Master in Shining Armor (Masters Unleashed 4)

She exhaled sharply and wouldn’t meet his gaze.

“I wasn’t thinking. I hadn’t thought.” She scrubbed her forehead with the back of her hand. “Everywhere we go, the women are like piranhas. They watch you like they’re starving, and in every scenario where I’m with you, I’m in the way of their feast.”

“What?”

“I don’t date hot, rich guys. I date average, dependable guys who I don’t have to fight for.”

“That’s ridiculous. You’re gorgeous. You could have any guy you wanted.”

“That was basically the most uncomfortable job interview I’ve ever been to. They started grilling me on every aspect of my life, trying to figure out if I was woman enough to hold your interest or if they still had a shot.” She blew out a long breath. “I don’t like feeling like I’m in some sort of cutthroat competition to keep you from wandering off. There will always be women who are more successful, prettier, richer. Funnier, nicer.” She was ranting now, and he was so taken aback he wasn’t sure how to get her to stop. “You’re so far out of my league, I don’t know what I was thinking.”

“I’m not out of your league, Juliet. That’s silly.”

“I’m not the kind of girl who will keep your attention for long. Someone else will lure you away the minute I let my guard down.”

“For the record, I feel the same way about you. Probably with more reason. You have to think that my last relationship ended because she got tired of me, not the other way around. I would never cheat on someone. I know how shitty that feels.”

She gave a huff of frustration. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to imply . . .” She toyed with the strap of the diaper bag. “I’m not usually this easily intimidated, but they were testing me. They started playing twenty questions about my child-care practices, and I wasn’t sure what to tell them. They assumed Beau was mine. I’ve been to these things with my sister and her boys a billion times. I didn’t realize how adding you to the equation would change things.”

“So they thought you were Beau’s mother and you didn’t correct them?”

“They didn’t ask. They just assumed. It seemed dangerous to correct them, especially when they were ready to scratch my eyes out. I just let them make their assumptions.”

He laughed. “So part of it was to protect yourself from their claws and part of it to protect me from their teeth?”

“Basically. I’m sorry. If I ever go back there with you again, I’ll lay it out for them.”

He shook his head. “Don’t bother. It’s none of their damn business who you are to us. Although I think it’s more likely that they’re gossips rather than honestly interested in me as a person.”

She rolled her eyes at him. Apparently, she didn’t believe that for a second.

The cab of the truck was silent for several miles, Beau likely sound asleep after exerting herself at swimming, and Juliet seeming as lost in thought as he was. He didn’t remember the beginning of any relationship he’d had being this complicated. It probably never had been for her either.

“I guess if you want to defend your territory, you’re going to have to come with us every week.” As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he realized maybe he’d be adding to her concerns rather than just being funny.

“William Ellis, are you just using me as your bodyguard?”

“You weren’t supposed to notice. I hired you to revamp the club—that’s all that was in the contract. I absolutely refuse to pay extra because you volunteered to be my girlfriend and my bodyguard.”

She flushed and swatted his arm. “Nobody said I was your girlfriend.”

“Oh well. My bad. I figured since you had said yes to being exclusive that it meant you were my girlfriend.”

“From what I read online, it said that some Dominant and submissive relationships leave sex and/or romance out of the equation. I didn’t want to assume anything.”

“Well, that’s not the way I do things. Will you agree to be my girlfriend if I promise to fight off the piranhas without your intervention?”

She pursed her lips then smiled. “I guess I can do my fair share of piranha fighting as long as I know the rotten piece of meat only has eyes for me.”

“Rotten piece of meat, huh?” he said, stifling a laugh. “You’ll be paying for that when we get to my place.”

Her smile was so bratty, he could already feel his hand twitching to correct her.

“Oh, I’m counting on it, Sir.”

Chapter Eighteen

The scent of lumber had always been one of Juliet’s favorites. It reminded her of family. With it came the loud voices of workers—many of whom were her siblings—and of power tools and hand tools, booted feet on dusty floors. Business. The means to supporting herself. The satisfaction of making ugly, boring spaces beautiful and functional.