was relieved when Deke just shook his head and sighed.
He drove her straight to Brandon’s car, stopping beside it. He leaned over the steering
wheel.
“What Jack did was shitty, Morgan. I won’t deny it. He knows it. But this asshole
stalking you is dangerous. And it’s possible he hopped a plane back here. Let me call
Jack. He can keep you safe until—”
“Damn it. What part of no don’t you understand?”
“What if this sick freak finds you? He’s tried to kill you once. He’ll try again. You saw
that note.”
“I’m a grown woman with a brain. I can manage to hide myself for one night. Then
tomorrow, I’ll make other arrangements. Jack is not the only person who can keep me
safe.”
“He’s the man who cares about you most. He would do anything to keep you safe,
give his life for yours.”
“All bodyguards take that risk.”
Deke nodded. “The difference is, on the job, we risk our lives because we’re paid to
do it. I have no doubt Jack would simply lay his down to save yours.”
“No, that’s…” Morgan shook her head, disturbed by the soaring joy and terror inside
her. “He’d have to love me to—”
“He does.”
Morgan swallowed. It wasn’t possible. Logically, she’d known Jack three days. He
wasn’t the kind of man to give his heart easily, if at all.
Was it possible? a voice in her head whispered. An agreement to an interview had led
to an agreement to protect her, which had led to…so much more. Visions of Jack
bombarded her: Shielding her from bullets, impaling her against his front door, teasing
his grandfather, encouraging her to accept his domination, cursing at her fantasy.
Leaving her.
Jack didn’t love her. Deke must think saying otherwise would persuade her to wait for
him. Well, Deke thought wrong.
She stripped off Deke’s sweatshirt, handed it back to him, and gathered up her purse.
“I’ll be fine.”
“I don’t think that taking this car is safe. Who knows what the weird-ass did to it.
Why don’t you let me drop you somewhere until we can get the car checked out.”
So he could tell Jack where she’d gone the minute his Hummer door shut behind her?
“Thanks for the offer, but I’ll call a cab.”
With a long sigh of defeat, Deke put his Hummer into park. “At least let me help you
down and make sure this bastard hasn’t tampered with your car.”
As much as she wanted to, Morgan couldn’t argue with that request. She nodded.
Deke hopped down and walked around to open her door. He grabbed her around the
waist and lifted her out of the vehicle. His hands lingered. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.” She still had a stalker to contend with but she could hire someone big and
mean and ugly to watch over her, return home, start filming the new episodes of Turn Me
On.
A new batch of ice picks seemed to stab at the back of her eyes. “I can’t stay.”
Morgan fished the keys from her overstuffed little purse, cursing as Deke bumped
her and half the contents spilled out onto the dark street. God, couldn’t anything go
right?
“Sorry. I tripped.” Deke bent and gathered her brush, her wallet, her hand lotion,
then put it all back in her purse. “Be safe.”
She opened Brandon’s trunk after Deke checked the vehicle inside and out, then gave
her an all-clear signal. With a soft curse, he called her a cab as she grabbed her
belongings from the trunk.
“Thanks.” She couldn’t seem to make her voice any bigger than a whisper.
“I hope I see you again.”
Sincere. His words weren’t cute. Weren’t a come-on. A fresh wave of dejection
swarmed her.
Morgan nodded and watched him drive away with hot tears scalding her cheeks as the
truth hit her: She’d never see Deke again. Worse, she’d never see Jack again. She’d
known him mere days and leaving him felt like she was leaving behind a part of herself,
like she’d dismembered her heart from her body.
Perfect. How like her. The minute she had to leave Jack was the moment she realized
she loved him.
The taxi blessedly arrived moments later and whisked her away.
#
Nearly groaning with every step, Morgan checked into a quaint European-style bed
and breakfast on the edge of town with a small overnight bag in one hand and her laptop
in the other. She took the renovated carriage house out back, which wasn’t visible from
the road and came complete with a Jacuzzi tub and a back door for a quick exit. The
whole place sat alone, the yard surrounded by guard fences. The owner swore they’d