Page 41 of Command and Control: GHOST Operative

I grit my teeth even though I secretly love how unafraid of me she is. "You know you can't leave."

She nods, eyes wide and filled with fake innocence. "But I can still make phone calls and talk to people, right?"

Why do I want to smile when she acts like this? She's purposefully being difficult. Doing exactly what she knows will annoy me. Like she doesn't give a fuck who I am. What I’m capable of. The things I’ve done.

You're not an asshole. You just want everyone to think you are.

I shift in my seat, unable to escape the truth of whyJulieanne treats me the way she does. But admitting I’ve allowed her to see me in a way no one else has will only force me into a place I don’t want to go.

Swore never to be.

"You also know you can't currently talk to anyone." I turn her way, holding up one finger as she opens her mouth. "And before you say it, you’re not being held hostage." I desperately want to reach for her. To touch her the way I did as we drove to the airport and on the flight. But she's calm now. Not in need of reassurance. Not asleep and unaware. So any contact would be seen for what it really is and I can't have that. I’ve already put too much out there.

"You have made some highly questionable decisions, Jules. What you're suffering now are the consequences of your actions." The explanation makes me feel a little better. Makes it feel less like it's my decision to have her here and more like she's the one at fault.

Julieanne’s dark gaze moves over me. "So being locked in your house is my own fault?"

I offer a single nod. "Exactly. You're here because it's the only place I am positive I'll be able to keep you safe, and I don't want your death on my shoulders."

My entire body reacts to the possibility, stomach lurching that I even put it out into the universe. It's visceral and shakes me to my core, cracking open the scars of an old wound. A wound I've built a life around. A life Julieanne has invaded despite my best efforts.

After parking the SUV, I close the garage and climb out. Julieanne does the same, waiting as I collect my bags from the back seat. Then she follows me inside.

The only other person who’s seen a glimpse of myprivate life stands in my kitchen, wiping down the counters. Vera’s eyes don't come to us as she shifts the giant vase of fresh flowers at the center of the island and continues wiping. "You're home early."

"I am. Something came up." I glance to where Julieanne is standing just inside the door, her eyes tracking the movement of my housekeeper as she continues scrubbing.

I'm not entirely sure how to navigate the situation. Vera is absolutely going to blow this out of proportion and it makes me regret not calling her before we arrived. Before I can decide what to say, a soft jingle drags my attention to the open living room. I drop my bags and crouch down as the only companion I've ever had runs straight for me, rubbing his furry body against my legs, the sound of his purr seeming overly loud.

“Oh my gosh.” Julieanne’s voice startles both my cat and my housekeeper, stopping both in their tracks. She’s oblivious to the shocked stares coming her way as she matches my crouch. “Aren’t you beautiful.”

The cat ditches me instantly in favor of the new person who’s entered his admittedly small world. She strokes his long grey fur and I have to push to my feet and look away, because I’m fucking jealous.

Of a goddamned cat.Mygoddamned cat.

Vera widens her eyes at me, showing a circle of white all around her dark irises, before going to Julieanne and then back to me again. She wants to know what’s going on, but it’s not her business. Her business is cleaning my house, occasionally cooking dinner, and cat sitting when I travel.

"Come on. Let's get you set up. I'm sure you're tired." Iwant to get Julieanne away from Vera before my longtime housekeeper decides to open her mouth. And I know I don't have long.

Thankfully, Julieanne gets to her feet without argument, only startling a little when she notices Vera staring at her. Her eyes bounce between us before she lifts a hand, offering Vera a wave. "Hi."

Vera's opening her mouth just as I press my palm to Julieanne's back, pushing her a little harder than I probably should toward the hall. I lead her to the room at the end, dropping my hand from her body when we get inside before going straight to the closet. I take my time putting everything in its place. I need a second. A minute to get my head on straight before I face the sight of Julieanne in my room.

When I finally emerge from the closet, she’s standing at the wall of windows overlooking Fairbanks. "Your view is better than mine." She turns to peek at me over one shoulder. "But it looks like I'm not the only one who leaves my windows uncovered."

I grab the remote from the nightstand and press a button. Thick curtains peel out from each side of the room-length windows, quickly skating across the rails, forcing Julieanne to jump back with a yelp as they slide together.

She cocks a brow at me. "Worried someone might see you naked?"

It’s hard as hell not to smile, but I manage. "It's not me I'm worried about, Angel Face."

Julieanne turns to fully face me, putting her back to the curtains. "So I can't leave, I can't talk to anyone, I can't have the Internet, and I can't walk around naked in frontof the windows." She slowly begins walking my way. "Is there anything Icando?"

Gritting my teeth, I brace as she comes closer. Julieanne is proving to be more than a handful, she's a problem I can't seem to find a solution to. And the more I'm around her, the less I'm inclined to try. Which is a problem of its own.

I clench both fists at my sides, fighting myself. "This is for your own good, Jules. I'm not doing this just to be an ass."

Her lips slowly lift, dragging my attention to her mouth, reminding me of the threat I made involving it not so long ago. "I know that. Because I know you're not an ass." She stops right in front of me, head tipped back so her eyes stay on mine. "Is this where I'll be staying?"

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