Page 39 of When He Protects

Her lips pressed together.

“Dammit,answer me.” Not loud. Low and lethal and somehow even scarier for it. His hands flew out, but, again, not to touch her. To press to the wall on either side of her as he caged her in place. “I am here to protect you. I’d take a bullet for you.”

Her head moved in a hard, instinctive, negative jerk.

“Kinda the job description, sweetheart. But instead of getting shot, I prefer to do the shooting. So how about I clarify things for you a bit?”

Her heart needed to stop its frantic racing.

“I will stop anyone who comes to attack you. I willkillto keep you safe. Better?”

Much better. So why wouldn’t her heart slow its wild beat?

“I deserve honesty from you. If I’m guarding that gorgeous body of yours, day and night, then you stop the games you’re playing with me.”

“What if I don’t know how to stop?” The minute the words were out, Esme wished she could take them back. But they were true. She’d been pretending for so long that she wasn’t even sure who she truly was any longer.

Socialite.

Spoiled rich daughter.

Thief.

Criminal.

“I’ll help you,” he told her.

“You don’t even like me,” she whispered back.

Tyler blinked. “Maybe I like you too damn much.”

Had he really said those words? Or had she just imagined them because she would love to hear words like those from him?

“Time for truth,” Tyler bit out. “You picked me, didn’t you? Before we even met?”

“It wasn’t exactly a spur of the moment decision.” Could she slip under his arm and dash upstairs? They needed some distance. She needed to get her control back. She was revealing things that she should not. And why was it so hot in there? Did the house’s AC system not work?

“You knew who I was before you approached me at Jorlan’s. You didn’t just look at me and realize I didn’t fit in with the too rich crowd. You knew I was undercover before you even said a word to me.”

She could lie. Absolutely, she could lie. And lie well. Without batting an eyelash. She could stare straight into his steely blue eyes and lie her brittle heart out. But… “Yes.” A sigh. A confession. “Yes, I knew who you were.”

“How?”

Had he leaned a little closer? Esme was pretty certain he had. “I couldn’t leave my safety to just anyone. I mean, it’s my life we’re talking about here. Sort of important to me, wouldn’t you say?”

“Esme…”

“Do you intend to sound so sexy when you rumble my name that way? If so, stop. It’s distracting, and I’m trying to bare my soul to you. I don’t do that often, so it’s rather a struggle for me.”

He sucked in a breath.

“I have lots of contacts in this world. Some good and some bad.” For once, she spoke flatly. All bravado and coyness gone. Just quiet. Almost tired. She’d been tired for a long time, but Esme always had to pretend she wasn’t. With him, in this instance, she was done with the pretense. “One of those contacts owed me a great deal. I understood that trouble was coming my way, and I knew I would need protection. But, as you just pointed out, some people would sell out their own mothers for the kind of money that is currently on my head.” She licked her lower lip. “I needed someone who could not be bought. Someone who actually takes beinggoodseriously. Someone who would never be swayed or tempted.” She’d thought for sure that someone was him but, again…I have been wrong before.So she’d gotten scared when he held the knife and seemed so cold and distant. “But you’re not tempted,” she said mostly to just hear the words.I am not wrong about you.

“Oh, I’m fucking tempted,” he returned in a deep, dark growl.

Her lips parted.

“Not by money, sweetness.” Another growl that rolled right through her. “By you, and that’s a very dangerous situation.” A muscle flexed near his jaw. “Let me make sure I’ve got all of this straight. You got some criminal buddy of yours to dig into my life and find out that I could be trusted?”

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