Finally, she turned to Kye. He stopped playing with Lily and offered her a smile that really shouldn’t do what it was doing to her insides, softening and melting her anxiety about David. So she heaped it all into her voice to push those feelings of thankfulness toward him away. “What do you think you were doing, provoking that agent?”
“Glaser? Force of habit.” He returned to petting Lily. “My work brings us into occasional contact with the feds. When that happens, they often try to muscle their way into my business. They take but they don’t share. I’ve become pretty territorial. Didn’t want you to get pushed around.”
Her dark brows drew together at his admission that he was trying to protect her. “What kind of business are you in, exactly?”
Kye glanced up at her tone and broke into laughter at the look on her face. “Not whatever you’re thinking.” He pulled a card from his pocket and handed it to her.
Yard looked at it. “You own BARKS?”
“Heard of us, huh?”
Yardley gazed at the card again. Yeah, she’d heard of them. BARKS was a big fucking deal. Known worldwide for their skill and toughness. Why didn’t she know about Kye’s place in it? “You really own the business?”
“Yeah. Along with my partner, Oliver Kelly. He’s an Aussie. Big strapping guy. Hairiest legs you ever saw. Knees like cannonballs. Loves the media. Me, not so much.”
He stood up and squared off before her, folding his arms over his massive chest. “You really thought I was a ski bum? Had never amounted to anything?”
“No, of course not. You were great with dogs. It’s just that—”
“You hoped I’d fail at everything I did because I failed you.” There. He’d put it out there, the reason they were circling warily around each other twelve years after a past that should have been behind them. But wasn’t.
“I need to find something. We’ll do this later.” She stared at him, daring him to say more.
He shrugged. “It’ll keep.”
She turned and walked away, Oleg trotting along meekly in obedience. Even a dog knew that when a woman was pissed, it was better to not make waves.
Kye stood a moment longer staring at the back of the woman he’d been sent to protect. She was still a pain in the neck. Her attire and parade-ground voice hadn’t changed. But there was something in her posture, a slight rounding of her shoulders when she turned away, that made him pause. She was more than tired. She looked like the weight of the world was balanced on her shoulders. Was this the reason Law had asked him to come? To do some heavy lifting for his sister’s sake?
She wasn’t happy to see him. Hell, he wasn’t happy to be here. Not when all he could think about was the kiss they’d shared. And that wasn’t about to happen again. It wouldn’t be smart. Or helpful. Or lead to anything. He couldn’t allow that, not if his aching dick and balls turned blue with frustration. He wouldn’t screw her and leave again. And since he couldn’t stay, he wouldn’t touch her again. For both their sakes.
But damn!
He thought for a moment about the litter of toller puppies he’d left in the care of Sheila Maxwell. Sheila wasn’t his partner or anything like that. They worked together, had sex when the mood struck them both at the same time. The fact that that mood hadn’t struck in months wasn’t an issue between them. But now, looking at Yardley, he was thinking an evening in the company of a friendly woman would be a very good idea. Much better than the one he was wrestling with.
His dick twitched. Maybe he was only 60 percent dick these days. That was still a majority. Yet his little head no longer did the majority of his thinking. He was sent to do a job. Stick with Yard and keep her out of trouble. Piece of cake. Not.
He caught up with her just as she started the Jeep’s engine. “Wait up.”
She didn’t, of course. She threw the Jeep in reverse and stepped on the gas, hard.
As gravel spewed from the back wheels, she braked and Kye saw his chance. With Lily in one hand, he yanked open the door of the moving vehicle with the other and jumped in, glad he was wearing combat boots because she cut him no slack as she swung the Jeep around.
“Where are we going?”
She didn’t spare him a glance, but he caught the up-curve of her mouth. “I need to find my phone.” The Jeep shot through the open gates and took a hard left onto the road.
A few minutes later they had parked on the side of the road and were on foot in the twiggy remains of underbrush.
“And you lost your phone in the brush how?” Kye hacked impatiently at the dry grass with a felled branch.
“I have a temper. Okay?”
“No argument there.”
Lily, who’d been joyfully traipsing through the winter scrub while her doggy companion had been left in a crate in the Jeep, suddenly barked and leaped, pawing furiously at a patch of damp leaves until she could pluck something from the ground. Then she pranced over and nudged Kye’s thigh.
Kye smiled. “Found your phone.”
Yardley snatched and looked at it. Her expression drooped. “Battery’s dead.”
Kye handed Lily a few treats. “Want to tell me what’s going on?”
“No.” She pocketed the phone and headed back toward the Jeep.