Page 29 of Tortured Tones

“Next time we’ll run at my pace.” I wiped the sweat off my brow with the back of my hand. “Um...any chance of grabbing a towel? The other day, April said it would be okay for me to use your guesthouse to shower and change in. I’ve left my gear outside to do so.” Getting ready here rather than heading home or to the office to do so would save me a ton of driving time, and I was a stickler for never being late.

He stepped in front and spun to face me. Crashing into his chest, I jerked to a halt. Inhaling his musty, sweaty scent combined with the wave of heat radiating off his body fuddled with my head. A mischievous smile curled across his lips. “You want me to join you to wash your back?”

I swallowed hard.

Him. In the shower. Licking the sweat from his body. Fucking against the tiles...Oh no. Don’t go there.

“No, thanks. I can manage.” My voice may have remained level and calm, but my knees wobbled. That smile of his was dangerous. “You need to check on Charlotte, then get ready so we can make your photoshoot on time. I don’t like being late. I’ll call our driver to make sure he’s running on schedule.”

“Fine. You can use the bathroom by the games room rather than the guesthouse—that’s full of crap. There are plenty of towels in the linen cupboard.”

“Thank you.”

But he didn’t move. He just stood there, staring at me with a puzzled look on his face. With our gazes locked, my pulse thudded a touch too fast. Did I have a dirty mark on my forehead from tackling him on the ground? A smudge of colored marker on my mouth from Charlotte? Blotchy patches of heat in my cheeks from our run...or from him standing too close?

God. He had the most stunning green eyes I’d ever seen. If I wasn’t careful, I’d melt into a puddle on the floor.

But then he nodded. A soft but raspy ‘hmm’ rumbled low and deep in his throat as he turned and dashed toward the living room.

I slumped against the wall.

Fuck. He was so nice at times, then a complete jerk at others. What would it take to find out what the real Cole Tanner was like? But that was against protocol. Light chitchat when we ran was fine but anything else wasn’t an option.

I had to stay focused.

I was only on this gig for four months, then I was out of there.

Cole Tanner was my client.

Nothing more. Nothing less.

Yep. I’d better go shower. And I’d better make it icy cold.

Chapter 7

AVA

After lowering my body temperature in the shower and dressing into my casual uniform of black pants, T-shirt, and bomber jacket, I headed out into the kitchen. But my skin prickled. Cole sat on the living room sofa, leaning forward. His head rested in his hands. His palms covered his eyes.

The tension radiating off him warped the air.

In this job, we sometimes saw things no one else did. Those moments when your client was away from the spotlight, their friends, and the public, where you caught a glimpse of their true colors, their vulnerability. Those moments where the pressure simmered to the surface.

Like now.

It was hard not to feel for the guy. He was dealing with a lot of issues—the tour plans, rehearsals, an overloaded promotional schedule, Charlotte. Maybe he was having an off day. I’d only met him in person three days ago. But I knew what it was like to pretend everything was fine when it wasn’t. It had cost me my son. It was hard not to care and be concerned about someone who seemed to be struggling. If my worries escalated, I’d talk to his manager—otherwise, I wasn’t supposed to get entangled in his personal life.

I dropped my bag gently on the kitchen counter. I didn’t want to startle him. “Hey. You ready to go?”

“Yeah.” He bobbed his head. “Hannah’s just left with Charlotte. They’ll be back later tonight.” He straightened and rubbed his brow. “When Paul goes back to San Fran at the end of next week, they’ll be staying here full time.”

“You ready for that?” I clipped my comms radio onto my belt, then threaded my earpiece wire underneath my shirt and hung it around my neck.

Cole’s intense gaze followed my every move, but then he closed his eyes and pinched his brows together. “Nope. It just seemed like the easiest option with my schedule. I won’t be here much, so we won’t be in each other’s way.”

“You’re supposed to be making room for your daughter.” My voice came out too sharp for my liking. Responsibility took effort; he had to make changes, not just rely on Hannah.

“How the fuck do you do it?” The desperation in his voice slammed into my chest.

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