Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
After Chase was gone, and Devon had checked the perimeter of the house again for weaknesses, he went back to the kitchen. Aurora was there, rinsing off a dish in Chase’s sink.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“I figured if I’m taking over the guy’s house, I could help him out with some chores.”
“I’m sure Chase will appreciate that. He’s kind of a slob.”
She shrugged. “I’ve seen worse. Often in my own apartment. Mostly, I just needed something to do. Some way to feel useful.”
“I get that.”
He went out to the attached garage and fetched the supplies that Chase always kept on a shelf out here.
On the work bench, he disassembled his Glock, moved the magazine to a different shelf, and began to clean the metal parts.
While his gun would end up in evidence at some point, too, he still had to have it ready to see more action.
Plus, he needed something to do with his hands, and now that the tensest moments had passed, he didn’t know what to say to Aurora.
She knew the truth now, but he hadn’t been able to deliver the news gently the way he had intended. To say the least.
And if he told her now that he’d been about to confess everything earlier, there was no way she would believe him.
Aurora appeared in the doorway. “How long before Max gets here?”
“It will be a while, and I doubt he would come here himself. Too many eyes on him. As soon as he knows it’s safe, he’ll probably send someone to get you and take you to a more secure location.”
“You wouldn’t take me yourself?”
He would’ve thought she’d welcome the news that they’d be parting ways soon. “I’ll do whatever my boss tells me. I usually work behind a desk.”
“Could’ve fooled me.” She vanished from the doorway.
When he came back inside, she was switching off the faucet and drying her hands on the souvenir T-shirt. “Was anything you told me true?”
“Some of it. I did go to a military school. West Point.”
Aurora crossed her arms, laughing bitterly. “Army. I knew it. What about Special Forces?”
“No, 75th Ranger Regiment. I got out about six months ago. Been working for your brother for three. So, I am new to West Oaks.”
She turned around and picked up a clean glass. Filled it at the tap. With her back still turned, she said, “And your mom? She lives in West Oaks, too?”
“She moved here at the same time as me, along with my sister and niece. From Los Angeles. They needed a new start, for a lot of reasons.” He thought of Kellen but didn’t want to get into that.
“Your father…”
“Died when I was a kid. Like I told you. He was a cop. I tried to be honest as much as I could.”
“About a few details, yeah. But I shared my entire messed-up childhood with you. I wasn’t holding anything back. Do you know how that makes me feel?”
He leaned past her to wash his hands in the sink. He’d worn gloves to clean his weapon, but his skin still felt grimy. Aurora took a step away, avoiding him.
“I never wanted to hurt you. I’m truly sorry for that. I was only trying to do my job, keep you safe.” Which I did, he added silently. He turned off the water, shook off the excess, and leaned his hip against the counter, facing her.
“Your job?” She smirked. “I doubt that kissing me was in the job description.”
He bit the inside of his cheek. A vein at his temple twitched. “It’s not like I was chasing after you. You invited me into your apartment.”
“You didn’t have to say yes!”
Fury radiated from her. He leaned in, their noses just inches apart.
“I was trying to be there for you. As a friend. Because you seem like a nice person.” I liked you, he thought, though he doubted she’d want to hear it.
“When we kissed, I stopped things before we went too far. I told you it couldn’t happen. ”
“Yeah, after I’d already made an idiot of myself.”
He’d said he was sorry. He was tired and stressed, and his nerves were completely ragged. He’d killed two people today. What did she expect him to do? Prostrate himself at her feet?
“I can’t help that my body responded when you basically threw yourself at me.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Your body?” Her arm jerked, and the entire contents of her glass splashed into his face. “How does your body respond to that?”
Devon sputtered, wiping his eyes. His shirt was soaked. Anger flared in his chest, breaking through his carefully managed demeanor. It was like Aurora knew every button to push to make him lose control.
He peeled off his wet shirt, tossing the sodden fabric aside. His palms planted onto the countertop on either side of her, caging her in.
“I get it. You don’t like me. You think I’m a lying son of a bitch. But I’m the only thing standing between you and a bunch of murderous gangsters right now. So it would help if you could play nice.” He licked a stray drop of water as it cascaded over his lips.
She was breathing hard, breasts heaving. “Are you finished?”
“No. I’m not.” He drew himself even closer, not quite touching. But the scent of her was heady in his nostrils, a mixture of flowers and spice.
“You’re right, getting close to you was never part of the job. But the conversations you and I had? The kiss? That was all me. The real me. And when I told you I couldn’t…be with you, it wasn’t because I didn’t want you.”
Aurora arched her back against the countertop. She glanced down at his bare torso, the gaze turning molten. He felt the blood coursing through him, heading straight to his dick. Down boy, he thought. Not going to happen.
“But nothing has changed,” he continued. “I’m still assigned to protect you. The kiss was a mistake—my mistake. You can call me an asshole if that makes this easier. Whatever you have to do to get through the next few hours. Then, I promise, you’ll never have to see me again.”
He pushed off the counter and stalked away from her, before his already shredded self-control could break altogether.