His mind really was playing tricks because her wary gaze said she didn’t want to talk to him let alone relive the good old days. Still, he felt a sense of debt toward her that he hadn’t been able to shake in fourteen years. Would helping her now finally give him the release he needed, that he craved?
Gabriel was all about paying his dues and wiping the slate clean. Saving her just might free him from the fourteen-year nightmare he’d been reliving. The one that mired him in guilt for driving the car off the road in an accident that had nearly taken her life.
Gabriel let a chuckle rumble up from deep in his chest. Now he was seeking absolution from a woman who’d turned her back on him fourteen years ago, a woman who hadn’t responded to one letter in more than year when he’d shipped off?
He needed to get his head checked for that one.
Kinsley walked in the door after he opened it and stepped aside.
“Should I even ask how you know the person who owns this place?” She sounded tired as she surveyed the space with a careful eye.
“No. You should, however, be grateful that I found a safe place to bunk for the night and enough security to keep The Russian from a) finding you and b) hurting you.” He didn’t mean to come off as a jerk.
“I am.” The quietness in her voice struck him like a physical blow.
“Hey,” he started but her hand came up to stop him.
Chapter 6
“I just want to take a hot shower and curl up in a corner somewhere. I really don’t want to have a conversation right now.” Kinsley’s brain was in overdrive and she was too tired to process information, which made for an interesting combination. Her arms practically hung at her sides, an indication of just how exhausted she was. Now that they were safe, she needed time to herself in order to recharge. Being in Gabriel’s presence threw her off balance anyway. There was still so much chemistry pinging between them and she chalked it up to old feelings resurfacing.
Gabriel pointed toward an adjacent room. “The bathroom’s that way. Make yourself comfortable. I’ll be right here if you need me.”
Kinsley walked away into the other room. The pool house looked more like a beach house. The main living room was open concept. A pair of white cloth-covered couches flanked a granite fireplace. White wainscoting covered the space and there were perfectly placed accent pieces in blue. The rooms had a low-key elegant feel.
The bedroom was separated by a pair of glass doors. The room itself was stunning. A large king size bed centered the elegant space. More white. The bed looked like one of those heavenly beds seen in higher priced hotel rooms.
Everything about this day had been surreal not the least of which was ending up spending the night in a millionaire—no, billionaire?—’s pool house. So, nothing mattered to her more than a hot shower. It wasn’t lost on her how little she knew about Gabriel as a grown man. She’d been frustrated with him for fourteen years, holding him to the standard of the person she’d known at eighteen.
Kinsley kicked off the flats that were a size too big and her toes sank into the plush carpeting. They didn’t carry this at one of those DIY chains she’d frequented since buying her small home in Maine. She didn’t mind buying the fixer-upper and putting in some sweat equity. The problem came in the form of time. She had none. So, there was still yellow-ish linoleum from the 1970’s in her kitchen. She’d started a couple of projects and given up when they proved too hard to do by herself no matter how much one those big box stores had promised her that she could do it. The only things running up were her credit cards and list of contractors.
An odd thought struck. Would she ever be able to go home again?
Did the fact that The Russian had planned to target her in front of the presidential library play into anything? Or was that the first place he knew where she’d be? Why not just set up camp at her home in Virginia and pick her off through her kitchen window?
That was a morbid thought.
The first part was worth considering. Maybe there was something to the fact that the person targeting her had scheduled the hit in that location.
Kinsley showered and put on the white cotton bathrobe. She tied the belt tight and walked into the adjacent room, needing a caffeine boost. No matter how tired her body was her mind wouldn’t calm down enough to sleep.
Immediately, she was struck by Gabriel’s size. He stood over the round kitchen table, intently studying papers and—she looked closer—a copy of her book. Seeing him in action earlier had been impressive. He was commanding, serious, focused. His body reflected his disciplined approach to training, to life.
If she’d met him today for the first time, she would’ve wanted to get to know him better. Even though they’d been close as teens—as close as they could be because she’d always felt him hold back even then—she was looking at a stranger. It was such an odd feeling to realize that she knew someone but didn’t.
He must’ve looked up because he said, “Coffee’s ready if you want a cup.”
“That sounds like heaven actually,” she said.
“You want to take a seat?” His gaze locked onto hers and it was the first time she’d seen a hint of uncertainty.
“Okay.” She moved to the table ever aware that she was completely naked underneath the bathrobe. Granted, it fell below her calves and she’d tightened it all the way up to her neck. But still.
“You like cream and sugar?” he asked. She tried not to watch the athletic grace with which
