all settle down.”
“If it doesn’t, then what?” she asked with a quick glance toward Kyle.
Kyle widened his grin, enjoying the myriad emotions traipsing across her expressive face. She’d bounced from sorrow, to fear, to anger to more anger in the space of a heartbeat.
Her frown deepened.
Okay, shadowing the doctor for the next few days was going to be a challenge. But man, she was easy on the eyes. That was a huge plus. Not that it mattered what she looked like. Protection was protection. He’d do his job and then walk away like always. That was why he liked his job. Each assignment was different, mostly interesting and always temporary.
He was a temporary type of guy.
Especially when it came to women. Prickly women, like the doctor, in particular.
“All we can do is pray the police find whoever did this and arrests them quickly,” Ned said.
“What if they don’t?” she asked, her voice rising slightly.
Clearly, she was more freaked out by the threat hanging over her head than she’d like to admit. Kyle figured the doctor was used to being in charge and having everything under control. Most doctors he knew did.
But this was a situation she couldn’t control. He’d have to pick his battles. He didn’t need to be distracted by fighting her for control when a very real and dangerous threat loomed on the horizon. Who knew when this nut job would strike again?
“The police department is top-notch. They’ll find the suspect soon,” Kyle said, hoping to alleviate her stress.
Fear marched across her pretty face. “Fine. You can protect me.” Her voice hitched on the last word. She glanced at the thin gold watch on her delicate wrist. “I’m due in the O.R. in ten.” She gestured to his feet. “Do you have other shoes?”
He grinned and gave her a mock salute. “Yes, ma’am.”
Her lips thinned as she turned away and stepped toward the door. “Just stay out of my way.”
Kyle snagged her wrist. His palm came in contact with her bare skin, soft and smooth. Her pulse jumped beneath his fingers. Kyle couldn’t figure out what he’d done to upset her. It usually took longer before he offended someone.
“I promise this won’t be so bad,” he said, his voice coming out huskier than he liked. “You’ll hardly even know I’m around.”
She arched a raven-black eyebrow but didn’t shy away from his touch. “That’ll be a feat.”
Not sure what to make of her remark, he shrugged and let go of her. “I can be unobtrusive.”
“We’ll see.” She shimmied past him and exited the room.
Ned clapped Kyle on the back. “You have your work cut out for you. But I trust you’ll keep her safe.”
His gaze remained on the door. “On my life.”
He only hoped the prickly doctor let him do his job.
* * *
Five hours later, exhausted from the stress of her bodyguard’s watchful eye during two minor surgeries, Brenda led the way to her condo. They took the elevator to the fifteenth floor. Her stomach fluttered with nerves. The space was too confining. He was too close. She was having way too much trouble ignoring the waves of attraction sizzling between them. She met his gaze in the reflection off the smooth metal doors. He seemed to see right through her, to her very core.
She averted her gaze, mad at herself for the ridiculous thought.
Just how was this going to play out? Surely he wasn’t expecting to sleep in her apartment. She could only pray he’d make sure she was safely inside and then disappear until morning.
Wishful thinking.
As she approached her door, she dug inside the bag slung over her shoulder and pulled out a set of keys. She reached to insert the key in the doorknob. As quick as lightning, her new bodyguard snaked an arm around her waist and hauled her backward, against his hard chest. Awareness of his muscles and strength slipped over her like a sheet of silk.
Maybe she’d been wrong to think this man couldn’t be tough and intimidating.
“What are you doing?” she demanded, trying to reconcile the warmth spreading through her to the outrage she should be feeling at being manhandled so unceremoniously. She couldn’t quite get there though.
His corded arm and the musky scent of his aftershave distracted her. Not to mention the fact that she hadn’t had this kind of close contact with a man in...well, a long time.
“Saving you from yourself.” His whispered answer tickled her ear and caused a rippling effect of shivers to course through her. “The door could be booby-trapped. Someone wants you dead, remember?”
If he was trying to frighten her, he succeeded. Her stomach rolled. She hated how vulnerable she felt. Someone out there wanted to hurt her and didn’t care who they hurt in the process. And she didn’t know who or why. She could only guess and make assumptions. She bit her lip, a habit she’d dropped years ago but fear had resurrected.
Kyle set her aside. Impossibly she felt even more vulnerable without his strong arms around her. He moved closer to the door and slowly ran his hand around the edges of the frame, inspected the lock and then held out his hand. “Keys?”
She handed over her flashlight key chain with all her keys. “The silver, square one.”
He inserted the key in the lock and turned it. Brenda winced, half expecting an explosion. None came. He turned the handle and cracked the door, once again inspecting the edges.
“What are you looking for?” she asked, grimacing at how small her voice sounded.
“Trip wires.” He pushed the door wide. “Door’s not rigged.” He held up a hand. “Let me clear the place first.”
She blinked with alarm as he withdrew a gun he’d kept hidden at his back beneath the loose shirt. Now she better understood his garb. He dressed to conceal his weapon.
Probably made people underestimate him, just as she’d done when she’d first set eyes on him. He entered the condo with the gun held in front of him and disappeared from view while she waited in the hallway. Her gaze strayed to the elevators, half expecting some bogeyman to come bounding out.
Kyle returned, the gun out of sight and a grin on his handsome face. “Nice place.”
“Thanks,” she said automatically.
Though the idea of him entering her home and inspecting every nook and cranny left her feeling exposed. She never let anyone into her inner sanctum. But she didn’t have a choice. And that grated on her. Her unknown assassin had taken her options away. Anger stirred, mixing with the fear.
She placed her purse on the maple side table just inside the doorway. Since she’d worked a double shift at the hospital and had stayed the night there last night, the place smelled musty and hot after several
