Chapter 14
M aya sat back and patted her full stomach.
The animals were all fed, including Tank who’d eaten a little bit. He liked to eat next to Big B. The pig would snort and snuffle. Maya liked to think that Big B was encouraging Tank to eat. But for all she knew she could be telling him to leave all the food for her.
Big B liked her food.
“I’m so full I’m going to explode,” she complained.
Matthieu stared down at the pizza, most of which she’d eaten herself. Oops.
Why hadn’t she noticed how much she had eaten? He was going to think that she was really greedy.
“Um. Shit. I’m so sorry.”
“Why are you sorry?” he asked, to her surprise.
“Well, because I ate most of the pizza and you barely got any.” Great. Pointing it out just made her feel more embarrassed.
“Don’t need to apologize for that. You needed it.”
“But you’re bigger than me, you have to fuel all of those . . . muscles.”
Oh dear Lord.
Had she really just said that? Now he was going to know that she’d noticed his muscles. Then again, it would be hard not to notice those muscles, the way they bulged, pressing against his T-shirt.
Yeah, the man sure did a mighty good job of filling out a T-shirt. She wondered if he bought them a size small deliberately. If she was him, she probably would.
“I’m fine,” he told her. “Getting you fed was more important.”
Man. Why did he have to keep saying things like that? He was killing her.
Reaching over, he grabbed a bottle of water and held it out to her. “Drink.”
“I’m too full,” she groaned, rubbing her belly.
“I’m sorry you’re full. Next time, I’ll stop you before you get overfull. But you still need to drink. Take some small sips for me.”
She wanted to do that for him. But she also didn’t want to add anything to her belly. And she was feeling so much better so she really didn’t think she needed more water.
“Maya,” he said sternly.
She let out a disgruntled sigh.
Dougie, who was lying on her lap, let out a similar sigh. She scratched him behind the ears in thanks for his solidarity.
Gummy was chewing on her toy. Every so often, she’d look up and around suspiciously as though she thought someone was going to steal it from her.
Sometimes, she’d let out a small growl. Generally, when she was looking at Matthieu.
It was going to take Gummy a while to like Matthieu, she could see.
Then she’d go back to chewing on her toy.
Tank and Big B were in the bedroom like usual. Although Big B waddled through the small living room every so often to check on them.
And she’d introduced Matthieu to Marshmallow who had promptly farted then disappeared into his little house.
It had been a really good fart too.
Even her eyes had watered and she’d thought that she was used to Marshmallow’s farts.
“Maya. Drink,” he said firmly. “We’ve had a conversation already about how when I say to do something, it’s important.”
Urgh.
Since it seemed like he wasn’t about to let this go, Maya took the bottle of water. She sipped it slowly.
“Are you sure that Gummy didn’t bite or scratch you?” she asked, still feeling bad about her dog’s behavior. Although the dog had been trying to protect her friend.
Gummy looked up as though she could understand the question. She let out a small growl, glaring at Matthieu.
“Gummy! Matthieu wasn’t trying to hurt the girls. He’s our friend. Friend.” She reached over and patted his arm.
Then she realized what she’d done and snatched her hand back.
Shoot. She’d touched him. She hadn’t meant to do that. And now her hand felt like it was sizzling.
Trick of the mind, of course.
But still.
She never wanted to wash that hand again.
Maya, you are losing your mind.
“Um, sorry,” she told him.
“For what?” he asked.
Well. If he didn’t know, she wasn’t going to tell him.
“Drink some more,” he urged her after she didn’t reply.
Sighing, she sipped at her water. She did feel better, if a bit sleepy.
She sat back, her eyes trying to close. She pried them open. “How does this work?”
“How does what work?” he asked as he packed up the pizza box and napkins.
Shoot. She should do that. She attempted to stand and he shot her a look.
Whoa.
If looks could give spankings, then she wouldn’t sit for a week. She settled back into the sofa.
“Stay. Sit,” he told her.
