Page 30 of Mountain Protector

Whatever it is, I can’t deny that last night was the best sex of my life. Not just physically, though that was spectacular, but emotionally too. There was a connection there I’ve never experienced before, a sense of being completely seen and accepted.

I slip out of bed, wrapping the sheet around me as I pad to the bathroom. My reflection in the mirror is startling—flushed cheeks, swollen lips, a hickey blooming just below my collarbone. I look thoroughly debauched, and the woman staring back at me is a stranger. I’ve never seen myself like this before.

After using the bathroom and rinsing my mouth with Clay’s mouthwash, I steal his t-shirt from the hook on the door. It falls almost to my knees, smelling of laundry detergent and something distinctly him.

I follow the scent of coffee to the kitchen, where Clay stands at the counter, still in just his boxers, muscled back on full display as he pours coffee into two mugs. He’s hung up the phone and seems lost in thought.

“Everything okay?” I ask.

He turns, eyes traveling appreciatively over my borrowed shirt before meeting my gaze.

“Just a check-in from the office. They’ve got eyes on Holloway’s known associates.”

“Any leads?”

“Nothing concrete yet.” He hands me a mug. “Cream’s in the fridge if you want it.”

I shake my head, taking the coffee black. The first sip scalds my tongue but wakes me up fully. Standing in Clay’s kitchen, drinking coffee, wearing his shirt. It’s all so domestic, so normal. The kind of normal I’ve never allowed myself to have.

“You hungry?” he asks, opening the fridge. “I can make eggs, bacon, toast. Not much else here, I’m afraid.”

“Anything’s fine,” I say, leaning against the counter. “I should probably head to the shop soon though. I’ve got clients booked all day.”

Clay stills, bacon package in hand. “The shop?”

“Fit Mountain Ink. Where I work? I need to open up.”

He sets the package down, turning to face me with a frown. “Ruby, you can’t go to work today.”

“Yes, I can, and I will.” I straighten up, clutching the coffee mug like a shield. “I have responsibilities. The Morrisons trusted me with their business while they’re in Hawaii. People are counting on me.”

“Holloway’s men know where you live,” Clay counters, voice low and serious. “That means that they know where you work too.”

“So I’m just supposed to hide forever? Let this asshole dictate my life because my father testified against him years ago?” I set the mug down with more force than necessary. “That’s not happening.”

Clay runs a hand through his hair, frustration evident in every line of his body. “I’m trying to keep you safe.”

“And I appreciate that. But I can’t stop living my life because some criminal has a grudge.”

“This isn’t just any criminal, Ruby. This man is dangerous, methodical. He waited years to get his revenge.”

“All the more reason not to let him win by cowering in fear.” I cross my arms, meeting his gaze steadily. “If I don’t show up today, I let down my clients, I let down the Morrisons, and I let Holloway control me without him having to lift a finger.”

Clay watches me with his jaw clenched for a long moment.

I can almost see the battle waging in his mind, the professional bodyguard versus the man who held me all night.

“I’m going,” I say softly. “With or without you.”

He sighs through his nose. “You’re stubborn as hell, you know that?”

“Part of my charm.” I place my hands on his shoulders, feeling the tension there. “I’ll be careful, I promise. And I’ll follow your security protocols. But I need to do this.”

Clay sighs, his hands coming to rest on my hips.

“Fine. But we do this my way. I check the place thoroughly before you open. You stay within my sight at all times. And if I say we leave, we leave. No arguments.”

I lean down to press a quick kiss to his lips, relief flooding through me. “Thank you for understanding.”

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