The Man I Want to Be (Under Covers)(11)

As Kenna turned around to face him, nerves washed over her. "You're sure?"

Taking in her worried look, he clasped her face in his large, warm palms. "You're safe, Kenna. I promise."

She nodded but didn't feel reassured. How did the thief get into her  room? Did he have a key? Had he broken in? Her lock didn't look like it  had been tampered with.

So how?

Before she could voice those concerns, Bryan was already walking to the  door. She heard the click of the dead bolt being fastened. "I'll stay  with you tonight."

"Wait, what?" she shrieked. "That's not …  I didn't mean …  You can't."

"I can. And I am." He strode past her toward the bed, reaching to his  back to pull his shirt over his head. He tossed it on the nearby chair,  slipped out of his boots, and dropped his shorts to the ground like it  was normal. He stood in tightly fitting boxer briefs-God help her, she  definitely looked-as he turned the blankets down on the side of the bed  by the balcony.

"That's my side," she said.

Yeah, 'cause that was her biggest problem at the moment.

Grinning, Bear rolled so he landed on the other side, the one closest to  the door. He fluffed the pillow under his head and closed his eyes.  "Night, night, Kenna."

She stood staring at the man whom she hadn't seen for more than a decade  making himself at home in her bed. Like he belonged there. In his  underwear, no less.

How had she gotten here? And how was she going to survive if he planned  to make this a nightly routine until they found her mom's ring?

As those thoughts processed, there was one very important thought that came to mind as she shed her own shoes and dress.

He'd distracted her from the events of the last few hours. He was protecting her, even though it wasn't his job anymore.         

     



 

She wasn't sure what to make of that.





Chapter Five


She was a terrible friend. But really, Kenna had more important things  to do than meet the rest of the wedding guests for a rowing competition.  First, her arm strength was abysmal, so she wouldn't be much help  anyway. More pressing, she had a thief to track down. She'd beg for  Sam's forgiveness later.

When she'd woken up, she rolled over expecting to see Bear still  snoozing away in her bed, but he wasn't. In fact, there wasn't any trace  of him in her room at all. The sheets had been pulled up on his side,  and his items weren't on the chair. She'd had a slight flash of  disappointment and then reminded herself what she should be focusing on.

Her mom's ring.

Kenna pulled the ball cap she'd purchased in the gift store lower on her  forehead and kept her face toward the marble floor of the elevator as  she rode it down to the main level. When it dinged and then the doors  opened, she slipped out and quickly glanced into the lobby for anyone  who might foil her plans. Not spotting anyone she recognized, she headed  straight for a courteous looking man with kind brown eyes, dark hair,  and a white hotel uniform typing on a computer at the front desk.

"Excuse me," she said, keeping her voice intentionally sweet.

He looked up with a smile. "Yes, ma'am, what can I do for you?"

"Hi, I'm Kenna. I'm a guest here." She read the name on his badge. "Davis? I was hoping you could help me locate another guest."

His expression turned weary, making her nerves ramp up.

He opened his mouth like he was going to rebut, so she jumped back in.  "Average height, dark hair, thin build. He wears T-shirts and shorts. We  had the most fantastic night last night on the beach together, and he  didn't even give me his name. I was hoping to be able to repay him for  such a wonderful night last night. If you know what I mean." She winked  for good measure. "Anyone you can recall here fits that description?"

"As a matter of fact, yes," Davis said.

"Yes?" she said, her voice a little too excited. Ha! Take that, Hawaii  Five-O. She could have this case solved in less than twenty-four hours.  "Who? Do you have a name?"

Davis swung his arm out in a wide arc. "Take your pick. About a quarter  of our guests are average height, with dark hair, and thin build. I even  spotted some of them wearing shorts. I bet your one-night stand is out  there somewhere. Happy hunting." He lowered his attention back to the  screen in front of him.

Gee, thanks.