Maya glared at him. “I am not a dog.”
“No, they listen without arguing.”
“Rude,” she grumbled with a sigh.
“Is your garbage bin out the back?” he asked.
“Yes. Behind the garage,” she told him.
He left and she stared around her tiny, rundown house. He couldn’t stay here. But bodyguards usually stayed with the bodies they were guarding, right?
But he couldn’t work all the time. So did he go home at night?
Urgh, don’t be an idiot, Maya. He can’t just go home. Night is the worst time for you to be alone.
Where could she put him, though? She only had three bedrooms. She was in one. Tank and Big B took up another and the third one was tiny and didn’t have a bed. Unless the beds in her Lego village counted.
Which they didn’t.
Shit! She needed to get rid of her Lego village.
Jumping up, she ignored the wave of dizziness that rushed through her as she ran into the third bedroom.
Luckily, she found an empty box that she shoved the village into.
Then she carried it into her bedroom and stuffed it into the closet before heading back into the living room.
She stared down at the sofa. Maybe she could make up a bed on the couch for her and he could sleep in her bedroom. Or could she sleep in the spare bedroom with Tank and Big B?
Urgh. She didn’t want to stress Tank out though.
No. Perhaps the small room was the best idea. She’d take the back cushions off the sofa and put them in there and grab some blankets and a pillow. Getting up, she moved into her bedroom to change the sheets first.
“Maya? Maya, where are you?” Matthieu called out.
Why did he sound unhappy?
Oh. Crap.
She’d moved.
You idiot.
But it was really hard to stay in one place. She wasn’t used to sitting still. She was usually busy.
Which might be one reason why she was feeling so exhausted. Maya couldn’t remember the last time she’d managed to relax.
“Um, I’m in the bedroom. My bedroom,” she clarified.
He appeared in the bedroom doorway and his gaze narrowed. She turned to concentrate on the bed as she drew off her strawberry sheets.
Shit. Crap.
Maya realized that she hadn’t thought that through. Now he knew that she slept on white sheets with strawberries all over them. What was he going to think about that?
Would he think she was ridiculous? Childish? Well, she kind of was, right?
Stop worrying about what he thinks?
She should start thinking more about what the hell was going on. Like what to do about Vince or the threats to her father.
Not that she could really help with that.
And, let’s face it, there were probably a lot of people who had it in for her father.
She really didn’t think there was much of a threat to her.
Maya barely had anything to do with her father anymore.
Mind you, the person threatening him might not know that.
She was still shocked that her father was willing to pay for a bodyguard for her. It could end up costing a fortune.
No doubt it was really annoying Kathryn to have to spend money protecting someone that she didn’t like. That was actually the upside to all of this.
Annoying Kathryn would never get old. Even if it was a bit childish.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“Um, changing the sheets on my bed for you.”
“For me?”
She snuck a look at him. “Yeah. So you can sleep in here. You are sleeping here, right?”
“No.”
The answer was abrupt. He almost sounded irritated, which she didn’t understand. Why was he upset about her question?
“You’re not staying?” she asked, trying to keep the fear out of her voice. She felt sure he’d stay the night.
Now, she’d be awake all night again. How was she going to manage that? She was already so exhausted; she didn’t think she could manage another night being on alert.
You can do this.
You have your babies to protect.
But Maya knew that she couldn’t keep this up forever. If Matthieu was only around part of the time, it wasn’t going to be enough.
She should move, but who would rent a house to someone with three dogs, four chickens, a cat, a pig and a farting hamster?
No one.
“I will be staying here. I will be sleeping here. But I will not be taking your bedroom,” he clarified.
Oh. Relief flooded her.
“But there’s nowhere else for you to sleep,” she told him.
“I think it would upset Tank too much to have someone in his room with him. My other bedroom doesn’t have a bed, but I thought I could put some of the couch cushions in there along with some bedding.
I could sleep in there while you . . . sleep .
. . in . . .” she trailed off as she spotted him moving out of the corner of her eye. He was headed her way.
