Undaunted - Shirleen Davies Page 0,29

action—and food.

Meaning to go straight to his room, Fuse waited until Mitch and Gunner retired to the remaining guest room with twin beds. Doing an about face, he walked to Brittany’s room. No lights appeared around or under the door.

Gripping the knob, he gave a slight turn, relieved when he discovered it wasn’t locked. Pushing it open, he crept inside to the edge of her bed. Tucked under the covers, Brittany appeared to be closer to eighteen than thirty.

A grin curved his lips at the soft, kitten purrs pushing through her lips. He wouldn’t wake her. All he needed was eyes on her, a confirmation of her safety.

Bending down, he swept an errant strand of hair from her forehead, not wanting to leave. Allowing himself a few more minutes, he returned toward the hall and his own bed.

Shucking out of his clothes, he stretched out on his back, hands laced behind his head. He wasn’t one of those people who had trouble sleeping. It didn’t hold true tonight.

After thirty minutes, the sleep he sought still wouldn’t come. Staring at the ceiling, he thought back to his days, and occasional nights, with Brittany. She’d been everything he’d dreamed of in a woman. Kind, gentle, smart, and malleable. Back then, he was certain that was what he wanted.

Years later, he realized his youthful vision bore no resemblance to what he wanted as a mature man. Fuse had been surprised to find Brittany had developed a backbone. She’d matured, and unlike in her youth, acquired the ability to fight for what she wanted.

Her heightened character traits didn’t mean he could ever trust her again. When together, they’d talked of love and a future so often he’d come to believe it.

He’d been blindsided when she’d informed him they were over. His plan to propose that very night, the diamond ring secured in his pocket, had disintegrated as easily as a sandcastle in a storm.

Today, the ring, still in its original box, sat in the bottom drawer of his dresser. Not a spot of honor, more a place he never ventured into. It had been a long time since he’d thought of it or the mistake he’d almost made.

Her presence in his house had brought everything back with the force of a tsunami. If what happened in her bedroom was any indication, their mutual attraction was as potent as ever.

A beautiful, smart, talented woman he’d never be able to trust. It didn’t mean he couldn’t take her to bed. Anything more? Not in this lifetime.

Brittany turned to her other side, drawing the covers under her chin. Unable to sleep after she’d woken to find Scott standing beside the bed. She had no idea how long he’d been there.

Fingers clutching the coverlet, she’d kept her eyes closed until he’d walked out. His departure had left her feeling a strange kind of emptiness. It was the same sensation which roiled through her the night she’d ended their relationship. A soul-deep hollowness, which had persisted for years.

Sitting up, Brittany wrapped her arms around both knees, leaning to rest against the headboard. Staring at the door, she wondered what had inspired him to watch her, and how long he had been there. After bringing her to an amazing orgasm, he’d made it clear nothing would come of their reunion besides his services as a bodyguard.

Once upon a time, their heated kisses, passionate embraces, and hours of lovemaking were the norm. Wonderful, free-spirited, and liberating. Fuse had been her first. He’d patiently pleasured her, teaching her everything about pleasing a man. Her guru, friend, confidant, and lover. A wonderful, brilliant man, with total dedication to his country…and to her.

What had she done? Allowed her parents to apply enough pressure to let him go.

She could do better. He wasn’t from her social class. There’d never be enough money to live how she’d become accustomed. On and on, breakfast after breakfast, night after night, until she’d succumbed and lost the only man she’d ever loved.

It was a scenario she’d heard from friends. Women of a certain position falling for a man outside their circle, then having it all taken away by threats from their families. Brittany had never thought she’d fall into the same category as those weak-willed women. How wrong she’d been.

One morning, her future had seemed perfect. The next, she’d lost it all.

After Scott had dropped her off at home following a fancy dinner, she’d never heard from him again. Brittany recalled the messages she’d left for him, letters she’d