The Protector (Game of Chance, #1)(94)

She pushed the lid off the bin and grunted as she lifted the obviously heavy trash bag. After throwing it in, she wiped her brow on the sleeve of her shirt, then sighed deeply and turned her face upward to the sun, closing her eyes.

She stood there for a long moment, her head tilted back, a small smile on her face, as if feeling the sun on her skin was the highlight of her day.

Cal was entranced. He hadn’t even said one word to the woman, and yet he could tell by the way she was enjoying the simple pleasure of the sun on her face that this was someone he wanted to know.

The first time he’d stepped outside after being rescued, he’d done the same thing she was doing now. He’d taken a deep breath, closed his eyes, and lifted his face to the hot Middle Eastern sun. It had actually hurt, the blazing sunshine burning the cuts and bruises on his skin, but nothing, even three years later, had felt as good as that first breath of fresh air.

And for some reason, Cal had a feeling this woman was feeling just a little of what he had that day. As if by standing out here in the sun, with the birds singing around her, she was free. Free of her worries and troubles.

“Juniper!”

The shrill voice screeching from inside the house made the woman jerk in surprise, and she turned her attention toward the door she’d exited. The small smile on her face disappeared, and Cal watched as she removed any expression from her face and headed back toward the house.

“Juniper! Where the hell are you?” the voice from inside called out again.

It grated on Cal’s nerves, the pitch high enough to exacerbate the throbbing in his head.

“I’m coming!” his curvy angel said calmly, as if she was used to being yelled at. And Cal supposed she probably was. She was most likely hired help for the household; it made sense if she was taking out the garbage. Cal’s family had certainly had their share of maids, gardeners, cooks, and other staff over the years. But he couldn’t remember his mom ever speaking to any of them as disrespectfully as the unseen woman inside the house, whoever she was.

Juniper. Cal smiled. It was a beautiful name.

He watched as Juniper reached for the door handle that led back into the house. She turned and looked up at the sky for another brief moment, and Cal could clearly see the expression on her face. It was no longer blank.

The longing, sorrow, and frustration he saw there spoke to his heart. But as soon as he caught a glimpse of the emotions, they were gone, as was she.

Cal’s heart beat fast in his chest. He wasn’t sure what just happened, but he’d never felt like this before. He wasn’t a believer in love at first sight, like what happened in the fairy tales. Yes, he was a prince, but he wasn’t going to meet his Snow White, Cinderella, or Sleeping Beauty and fall madly in love at first glance.

But . . . he couldn’t deny he’d never experienced a draw toward a woman like he’d felt with the mysterious Juniper. It wasn’t just her looks, although her body was exactly what he preferred in his lovers . . . it was the peacefulness that exuded from her as she’d turned her face to the sun. And an underlying strength.

Shaking his head, Cal rolled his eyes. He was being ridiculous. There was no way he could’ve seen all that from a woman who’d simply been taking out the rubbish.

Yet he had. He knew it.

Cal had no idea who Juniper was, but he knew he wanted to seek her out. Talk to her. Maybe that would bring him to his senses. She’d say something annoying, or find out who he was and act like so many other women had . . . she’d simper and flirt and do everything in her power to try to make him fall madly in love with her.

Wasn’t going to happen. He was immune to love.

But that didn’t make his curiosity disappear.

For the first time in years, Cal found himself looking forward to the hours and days ahead. Yes, he had to meet Carla Green and assess her stalker situation, but now he had another goal . . . find the mysterious Juniper, and see if the draw he had toward her was a momentary blip. Or if it was more.

The story his dad told him of the day he’d met his mom popped into Cal’s head. How he’d taken one look at her and known she was the one. He’d told Cal that was how love happened for everyone on his side of the family. They met the person meant to be theirs, and the stars aligned, the birds sang, and that was that.

Cal had always rolled his eyes and secretly thought his dad was making up the stories about their relatives. That he was doing what he could to perpetuate the “royal” Disney myth about soul mates and love at first sight. Now, for the first time in his life, he wavered in his long-held assumptions about how his parents had gotten together.

Shaking his head, Cal continued toward the front of the house. He was actually eager to get inside . . . because on the other side of the door was the enigmatic woman who’d caught his attention without even trying.



Juniper “June” Rose wiped her brow on the sleeve of her T-shirt for what seemed the thousandth time that day. She was exhausted. She’d been going nonstop for hours. Her stepmom and stepsister had been in a tizzy for days. Ever since they’d gotten word that a real-life prince was going to be coming to the house.

From what June had been able to figure out from the bits and pieces of gossip she’d heard while cleaning, overhearing Elaine and Carla’s excited whispers, Prince Redmon, from some small European country, was coming to the house to talk to Carla about her “stalker.”