She gave him a half-hearted laugh. "Okay, fine. It wasn't a one-night  stand. I'm actually looking for someone who I think might have broken  into my hotel room and taken something very important to me." A flash of  interest passed Davis's face, so she took that as her opening to keep  going. "It was a ring that belonged to my mother. She died, and it's the  only thing I have left to remember her by."

The man's expression softened, but his words didn't. "We take security  at this hotel very seriously, miss. If you'd like to make a claim that  your hotel room was indeed broken into, I'll need to call my security  manager so you can give him an official statement. They'll take a report  and investigate further."

"Very well," she said. The more people looking for this guy, the better.

Davis typed a few things into his computer, moved the mouse around, then said, "Your room number?"

"550."

Three clicks, then he paused to regard the screen with interest. "Hmm."

"What?" she asked. "What is it?"

"There's already a claim in the system."

"How? Who filed it?" Though she already had her suspicions. Talking to  hotel security was the next logical step. Obviously Bear beat her to it  this morning.

"I'm not at liberty to say," he said. "If you'll wait just a moment  while I call security. I'm sure they'll be interested in getting your  perspective."

After a few minutes of Kenna tapping her sandals on the glossy tile  floor, and a few annoyed glances from Davis, a tall, dark-skinned man in  his thirties walked toward her. He introduced himself with a slightly  accented voice as Kilos, the hotel's assistant security manager.

He gestured to a small office behind the front desk with a two-way  mirror that looked out on the lobby. Once inside, she took a seat in a  worn leather chair across from his desk and gave her account of what her  ring looked like and what the man she spotted leaving looked like. The  interlude lasted a lot shorter than she'd expected. It wasn't long  before Kilos escorted her back to the lobby.         

     



 

"Thanks for your time. We'll be in touch." He held out his hand. "If you think of anything else, please let us know."

She didn't shake his hand. Not yet. "You guys have cameras all around,  so that means you've got security footage you're going to review,  right?"

"We do," Kilos said.

"Great, can I take a look?" Hopefully their cameras caught the thief's face.

Kilos's thin lips spread into a conciliatory smile, giving way to  straight white teeth. "I'm sorry, Ms. McCord, I won't be able to do  that. Hotel policy."

"I really need to find the man," she pleaded, her emotions getting the best of her.

He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry. We have a  great relationship with the local authorities. We'll handle it from  here. You have my word."

The rational part of her was relieved. Security had been alerted, and  they were on it. But the irrational part of her didn't want to accept  that. The controlling part of her brain needed to do something. Since  she was the only person she could depend on.

"Please," she said. "Is there anything you can recommend? Anything at all?"

Her expression must have been pleading enough, because his shoulders  dropped on a sigh. "You could talk with the gentleman over there." He  pointed toward the entry of the hotel.

She turned to glance toward the wide lobby with marble floors, lofty ceilings, and dark-oiled chandeliers.

Then she spotted him.

Bear.

He leaned against a tall, white pillar with one untied combat boot  crossed over the other, reviewing papers. He wore a heather-gray T-shirt  and cargo shorts with a baseball hat and wide-rimmed sunglasses. He  looked very badass and very sexy.

Ugh, she hated herself right now.

She kept her attention on Bear but addressed Kilos. "Why should I talk to him?"

"Because he asked for the same information about ten minutes before you did."

She jerked a look back at Kilos. "You showed him the video?"

With a guarded expression, he said, "Not yet."

Not yet. But he would. "What part of the hotel policy allows you to show it to him and not me?"

Kilos gestured with his chin at Bear. "That gentleman had a valid reason."

"Which was?" Her annoyance and excitement at odds with each other.

She kept her attention on Bear, and seeming to sense her stare, he  looked up. Their gazes connected. Bryan took in where she stood, whom  she was talking with, and he smirked. Proud and shit-eating. Then he  lifted the hem of his shirt where a shiny silver badge was clipped to  the waistband of his shorts. Motioning to it, he mouthed, Got one of  these?