Always expect the unexpected
Wyatt
A few days later, we were making spaghetti in the kitchen while an old Boyz II Men CD played on the stereo.
Brynn had found it among a few other nineties era artists when she found the stereo and decided to play through those instead of trying to find a radio station that would come through clearly.
I was stirring the sauce on the stove while she cut up some broccoli to go with it. She swayed her hips and danced subtly, but it was enough to catch my eye. I couldn’t have stopped the smile that bloomed on my face if I tried. This woman was more than I’d ever expected.
She caught me staring. “What?” she asked, her cheeks getting that subtle blush I’d grown so fond of over the past week and a half.
I shook my head but didn’t stop staring. “Nothing. Just admiring the view.”
Her lips tilted up in a smile, and she opened her mouth to respond when a distinct ringing came from the living room.
My smile fell as I dropped the stirring spoon onto the counter and rushed to the bag where the burner phone from Raf had been since we got here.
I had plugged it into the wall to keep it fully charged and then tucked it into the side pocket, assuming I wouldn’t need it for a couple more days to check in and make sure all was clear for us to come back.
He shouldn’t be calling me now. It was too soon.
“Hello?” I answered.
“We caught him,” he said without preamble.
I moved toward the window with the phone against my ear. The calm of the lake was a strange juxtaposition to the chaos inside me. “When?”
“Last night. He tried to break into her house. We had Jamie on site and he was able to incapacitate him until the police could arrive. He’s in custody now.
They’re holding him on attempted breaking and entering and stalking.
He had pictures of her along with a journal filled with some sick fantasies in the passenger seat of his car. ”
Something heavy swirled in my stomach—maybe doubt, maybe guilt because I knew Raf wouldn’t be talking to me so calmly if he knew what I’d done. “And we’re sure he’s the same guy who left the notes?”
“You think she could have two stalkers at that level?”
“I’m just asking if there’s any way to confirm. The notes weren’t handwritten and had no DNA. Did he confess?”
He paused. “He hasn’t yet, but my contacts with LAPD said he’s been tight-lipped since they picked him up.
He lawyered up immediately, and he has a pretty extensive record.
This wouldn’t be his first stalking offense.
” He took an audible breath. “I can’t remember a time you’ve ever questioned me on something like this. What’s different about this one?”
The heaviness in my stomach moved to my chest and my limbs, making my whole body feel weighted down. I was sure if someone pushed me into the lake right this second, I’d sink straight to the bottom.
Raf has been one of my closest friends for most of my adult life.
After my brother, he was my best friend.
I couldn’t tell him the truth over the phone.
He deserved a face-to-face confession. I needed him to see my eyes when I told him I’d crossed professional boundaries and fallen in love with a client.
“Wyatt? You still there?”
I cleared my throat. “Yeah, I’m still here. I didn’t mean to question you. I know you take client safety seriously.”
“I’d be horrible at my job if I didn’t. Are you sure there’s not something else going on?” He asked it like a mom who already knew the answer to the question, but was gauging to see if her kid would be honest.
“Nothing that can’t wait until we get back. So if you caught him, does this mean we can come back sooner?”
“Yeah. In fact, her team is losing their damn minds and hoping you guys can come back tomorrow morning.”
“Okay. We’ll pack up tonight and leave first thing in the morning. It’ll take us about eight hours or so to get back to LA depending on traffic.”
“Perfect. I’ll let her team know. Jamie will meet you at her place for a trade-off so you can get a well-deserved break. I hope she hasn’t been too much of a diva for you.”
I grinned at that. “Nah, she hasn’t been a diva at all.”
“Hmm,” he replied in a way that made me wonder if I gave too much of my fondness for her away in my tone. “Well, I’ll check in with you tomorrow or the day after.”
“Sounds good. I appreciate you, man,” I added, emotion clogging my throat.
I hoped he’d forgive me. I’d seen how pissed he’d been when he fired the other guys who crossed the lines with clients.
If his business got a bad reputation because his guys couldn’t keep their dicks in their pants, no one would work with him.
As it was, he worked with the elite of the elite and he didn’t want to downgrade.
His whole life revolved around his business, and I didn’t know if he’d forgive me for further putting his reputation in jeopardy.
But I’d still choose Brynn over working for Raf, even if he never forgave me.
“I appreciate you too, Wyatt,” he said, his words slowed like he wasn’t sure what came over me.
He’d find out soon enough because once we were back in LA, I didn’t want to keep our relationship a secret.
Jamie could take over for me as her bodyguard, but I’d be staying with her as her boyfriend until I was certain she was safe.
Despite Raf’s claims, this didn’t feel resolved. My gut was still tense, and I wasn’t sure it was all about the lie I was keeping from him. But maybe I’d just become too pessimistic. Maybe Brynn would be able to break me of that.
I spun around and walked back into the kitchen where Brynn was stirring the sauce, her brows furrowed and her mouth a flat line.
“Uh-oh, you didn’t burn the sauce, did you?” I teased. She’d shared that she was a notoriously bad cook.
But she didn’t laugh or smile. There was none of the lightness we’d shared between us earlier.
Instead, she glanced up at me with resolve on her face, her features now composed like I’d seen when she was making decisions for her business.
“I’ve been thinking about when we go back.”
“Okay. Well, the good news is it looks like we’ll be heading back tomorrow. They caught the guy. You’ll be safe now.”
I moved forward and wrapped my arms around her. “Plus you’ll always have me.”
It registered a second late that she held her body stiff instead of melting into me like she normally did.
“Brynn?” I asked, pulling back.
She faced me, and in her beautiful eyes I could see the woman who made tough but crucial business decisions on a daily basis. It wasn’t the ruthlessness I’d seen in the eyes of bigwig CEOs, but it had a similar sharpness that implied the decision had been made and nothing would change her mind.
“I think we should go back to you being my bodyguard and me being your client once we leave here.”
Only because of a decade in the military and years in this business was I able to keep my facial expression neutral even as I felt her words like a bullet to the gut. And then she continued, each sentence another hit until I felt riddled with holes.
“This has been fun, and it was the exact distraction I needed. But I have too much to lose if people find out, and I need to focus on my music and the rest of the tour. I hope you understand.”
She wasn’t asking. She was telling. This wasn’t a conversation between lovers about where things would go next.
This was one person making an executive decision and breaking the other’s heart.
All this time I’d thought she was worried about me breaking her heart, when apparently I should’ve been worried about it being the other way around.
“If that’s what you want,” I said, keeping my voice impassive.
For the first time since I reentered the kitchen, doubt seemed to fill her eyes, but she blinked it away so quickly, I questioned if I really saw it.