Page 11 of Unveiled

Chapter Six

Rush was taken aback by the small tidbit she shared. And if the look in her panic stricken eyes was an indicator, so was she. Probably more so.

Every fiber of her body was reading alarm. Even her muscles were twitching with her need to run. Rush knew if he pushed her too hard, she’d shut down. Instead of lobbing a million questions at her, he slid underwater, leaving her to process her own words without his scrutiny.

He backstroked across the pool and returned to her side. Keeping his back to her while casually leaning against the edge of the pool, he asked, “Is that something you’re ready to talk about?”

Rush listened to her breathing increase while she grappled with her need for privacy, which warred with her need to share. It was human nature. Finally, she spoke in a hushed tone. One he had to focus hard to hear.

“Not really. There is so much more, but I overheard him and his dad talking. I don’t have any proof, and at the time, they didn’t come out and say it, just things adding up. I am sure his father fudged my parents’ will to force me to go through with the marriage, and. . .”

Interesting. Rush was more absorbed by what she didn’t say, though. He knew if he focused on that, he’d miss his chance to learn more about what she had said. Mark had already gathered a wealth of information, but they needed confirmation to start formulating a plan.

“So, you were having doubts before that?”

Time ticked away with only the sounds of the birds overhead in the slight breeze. Just as Rush thought he’d pushed too hard, he heard her soft voice again. “Yes. He’d cheated on me and I was done. He begged for forgiveness and I said I would think about it, but there was nothing to think about. I was not going to marry a cheater, but then. . .”

Julia’s words trailed off, and Rush knew he’d get no more from her. He also knew what she was about to say. Her parents had died. It added up with the talk of their wills and a marriage she didn’t want. Rush suspected that this fiancé may have had a hand in their death. Judging by Julia’s fear and body language since he met her, so did she. Or maybe she more than suspected and that’s why she ran.

Rush needed to get to Cole Security office and get the guys working some more research magic. Between himself and Mark, they should have enough to help them fine tune some details. But he also needed her to trust the rest of them. The first part was easy, the second, not so much. He didn’t give trust easily, so how was he going to earn it?

What bothered him the most was he wanted her trust, and not just so they could help her out of this mess. He aspired to earn it. He needed her to give it to him, and he wanted to cherish it and not disappoint her.

Rush hated that he craved those things, but that didn’t stop him. He chalked it up to being a result of recent major events in his life and left it at that.

He climbed out of the pool and leaned over Julia, dribbling all over her back. As expected, she leapt up, complaining. “Oh my God, Rush. You’re dripping all over me and it’s cold.” He gave his whole body a shake.

“Not cold at all, perfect.” He wanted to be a gentleman and not look, but the clingy red fabric covering her impressive rack called to his vision. When he gave in, he groaned. As he suspected, the temperature difference from the cool water against her sun-warmed skin caused the natural reaction women hate but men love.

Rush’s mouth ached to have those erect nipples in his mouth. Shit. He felt his body responding to hers. He snatched the towel off the chaise and wrapped it around his waist. He needed to assert control over his body. This was not the way to earn her trust.

“How about we go grab lunch? I know an amazing Greek place.” Her panic at the thought of going into public was immediate. That cemented his earlier suspicion about her parent’s death. No one was that scared of a cheater, even if he had a father who could doctor legal papers.

“I mean, I have a friend who has a table in the kitchen we can sit at. We can take my bike and you’ll have a helmet on until we get inside. No one but Stavros and his family will see us. What do you say?” The yes was spelled out on her face before the words ever left her kissable lips. Rush wanted to see that expression more often. One of joy.

“Yes. I love Greek food and I love going out. I’ve missed it.” And just like that, the joy disappeared.

“You’ve been here for how long?”

Rush knew the answer, but he wanted confirmation. A small part of him also wanted her to acknowledge what she’d just let slip.

Her sheepish smile chipped away at the barrier he’d erected. “Just a few days before you arrived, but before that, I was pretty much a homebody.”

Involuntarily was left unspoken, but Rush could tell. The way her whole body seemed to fold in on itself spoke volumes of her life before she ended up at his place.

“Okay then, let’s get dried off and get going. But you have to promise to give yourself over to Stavros. Deal?”

Tatum rose and dragged the towel over her limbs, even though she wasn’t really wet any longer. It wasn’t meant to be sensual, but it was. Rush’s hands itched to track the path the light blue terry cloth did.

He swallowed hard and willed his body not to react. Her husky voice only added to his problems. “You want to make a lot of deals, you know that, right? And what do you mean, give myself over to Stavros?” Thank God, she finally wrapped the towel around that tempting red suit.

“Well, in order to sit at his table, you do not order, he decides what you need. He’ll give you the spiel, probably while flirting up a storm.” Rush needed to extract himself from the situation. He was confused and annoyed at the same time. “I’m going to head in and shower off the chlorine. Meet you in the living room in fifteen.”

Rush was turned on and that disturbed him. The last thing he needed was to be attracted to or involved with Julia. She was not only way out of his league, but she was also in a delicate place. One where she needed the next man in her life to break a trend. To show her that the past issues had been all them and not her. To handle her gently and display love and patience. Basically, redeem all of mankind in her eyes. That was not him.

But the thought of holding her while she cried and promising her the world didn’t cause his nuts to retreat into his body. That in and of itself was frightening.

As he hopped in the shower, he mentally chanted that this was a business dinner and not a date. A meal designed to extract information, not to woo or impress. No matter how many times he told himself that, he wasn’t sure if his heart bought what his brain was selling.

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