Page 43 of Unguarded

No, I just don’t have the ability to read her like I do everyone else.

“I guess my mind was occupied.”

“Hmm. With what?” She stretches her bare feet out so that they’re almost touching my legs.

I shrug. “Safety stuff. Security for the next show.”

“Is that all you think about?”

“No. Well, yeah, mostly. It’s my job.”

I also think about you. Obsessively.

She swirls her wine in the balloon glass, nibbling her damn lip. My gaze follows the movement like a magnet to metal. I drink half the wine in one gulp.

“I’m scared to ask this, but I feel like it’s a conversation that we need to have sooner or later. Are you … planning on staying?”

Her eyes are wide, the first show of vulnerability I’ve seen from her in weeks.

“Do you want me to stay?”I don’t know where the fuck that came from.“I mean, we haven’t seen any activity from the previous threat.” I lean back, trying to look relaxed.

She nods. “I want you to stay. He could come back at any moment. I know you’ve been working overtime, so if you need to scale back, take some days off … maybe you should, to avoid burnout.”

“Maybe you should too.”

One sip of wine, and my tongue is already loose.

She sighs, resting her head on the sofa, eyes dropping to her lap. “I know my limits. This is what I signed up for.”

But no one here is worried about you pushing yourself past your limits.

“What do you think about Katherine’s suggestion?”

I down the rest of my wine and refill my glass.

“That excited about it, huh?” She laughs.

I turn to face her again, holding back the smile pulling at my lips. The real Monroe has finally joined us, guard halfway down.

“I’m not one for crowds or being in the spotlight.”

“Nooo, you’re lying. You secretly wanna be an influencer, don’t you? One of those guys who makes thirst traps and has a comment section full of lonely moms.” She gasps, covering her mouth with her hand. “Are you one of the ones who does it already but wears a mask? Oh, the cowboy hat with abs definitely gets views.”

I gape at her, bringing on a fit of adorable laughter as she nearly doubles over.

“You should see the look on your face!”

“You’re not funny.” I can’t hold back the smile now, shaking my head at her.

“Then, why are you smiling? You never smile.”

“I’ve never heard you tell a joke until now.”

“Well, get ready. The jokes are coming on thick now. Wait, wait, I got one. Why does a chicken coop only have two doors?”

Her smile is radiant, eyes sparkling. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her this happy, and damn if it doesn’t make me want to kiss her.

“Um, I don’t know. Why?”

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