Shelter in a Soldier's Arms by Susan Mallery

believe.”
    “No, it’s not that.”
    Although it was. She couldn’t imagine Jeff on bended knee, proposing. And married? As in living with a woman? Being casual in jeans, maybe, or walking around unshaven, wearing a robe? It boggled the mind.
    “I was married for several years. We tried to have children. When she didn’t get pregnant, we were both tested. The fault was mine.”
    Was that why he wasn’t married anymore? Was that— She realized that it was none of her business. “I’m sorry,” she murmured. “I didn’t mean to pry.”
    “I understand your concern. While I like Maggie, I don’t think of her as a substitute daughter.”
    He picked up a pen and studied it. On anyone else, Ashley would swear the action was a stall for time. Finally he set the pen down.
    “I don’t make a habit of being a nice guy, which is why I’m doing this so badly,” he said. “You work for me. I have no intention of firing you. If you want a loan for relocating to another apartment and your old job back, you’re welcome to both. If you’d like to try being my housekeeper on a trial basis, that’s fine, too. I don’t want anything from you or your daughter.” He paused. Something dark passed across his face. “If you’re looking for an explanation for my actions, think of them as atonement.”
    “For what?”
    He shrugged. “I’m damn good at what I do. I was better as a soldier. That comes with a price.”
    She didn’t want to ask anymore because she didn’t want to know what he’d done. She remembered the article that mentioned his time in Special Ops. There were hints about covert assignments. Assassinations. Secret battles.
    He was dangerous. She knew that in her head, but she couldn’t feel it in her heart. As if she was exempt from the ruthlessness. Was that possible?
    “I have a small child,” she said. “Considering your line of work, I’m assuming you have guns in the house. Will she be safe?”
    Instead of answering in words, he rose to his feet. At the far end of the room, he touched a book on a shelf and the entire bookcase swung open. Ashley rose and followed him. He pointed to the large safe built into the wall.
    “There’s no key or combination lock. It requires a retinal scan. The mechanism has its own power source so it won’t be disabled by an electrical blackout. Everything dangerous is kept in there.”
    She thought about asking what all might be in inventory, but figured she was better off not knowing.
    “Maggie is perfectly safe,” he said. “I wouldn’t let her stay here otherwise.”
    Ashley shivered. She wanted reassurance that she would be safe, too.
    “I’d like the housekeeper job,” she said, shoving her hands into her jeans pockets and taking a step back. “Just for a couple months, until I get my feet under me.”
    “Fair enough.” He closed the bookcase. “Are you interested in the accounting work, as well?”
    In for a penny, as they say. “Yes.”
    “Good.”
    He stared at her. Something flickered against his irises. For a second she would have sworn she saw fire—the kind that burned bright from passion’s desire. If he had been any other man, she would have thought he was interested. But not Jeff. Certainly not in her.

Chapter 7
    Ť^ť
    It took Ashley less than forty-eight hours to invade his world. Jeff had always had a biweekly cleaning service that took care of the house and washed his sheets and towels, but now he had a housekeeper.
    Ashley took her work seriously. Pieces of furniture that had simply been dusted were now polished. Surfaces gleamed and the scent of lemon filled the air. He found vases of flowers on tables and light filtering in through sparkling windows. His sheets and towels were softer, his cupboards stocked with food and meals had become multi-course and nutritional. When he gave her accounting work, she did it quickly and accurately, returning it to him the following day.
    Jeff hadn’t realized how careful she’d been to keep to