Under Pressure (Body Armor #1)(41)

What would be enough? No, better not to ask her that. He already had an idea of what she’d say, and he didn’t need to be further provoked.

The dress fell to the side, showing her trim calf, smooth thigh...all the way up to her hip.

His abs tightened.

“What does that mean, exactly?”

“It means this place seems secure enough, but old habits die hard. I’ve gotten used to barely sleeping, listening for trouble, being ready to run in an instant if need be.” She tipped her head to see him. Her hair was now more down than up, as if she’d just been laid. “Sleeping with you was the best rest I’ve had in weeks.”

Ah, hell. That hit him on two levels; it made him want to strip her naked, and it made him want to hold her protectively close.

He wanted to hear her scream with a climax, and he wanted to feel her resting easy against him.

“I’ll back off,” she promised, her gaze locked on his. “If you let me sleep with you again.”

Leese barely suppressed the groan. It was what he’d wanted; hell, keeping her that close would make it a whole lot easier for him to sleep too. He’d be able to rest secure in the knowledge that she couldn’t sneak off.

But now, after seeing her like this, after she’d been teasing him?

Sleep probably wasn’t on the agenda, no matter what.

Still holding his gaze, Cat whispered, “I’m sorry. I can see by your expression that you’re not much interested in that either. And if I wasn’t so weird, if I was more like my family, I’d back off. But I can’t, because I don’t want to sleep alone. Not when you’re here.”

Him, specifically, or would she have felt the same about any other dude?

As if she’d read his mind, she said, “I trust you. At least a little.”

“Enough to sleep?”

“Yes.”

He hoped that was true. Nutting up, he nodded and said, “You’re not weird, so stop saying that. Especially since I was hoping you’d want to sleep—sleep, Cat—with me again. We both need to catch some shut-eye.”

A slow smile added to her appeal. “You really are a good guy.”

Leese braced himself, but after she slid off the stool, she only hugged him—a platonic, friendly, grateful hug.

“Thank you.” Stepping back, she dusted her hands together and said, “So what are we eating? I’m starved.”

*

THEY HAD QUICK, crunchy tuna wraps that were surprisingly good, especially since it was real food, fresh and she didn’t have to help make it. Even though she could taste some baby spinach in there, it didn’t detract from her enjoyment. They were delicious, and would tide her over for a few hours.

She popped the last bite in her mouth, and after she’d swallowed, she asked, “What are you doing for dinner?”

“So you agree that I’m the chef?”

“Sure. Unlike you, I don’t like to deny people.”

He pretended to take that on the chin, then laughed. “If I’m cooking, you have to eat it.”

“Deal.” She could make the basics, but she didn’t have a lot of interest in it. Usually she was drawn to her sketchbook and food was forgotten.

She did help with the dishes, then took the time to show him everything she’d discovered. The balcony was her favorite. It overlooked...everything, with heated handrails to keep the ice and snow away, and a cozy electric fire pit that gave the ambience of a real fire with the ease of flipping a switch.

“Why,” Leese asked, “would anyone heat an outdoor area?”

“To enjoy it in the winter, of course. Maybe we can eat a meal out here.”

Leese tested the air, even opened his coat, then shook his head in wonder. “Sure, maybe,” he promised her. “Not today though.”

“Why?”

“I want to do some more surveillance first.”

Ah. If they were sitting outside, in the open, they could be targets. Cat nudged him with her shoulder. “I like the way you think. Come on, I’ll show you the rest.”

He was as curious about the setup of the penthouse as she’d been, all the egresses, the nooks and crannies, closets, an attic, the security system... Leese also thought of things she hadn’t, like where to hide weapons.

“I’ll be with you,” he told her. “And when I’m not, I promise you’ll be protected. But to be even safer—”

“When won’t you be with me?” She felt like a nag asking. Even though he was her bodyguard—for the time being—no one was responsible for another person 24/7.

“I had to go out today for food, right? Assuming we’ll be here awhile, stuff like that is bound to come up again.”

It was more than that. She sensed it. Would he turn her over to someone else? A different bodyguard from the agency? Maybe Justice?

Justice was nice enough, but he wasn’t Leese.

“Pay attention, Cat. When I’m not here, I want to know that you have every advantage.”

Then you should always be here. But she didn’t interrupt again to say it—his instruction fascinated her too much. He covered every eventuality. Any room she went into would give her both a place to hide and a means of defending herself with a weapon already stashed there.

Cat thought he might have been so meticulous about the details for her benefit, but then again, Leese was a detail-oriented neat freak, so it could just be part of his personality.