could wing it tonight, no big deal.

She pointed at the adjoining bathroom. “You’ll find a toothpaste and toothbrush in the top, right-hand drawer of the vanity.”

“Thanks.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and rocked forward on the balls of his feet.

“Well, I think I’ll turn in for the night. Do you need anything?”

“I think I’m good. I plan to do a check of the condo, make sure everything’s secure before I turn in for the night.” The relief that came over her face shot a pang through his heart. Sutton didn’t go into the details about Delaney’s former marriage, but if her ex-husband were anything like his brother, it must’ve been a harrowing experience. He wondered how a girl like Delaney could’ve gotten mixed up with Tuck Allen. Then again, everyone always said love was blind. He was itching to know how Delaney felt about Tuck being in the hospital. She’d shot her former husband, someone she once loved. That had to bite. There were so many questions he wanted to ask her … about her past, her climb to stardom, her hobbies, what she liked to eat. He laughed inwardly. Okay, he needed to take it down a notch. This was business, not a date.

She was to the door, about to step out of the room when he spoke. “Delaney?”

She turned. “Yes?”

“I’m sorry about what happened earlier … at the bar.”

Her jaw went slack as she fast-blinked a couple of times.

“If I’d realized the situation, I wouldn’t have been so forward.”

A polite smile fixed over her face. “Thanks.”

He could almost see the wall going up between them. She was determined to keep him at a distance. Disappointment settled heavily in his gut.

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