“No souvenirs, then?” A heavy weight dropped into his stomach, surprising him. “You prefer not to remember this time?”
Well, it was a good thing to know. He’d enjoyed their tryst. It was always good to have the correct expectations when interacting with a person. Refreshing, actually, the way she was breaking it to him. He’d usually had to let his companions down gently.
“Slow down whatever thought process is going on inside your head. I prefer to do as little as possible to tie me to the person I’m keeping safe when I’m in the middle of a contract.” Her words had an edge to them, and tinged with real anger, not irritation. “Would you prefer I remembered you as my client or as a person?”
Her question rocked him back on his heels. Without a doubt, he wanted her to remember him as the latter, not the former. He didn’t know when he’d stopped considering whether he’d extend her contract as a personal bodyguard but now, he was wondering whether he even had a chance of convincing her to let him see her again. Sometime in the past day or two—had it really only been that long?—he’d started looking forward to starting his life over. It wasn’t because he should, or to provide a life his sister and his nephew deserved, but because Lizzy had made it fun. The first two had been good reasons, the last made him happy.
Lizzy had added a spark to life, expanded his world and threw him off balance. They were all very interesting things.
For example, being completely wrong in his perception of a situation was new for him. She had a knack for getting through his guard, coming from an unexpected angle and knocking the breath out of him. And all with simple verbal sparring.
He very much hoped to have the chance to tangle with her more over the next couple of days, physically and verbally. Intimately, as well.
For the time being, he lengthened his stride to cover the step or two lead she had on him. “Perhaps one day we’ll have the opportunity to acquire a few keepsakes after the trial.”
“We need to get you to it first.” She led him across the street and up into a small shop at the corner of Post Alley. “I like the white peach ginger beer here.”
It took a few minutes to acquire their drinks. He’d chosen a different flavor, not because hers didn’t sound interesting but because the idea of trading tastes appealed to him. She was a generous soul, whether she was conscious of it or not. There was no hesitation in her when it came to sharing and he was enjoying it.
After a moment, she led them back out of the store. “Too many windows there, no place to sit without being exposed. I’d risk it without you but having you out here with me is enough without adding to it.”
He didn’t argue. Wearing the Kevlar vest she’d given him gave him a sense of security but it was only a vest. They headed up the open street, blending in with a walking tour group led by a man in a utility kilt.
Kyle narrowed his eyes. “A chocolate-tasting tour. Did you time our walk to be here as they passed?”
She shrugged, keeping her voice low to match his. The tour mostly had personal headsets attached to small receivers so they could hear their tour guide. None of them was listening. “They’re a regular tour and I knew the schedule. I figured we might be able to stop in at a store or two with them before the tour guide tells us to move along or sign up for our own tour.”
He shook his head, then took a risk and wrapped his arm around her waist. Her body stiffened for a split second, then relaxed against him as she matched his stride for three steps. Then she pulled away, ostensibly to check her shoe, before straightening and slipping her hand into the bend of his arm. “Better for me to hold on to you so I can let go if necessary. If I need to react fast, I can’t afford the time it’d take me to untangle from you.”
A practical reason. Of course. He wondered if she knew how warm a balm to his ego her touch was. The momentary pang of rejection he’d experienced when she’d pulled away stabbed surprisingly deep considering the brevity of their involvement. He’d been overly sensitive not once, but twice now.
It was disturbing. And fascinating. In the middle of the most precarious time of his life, he was as bad as an adolescent boy trying to navigate his way through his first dating experience. The thought made him chuckle.
“Don’t get too relaxed.” Lizzy gave his arm a squeeze. “We’re out here doing this because I didn’t trust you to stay where you were supposed to if I left you alone.”