Page 29 of When He Protects

“Oh.” A sigh. “That’s disappointing.”

“What?”

“You heard me. Don’t pretend you didn’t.”

He cleared his throat. “The house was set up on short notice. I didn’t want to go through the usual channels.”

Once more, her attention shifted back to him.

“So I pulled strings. I’m not exactly sure what all I’ll be facing on this case, and I needed to have some people I trusted close by.”

Okay, that all sounded good to her.

“We’re almost there.” He turned the SUV to the right.

How had he known when to turn? She could see nothing, but, sure enough, they were on another road.

“And since you are so eager for details…you and I are newlyweds.”

She couldn’t help her smile. “Delightful.” A nod. “We are passionately-in-love newlyweds. We can’t keep our hands off each other. Check.” Her fingers were itching to touch him, but she was holding herselfback.

“We wanted to get out of the big city because we want to raise our future kids in a small town.”

“Oh my!” A thrilled exclamation from her. “This is sounding like one of my favorite Hallmark movies. Pinch me because I have to be dreaming.”

He growled.

A little glow spilled inside her. She liked his growls far too much. Other men would not be able to pull off those deep, rumbling sounds. Tyler did. He made them ridiculously sexy.

“We rented property in town because I have an old Marine buddy in the area who gave us a great deal on the house. We’re going to fix it up a bit. Make it our own. Turn it into a home and raise a family.”

Okay, the glow had changed, and damn if she didn’t feel wistful. “Is it going to be a picket-fence place? With flowers in the yard? Cute shutters on the windows?”

“Ah, not exactly.”

She waved that away. “I’m sure it will be amazing.”

He coughed.

“What is it that I do in this amazing life of ours?”

“You’re an interior designer.”

Esme nodded. “That’s why I’m so keen to fix up the place.” She could get into this role. “And what about you?”

“Private security. We’ll say I manage a cyber company. I work from home, and that’s how I’ll be able to stay close to you day and night.”

They were going through some sort of town. Finally. She could barely make out the buildings. Excitement pumped through her because this was actually happening. She’d kissed her old life goodbye. She was starting fresh with her marshal. Good things were going to happen. She could do good, or at least, fake doing good.

When the SUV pulled to a stop about ten minutes later, she jumped from the vehicle. The headlights were still on so she could see…

Her shoulders slumped.

No picket fence. No flowers. No shutters.

Instead, the house sat, seemingly forgotten and alone, in the dark. Big, looming, with a sloping roof and twisting trees that surrounded it, as if fighting to consume the home.

It was stark. Intense. Slightly scary.

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