Page 6 of Unveiled

“So, you were looking in the vicinity of my pockets?” She hated to admire the boyish charm and eyebrow waggle as he fished for validation under the guise of being a perv. It was marginally endearing.

“Jesus, is your entire personality built on innuendo and a balanced vinegar and water content?”

Taking another bite and reaching for a non-existent drink to wash it down, he spoke. “Nope, just about seventy percent.” Tatum got up, grabbed a glass of water, and set it down in front of him by habit. She’d always been a caretaker.

“Thanks.” He saluted with the glass then drank it dry. “Do you want to know what the other thirty percent is?”

“Not particularly, no.” She rose. “Coffee?”

“Yes, please.” As he returned to his meal, she poured two cups and reached for the creamer. The fact that he had manners wasn’t lost on her. Despite his douchiness, he was also polite. So, one was an act and one was the real him. She wondered which was which when she heard him mumbling.

Tatum tuned in and started to turn until his words hit her. “This morning was a rare occurrence, Julia. You caught me off guard. That’s not my usual. Actually, until a month ago, it’s never been the case for me. I live in a constant state of readiness. I will protect. . .us. Today it was just you who caught me unaware, tomorrow it could be someone much, much worse. I let my guard down and recently, I was gently reminded how that was a bad thing. So, I need to get back to basics, so to speak.”

Rush’s smooth, rich voice got very bumpy as he trailed off. The man was haunted. She doubted he’d ever let his guard down. He didn’t seem the type. It hit her as she stirred the creamer in for way too long. He was wearing full armor, even when half dressed. His chainmail just looked like a giant squeeze bottle with a plastic nozzle.

She’d caught him unaware, and his defense mechanism was to activate Massengill mode? Sadly, she got it. Living in a constant state of readiness alters a person. It had only been months for her in a mild state, and days on high alert, but she felt herself changing.

“Isn’t that exhausting?” The intent wasn’t to ask Rush, the question was actually posed to herself. She turned and set the mugs down on the table before sitting down to begin eating once more. But the food had no flavor. Not when her mind was reeling from the little tidbit he’d shared. Small but significant.

“You tell me.”

“Excuse, me?”

“You tell me, is it exhausting? You’re obviously here because Mark thinks you need help. Not that I don’t need a housekeeper, or that you will prove adequate, but this isn’t your regular day job.”

“Says who?”

Rush dropped the strip of bacon he’d been nibbling and crossed his arms over his broad chest, leaning back in the chair. He stared right through her soul, daring her to speak, or rather, lie.

“Says everything about you. Your hands aren’t calloused. Not like someone who’s been scrubbing toilets for a hot minute. I know, my dad was a janitor since he was eighteen. Never did anything else and never wanted to. He loved his job. You carry yourself like someone who, while not annoyingly rich, never worried about how she would pay the light bill and the rent from the same paycheck. How am I doing so far?”

Tatum refused to answer. Not because she was stubborn, she was simply stunned. The man thought he was slipping, but that was clearly not the case.

“Then there’s the hand stitched lace veil and custom wedding dress, complete with accessories, strewn about my room.” He retrieved his bacon and shoved it in his sexy but annoying mouth.

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