Page 15 of Broken Bodyguard
“Speaking of vacation, where did these eggs and bacon come from?”
“I brought them with me from New York.” Troy cocked a grin before he bit into a slice of bacon. “I had a cooler in the Jeep and the bacon was frozen. I wasn’t sure what to expect at the cabin so I came stocked.”
“Thanks for sharing your rations with us.”
“I’ll share my rations with you anytime, Maddie.” His husky rasp made another wave of heat crash through me. The man could read cooking instructions and make it sound hot. “But I’ll need to head to the store today if we want to have any more meals.”
“Oh. A trip into town. That sounds fun.”
He lowered his chin, narrowing his eyes. “I don’t know if you should come.”
“Oh, please. We’re an hour from Louisville. I don’t think Jericho has any idea where I am, nor will we run into him at the store.” Despite my protests, his protective mode was a turn-on.
He relaxed slightly, tipping his head. “Yeah, you’re right.”
“It’s a vacation, after all,” I teased. “Can’t leave us at home twiddling our thumbs.”
He snorted, popping the rest of the bacon into his mouth. He chewed before he said, “We’ll go see all the attractions this area has to offer: the creek, the general store, and the gas station.”
“Sounds like a thrilling outing.”
Once we’d finished our plates and Grace had finally started to eat her own food, Troy got to work cleaning up. He hulked over the kitchen sink, scrubbing at dishes and pans. I could hardly rip my gaze off his broad back and the muscles straining at the fabric of his shirt.
I hadn’t been with a man inyears. Jericho and I formalized our separation over a year ago, but we’d been distant and fractured for so long before then—probably since before I’d even given birth to Grace. The last year of living with Jericho had been like walking on eggshells. I’d forgotten what it felt like to reallycrushon someone.
After airplaning the last bite of eggs into Grace’s mouth, I took the plate over to the sink.
“You’re an excellent breakfast cook,” I told him. His arm brushed mine as he turned, a smile curling at his lips.
“I’ll add that to my resume,” he said.
“What does the resume say now? Bodyguard…fitness expert…breakfast specialist…”
He tipped his head. “Don’t make me blush. But you forgot chauffer.”
I laughed, swatting at his arm. “How could I forget that?”
Troy winked at me as he took the plate and rinsed it off. “Just part of the bodyguard life. Gotta be ready for anything.”
“Does Lenny have any coffee in this joint?” I opened random cabinets, looking for the good stuff. “I can brew us a pot.”
“I might have seen some over here.” He jerked his chin toward a different area of the kitchen. “I didn’t even think about coffee.”
“You don’t drink coffee?” My voice came out practically a screech. “That should go on your resume as well. As a warning.”
The genuine smile that covered his face was one I wanted to take a picture of and remember forever.
“I do sometimes. I just try not to get too used to anything.”
I knocked his hip with mine as I headed for the other side of the kitchen to continue my hunt. I found a small jar of instant coffee, which was better than nothing.
“This will have to do for now. But we definitely need to get some in town.” I filled the tea kettle with water and set it on high on the stove before I leaned against the countertop, my gaze drifting back to Grace as she selected a different crayon from the box. “Where are you heading after this? Back to New York?”
“For just a little bit. And then I’m heading to Ecuador.”
“Ecuador.” I tried to hide some of my surprise, and the slightest bit of disappointment. Not because I didn’t want him to visit a place as fabulous as Ecuador. But because it reminded me that this sweet cocoon was only destined to be a short-lived fantasy. Something like a fever dream, until it wentpoofand the fever broke. “That sounds fun. Is that a vacation or a job?”
“For a job.” He snapped the water off, drying his hands as he turned my way. “Something new that came up.”
