"Everything okay?"
I turn to find her freshly showered, hair damp and curling around her shoulders, dressed in jeans and a soft sweater that makes her look impossibly young and vulnerable.
"Fine," I lie. "Cade's just doing a perimeter check."
"Because of me." It's not a question. "Because having me here puts you at risk."
"No." I step closer, unable to stop myself from reaching out to tuck a damp strand of hair behind her ear. "Because having you here makes this place a target, and I won't let anything happen to you."
She leans into my touch, her eyes holding mine with an intensity that makes my heart rate pick up. "About last night."
"It was a mistake," I say, the words feeling like ash in my mouth. "I crossed a line I shouldn't have."
"Did you regret it the moment it happened, or did it take all night to talk yourself intothat realization?"
Her question catches me off guard with its directness. "Nova."
"Because I don't regret it," she continues, stepping closer until I can feel the heat of her body. "Not for a second."
"You should." I force myself to step back, to put distance between us. "I'm responsible for your safety. I can't do that effectively if I'm distracted by... this."
"This?" She raises an eyebrow. "You can't even name it?"
"It doesn't need a name. It needs to stop."
"Why?” She snaps. “Give me one good reason that isn't about professional ethics or security protocols."
"Those are good reasons," I protest.
"They're excuses."
I run a hand through my hair, frustrated by her persistence and my own weakness where she's concerned. "What do you want from me, Nova? I'm not a good bet. I live alone on a mountain because I don't do well with people. I wake up reaching for weapons that aren't there. I can't go into a restaurant without sitting with my back to the wall. I'm not built for whatever it is you're looking for."
"You don't know what I'm looking for."
"Fame? Fortune? A man who can take you to red carpets and industry parties?"
Her eyes flash with genuine anger. "Is that really what you think of me? That I'm so shallow I can only be attracted to men who fit into my celebrity lifestyle?"
"No." I sigh, regretting my words immediately. "That's not what I think of you."
"Then stop using it as an excuse to push me away."
Before I can respond, my security tablet alerts with movement at the east perimeter. I grab it, checking the feed to see Cade returning through the trees.
"Your brother's back," Nova says, glancing at the screen. "This conversation isn't over."
She moves to the kitchen, starting a fresh pot of coffee as if we weren't just discussing the impossibility of whatever ishappening between us. As if my brother isn't returning from checking for potential threats to her life.
As if this is normal.
The strangest part is how natural it feels, having her in my space, moving through my kitchen with casual familiarity. As if she belongs here. As if she's always been here.
Dangerous thoughts.
Cade enters without knocking, his expression grim as he engages the locks behind him.
"Perimeter's clear," he says, nodding to Nova before turning back to me. "But there are fresh tracks about a mile east. Someone on foot, moving carefully. Could be a hiker, but…"
