Hide and Seek

He fixed a fresh cup of coffee for himself and carried it over to the floor to ceiling window in the living room. The sun was just making an appearance, and from the elevated site of the house he could see it cast its rays on Arrowhead Bay, the tiny body of water that gave the town its name. From his vantage point he could see the marina with its floating docks and the rows of boats in their slips. The Driftwood, the restaurant adjacent to the marina, wasn’t open for business yet but the Coffee Pot was. The little diner that served coffee and fresh pastries and breakfast sandwiches for people going out in their boats, whether for business or pleasure, already had its lights on.

The ambience of Arrowhead Bay was a big portion of why he’d chosen to live here. He could get excitement anywhere in the world, on a job or on vacation. Vigilance agents weren’t required to live here, only to show up for their assignments and at least a week of conditioning between jobs. But this place was special. Here was where he recharged his batteries and maintained his humanity, often after jobs he was afraid would rob him of it. Right now he hoped it would settle his brain and help him understand this situation with Devyn.

The rule at Vigilance about involvement with clients was a sticky wicket. Avery was very strong about that and he’d never stepped over the line. Not once. He had a well-earned rep for no involvement with anyone. Ginger Brody, the top computer expert at Vigilance, teased him by calling him Mr. Ice Box because she said he could keep his emotions locked down. Where was Mr. Ice Box now?

Gone, the moment Devyn Cole barreled her way into his life. He’d never expected to meet someone again who hit him right where he lived physically and emotionally. The way Amanda had. Same latent sexuality, same courage and determination, same…everything. And no, he wasn’t substituting. He could have done that many times before. Either fate was giving him the famous fickle finger or he was being given another chance. He wished he knew which it was.

He still remembered the feel of Devyn’s body in his hands when he lifted her from her car. The way she fit against him when he carried her away from it. The light scent of whatever she shampooed her hair with. He’d had a lot of trouble hiding the fact his cock was hard as a spike.

Control, he urged himself. Get your shit together.

The last thing he wanted to do was fall on her like some sex-starved maniac, because this was about a whole lot more than just sex.

“That’s one of the things I love about this house.”

Devyn’s voice behind him startled him. He gave himself a swift mental kick in the ass that he hadn’t even heard her come up behind him. Some bodyguard he was. He was too busy thinking of doing other things to her body besides guarding it.

She moved to his side, holding her own mug of coffee. When he glanced sideways at her his unrepentant shaft raised its head and whispered My turn. He hadn’t realized it last night but whatever she slept in was made of thin, soft material that draped her body, outlining her breasts, her hips, and her most splendid ass. He wanted to coast his hands over her, feeling every dip and swell and curve.

Holy fucking shit.

Maybe he could hit himself on the head with a hammer.

“The view.” She said it as if he was in some way mentally deficient and didn’t know what she meant.

“Yes. The view. I can see why you’d love it so much.”

“I’d come and stand here in this very spot,” she went on, “looking out toward the water. I could almost feel the sun on my skin, and smell the salty breeze from the water. And somehow for those few minutes I could make myself believe that everything was okay. That my father hadn’t turned into someone I no longer knew.”

“I’m sorry.” He didn’t know what else to say.

She shrugged then took a sip of her coffee. “Nothing you can do about it. Nothing I could do about it. He just closed himself off more and more, until there was no way for me to reach him.”

“Yet you kept coming to see him,” he reminded her.

“Yes. We’d been doing so great together and then suddenly it all went sideways. Because I kept hoping under all that remote exterior I’d somehow find my father. I didn’t realize he’d already disappeared.”

She sat heavily on the couch, placed her mug on a little side table and dropped her head into her hands. Logan wasn’t sure exactly what to do so he sat beside her, trying to take his cues from her. He was stunned when she leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder, her face still buried in her hands. It was an automatic reaction for his arm to go around her and hold her against his body. His very misbehaving body.

She was soft and warm, and a faint scent of vanilla and jasmine clung to her. Without even realizing he was doing it he touched his mouth to her temple and kissed it softly. He tensed at once, waiting for her to push him away or jump up and ask him what he was doing. She did neither of those things. Instead she pressed even closer to him, her breath whispering across the hollow of his throat where his pulse now pounded like a jackhammer.

“Devyn, listen.”

“Listen to what? Do you have answers for me? I hardly slept last night. I kept remembering those two men and what they wanted to do. And the phone calls, from someone equally as unfriendly. Just hold me for a little while, Logan. Okay?” She looked up at him. “Can that be part of your bodyguard duties?”

He swallowed a laugh. “Honey, what I’m thinking of has nothing to do with guarding your body.”