Page 76 of Guardian Daddy

Samantha narrowed her gaze at Cate before she seemed to realize that she had an audience. Her glare turned to a smile. “Thanks for worrying about me, Cate. I’m fine. I was just going to yoga. Polly, Ethan, let’s go.”

Cate glanced up at him, then quickly away. For a moment, he swore he saw a hint of pain in her face before the mask came back over.

He frowned. Damn Samantha.

“I’m not going with you, Samantha. I’m taking Cate to a meeting.”

“But . . . but . . . Cate never goes out. What meeting?”

“One that she’s had penciled in since I started this job. You’ll have to stay here or go alone.”

“I can’t go alone! This whack job is out to get me.

“Then you should have spoken to me before now and I would have arranged a temp. Come, Cate. We need to go.”

“I can go with you, Samantha,” Polly said quietly.

“This is unacceptable,” Samantha said shrilly. “I shall be speaking to Rhodes.”

Ethan ignored her, turning to Polly. “Are you all right, Polly?”

Polly glanced up at him and blushed before nodding and looking back down at her feet. “I’m fine.”

“Cate, are you going to be warm enough in that? Do you need a jacket?” he asked.

“I will be good.”

Ethan placed his hand lightly on Cate’s back, nearly jumping for joy when she didn’t move away as he steered her out the front door to the dark SUV that was waiting for them.

Cate used a service to get around, but Ethan’s need to be in control meant he couldn’t handle that. So he was going to drive them.

God help him.

He moved ahead and opened the front passenger door.

“Oh, I usually sit in the back.”

“Would you prefer that, sweetheart?” he asked.

“I, um, well . . .”

Poor thing looked befuddled. And exhausted.

That was it. No more hiding tonight. She was eating dinner with him and relaxing in the living room. Samantha and Rhodes were going out to dinner, so she didn’t have any excuses.

Or none that he was going to listen to, anyway.

“In you get. You can sit up with me where I can keep an eye on you.”

Yeah, he was skirting the line into inappropriate. But he didn’t want to put more space between them. She needed more than a bodyguard right now. And if her brother wasn’t here to help her, then it was up to him.

“I don’t think I need you to keep an eye on me,” she informed him.

“Perhaps if you hadn’t been skipping meals and sleep, you might successfully have argued that point. But considering that you look dead on your feet, I’m going to watch you closely.”

“I don’t think it’s a bodyguard’s job to watch my food intake.” Her voice was cool, but he wasn’t letting her push him away.

“Well, guess you got yourself a different sort of bodyguard. In you get.”

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