Page 41 of Protected
“I’m not fighting you.” Her voice held a hint of exasperation. Then quietly, she added, “I’m just being careful.”
“Fair enough.”
He gathered their food trash into a neat pile and moved to stand. “Let’s get you to your apartment to sort out your office. It looks like it’s going to storm.”
Darci glanced out the window and shuddered.
“Worried about going back to your place?” They stood, and he offered her his hand.
“Not really. I just don’t care for storms.”
When she didn’t elaborate, he chose not to push.
Once back at her place, Darci got to work sorting her files. Bradley offered to straighten the living room while she worked. He set about cleaning up broken glass and righting the couch.
Outside, the storm was growing stronger. After one particularly loud crash of thunder, Darci yelped, so he rushed to check on her.
“Everything OK in here?”
“Fine.” Her voice was clipped. She didn’t look fine.
“Hey, what is it?”
“Nothing.” She was on the floor surrounded by stacks of folders, so he crouched next to her and lifted her chin. He didn’t believe her. Something about this storm had her spooked.
“You’re safe, baby girl. I finished as best I could in the living room. How do I help take your mind off the storm? I would take you back to my place, but it’s bad out there. I would rather wait it out here, even though I don’t like being here with a lunatic on the loose.”
Taking a deep breath, she nodded. Her shoulders relaxed, and she grinned at him. “Want to play a game?”
“Oh, I can think of a few games I’d like to play with you,” he said with a wink.
She smacked him in the arm. “Behave. I’m talking about a card game.”
“Strip Poker perhaps?” he suggested, trying for an innocent expression. Darci glared at him and it made him laugh.
“No silly. I was thinking Go Fish or Gin Rummy.”
“I’m afraid I’ve never played either.” She looked horrified, much the way she had when he had confessed to not having done any of the touristy things in D.C.
“What kind of horrible childhood did you have? That settles it, we’re playing cards.”
They moved to her kitchen table and Darci told him where he could find wine if he wanted it. He picked out a bottle, impressed with her small collection. While he opened it, Darci explained the rules of Gin Rummy. When he handed her a glass of red wine, she sipped it and set it aside, still intent on her explanation. Settling into the chair across from her, he studied her. The animated, happy woman he saw now was a far cry from the frightened girl she had been a few minutes ago in her office.
“It’s not polite to stare, Mr. Givens.”
“I’m merely paying close attention to your excellent instructions, Miss Sanders.”
“Now you’re mocking me. Staring and mocking. How rude.”
He leaned forward and ducked a finger under her chin. “Shall we play? I can assure you I am not mocking you. I was enjoying how happy and carefree you seem right now. I wish you were like this all the time.” With a blush, she huffed and dealt the cards.
Two hours later, they had finished two glasses of wine each, and Darci had beaten him at ten rounds of cards. Bradley held his hands up in mock surrender. “You win, Miss Sanders. I know when I’m beat.”
She beamed. “Thank you for letting me teach you.”
She looked past him out the window. “The rain has let up out there. I suppose there’s no chance you’ll go home and let me stay here tonight?”
He scowled. “That’s correct. No way in hell.”
