Chapter 17

 

"Sanity is overrated." Brie dropped her purse on the kitchen table, slid her work shoes off, and collapsed in one of the wooden chairs. She scrubbed her face and blinked up at the clock. Not that time really mattered. Tomorrow, she had a day off. Thank goodness. After seven days in a row, all twelve hour shifts, she hit the wall of exhaustion.

"At least it'll be a nice paycheck." If the taxes don't kill me.

Her phone rang. She dug it out of her handbag, checked the number, and frowned. Punching a button, she answered. "Hello?"

"Brie. It's Gary."

"Oh, hi Gary." Immediately, Brie's fears launched, twisting her stomach into a knot. "What's wrong? Is Rye okay?"

"Whoa. He's fine. No problems, everything is right on schedule."

Relief spread over Brie like a warm blanket on a cold winter's night. "Thank goodness."

"I just wanted to call and check in with you. Being with a cop isn't for the faint of heart. Lots of worries and no set schedule."

"I'm learning that." Brie pushed a stray lock of hair out of her face. "It's tough, especially the not being able to call one another part."

"All part of the procedure, though it sucks." He paused a second and swallowed as if he were drinking a beverage. "Truth be told, any one of us would have leaped at this assignment. It's a dream job, if you ask me. We're all envious. Rye is one lucky son of a gun."

Irritated at the reminder, Brie scowled. "You're not helping, Gary."

"Sorry. I didn't mean to insinuate…well, shit. I'm sorry Brie."

"It's fine."

"You don't have anything to worry about. Rye is one of the best."

"I know."

"If it means anything, I know Rye. This is a job to him, nothing more. He's got his heart and sights set on you. No matter who he might be stuck babysitting, trust me, he's not going to screw up the best thing in his life."

Hope flared. "Thanks, Gary." She stood up, opened the refrigerator, and found a bottle of water. Using her shoulder to brace the phone, she unscrewed the cap and took a long, refreshing drink. "Do you have any idea when Rye will be done?"

"Not really. I know they have several guys beating the bushes for leads on the stalker. He's smart and keeping a low profile. Right now, it's a stalemate, but we'll get him in the end."

The news made Brie's shoulders slump all the more. "Okay. If you get a chance to talk to Rye, please send him my love."

"I will. Oh, and Brie?"

"Yes?"

"If you need anything, even if it's just to talk, I'm your guy."

The offer eased her loneliness a smidgen. Not that she'd take him up on it, at least right now. How could she explain to one of Rye's best friends that she eagerly gave Rye her virginity only for him to dash off to play house with a woman she could never hope to hold a candle to? That jealousy grew inside her as did the constant nagging uneasiness of the danger that Rye might be in. His job was to protect, to take any bullets that flew in Destiny's direction. That knowledge crimped Brie's happiness and invaded her sleep.

"Thanks, Gary. I really appreciate it." She clicked off the conversation and yawned. Worn out, she needed to hit the sack, get some much needed rest, and be fresh for the next day.

Tomorrow's agenda made for a busy list of chores. The yard took priority with the grass just about tall enough to bale for hay. She needed to mow. Thankfully, Mother Nature had taken pity on her and taken care of the watering chores for the past week. She needed to do some weeding before getting cleaned up, hitting the store, and a doctor's appointment in the afternoon.

No rest for the weary.

With that thought, she headed to the shower.

 

* * * *

 

"I'm bored."

Rye peered over at Destiny. "Read a book. Watch television. Hell, there's all the movie channels on cable. Surely one of them sounds good?"

She picked up the remote, zipped through the stations, and punched the power button once again. "Nope. Nothing."

These past days had been a long, drawn-out, version of hell. More than once, he wanted to throw up his arms and let the stalker have her. In all reality, after a couple of days, the guy would return her and walk away, never to appear again. She was that bad. Spoiled and whiny, Destiny tested Rye's patience constantly. She might have been built like a fabled goddess, but Destiny wasn't Brie. Not even close.

Time with Brie flew by, filled with laughter, fun, and some great play time. Brie's personality sparkled while Destiny's fell into the surly category, unless she happened to be back on the prowl. Presumably because she was famous and rich, she expected to get anything and everything she wanted. Including him. He'd always hated clingy, grabby women. Now, he was stuck with the uppity brat for who knew how long when all he wanted was to be back home with Brie, picking up where they left off.

He checked his gun, peered out the front window for the hundredth time in the past hour and reminded himself of his task. Lives depended on him. He watched Destiny throw the remote aside in agitation. Well, this one does, too, I guess, although I'd gladly toss her in the car, and ship her to the station for them to deal with.

She swiveled on the couch and stared at him. As always, her gaze looked him over well. A teasing smile followed.

He wanted to beat his head against the wall. For days, he'd been putting off her advances. Unfortunately, she didn't seem to understand the word 'no'. Each time, she tried another approach, not realizing that he wasn't about to give in. No matter what.

Brie held his heart in her grasp and he wouldn't let her down. Commitment had always been a dirty word before. Now, he relished it. If only I could be done with this ridiculous babysitting job and get back to her. He grumbled under his breath, on the verge of calling his supervisor and demanding he send a replacement over pronto.

Destiny stood up and ambled in his direction.

He read the purpose in her face and frowned.

Just as she drew near, she stumbled, falling into him.

Instinctively he caught her against his chest.

She blinked up at him, wrapped her arms around his neck, and brushed her lips over his. Her large bosom pressed into him, rubbing with each breath.

In the past, he would have jumped in with both feet, thanked his lucky stars, and made a beeline to the bedroom. Times had changed. He'd grown up and Brie meant the world to him. No way would he screw things up for her just because the woman he protected had the hots for him.

Rye set her back on her feet, well away from him. Anger rose as he realized she'd most likely tripped intentionally. Just another manipulation trick to try to get him to bend to her wishes.

Not happening.

Destiny cocked her head and smiled tentatively. "Afraid to be close to me? Afraid you'll finally give in to what we both want?"

Her cockiness fanned the flames of frustration. "I'm your guard. That's it. My job is to stay focused, keep the bad guy out, until he's caught and you can safely go back home. Period."

She pouted dramatically. "But, I need a man. One like you. Big and strong. To take care of me, satisfy me, see to my every need." She purred the last words while running her hand over his chest, the brightly painted nails skimming his shirt.

"Look elsewhere. I'm not biting. Ever." Rye moved out of her reach. Never had he wanted to throttle a woman so much in his life. He counted to ten then a bit further.

"But…but…"

"Listen up and listen good. I'm not telling you this again. I'm not here as your sex puppet. I'm your protector. Nothing more, nothing less. So, find some other way to entertain yourself and leave me out of it." He hardened his tone and shot her an irritated glare.

Destiny huffed, crossed her arms over her ample breasts, and stormed down the hall.

He watched her go with a sense of relief. Tugging his cell out of his pocket, he punched in the number to his supervisor. "Find that guy already or get me a replacement."

"Trouble in paradise?"

"You have no fucking idea." Rye bit off every word.