Moments later, he turned and faced me, gaze sweeping over me for any sign of an injury. “Are you okay?”
I nodded and blinked, feeling as if I were under some kind of spell. I was in danger one moment, and safe the next, but that wasn’t what was affecting me so much. Troy’s masculine frame towered over me, his eyes meeting mine as something surged between us. That electrical charge passed through the air again, and it was so strong it felt like it would overpower me if I didn’t move away from him. I was standing against the wall so I couldn’t move back to escape. Instead, I stepped to the side, needing space to breathe and gather my thoughts. Any space would do, as long as it wasn’t sucked up by his charismatic presence.
Troy didn’t seem to understand my need to flee because he moved with me and took me by the shoulders. “I am so sorry, Kayla. I should have gone through the door first. If I had, none of that would have happened.” He placed a hand on his forehead and let out a harsh breath. “I messed up.”
My brows scrunched together, and I shook my head. “No, you didn’t. You just saved me from that guy.”
“Another moment and he would’ve barreled into you. You could have been seriously injured.”
“But I wasn’t. Besides, if he’d tried to get by me, he would’ve run into you.”
One side of his mouth hitched up in a smirk. “He wouldn’t have gotten far if that happened.”
“Why didn’t you stop him?”
“Because my job is not to apprehend him. It’s to make sure you’re safe. If there weren’t cops around, that would be different, but you are my priority.”
I knew he was speaking strictly of the job, but my heart fluttered just the same. It felt nice hearing I was someone’s priority, even if he didn’t mean it the way I wanted to take it.
I glanced over at the doorway and saw Daniel’s journal on the floor. “Oh, no! It must have fallen out of my hands during that incident.” I hurried over and grabbed it before someone else picked it up. “Now I just need to get this to Detective Marlow.”
Chapter 9
Troy
After leaving the police station, I was still kicking myself for how I handled that situation earlier. There had been something between Kayla and me—a definite attraction—and I had allowed myself to enjoy it a little too much. Thankfully, she was okay after that guy nearly bulldozed into her, but if I hadn’t snapped out of the moment we were having, it could have been really bad.
I prided myself on my ability to keep my emotions in check. Present a professional front. It had always been easy. Until today.
I had to be careful not to let that attraction go further than it already had or I would compromise her safety. Once feelings were involved, it was better to excuse yourself from a case than risk making a sloppy move that could lead to a disastrous end.
I stiffened my spine and squared my shoulders as we drove back to her house. I wouldn’t let that happen again. She was just a client. One I found annoying in the beginning—if I could only remember that.
Kayla glanced at me sidelong in the car. “So, I was wondering if I could ask a favor?”
“What kind of favor?” I kept my tone brisk and professional.
“It’s great having you around and all but…” She took in a breath as if gathering the courage to bring something up. “I won’t have your services forever, and I need to know how to defend myself.”
“There are classes for that.”
“True, and I plan to look into it, but I was wondering if you’d be willing to show me a few moves.”
“That’s not in my job description.” My voice sounded gravelly and hoarse, and the words came out harsher than I’d intended, but I was trying to send a clear message. We were not friends. Not even remotely close. Boundaries were important to uphold.
“Oh, I just thought…” She trailed off, sounding hurt, and the sadness in her tone stabbed me in the gut. I had a soft spot when it came to a woman’s hurt feelings, and it appeared this one, in particular, knew how to push that button. “I’m sorry,” she said a little too quickly as if embarrassed for bringing it up. “I shouldn’t have asked.”
I didn’t respond, and the quiet that stretched between us after that only made me feel worse. It was like kicking a puppy dog and then having to face its mournful eyes. Not that I’d done that before. I hadn’t, but that was how I imagined it would feel like.
I blew out a breath and shook my head. Why was I letting her get to me? “Fine. But only a few moves. That’s it.”
“Really?” The amount of hope and excitement in her voice reminded me of a little kid, making me chuckle.
“You sound as if I just offered you a million dollars.”
She blushed prettily, and I resisted the satisfaction of knowing I’d done that to her. A few times, actually.
“You have no idea what it’s like, feeling as if you’re at the mercy of others. I hate not being able to defend myself.”
Now I felt like a complete jerk because, of course, she wanted to feel empowered. Who wouldn’t in her situation? “Fine. I’ll help you.”
I made a quick U-turn and started back in the way we’d just come, already pushing all the alarm bells out of my thoughts. This was a mistake, but I was doing it anyway.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“I have a friend who owns a gym nearby, and he won’t mind if we use it.”
