Page 12 of Mountain Protector

He frowns. “Do I scare you, Ruby?”

Yes, but not in the way he means. He scares me because of how my body responds to him, how I can’t stop thinking about the feel of his arms around me earlier, how I wonder what his mouth would taste like.

“Please,” I scoff instead. “I’ve dealt with drunk bikers who want misspelled tattoos of their ex-girlfriends’ names. You’re a teddy bear in comparison.”

His smile turns predatory in a way that makes my pulse quicken. “I wouldn’t be so sure about that.”

Lainey returns with our drinks, her eyes darting between us with undisguised curiosity. “Food’ll be up in a few. You two need anything else?”

“We’re good,” I tell her, silently pleading for her to go away before she says something embarrassing.

She lingers anyway. “So, Clay, what brings you to our little town? Besides Ruby, of course.”

I glare at her, but she just grins.

“Change of pace,” Clay says smoothly. “After my last contract ended, I wanted somewhere quieter.”

“Well, you picked the right place for quiet,” Lainey says. “Though things have gotten more interesting lately.” She gives me a pointed look that I steadfastly ignore.

When she finally leaves, I take a sip of my water, trying to cool the heat in my cheeks. “Sorry about her. Subtlety isn’t her strong suit.”

“I like her,” Clay says, surprising me. “She cares about you.”

“Yeah, well, someone has to.” I wince internally at how pathetic that sounds. “So, are you seeing anyone? In Piney Creek or... elsewhere?” The question comes out before I can stop it, and I immediately want to crawl under the table.

Clay’s eyes meet mine, steady and intense. “No. I’m not seeing anyone. Why?”

“Oh.” I fiddle with my straw wrapper. “I was just curious.”

“What about you?” he asks, his voice casual but his eyes anything but.

“No time,” I say with a shrug. “My job keeps me busy.”

“That’s the only reason?”

I narrow my eyes at him. “What other reason would there be?”

“You tell me.”

My heart rate kicks up a notch. “Are you psychoanalyzing me now? Is that part of your protection services?”

“Just making conversation.” His tone is light, but his eyes are still studying me too closely.

Lainey saves me by arriving with our food. As she sets the plates down, she gives Clay a warm smile.

“Enjoy. Ruby’s been coming here for years, and she’s my toughest critic, so you’re in good hands.”

“I’m sure I am,” Clay says, his eyes never leaving mine.

The double meaning isn’t lost on me, and neither is the way my body responds to it—a slow, liquid heat that spreads from my core outward. I take a bite of my grilled cheese to have something to do besides stare at his mouth.

“So,” I say after swallowing, “ten years in the military. That’s a long time. What made you leave?”

Something flickers across his face. “It was time. You can only live on the edge for so long before it catches up to you.”

“And now you’re here, in the most boring town in America, babysitting me.” I dip my grilled cheese into the tomato soup. “Must be quite the letdown.”

Clay takes a bite of his burger, chews thoughtfully. “I wouldn’t say that.”

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