Page 27 of Protecting Mr. Fine

When I took my seat again by the fire, my cousins rattled off all the plans they had for taking me into town the next day to see and be seen. I knew I would enjoy seeing everyone and visiting some of my old haunts and some of the newer places that had cropped up withthe infusion of investment capital that I’d helped bring in, but right now, I was bone-tired.

“I think I’m going to head in so I’ll be fresh for our big day tomorrow,” I said after a while, standing and wriggling my fingers in a little wave. “See you all in the morning.”

I heard Bear murmur an update to Lou and Boomer into his earpiece as he followed me into the house and up to my room. Thankfully, there was a guest room across the hall from my bedroom that Bear would stay in. Boomer had most likely taken a long nap in it earlier and would stay up while Bear got some sleep and Lou headed to a nearby hotel.

Before I could disappear into my room, Bear handed me a fresh water bottle. “Do you want me to make you some hot lemon water for your throat?”

I blinked up at him. “Oh, ah, no? No, thanks. I just want to go to sleep.”

He started to reach out with his hand but then dropped it by his side. Then he shifted on his feet. “Did you get enough to eat?”

“Bear, I ate enough to sustain a small Viking community. Didyouget enough to eat?”

His eyebrows furrowed in an incredibly bearlike, impossibly adorable way that made my heart squeeze. “Of course.”

I wanted to laugh, but I was too tired. “Good night, Bear,” I said softly.

As I turned to close the door to my bedroom, I caught one last glimpse of him watching me.

Always watching me.

I got ready for bed quickly and hoped like hell there would be no more nightmares tonight.

EIGHT

RYAN

Bears are clever and resourceful… and sometimes really sneaky. They’ll move their den locations if they sense a threat and disguise their trails to throw off curious onlookers. For a bear, staying hidden and unpredictable is the best way to ensure that no one can get at the honey that was meant for them and them alone.

—Bear Facts for Insomniacs, Episode 48

Was it terrible for me to wish Zane had another nightmare? I couldn’t deny that I loved it when he needed me, and I especially appreciated any excuse to hold him close.

But thankfully for Zane, the night went smoothly, and Boomer reported that the bonfire crowd had gone to bed shortly after we’d left.

It had taken me a long time to fall asleep because I couldn’t stop replaying the shocking news I’d heard about Zane’s love life. I happened to be able to tell when Zane Hendley was lying—a slighthesitation in the way he spoke, an inability to meet someone’s eyes that usually preceded the words “I’m fine”—and he hadn’t been lying when he’d admitted to being a virgin.

But I also knew that I’d stood outside many a hotel room while he was inside making out with men… and I had racked up the stair workouts to prove it. So, did that mean they’d only done kissing and heavy petting? A few under-the-clothes handies or over-the-clothes dry-humping?

I was desperate to find out more, but it was definitely not a topic I could ask him about.

The idea that Zane had never fully shared his body with another man made something inside of me tip off-center and thump around wildly like a washing machine with a broken belt.

I’d fantasized about being naked with him innumerable times, and I’d been in a green rage each time another man had the privilege.

Was it truly possiblenoman had actually had that privilege? And if so, what did that mean for Zane? Was he going to deny himself that kind of sexual pleasure until sometime in the distant future when he retired? Surely he could find someone he trusted enough to sleep with?

Why not Landry? And… if not Landry, what had all those moans coming from Zane’s room been about?

I fell asleep without any answers.

The next morning’s visit into the small town of Barlo took enough arranging to fully distract me. My boss, Violet, had put a logistics coordinator on it, who’d brought in additional help in the form of off-duty Barlo law enforcement officers and other security personnel.

It was a bit of a production, but I appreciated that the people hired to help us seemed professional and were willing to try to keep the situation as low-key as possible.

Our first stop was a place called the Neatnik, a breakfast diner where Zane had worked as a busser in middle school. I’d secretly developed a mini-obsession with their breakfast potatoes, so I didn’t mind this stop one bit.

“Please tell me we’re not going to Bart’s place again,” I muttered before taking a sip of coffee.

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