The Heiress's Pregnancy Surprise (Heirs to an Empire 2)

She looked down at her dress, and then back up. “Well, a lot. It’s the Aurora signature colors.”

“So it’s a statement?”

“Yes. It’s...on brand.”

He frowned a little.

“What?”

“It’s just...never mind. It’s none of my business and you’re clearly the one in fashion.”

Now she was intrigued, because to her great surprise, twin dots of color showed on his cheeks. “What, Jacob? What were you going to say?”

He cleared his throat. “You’re a beautiful woman. Why wouldn’t you want to stand out? In bold colors, like the birds I used to see in South America. Dramatic plumage that would take my breath away.”

Her heart started tapping out a strange rhythm. “I’m not sure it’s wise for me to take your breath away,” she murmured.

His gaze held hers. “Too late.”

“Jacob...”

He cleared his throat again. “That’s all I’m going to say about that, and it was probably too much.”

He turned to leave the foyer but she stopped him. “Thank you, for what you did tonight. With Mark.”

“It’s my job.” She wondered if he was reminding her or himself. Because when he’d gone back and said “not cool,” it hadn’t felt like someone doing just a job.

“You could have been more...bodyguardish. But it felt like having a friend in my corner. So even if you’re on the payroll, I appreciate how you handled this evening.” She smiled. “Including the cheeseburger, which I needed very much, and the ear. I feel a lot better.”

“Good. Get some rest, Charlotte. Your week is just getting started.”

He moved beside her for a moment, and she caught the scent of his aftershave as he passed by and checked to ensure the door was locked.

Because it was his job. She couldn’t forget that. Even if she was now feeling as if she’d overshared.

“Good night, Jacob.”

“Good night.”

Then he disappeared down the hallway to his room, and she heard the soft click of the bedroom door as he shut it.

She hadn’t imagined it, right? There’d been something. When their fingers had touched and just now, when he’d looked at her. And admitted she took his breath away.

This trip might end up being more interesting than she planned. And that was saying something...

CHAPTER FIVE

JACOB WAS A damned idiot.

He’d crossed a line last night. First, when his gut had burned when he’d seen that slime ball Mark trying to make nice. Then when they’d gone to the burger joint. A simple touch of fingers shouldn’t have caused such a reaction, and he’d pulled away like he was fourteen years old.

But worst of all was what he’d said when they’d arrived home. That she’d taken his breath away? He looked up at the ceiling and scowled. He didn’t do romantic gestures. He didn’t get emotionally involved...ever. Not since Jacinta.

His stomach knotted as the familiar weight of self-loathing settled over him. He had known that the mission always, always came first. And instead he’d let himself get wrapped up in her. An asset to their mission with wide, dark eyes and soft lips. She’d made him laugh despite the danger. Made him think and do a lot of things. And that had gotten her killed.

He should have let it go by now; it was years ago. But he couldn’t, because the consequences had been too severe and he’d stopped trusting himself. It had prompted his retirement more than any gunshot wound.

He threw off the covers and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. Five a.m. The gym in the building was state of the art, and yesterday there’d been one other person in there with him. Nice and quiet, just the way he liked it, so he could hear his heart beat in his ears and the clank of weight plates.