in this small, white room with its mysterious occupant.
“You’re ex-navy, right?” I asked after a while. “My Dad told me that when he introduced you.”
Tom did a double take, blinking. “Yeah,” he said. “SEAL, actually, but he told you that too.”
“It shows,” I said. Tom cocked an eyebrow in question. “Taryn’s ex-army and she guessed it by your stance before I even mentioned it to her.” Tom let out a low whistle of appreciation. “Yeah, she’s good with that stuff.” Another minute of silence passed and I stood, coughing awkwardly. “Well, I should get going or else my boss is going to wonder where I am.”
“Where do you work? Your father didn't fill me in yet.”
“I’m a vet,” I said. “Have been for a few years.” Tom nodded and I walked to the door, pausing with my hand on the frame. “Get well soon, Tom, I’m not done terrorizing you yet.”
“Joy,” he said. A smile touched his eyes though, and I knew he was joking. “Have a safe trip, Michelle.” His low voice when he said my name sent another shiver down my spine and I twitched, hoping he wouldn’t notice. No one in the world should have been allowed to say my name like that. I shook my head and walked out the door, not bothering with anymore good-byes. As I walked down the hall I patted my cheeks to get rid of the heat that still insisted on rushing through them.
It wasn’t that the attraction surprised me, or the sudden rush of lust. He was attractive enough and it had been a while since I had found company in anything but the neon colors inside my bedside table. I knew it was only natural, but still, I couldn’t help but shake my head at it. My bodyguard was the object of my lust. Even if I wanted to sleep with him – which I shouldn’t, and, for the most part, I wasn’t even sure if I did – it would have been a conflict of interest.
I sighed and walked out of the hospital, still shaking my head. It was rare that fantasies made any sense, and this was no different. Besides, if I couldn’t sleep with him, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to, the way he said my voice and the way he laughed would fuel my fantasies for a few weeks at least. Grinning, I jogged to the bus stop. Until then, though, I had work and my friends to think about. I’d worry about Tom once he was back on his feet.
Chapter 5
A week later, not long after Tom had been released from the hospital, I woke up before the sunrise. The first signs of winter had well and truly set in by then. Early morning frost coated the ground well into the afternoon and almost every brightly colored leaf had fallen in the city.
That morning, I pulled on my running gear and grabbed my music player. Twisting the doorknob, I headed out the door of my apartment. Tom was waiting for me down in the lobby. He wore sweat pants and a hoodie – a sharp contrast to my tank top and tight, black shorts.
I grinned when I caught him staring at my outfit. “Like what you see?” I asked, wiggling my hips for emphasis. Tom flushed and ducked his head, coughing and looking at the ground.
“Won’t you freeze dressed like that…” His eyes flicked up to me for a second and he swallowed, trailing off mid sentence
I raised an eyebrow at him. “You don’t run much, do you?” I asked. He shook his head. “Then prepare to be schooled.” Without waiting for his response, I shoved my headphones into my ears and jogged out of the lobby and into the city. The first mile of my run was always a warm-up. Stretching did part of the work, but nothing beat a good jog for a warm-up. As I turned the first corner, Tom fell into step behind me. I wasn’t sure if he was staying back to watch the surroundings, or because he couldn’t keep up. I pretended it was the second one and picked up my pace.
The dark of the sky lightened as we ran. It was only now beginning to lighten to deep, grey-streaked blue. All around us, the city