the lawyer from Cotton. “Relevance?”
“Goes to her state of mind and characterization of—”
Kate held up a hand, shooting a quick look at the Cotton associate. “I’ll answer.”
Chun looked a little nervous now, but it was too late.
“I had dinner with my bodyguard. I hired him because I’m still afraid.”
Poor lawyer, he thought he’d trapped her. He must have gotten thrown off by the fact that Darius was a fire chief and not a professional bodyguard. Best move ever, hiring him.
“And yet, as you noticed so perceptively, I am in fact here. It’s a challenge to face your fears. And there’s nothing I enjoy more than accepting a challenge.”
Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Darius’ grin.
Challenge accepted.
“That was one of the best movies I’ve ever seen,” Darius joked as they left the law firm’s offices. “The dialogue was fantastic. The plot was compelling. And that actress who played the lawyer, holy shit she was hot.”
And boy, was she, in her tailored cream suit and kitten heels, with her long hair in a twist at the back of her neck.
She gave him a tired smile. He could see her fatigue in the shadows under her eyes and the lines around her mouth. It made him feel protective of her, especially after what he’d witnessed last night. How she’d gone from a blinding headache to kicking legal ass, he had no idea.
But he admired the hell out of her. Just from that short demonstration, she must have been a fantastic lawyer.
“Do you miss your job here?” He scanned the sidewalk out front as they pushed through the revolving door in the law firm’s foyer. He kept his arm protectively around her, just in case. If either a bad guy or a migraine hit, he’d be there.
She screwed up her face. “Ask me when I didn’t just get shish-kebabbed under oath.”
“You did great. You had that guy spinning his wheels.”
“Oh, you know me, I like arguing my points. Sometimes I argue with the peonies. I definitely argue with Emma. I’ve kept my skills honed with a few emails here and there.”
She gave him a sly smile that made him laugh. “Do you miss your law firm?”
“I miss the people I worked with. I miss the sense of accomplishment. But surprisingly, I don’t really miss my life here. One migraine later, and I’m ready to go back.”
She didn’t seem to mind the fact that his arm was still around her shoulder, so he left it there as they strolled down the sidewalk. “Why don’t you practice law in Alaska? Lost Harbor only has three lawyers, and one’s about to retire.”
“I know. Emma’s told me a few times. But I’d have to take the Alaska bar, and then there’s the issue of my name. I’d worry that somehow it would put me back on the radar.”
“You happen to be best friends with the police chief. The fire chief’s on your side too. You have backup, you know.”
She glanced up at him; the seriousness in her eyes took him by surprise. “I would never want anyone in Lost Harbor to have to deal with those lowlifes. Never. I would leave first.”
He wanted to argue, but the fire in her eyes told him there’d be no point.
“Listen, I have one more favor to ask you,” she told him as they neared the hotel.
“Sure. You hungry? Thirsty? How’s your head?”
Another faint smile. “I could use a rest, not going to lie. But right now, all I need is for you to go back to the hotel. I’ll be back in a few hours.”
He stopped dead in his tracks. “Are you nuts? The hell with that. You can forget it. Wherever you’re going, I’m going with you. Period. End of story. Nonnegotiable,” he added when she still didn’t look convinced.
She folded her arms across her chest and glared at him. “Why do you have to be such a stubborn bastard?”
“Born that way, babe. That’s why you hired me.” Someone jostled him on their way down the sidewalk, and he moved closer to Kate, shielding her. “Come on. It’s not safe to stand out here in the open. Let’s go.”
Her gaze clung to his, probing his determination. Apparently finding that it was rock solid, she released a sigh. “Okay. Let’s go. But before we do, you have to understand that this is private. It’s not for anyone else to know about. Not Emma. Not Maya. Not anyone in Lost Harbor. Promise?”
He raised his palm, as if putting himself