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“And you’re going to be staying at Aidan’s?” He asked the question like he was worried about the response.
At least she could ease his mind about one thing. They wouldn’t be stuck together. No forced proximity for them. “Nope. I’m going home tonight. I bought my house a couple of months ago, and I’m working on renovating it.”
“All right, I have to ask. How did you afford a house? You’re barely twenty-five, and from what I can tell you haven’t had a steady job since you left college.”
What had he heard about her? She might have to rethink the belief her brother actually liked her. “I’ve always had a job. It’s just I hopped around a lot.”
“Did your parents give you the down payment?”
It was another one of those stories she probably shouldn’t share with him. But it wasn’t like they were dating. “No, they didn’t. I came into some money a while back when I happened to stumble on a sex trafficking operation. I saved a couple of young ladies, and their families insisted on giving me a reward. I used it for a down payment on my house, but I still have a mortgage.”
Nate’s head turned, his jaw dropping. “You did what?”
“It wasn’t a big deal. I was dating this guy who turned out to be in the business, so to speak, but I always carry around some strips to test drinks. When he drugged me, I only pretended to be out, and he didn’t realize I was carrying one of the twins’ phones because they needed to show up as partying downtown to fool some foreign spy agency, so I called and the police raided.” She thought about it for a moment. “You know, it’s kind of a theme for me.”
“I’m sorry. So what you’re telling me is the guy you were dating was going to traffick you?”
“I think they called it an auction,” she explained. “I didn’t get very far into it. Sometimes I wonder what my opening bid would have been.”
He shuddered, and his hands tightened on the wheel. “You need a keeper, girl.”
She got that a lot. “Anyway, everyone freaked, but I made a couple of friends and I got to give Aunt Serena a good idea for a book, so it all worked out. But I do need a paycheck. I couldn’t go home last night because my bodyguard was on vacation. He came back early so he could start the job.”
Nate huffed. “So you’re making some bloke with a family stay with you twenty-four seven because you refuse to stay with your family?”
She was starting to get the feeling Nate didn’t like her very much. “No. My father is making some bloke stay with me. I would be fine on my own. I have a security system. I have had some self-defense training. My father is being overly protective.”
“Or you aren’t taking the threat seriously enough,” Nate replied.
“We don’t even know there is a threat. I might not have to testify. We know very little about…” She sighed. “I don’t want to argue. I can be quiet until we get to the office. I’ll be working on another floor, so you won’t have to see me.”
He was quiet for a moment. “Why wouldn’t I want to see you?”
“I don’t know since I thought we were kind of friends. Your parents are pretty much family.”
“We’re not family, Daisy,” he said quickly. “I wouldn’t call us old friends either. We don’t know each other. Aidan and I kept up. He’s come to Australia a couple of times. The one time I visited here, you were out of town.”
It had been years before. “It was my senior class trip. Look, I know when I rub a guy wrong. It’s cool. You don’t like me.”
“Never said I didn’t like you,” he replied.
Not in so many words, but she’d heard him loud and clear. “You literally called me selfish.”
“I was merely pointing out that if you stayed at Aidan’s, Brian wouldn’t have had to cut his holiday short. I could look after you.” He said the words casually, like it wouldn’t be the end of her world.
It wouldn’t be. Not the end of her world. But the end of her peace of mind because she was pretty sure she would make an absolute fool of herself if she was around this man for any amount of time. “Where would I sleep when Cooper eventually comes home?”
“Apparently you could stay in Tristan’s room since he hasn’t been back in months. You could move right in. It would make your dad feel better. It’s not like I’m doing anything.”
“Cool, then you can move into my place.” She stopped, taking a long breath because she hadn’t meant to say that. He was flustering her. “I didn’t mean that. I certainly don’t think you want to hang around me twenty-four seven. I’ll talk to my da. He’s being unreasonable.”
“So you’re going to be stubborn,” Nate grumbled.
Maybe he wasn’t so gorgeous. “It’s nothing you should worry about. Like I said I’ll be out of your hair the minute we get to the office. I’m sure my da will be thrilled to give me a ride home.”
And numerous lectures on how she was going to give him a heart attack.
“Maybe I should be the one to have a long talk with your da,” he muttered under his breath.
