He felt like such an idiot that he came downstairs to hide out in his office, telling her he had calls to make. So far, he hadn’t made a single one. He needed to get his head back in this mission, because that’s what it was. At the end of the day, his assignment wasn’t solely to protect Avarie McNamara, it was to bring down the man who’d lied about his identity her whole life.
Shit. Was that what Ava meant when she’d said that he reminded her of her father? Jesus. The man was married to a woman younger than she was. She must have been trying to tell him not to make a fool of himself over her, like her father did with his constant stream of younger women.
“Hey,” said Gunner, answering Razor’s call.
“Where are you?”
“Two doors down on the right.”
“Do you think you and Monk really need to stick around?”
“Nope. I’m sending him to Seattle.”
“Bring me up to speed on the Petrov investigation.”
Fifteen minutes later, Razor was itching to get out of Yachats and back out into the field. He’d never been the lead on asset protection, because everyone knew what he’d refused to acknowledge. If he hadn’t been interested in sleeping with Ava, he never would’ve accepted the assignment in the first place.
“When is Monk leaving?”
“As soon as I can make the arrangements. An hour tops.”
“What do you think of him?”
“In what way, Raze?”
“Asset protection.”
“I see.”
“You want me to tell you that you were right, Gunner, and I was wrong?”
Razor waited, but Gunner didn’t even crack a joke.
“I can’t do it, man,” Razor finally said.
“Where is she now?” Gunner asked.
“Upstairs. I’m in my office.”
“How do you want to handle the exchange?”
“I have no idea.”
“We’ll be over in a few minutes, and I’ll handle it.”
Razor had never in his life felt like a bigger pussy than he did right now. He was like a dog scurrying away with his tail between his legs. That’s not who he was. Was he really going to let a twenty-two-year-old woman bring him to his knees? Hell, no.
He bounded up the stairs to let Miss Avarie know that he would be much more effective out in the field rather than playing her goddamn nursemaid. He stopped in his tracks when he found the most beautiful woman he’d ever known in his life, sound asleep on his bed.
Sun streamed through the window, casting its rays on her body. If he touched her skin, he guessed it would feel heated, and oh, how he wished he could touch her. But he couldn’t.
He couldn’t be that guy who wanted her more than she wanted him. How many women had he felt the opposite about over the years? The more they tried to convince him how right they were for him, the more he hated being in their presence. Knowing she thought of him that same wa
y made him nauseous.
“Tabon?” she said, rolling over and finding him staring at her.
“I’m sorry I woke you, Ava,” he said from the doorway. “There’s been a change in plans. Monk will be taking over for me. He’ll be here in a few minutes.”