Page 16 of Steal My Breath Away

“I know.” Our gazes met, locked. There was too much history there. Too many emotions. I took the shirt from his hand and closed the door.

After changing my clothes, I returned to the boardroom. Someone had cleaned up my mess and made a fresh pot of tea. I offered my apologies as I took a seat beside my mom. Only then did I realize Ace hadn’t returned.

“Ace told us you’d prefer someone else,” Mom said. “I really wish you would reconsider. He cut his vacation short to help us out.”

Ace on vacation. I couldn’t even picture it. I’d never seen him chill out and relax except when he and Matt were hanging out together, gaming or playing ball in the driveway. Even when he came camping with us, he was always busy collecting wood for the fire, helping Dad put up the tarps, or chopping vegetables withMom for Dad’s gourmet camping dinner. “I think it would be better with someone I don’t know.”

“Ace had some suggestions for people who might be suitable,” Tony said. “Unfortunately, they’re all on assignment. I think our best bet would be Maverick. Everyone else who is available is at least ten to fifteen years older, and that won’t work for an undercover boyfriend.”

“Undercover what?” I looked from Mom to Tony and back to Mom. “Did you say boyfriend?”

“We have to keep this low-key,” Mom said. “My PR team is concerned it could hurt my chances of reelection if the public knows I’m being threatened, and it gives power to the people behind this. It’s not unusual for senators to have security, but if you have a bodyguard, it will raise questions. Tony said some of his bodyguards will play the role of a boyfriend or girlfriend when the clients don’t want to draw attention. I thought it was a good idea since you don’t have anyone…” She hesitated. “Or do you?”

“No, and I’m not interested in having a real-life boyfriend, much less a fake one.”

Mom’s jaw tightened, and I knew right away I was in trouble. “I’m not leaving until you have some kind of security. If this doesn’t work for you, then I’ll have to insist that you come to DC.”

I’d run out of excuses. Maverick wasn’t Blake. It made no sense to turn him down, too. “I’ll go with Maverick but I’m not doing the fake boyfriend thing.” I sighed. “When would he start?”

“He’ll need a day or two to prep,” Tony said. “He’ll have to do some recon of the college and the neighborhood and the places you frequent the most. We’ll have security outside your house until he starts, so you won’t be unprotected. Jordan and I will deal with the paperwork. I’ll send Maverick in so you can get to know each other.”

Maverick joined Mom and me in the conference room after Tony and Jordan had left. While he poured a glass of water, I made a mental list of all the reasons he wasn’t Blake—taller by two inches, hair a lighter shade of blond, wider body, thickerneck, Southern drawl, looked like he’d just walked off a military base and wanted to rip someone in two.

“Tell me a bit about yourself,” I said after he settled in the chair across from me. It was the first question I asked all our prospective roommates, and a trick I’d learned from my psychology classes. You could learn more about people by just letting them talk rather than asking them pointed questions.

“Twenty-eight years old. Six feet two inches tall. Two hundred and twenty pounds of grade A muscle.” With a grin, he flexed his arm and made his bicep pop beneath the sleeve of his T-shirt. “I played high school football and won a state championship in powerlifting. I’ve trained in four different martial arts and freestyle wrestle in my spare time. I keep my body pristine with no drugs, alcohol, sugar, additives, dairy, gluten, animal products, or processed foods. Go raw or go home.” He pumped a fist in the air. Mom and I shared a quick side-eye, and I caught her lips quivering at the corners. We were definitely on the same wavelength.

“I’m also ex-military.” Maverick turned his arm to show off his sleeve of tattoos. “Four years in the navy until I decided it wasn’t for me, and came to work for Tony. I’m experienced in street fighting but I try to defuse situations before they arise, so I’ve only really hurt about thirty people since joining Stellar. I’ve worked with broken bones, acid burns, concussions, and even a few stab wounds—nothing will keep me off the job. I’ve used crutches and boiling water as weapons and once I knocked someone out with my cast.”

“Very impressive,” Mom said, filling in the silence while I tried to get my mouth to close. For the first time in my life, I was glad she was in politics and knew what to say in every situation. “I feel very reassured.”

“We should go over the rules,” he said. “As long as you do what I say, everything should go smoothly.”

Do what I say.The words chafed like a polyester shirt.

“Is it really necessary for you to be with me all the time?” Iasked. “I highly doubt someone is going to break into my house in the middle of the night and snatch me away.”

“They’d probably step it up,” Maverick said. “Maybe try to stab you or slit your throat while you’re sleeping, put a bullet through your skull, or even kidnap you in a more public place where there’s so much going on people won’t even notice.”

I could feel the blood drain from my face. Even Mom looked alarmed.

“Well, that’s very graphic,” she said. “And I’m sure none of that will come to pass with you there, Maverick.”

“Definitely not.” He slammed his fist into his palm, making both Mom and me jump. “I’ll bring a full complement of weapons to keep you safe. One creak and you’ll be mopping the bastard’s blood off the floor for days.”

I couldn’t tell if he was laying it on thick on purpose, or it was just him, but I still couldn’t get the image of Blake out of my head. And where was Ace? Was he done with us? I’d said no and now I’d never see him again?

“Will Maverick be a good fit for you, darling?” Mom asked. “My flight leaves in a few hours and I’d like to get everything settled before I go.”

“Yes.” I nodded. “I’m sure we’ll get along.”Eventually. Probably. Hopefully. Never.

Maverick kept me company in the lobby while Mom and Tony finalized the paperwork. I kept looking for Ace, but it made sense that he hadn’t come to say goodbye. He’d flown all the way to Chicago for me, and I’d turned him down for a man who reminded me of the worst Riverstone had to offer.

“Have you worked with Ace before?” I idly flipped through a brochure hoping to see Ace in the promotional pictures of Stellar Security bodyguards accompanying famous musicians and actors, many of whom I recognized.

“Once or twice,” he said. “He prefers solo gigs with female celebrities and doesn’t socialize much with the team.”

Mom returned with Tony, and after we’d said goodbye,Maverick escorted us downstairs. He made a show of checking the sidewalk and street before we exited the building, and then again when we neared Mom’s car. I could feel the invisible rope that connected me to Ace slowly tighten the farther we walked away.

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