with this softie, because it's not going to last long." He flicked the offending item in her direction, and James reached out to deflect it before it could burn her skin.
"Enough," he said, turning to put himself between the two again. "We're leaving. I suggest you do the same. Don't stop until you're in another country." He tugged Brianna with him, feeling the tension in her shoulders as he held her close, not willing to release her yet in case Andrew still wanted to try something. When they got to his car, he opened the passenger door and helped her inside, then slid behind the wheel, keeping an eye on Andrew as he watched them drive away.
She was silent for the first few blocks, and when she finally spoke, his heart broke at how thin and scared her voice sounded.
"Thank you," she said, pausing a moment before adding, "Sir."
He frowned, pulling into his driveway and shutting the engine off before he turned to face her. "I'm not Sir to you," he said, wanting to make that clear. "I'm sorry if you got the impression I was taking liberties, but I needed Andrew to know you were no longer available to him. Do you understand that?"
She nodded, slowly, without looking at him. "Sorry. I'm...it hasn't--"
"It's okay," he said, wanting to touch her, give her comfort, but holding back. "Celia told me everything."
Chapter 2
Brianna's cheeks heated at her rescuer's last words. "How much did Celia tell you?" she asked, trying to decide if she was angry, embarrassed or both. She could feel the tension in James' body as he sat beside her in the car, every bit the gentleman. But he was holding back, she knew. And she was surprised to realize she wanted to know what his touch would feel like...
"Enough so that I'd be able to protect you," he said, his voice sincere. "She knew Andrew would come after you, and the police can't do anything unless he hurts you. She didn't want that to happen, so she called me. I'm the hired muscle, so to speak."
She glanced up at that, catching a slight grin on his face in the dim glow of the light on his garage. Still wary, she nodded, then turned to look at the house. It wasn't a house so much as a mansion, really, and she wondered if it belonged to him, or if it was a club of some sort. It was beautiful with two balconies and a sprawling porch across the front, but imposing as well.
"This is your place?" She hated that her voice trembled, and willed herself to be stronger. If Celia trusted this guy, she knew he must be okay. Still, it was disconcerting to think that freedom and a hot shower had been just within her grasp only to be replaced with yet another shared living arrangement.
A tap on her shoulder made her jump, and she turned to see James leaning back, hands up in surrender.
"Sorry," he said, and to his credit, he looked like he meant it. "I was just saying that I have a spare room - a suite, really, that you can use for as long as you'd like. You don't have to stay here either - if you'd rather get a hotel room or something, I can book us into adjoining rooms if you'd feel more comfortable. It's just until Andrew leaves, then you won't need me anymore."
She frowned, confused. "Why are you doing this? I can't afford to pay you - I can barely afford the rent on the little apartment Celia found for me. I appreciate everything, but--"
"I owe Celia one," he said with a shrug. "A big one. So she called in a favor, though you should know I would have helped anyway. I was smitten the moment you came in the bar, annoyed that you couldn't find me right away." He winked, grinning playfully, and she couldn't help but smile back. "Come on," he said, getting out of the car and waiting for her to join him. "I'll give you the tour, and if you hate it, we'll go somewhere else, okay?"
She nodded, exhaustion setting in quickly. "I'm sure this will be fine, really - and thank you. I really appreciate all of this, even though I know I'm handling it badly."
He led the way up the broad stairs and unlocked
"Enough," he said, turning to put himself between the two again. "We're leaving. I suggest you do the same. Don't stop until you're in another country." He tugged Brianna with him, feeling the tension in her shoulders as he held her close, not willing to release her yet in case Andrew still wanted to try something. When they got to his car, he opened the passenger door and helped her inside, then slid behind the wheel, keeping an eye on Andrew as he watched them drive away.
She was silent for the first few blocks, and when she finally spoke, his heart broke at how thin and scared her voice sounded.
"Thank you," she said, pausing a moment before adding, "Sir."
He frowned, pulling into his driveway and shutting the engine off before he turned to face her. "I'm not Sir to you," he said, wanting to make that clear. "I'm sorry if you got the impression I was taking liberties, but I needed Andrew to know you were no longer available to him. Do you understand that?"
She nodded, slowly, without looking at him. "Sorry. I'm...it hasn't--"
"It's okay," he said, wanting to touch her, give her comfort, but holding back. "Celia told me everything."
Chapter 2
Brianna's cheeks heated at her rescuer's last words. "How much did Celia tell you?" she asked, trying to decide if she was angry, embarrassed or both. She could feel the tension in James' body as he sat beside her in the car, every bit the gentleman. But he was holding back, she knew. And she was surprised to realize she wanted to know what his touch would feel like...
"Enough so that I'd be able to protect you," he said, his voice sincere. "She knew Andrew would come after you, and the police can't do anything unless he hurts you. She didn't want that to happen, so she called me. I'm the hired muscle, so to speak."
She glanced up at that, catching a slight grin on his face in the dim glow of the light on his garage. Still wary, she nodded, then turned to look at the house. It wasn't a house so much as a mansion, really, and she wondered if it belonged to him, or if it was a club of some sort. It was beautiful with two balconies and a sprawling porch across the front, but imposing as well.
"This is your place?" She hated that her voice trembled, and willed herself to be stronger. If Celia trusted this guy, she knew he must be okay. Still, it was disconcerting to think that freedom and a hot shower had been just within her grasp only to be replaced with yet another shared living arrangement.
A tap on her shoulder made her jump, and she turned to see James leaning back, hands up in surrender.
"Sorry," he said, and to his credit, he looked like he meant it. "I was just saying that I have a spare room - a suite, really, that you can use for as long as you'd like. You don't have to stay here either - if you'd rather get a hotel room or something, I can book us into adjoining rooms if you'd feel more comfortable. It's just until Andrew leaves, then you won't need me anymore."
She frowned, confused. "Why are you doing this? I can't afford to pay you - I can barely afford the rent on the little apartment Celia found for me. I appreciate everything, but--"
"I owe Celia one," he said with a shrug. "A big one. So she called in a favor, though you should know I would have helped anyway. I was smitten the moment you came in the bar, annoyed that you couldn't find me right away." He winked, grinning playfully, and she couldn't help but smile back. "Come on," he said, getting out of the car and waiting for her to join him. "I'll give you the tour, and if you hate it, we'll go somewhere else, okay?"
She nodded, exhaustion setting in quickly. "I'm sure this will be fine, really - and thank you. I really appreciate all of this, even though I know I'm handling it badly."
He led the way up the broad stairs and unlocked
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