Maybe they both shared responsibility for how things ended.
But just because he was coming closer to forgiving her and providing her with a secure place to stay now didn’t mean he’d forgotten how badly she’d hurt him. Or the fact that their lives could never mesh. But he couldn’t deny the pull she exerted over him, either.
“Xander, what’s wrong?” Sasha put a hand on his arm, shaking him out of his thoughts.
He shook his head. “Everything’s fine. I was just thinking.” He opened the SUV door, climbed out, and Sasha did the same. She met him on his side as he unhooked Bella and let her off the leash. The dog quickly ran to do her thing on the grass.
A large man wearing jeans and a dark sport jacket stepped out of his vehicle. With his overall don’t-fuck-with-me appearance, he had personal security stamped all over him.
He joined them and spoke immediately. “Jared Wilson of Alpha Security,” he said. “And you’re Sasha Keaton.”
Smiling, she shook his hand and then he turned to Xander. “And you’re Dash’s brother.”
Xander nodded. “Xander Kingston.”
“I see the resemblance,” Jared said.
“You’ve worked for Dash?” Xander asked as he strode behind the SUV and raised the back with the push of a button.
Jared shook his head. “Others on my team have, but he’s out back in the pool with the rest of the band.”
“At this hour?” Xander groaned and pulled first one then another of Sasha’s suitcases out of the trunk. “I’ll talk to him about just showing up while we’re on guard.”
“Xander, no.” Sasha put her hand on his arm, and damned if it didn’t feel good. “Your brother should be able to come over any time he wants.”
He met her gaze. “You do realize that my brother lives a mile down the road, has his own house, his own pool, and just comes here to drive me crazy?” Xander loved the bastard, but he really didn’t understand personal space.
And Xander had no doubt that Dash had made it over here in time to see Sasha. Whether he behaved or not was anyone’s guess, but he’d better not cross a line. No matter Xander’s history with his ex, she wasn’t here so Dash could make her uncomfortable.
“As long as I know who’s allowed in and out, we’re fine,” Jared said. “I spoke to your publicity team, Ms. Keaton.”
“Sasha, please.”
He inclined his head. “They’re going to forward our tech guy the letters you received. In the meantime, given the fact that someone’s been close to you twice now, I’ll be switching off shifts with Tate Shaw. You’ll have someone on alert twenty-four seven.”
“Thank you,” she said, visibly relieved.
“Sasha, why don’t you go inside.” Xander handed her the keys. If Dash was here, the alarm was already unset. “I just want to talk to Jared for a few minutes.”
She nodded, grabbed the handle on her smaller bag, and rolled it toward the house.
As soon as she was out of earshot, Xander turned to Sasha’s new personal security. “My property already has cameras because, as you see, Dash comes and goes at random times,” he said of his famous brother. “But can your people do a thorough check and upgrade whatever you feel is necessary?”
Jared nodded. “Got it.”
“We’re only going to be out east for the weekend, and then we’ll be in Manhattan for filming, but we’ll be back on weekends.” Upgrading his security system was smart, regardless of how long Sasha would be here.
Jared nodded. “No problem. I’ll talk to Dan,” he said of the man in charge of the agency. “Where will you be staying in the city?”
“My apartment.” Not that Sasha was aware of his plans, but he figured he’d be able to talk her into it the same way he’d done today. “The building has a concierge at the front desk, and you can cover outside my door in case someone gets past them. And you’ll take us back and forth to the set.”
“Consider it done,” Jared said.
They discussed a few more details and shook hands before Xander headed inside.
* * *
Sasha stepped into Xander’s house. At least she’d been here once before and was somewhat familiar with the layout. The pool was out back, and she could hear the sounds of men’s voices from outside. The band. When Xander had lived in LA, his family had taken turns coming to visit, and Dash had only recently been signed by his label. Sasha liked their music and had always gotten along with Dash Kingston, but she had no idea what kind of greeting she was in for tonight.
Exhaustion filled her as she pulled her bag with her toiletries and cosmetics into the main room and set it out of the way. She’d been on autopilot since agreeing to stay here and had only said yes because Xander had made such a valid point about his house being secluded. And she knew Bella would bark at the sound of intruders. Sasha didn’t know where she’d stay when they had to go back to the city for filming, but she was too tired to think about it tonight.