Total pages in book: 50
Estimated words: 45996 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 230(@200wpm)___ 184(@250wpm)___ 153(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45996 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 230(@200wpm)___ 184(@250wpm)___ 153(@300wpm)
Sadie sits rigid in her seat, jaw tight, staring straight ahead.
“You know,” I say lightly after a few minutes of silence, “most women would be thrilled to have a handsome, charming bodyguard drive them from Halo City to a beautiful beach town for an indefinite amount of time. Free vacation. Ocean views. Someone tall and strong to carry their bags and look intimidating on demand.”
She turns her head slowly, giving me a look that could freeze lava. “I’m not most women, Mr. Hawthorne.”
I laugh under my breath, genuinely amused. “Yeah. I’m starting to get that impression.”
The drive is a little over two hours, and the tension in the Jeep stays thick the whole way. I keep the conversation light, pointing out landmarks as we leave the city limits and head up the coast. “That’s the turnoff for the best seafood shack on the way—best shrimp po’boy you’ll ever have. Over there is where I keep my boat when I’m not on assignment. And once we get closer to Sunbreak Harbor, the sunsets are insane. You’ll see what I mean.”
Sadie answers in short, polite sentences. “Lovely.” “I see.” “That’s nice.” No smiles. No warmth. Just pure, stubborn resistance wrapped in perfect manners.
By the time we pull into Sunbreak Harbor, the sun is starting to dip lower, painting the sky in soft oranges and pinks. I drive us to the safe house on the quieter north end. It’s a modest but well-maintained beach bungalow tucked behind dunes and sea oats, and a short walk from the water.
I park, and turn off the engine. Sadie stares at the bungalow for a long moment, taking in the light blue shutters, the wide front porch with rocking chairs, and the ocean visible beyond the dunes.
“It’s… nicer than I expected,” she admits quietly.
I grin as I hop out and grab her suitcase. “Wait until you see the inside. Fully stocked kitchen, ocean-view master bedroom, and a hammock on the back porch. You might even thank your sister by the end of this.”
She gives me a skeptical side-eye as she climbs out. “I doubt that.”
We walk up the porch steps together. I unlock the door and hold it open for her. She steps inside cautiously, looking around the open living room and kitchen area. The place is bright and airy, with big windows letting in the sea breeze and soft beige furniture that screams vacation rental.
“Not bad, right?” I say, wheeling her suitcase toward the hallway. “Your room is the last door on the right. I’ll take the couch out here.”
Sadie stops in the middle of the living room and turns to face me. “You don’t have to sleep on the couch. I can take it.”
I shake my head. “No chance. My job is to keep you safe. That means I stay between you and the door. End of discussion.”
She opens her mouth like she wants to argue, then closes it again. For the first time since I met her, she looks tired instead of angry.
“Thank you,” she says quietly. “For doing this. Even if I don’t like it.”
I give her a small, genuine smile. “You’re welcome, Sadie.”
She heads down the hall to her room, and I watch her go, already knowing this assignment is going to test every ounce of my self-control.
Because the more she pushes me away, the more I want to pull her closer.
And in Sunbreak Harbor, with the ocean right outside and danger possibly still lurking behind us in Halo City, that could turn out to be the most dangerous thing of all.
2
Sadie
I walk down the short hallway and push open the door to the master bedroom. The space feels too intimate for a safe house. Soft blue walls meet crisp white linens on a king bed that faces a large window. The ocean sparkles beyond the dunes. I set my suitcase on the bench at the foot of the bed and close the door behind me.
My heart still races. I share this bungalow with a man I met barely two hours ago. A very good-looking man. That part should not matter at all. Yet here I stand, replaying the easy way Jace leaned against his Jeep, the confident tilt of his smile, the way his board shorts and faded T-shirt somehow make him look more capable than any suit ever could. I shake the thought away. He’s a stranger. A bodyguard my sister hired because someone wants us both silenced.
I unzip my suitcase and pull out my clothes. I hang my button-downs in the closet and line my flats neatly by the door. Routine helps. It keeps my hands busy while my mind spins through every worst-case scenario. What if the people hunting Anniston followed us? What if Jace turns out to be all charm and no substance when real danger shows up?