an appearance or for a warning flag or light to flash in his mind, steering him away from the man on the other side of the video screen.
Nothing ever appeared.
But even if it had, he wasn’t sure he would care.
Bull extended his arms above his head and stretched his body like a cat. Cracking his neck side to side, he stole a glance at the clock on the nightstand. He had slept in most of the morning. Not surprising with the late-night chat going into the early morning hours, but he wouldn’t trade his time with Ben for anything.
He couldn’t get enough of that shy smile or the way that green gaze pierced something deep within his soul. And that damn flush of color that stained those cheeks was going to drive him all the way back to rabid puberty. But it was the honesty that struck Bull most. Even when it seemed to trigger a painful memory.
Resting his head against the pillow, he closed his eyes, remembering the timbre of Ben’s laughter. Damn that sound had been beautiful.
Unguarded and completely free-spirited.
Happy.
Like the bright blazing sun making its appearance after a rainstorm. He wanted more but refused to push. Especially not this soon and certainly not this close to Valentine’s Day. He wouldn’t be that person, shouting about forevers and picket fences when Ben had only just agreed to give this thing between them a chance. That was a surefire way of killing things before they ever had a chance to start. He could be patient. Hopefully he didn’t die of blue balls in the process.
He reached for his phone on the nightstand, needing to check his emails. Scrolling through, one message caught his eye—Anthony, head of security for Davenport Holdings, rarely emailed him over the weekend. He sat up in bed and scrubbed his face as he placed a call.
“Morning, Bull,” Anthony said after the second ring.
“What’s up? I saw your message.”
“Sorry to bother you on a Sunday. Are you available for an airport escort to and from with a few days of security in between for Rachel?”
“Why is she traveling alone?” He blew out a frustrated breath as he stood and began pacing the room.
“She’s coming in from Milan.”
Bull stopped and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Why does she insist on doing that?” International trips were always a solo mission for her, with the long flights giving her time to think and clear her mind. He wished she would break that damn habit. The head of one of the largest international hotel chains should not travel without protection. Especially when they stuck to a routine. Habits and rituals were a breeding ground for security breaches.
“Because she loves to stress us out,” Anthony said, his tone equally frustrated. “She wasn’t sure if you were back to work after your Chicago gig, so she promised to stay low-key while in Miami. But she’s got to travel up to the West Palm and Orlando offices for a few meetings. Not sure how low-key she can be. I can fly over there and meet her if you’re not available.”
“I’ll handle it. It’s part of our arrangement.”
Bull looked out his bedroom window, his mind easily recalling a conversation from five years ago in this very room.
“Consider it yours. You need a place to call home,” Rachel had told him.
The thought of living somewhere with a panoramic view of the ocean was tempting as hell. “My work requires a lot of travel time. Hard to plant roots if I’m in different parts of the world from one week to the next,” Bull had argued.
“Exactly why you need a steady place. Even ships need a dock.”
He had wistfully stared out at the view, admiring the crashing waves below and the endless sea of blue.
“I’ll make it easy for you. In exchange for this penthouse suite, you work with Anthony to handle my security. Consider it your retainer so you’re on call when we need you.”
It was the same work he had done for her late husband. Aside from bodyguard duties when he traveled, Bull established security protocols for Mr. Davenport’s global team, performed security assessments on all new potential properties, and periodic evaluations for existing ones. He offered suggestions and a plan, but unlike Mr. Davenport, Rachel responded with debates and revisions. As with most negotiations, she usually won and on her terms. Arguing with Rachel was pointless, years of experience had taught him that. And since the building was close to Nat, he’d