Colton's Secret Bodyguard

When he’d gone, Rylan watched Bree’s face as she picked at the label on her water bottle. It took every ounce of willpower he had not to go to her and take her into his arms.

“He’s winning, isn’t he?” Her eyes, when she lifted them to his face, were swimming with tears.

“While I have breath in my body, he won’t hurt you, Bree.”

“Even though I’ve washed myself over and over, I can still smell the chocolate.” As she choked back a sob, her cell phone pinged. Reaching into the pocket of her sweatpants, she pulled it out. “It’s an email.”

Her fingers trembled slightly as she highlighted the text and swiped the speak button on her cell phone screen. The serene voice read the email out loud.

Sweet like chocolate. Is that how your blood tastes? Guess there’s only one way to find out.

* * *

Bree hadn’t expected to sleep, and she’d been right. Every time she closed her eyes, her mind insisted on replaying the awful incident.

She had fought to overcome the shyness that had characterized her childhood, but it was still there in the background. The fear of humiliation, of pointing fingers, of being the center of attention for all the wrong reasons...

Today, her worst nightmare had become reality. She still couldn’t believe it had happened, and in front of everybody who mattered in her chosen sphere. It was as if the stalker knew and had chosen the perfect way to shame her. The chocolate had washed off, but the trauma went pore deep. She would never live this down. People would make jokes about chocolate when she was in a nursing home.

If he lets me live that long.

Abandoning any pretense at sleep, she sat up in bed, hugging her knees beneath her chin.

No. She wasn’t going to think that way. He was a coward, tormenting her from afar. Bree was determined to survive this. The question was...would Wise Gal?

She bit her lower lip. Her beautiful gallery, her pride and joy, the symbol of her independence... The stalker was getting at her through her work, trying to drive her out. She couldn’t let him win. But how could she fight a faceless enemy?

Her thoughts jumped a step, reaching Rylan of their own accord. She had never felt so conflicted. He had betrayed her. It sounded dramatic, but it was true. Bree, who didn’t give her trust lightly, had opened up to Rylan, giving him a glimpse inside her heart. When she found out he’d been lying to her, he’d taken that priceless gift and made it worthless. The pain of what he’d done didn’t recede. Somehow, it kept multiplying.

Once she’d discovered the truth, all she wanted was to walk away from him. Figuring the hurt would be wiped out if she never had to look into those smiling blue eyes. That this desperate longing to touch him would fade if he weren’t around.

But fate had other plans for them.

With a stalker on her tail and Rylan the best man to protect her, showing him the door was going to have to wait. Which meant they had been thrown closer together than ever. The attraction hadn’t gone away—it was as strong as ever—but it no longer had a release valve. Wanting him, while not wanting to want him... It was a special kind of hell. On top of everything else that was going on, it was driving her crazy.

At the same time, she was glad of his presence. If she had to face this nightmare, there was no one she would rather have at her side. Not only did Rylan know what needed to be done to defeat the person who was harassing her, he also understood how she was feeling about the long-term damage this could do to her life.

Bree had confided in him enough that he knew how hard it had been for her to break free of the Colton chains. No matter how much she loved her family, Bree had to cling to her independence. Rylan was the only person who appreciated that. He hadn’t judged or questioned her. He just got it, without the need for lengthy explanations.

Maybe his empathy had something to do with the undercurrent of sadness she sensed within him. In the short time they’d been lovers, they had been too busy enjoying being together for any lengthy soul searching. She had assumed they would get there eventually.

Bree sighed. I thought we had time to get to know each other. Back when I didn’t know it was a farce.

A snuffling sound drew her attention to the bedroom door. There were only two other occupants of the apartment, and she didn’t imagine Rylan would try to get her attention in quite such an unusual way. When the snorting was followed by a scratch and a whine, she slid from the bed and opened the door.