Page 5 of Thirsty Bodyguard Summer

“It’s paperwork.”

“You say that as though paperwork can’t be intimate.”

“Not the kind I complete.”

He waited one beat too long before looking away. Desire pulsed low beneath my waistband.

I pressed the call control on my earpiece. “Rafi, I have the client. We’re returning to Cottage Twelve.”

“The route remains clear,” Rafi said.

Shane angled his head toward my earpiece. “Does he hear everything?”

“He hears us only when I transmit.”

“That answer created several new questions.”

“You can save them for inside.”

Tracy stepped onto the patio as we approached. She wore cream trousers and a sleeveless navy blouse, with her phone in one hand. She stopped directly in front of Shane.

“I thought you were changing for lunch.”

“I changed into swimwear.”

“You forgot the part where you asked security.”

“I didn’t know Cassidy was already security.”

Tracy turned to me. “Did he argue?”

“He asked questions.”

“I was negotiating,” Shane said.

“You went back inside. That isn’t the same thing.”

He opened the patio door for me. “You’re going to be very strict about language, aren’t you?”

“Only when words mean different things.”

Shane looked at my mouth for a beat, then met my eyes. “I’m beginning to see the appeal.”

A flush spread beneath my skin that had nothing to do with the weather.

I entered the cottage.

The main room opened into a small kitchen and sitting area with pale furniture, woven rugs, and glass doors facing the patio. A white T-shirt lay over the back of a chair. Sunglasses rested beside a half-empty bottle of water on the counter. The space smelled faintly of clean cotton and citrus instead of celebrity excess.

I checked the front door, windows, patio latch, and sightlines while Shane followed at a reasonable distance. Tracy stayed near the kitchen, answering messages.

“The patio door stays locked unless we’ve cleared the route,” I said. “The curtains close after dark. You don’t post from the property, invite unapproved visitors, or go to the beach alone.”

Shane leaned one hip against the counter. The shift pulled his board shorts lower on one side and defined the muscles above his waistband.

“Can I breathe without clearance?” he asked.

“You’ve been doing it successfully. I see no reason to interfere.”