Page 57 of Mistletoe and Malice
“Handle it.” Her gaze narrowed. “The night we met in Dad’s study, he said you guys were the best he had. Is that why you got stuck with me? Because you’re the best?”
“Riley.” The look he gave her was the same one she remembered from her childhood, when her mother would shake her head and press her lips together at some new mischief Riley had delved into. “We’re notstuckwith you. In fact, I was under the impression you felt it was the other way around.” He brought the cup back to his mouth. “That’s how I remember it, anyhow.” After taking another swallow, he grimaced. “This is worse than the sludge Mack keeps in his office.”
She laughed and passed him the extra creamer he’d brought to the table.
He shook his head. “This is beyond help. How can you keep drinking it?”
“I guess I’m desperate for the caffeine infusion.” She took a swallow and forced it down. It really was awful. Had probably been sitting in the pot for hours. “I’m sorry you had to come onto my detail without getting some rest first. And especially for not letting you guys know my schedule earlier and throwing all that work on you.”
“That was my fault. Not yours. I had your file in my hands Saturday before I ever set foot at the estate. I just didn’t look at it.”
Somehow, that pricked at her a little. He really had judged her as shallow and entitled. Not even worth a look at her file.
His expression turned contrite. “Sorry. That sounded bad.”
“Sounded truthful. I like that about you. You’re always honest with me.”
“But not always in the most polite way. I was wrong about you from the first moment. I apologize for being so short-sighted.”
“Forgiven. And I’m sorry I called you cocky. And tactical gear.”
“Both descriptions I wear proudly.”
She giggled and finished off her coffee. “Okay, I’m ready to get back to work.”
Standing, she pulled at the vest she’d been instructed to wear under her sweater for the day.Soft body armor,Colton had called it. The same thing they wore under their shirts with their suits whenever they were out. She hadn’t even known they were wearing body armor until he told her a couple of days into her detail. He sure hadn’t been wearing one at the Cantrells’. As close as she’d been to him on the dance floor, she would’ve been aware of it. Apparently, they’d been satisfied with all the extra security that night and left the body armor behind.
“How do you guys wear these every day? It’s like a corset.”
“You get used to it. I’m not even aware of mine anymore. Not that I know what a corset feels like.”
“Me, either, but I would imagine something like this.”
He stood and reached for her cup. “Only a couple more hours until you’re home and can take it off. But I want you in it every time we’re going to be in public. No arguments.”
“Yes, sir.” She threw him her best stink-eye, but it bounced off him like a bullet to hissoft body armor.
“Maybe after your family dinner, you can kick back and relax.”
“Definitely the plan.”
The door opened and Trevor peered in. “There you are. We have someone out here who might be our guy.”
Her pulse skipped. “Really? Here right now?”
“Going through the line as we speak. Scratched-up hand. You up to take a look and see what you think?”
“Absolutely.” Either the caffeine kicked in or her adrenaline spiked. This could be it. Could be the moment she would come face to face with the man in her nightmares. Either way, her heart raced like a bomb ticking down the last few seconds before detonation.
Colton’s expression hardened back into protector mode as he preceded her and Trevor out to the kitchen. “Which one?”
Trevor turned his back to the line. “Red beard, stringy hair, black coat, too-big glasses. You see him?”
Riley eyed the man Trevor had described, her breath catching when he looked up and caught her staring. Her gaze snapped back to Trevor as her heart fell. “Not him.”
“You’re sure?”
She nodded. “The eyes are wrong.”