She tensed as he stopped next to her. Reaching out, he touched her hand. His touch was light, but it still made her jump.
“Drop the sheet,” he told her in a low voice.
Darn it.
For some reason, she obeyed him instantly. What was with that?
“Good girl.”
A shiver ran up her spine.
Shoot. Crap. Damn it!
Irritated with herself for her reaction to his words and his tone, which was like warm honey and made her want to burrow herself into him and hold on tight, she let out a puff of air.
“Look at me.”
She was grouchy enough that she didn’t even hesitate to glare up at him.
“Hmm, I thought you were going to take more convincing than that, but that doesn’t matter.” He cupped her chin.
Do not react.
Do not react.
But she felt her mouth grow dry and she swallowed heavily.
“Listen to me,” he said firmly. “I am not taking your bed. Not. Happening. You sleep in here on your strawberry sheets. I will sleep on the sofa.”
He would?
“You can’t.”
“I can. Or I can make myself a bed in the other bedroom. I’m used to roughing it.”
“But you’re a guest. You should sleep here and I should rough it.”
“I’m not a guest,” he replied. “I’m here to take care of you. That’s my job. And I can’t do that by kicking you out of your bed.”
It was his job. He wasn’t saying this because he liked her.
But it was hard to convince her body that he wasn’t interested in her. Her body wanted to melt into him and beg him to never let her go.
He was being so . . . so nice. She wasn’t used to men like this, men who put other people’s comfort before their own, and it was confusing.
“Tell me you understand,” he said firmly.
“I understand.”
“Good,” he replied. “Now, I’m going to remind you again, what are you supposed to be doing?”
“Umm.” Drat! Her mind had gone blank. How had that happened?
“You are supposed to be resting. On the sofa. Not changing sheets on the bed.”
Oh heck.
“But I feel good now.”
A slight exaggeration. She was still tired and a bit light-headed.
“Right. That’s why you’re pale and light-headed.”
Crap! He could tell? She was going to have to remember how observant he was. It was really inconvenient for her.
“You’re going to get yourself in a lot of trouble if you do not start obeying me, little girl,” he warned.
Little girl?
Holy. Heck.
Why did she like that? It was worse than liking ‘good girl.’
And what sort of trouble was he talking about?
Do not ask.
Do. Not.
Sometimes she was just better off not knowing.
Just nod and pretend to agree. He can’t watch you all the time.
Right. Except that was literally his job.
“I don’t always have to do what you say,” she told him.
“Yes, little girl, you do.”
Then, before she could say anything more, he stepped back.
“ Merde .”
Um. What? Had he just sworn in French? Or had she imagined it?
“What?” she asked.
“I said sorry.”
That wasn’t what it had sounded like.
“I shouldn’t have touched you like that. Or called you little girl. I apologize.”
Why was he apologizing?
“That was unprofessional.”
Oh. Right.
Professional. Because this was a job for him. And that was how it should be. So there was no reason for her to be upset by that.
“Sure,” she replied in a small voice.
Crap. She sounded upset. She’d wanted to keep her emotions and feelings out of her voice.
“Hey, are you all right?” he asked in a softer tone.
“Of course. Why wouldn’t I be? You’re the one who is probably going to ruin their back sleeping on the sofa. Are you sure you’ll be okay? Don’t you need your body to be in tip-top shape for your job?”
“I do. But I’ll be just fine.”
“I’ll, um, remake the bed then. And probably go to sleep.” She glanced at her watch with a wince. It was only eight. Although with how tired she was, she might be asleep the moment that her head hit the pillow.
“We need to have another chat, though. And, unfortunately, this one is even more serious. Come with me.” He turned and walked out of the room.
Uh-oh.
She didn’t like the sound of that.
Also, how embarrassing that he’d noticed her sheets!
Maya wasn’t sure that she was going to survive having him in her house.
Nope. She’d probably die of embarrassment or arousal.
She just wasn’t sure which.