Page 29 of Regally Binding

They strode away, but she couldn’t resist a dig. “Maybe I was hiding because I was scared I might make another mistake.”

Bear’s shoulders tensed, and he pulled on the back of his neck.

“Bear, now. We’ve already wasted enough time,” Strike hollered.

The doors slammed, and Liss sunk to the floor. At least Bear left her phone on the bed. If Isla replied, she might make it through the day without pushing any more of his buttons.

Chapter Fourteen

After a short workout that consisted of the five stretches Liss could be bothered with and painting her nails with the dregs of a bright pink varnish she found at the bottom of her washbag, Liss paced the living space of the suite. Bear and Strike had been gone an hour, and Luke had his head buried in his two laptops the entire time. The cute geeky guy with a slogan T-shirt who fit every stereotype of a hacker hadn’t said more than three words.

He’d look at the door and then at Liss every few minutes before continuing his work. His fingers never rested, and if he wasn’t tapping incessantly at his keyboard, he was pulling at his earlobes or poking at the hole in his jeans. He reminded her of one of her flatmates from the year she spent at university who always wore his headphones to help his concentration.

“Do you want to listen to music? We could put a music channel on the television.”

Luke looked up, wide-eyed.

“We don’t have to,” she said, coaxing a response from the silent stranger. Liss fumbled with the hem of her vest. “But it might be better than the silence.”

Luke’s brow furrowed as his fingers tapped. His mouth opened, and nothing came out.

“I’ll go then,” she mumbled and walked to her room, picking at the varnish on her freshly painted nails.

“I really want to listen to my headphones, but I’m not allowed,” he replied quietly. His Irish accent was a surprise. His shoulders remained hunched, and he pulled at his earlobe again.

“Says who?”

“Bear. He told me to stay fully aware and check that you were behaving, as you’re trouble.”

Liss held back her grin. Most people thought she was dull, but she was trouble for Bear.

She tilted her head. “What else did he tell you?”

“That if I touched you, he would break every finger on my right hand and then use the left to slap me in the face.” Luke blinked rapidly.

“Are you the type to randomly touch a woman, Luke?” Liss’s back was poker straight as she ran through the defence techniques Bear taught her.

He winced as his eyes darted around the room. “Bloody hell. No. Not at all.”

“Good. Can I sit next to you then?”

Luke nodded before moving wires out of the way.

Liss tucked her legs to the side, seated at the edge furthest away from him, but Luke was still stiff as if he feared accidentally touching her. “Does Bear normally make requests for you not to touch clients?”

“I’m not usually left alone to watch over clients because I’m busy with the tech, but you’re a favourite job, and they were already supposed to have finished the last job. You’re different. Bear’s never said this to me before, even when I saw Mazdy to sort out her electronics.”

“Mazdy the popstar? Bodyguard Corp was her bodyguard firm?”

“Yep, but never again. She’s chaotic and nearly ruined the firm. Something happened between her and Bear. Strike hasn’t shared the specifics, but there was a risk the whole company would tank. I deleted photos off her electronics of her and Bear kissing. If it got into the press that we were, you know, with the clients, no one would trust us again. You’re a critical job for us. If we can’t display professionalism and keep you secure, ourreputation will explode, and the diplomatic clients won’t want us again.”

There was too much information, but one comment forced itself into her brain like a worm burying deep, leaving its eggs to hatch and cause more hell later. Bear had been intimate with a client. It was what Strike had suggested.

Liss’s thumbed her knuckles. Whatever Bear’s past, Liss needed to keep her distance. She wouldn’t be another notch on his bedpost or risk the business for Strike, who was doing everything to restore the organisation’s good name.

Luke stared at her. “I shouldn’t have told you all that. They don’t let me spend much time with clients, probably because once I start talking, I can’t stop. I’m too awkward.”

Liss smiled and stopped scratching. This guy was endearing. “You’re not awkward. Maybe music will help. We can keep it quiet so that if the guys return, we can turn it off in time.”

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