Page 20 of Centurion

“Who said I wanted the proximity forced?” He tapped her foot with his. “Don’t worry, I’d never force myself on you.”

She lifted an eyebrow and pointed at him. “Did we forget what I do for Guardian?” She’d be able to stop any advance the second she felt uncomfortable.

Con’s smile widened. “No. Are you armed now?”

“Heavily.” She stared back at him.

“In that purse?” He motioned to the small Hermes clutch she carried.

“No.” She sat forward and pulled the razor-sharp katana from her back holster. She had others. Her heels were detachable, and with a push of a button, they became handles of Damascus steel stiletto knives. Her belt held a garrot, and the bottom of her clutch held a hand-crafted, balanced throwing knife. She held the katana up and looked at the edge. “Not everything is as it seems.” She expertly slid the katana home and leaned back.

Con blinked at her. “Evidently not.” He frowned a bit. “Wait … were you armed at the gala?”

She smiled at him. “Oh, yes.” She had a firearm strapped to her thigh. Uncomfortable as hell. The average person wouldn’t know how tight you had to strap the holster to keep it from sliding as the muscle in your leg flexed and released.

“Damn, that’s hot.” Con cleared his throat and sat up. “Woman, I don’t think I could want you any more than I do right now.” His voice was low and growly.

She stared at him. The intense heat in his eyes lit up her insides as much as the low rumble of his voice. “You’re not afraid of me, are you?”

“I respect what you do and the skill it takes to do it.” He shook his head slowly. “But no, I’m not afraid of you.” He reached out and took her hand. “I saw the woman you are when you cared for and calmed down the computer nerd doing his first high-altitude jump. I saw the woman who talked to two very scared and abused women and treated them with dignity and respect. I’ve seen your intelligence and compassion in action. I know what you do, and I could make a good guess as to why you do what you do. The person underneath all that isn’t a cold-blooded killer. She’s a person who cares deeply and, if needed, does a job she doesn’t relish but can do better than anyone else.”

Ronnie pulled her hand away from his grasp and stared at him. Somehow, she felt naked … so exposed. Her carefully constructed walls hadn’t protected her from the man. He’d seen through the pretense she kept so carefully pulled around her, and it was … terrifying. She glanced up and thanked everything in the universe they were pulling up to her flat. “We’re here.”

Con continued to stare at her, but she didn’t look at him. She needed time to figure out where he’d found the hole. How had he been able to see through to who she really was? The chauffeur, the same one who drove for her dad when he was in the country, collected their bags, with the exception of Con’s computer, and followed them into the residence. He looked at her inquiringly. “Mr. Solomon’s bag goes in the blue room, please.” He nodded and took the bag to the farthest guest room from her suite.

“Did I say something to upset you?” Con asked her as he stood beside her, appearing to take in the apartment.

“The library is through there. You can hook up your system. The kitchen is toward the back of the house. Your room is down that hall at the end.” She turned to him and waited until he looked at her. “You got too close.” It was a simple but truthful statement. “I don’t know how to process that.” She turned and walked down the hallway to her bedroom, grateful he didn’t call after her. The honesty she’d just given him made her even more vulnerable. She needed to pull herself together, but still, the feeling of being so exposed and defenseless against what he’d seen in her had shaken her to the core.

She closed her bedroom door behind her and dropped against it. Damn. She pulled the phone out of her pocket and dialed her sister’s number.

“What’s wrong?” Charley answered.

“Nothing. Why?”

“It’s unusual for you to call,” Charley replied. “Are you okay?”

“No,” she admitted. “Can you talk?”

“Yeah, hold on.” She heard her sister talk to her husband and the rustling noises indicating she was moving, possibly leaving her office. “Okay. I’m in the conference room, and no one can hear me. What’s up?”

“How did you do it? How did you let yourself be vulnerable with Dan?” She kicked off her shoes and walked over to the bed, flopping back on the silk comforter.

“Oh … well, that’s a loaded question. When it first started out, I was okay with just a fling, you know?” Charley laughed. “But I saw him. I mean, I saw who he was, and I was lost. The humor he used was a shield. He’s so genuine and real; I knew he’d never hurt me, but then again, I had a hell of a time convincing him I was the one for him. The age difference was the biggest hurdle he had to overcome. Well, that and Dad.”

“Yeah. Dad.” She let out a long sigh. “This guy told me tonight he’s seen the woman I am. He’s seen my compassion andintelligence. He told me I wasn’t a cold-blooded killer; I was a person who cares.”

Charley cleared her throat. “Who is this guy? He knows what you do. Fuck, Gabby, we need to run a background on him.”

She barked out a laugh. “No, you don’t. It’s Con.”

“Con? As in uber-nerd Con?” Charley’s voice squeaked a bit.

“No, as in uber-sexy, uber-intelligent, and uber-caring Con. Have you ever met him?”

“Never. Hold on a minute. Now, I’m curious.” She could hear Charley tapping on her phone.

She sat up off her bed. “About what?”

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