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Chapter 4
The previous day hadn’t improved after leaving Thaddeus to get settled into his suite. Jana’s pleas to her grandmother had fallen on deaf ears. Eva hadn’t budged, so the bodyguard stayed. He’d joined them for dinner, because he was required to stick close. It was suffocating, but there wasn’t much that could be done about it.
Jana had suffered through the evening, not on her best behavior. But her grandmother had ignored the drama and treated Thaddeus like an invited guest. Jana supposed he was, although he was there for business reasons.
That was how Jana intended to think about it. For a while, she’d have to put up with an intruder in her home. But it wouldn’t last long. It couldn’t. The whole thing would blow over, and the sooner the better. Meanwhile, she bit her tongue. At least when she was in Eva’s presence.
Thaddeus had spent a couple of hours to ensure the residence was safe. Jana hadn’t been able to imagine what he had to check, but he seemed to know. She should have felt safer, yet she hadn’t sensed any danger at home. It had been her haven.
Yet it wasn’t anymore, since a stranger was going to be there twenty-four hours a day. Jana wondered if he took days off, but doubted it. Thankfully, he hadn’t bugged her that evening, so she’d retired to her room early. Unfortunately, removing him from her presence hadn’t wiped his hunky frame from her mind.
Jana’s body and mind hadn’t cooperated with her rational side. Even when she’d tried to sleep, visions of Thaddeus had flooded her thoughts. His buff form had become a persistent image. Trying to push it away had made it worse. She’d begun to envision how he would look without the sweater and jeans.
It was an impossible situation. Jana had been divorced three years before, after a tumultuous four-year marriage to Rakel Eilif. Her grandmother had been pleased that she’d chosen a good man. Rakel was an Icelandic name, and he had the heritage behind it. That put him in good stead from the beginning.
Rakel was a ski tech, so Jana had met him on the slopes. Although he hadn’t competed at the higher levels, he was a competent skier. The initial attraction had been strong, and he’d proposed within months. Yet her husband had had very different views on most issues.
Jana would have been smart to get to know him better before becoming his wife. She’d heard that couples who argued could make a marriage work. Apparently, the bickering signified that the partners really cared about each other.
That was not so in Jana’s situation. The bickering had turned to arguing, and when it threatened to become outright fighting, she’d bailed. After a few short years, she’d realized she no longer loved him. The thought of divorce had been heartbreaking, but she’d had no choice.
She hadn’t been able to live that way. Marriage was supposed to be based on love and mutual respect. Her grandparents had been a good example of that. Having witnessed the unending adoration they’d had for each other, she couldn’t accept less.
Jana had filed for divorce, despite her husband’s plea to work it out. The marriage hadn’t been working and she’d had no indication of that changing. It was better to admit defeat and go their separate ways. She cared about him, but the feeling of being in love had been torn asunder.
Since then, Jana hadn’t dated much. Skiing had kept her occupied, plus she was very involved in her business. A casual dinner once in a while was all she was up for. And she hadn’t really connected with any man since her separation.
That was just fine with Jana. The pull towards Thaddeus was mere infatuation. Any woman who laid eyes on him would feel attraction. That didn’t mean anything, so she needed to get over it. She’d broken up with a man because of irreconcilable differences.
Jana didn’t need to get involved in a similar situation. From the first minute, she’d argued with Thaddeus. Admittedly, she’d started it. But no matter; she didn’t think that would change. She’d best cool it. Most of all, she must not give him any wrong signals. If he sensed the attraction, that would be very uncomfortable.
She didn’t know why she was thinking about Thaddeus in that way. He was a bodyguard, not a prospective date. And he’d shown no interest in her beyond keeping her safe. He’d been around less than a day, but still…
*****
The next morning, Eva cooked breakfast. She loved to cook, so Jana couldn’t deny her that pleasure. She put out a spread of eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits, fruit, and pancakes. It was enough food to feed a family of ten.
Thaddeus was a good eater, another point in his favor with Eva. He ate all the food on his plate then graciously accepted seconds. Jana sipped her coffee and nibbled her blueberry pancakes. Usually, she cleaned her plate, but her appetite was off.
After the meal, Eva shooed Jana and her bodyguard out. She would handle the cleanup. After all, she had all day. But Jana suspected that her grandmother was anxious for Thaddeus to get on duty and unravel the mystery of the recent threats.
Jana wasn’t so sure that was going to happen. If she were to guess, she’d bet that the danger had passed. She wondered how many days without incident it would take to reassure her grandmother—hopefully, not many.
On the drive to the ski shop, Thaddeus was quiet, which was just as well. Jana didn’t feel like arguing first thing in the morning. Her business wasn’t far from home, so riding together in silence wasn’t too much torture.
Jana enjoyed the snowy scenery as the Jeep rolled along the road. But a spicy, masculine scent filled the air, reminding her of her bodyguard’s presence. She’d noticed that he’d chosen a navy-blue sweater to pair with his jeans. The darker color accented his sky-blue eyes.
On the short trip to work, Jana steeled herself not to stare at her bodyguard’s muscular thighs. He did look good in a pair of jeans. She guessed admiring wasn’t off-limits, so long as she didn’t take it further. And that, she had no intention of doing.
The parking lot came into view, so Jana waved toward a spot near the perimeter. “You can park there to leave the closer spaces open for customers.”
Thaddeus parked, but before Jana collected her stuff, he jogged around to open her door. That was something her husband hadn’t done. She wondered if it had something to do with guarding her, or whether his manners were commendable.
In an effort to maintain a professional relationship, she didn’t comment. “I’ll show you around and introduce you to my business partner.”
Weekdays weren’t as busy as weekends or holidays, but there were quite a few cars in the lot. That was a good sign. Thaddeus opened the glass door and Jana strode inside. She approved of what she saw. The place was clean and orderly.
The wooden plank floor had been swept and the racks of clothing and ski equipment had been neatened up. She swiped a finger along a shelf, but there was no dust. She didn’t expect there would be. The nightly cleaning assured the place was spotless.
