changed from silver to blue. I was mesmerized.”
She laughed and said, “I love that dress. It reminds me of a mermaid.”
“Yes! I’m afraid I didn’t think of mermaid, but I was thinking of fish scales in the way they can shimmer in different light.”
She snorted, then slapped her hand over her face. “I’m not sure most women would be flattered knowing they look like a fish.”
Now he was the one who blushed, and she couldn’t take her eyes off the way his tanned cheeks turned rosy.
“God, you’re right. But I’ve spent a lot of time in the water, so trust me when I say it’s a beautiful compliment.”
“I’ll have to take your word for that. I just wanted to get to the end of the night where I could thank people for their donations before going home. And then you showed up. At first, I wondered if you were simply a figment of my imagination. You were bigger, broader, more handsome than any man in that room.” She dropped her chin and moaned, “I can’t believe I asked if you were a bodyguard, but you looked just like the ones in movies.”
“Don’t apologize for that.”
Her head jerked up.
“Seriously. I’ve never been a bodyguard like that, although protection details have been part of our missions.”
“You just didn’t look like the typical man there, flaunting wealth, wanting everyone to see you. Then you recognized that I didn’t want the champagne. Taking it from me seemed presumptuous at first, but you were right.”
“And dancing?” he prompted.
His dark eyes held hers, and desire pooled through her. Dragging her focus onto his question, she admitted, “I liked that you didn’t pull me out where everyone could see us. Being in your arms in our own little corner was nice. But I couldn’t figure out why. I’m no longer the confidence-lacking young girl but neither am I hogging for public attention. When you suggested we leave, I wondered if I was just a convenient, easy girl to proposition.”
“Shit,” he breathed, shaking his head. “I was an ass. Honest to God, I never thought that. You intrigued me… the most beautiful woman in the room, off by herself. Dancing, you seemed confident, and all I could think about was how much I wanted to get away from the party.”
“And the dinosaurs?” she asked, trying to keep from giggling.
“Yeah, especially the dinosaurs.” His smile widened, showing white teeth. “I wanted to be away from all the people so I could spend more time getting to know you.”
As a memory slammed into her, she gasped. “That’s when I said you weren’t my type. I meant that I wasn’t the socialite you probably thought I was. I never meant it to be negative about you.”
“And to think that if this mission hadn’t come along, we’d have never had a chance to correct our misconceptions.”
Her lips curved at the same time his did, and she knew their smiles were mirrored. “Then I’m glad. Well, not glad someone is using the clinic to misuse a charity for their own gain—”
“Hell, Josie, I’m not glad someone is threatening you!”
Sucking in her lips, her chest depressed in a huge sigh. “Yeah, that too.” With him so close, it was a struggle to keep her mind from becoming foggy with the thought of leaning closer to see if his lips were as soft and strong as she imagined. Clearing her throat, she asked, “So, tomorrow? Cameras?”
As though his thoughts had to be brought back to the mission, he gave his head a little shake. “Yes. I’ll get something on your windows and doors. It’ll be able to be monitored by LSI in Maine as well as from my phone. Then, on Sunday, we’ll do the same with the clinic.”
Suddenly, every limb felt weighed down. She lifted her hand and rubbed her temple, a headache blooming.
“You’re exhausted, Josie. Go on to bed, and I’ll lock up the house.”
She couldn’t think of a reason to not do as he suggested, so she nodded. Standing, she walked to the entrance of the hall and stopped to look over her shoulder. “You’ll be here in the morning?”
“Right here.”
“Okay.” With nothing else to say, she headed to bed, the changes in her life over the past few weeks, much less the last twenty-four hours, filling her mind. But as she fell asleep, it was with the calm peace of knowing she felt safe with him.
10
The next morning, Cobb woke early, having slept fitfully. As comfortable as the bed was, the