Page 40 of When He Plays

Laughter slid from him. She should be more careful. He was starting to like her. No, I am past the starting point. She saved my life twice. Twice. Now I’m just straight up fascinated by her. “I’ll give you one,” he offered. “A fucking resume, that is. If you give me yours in return.”

“I am not telling you about my former lovers.”

He considered the matter. “Probably for the best. Just thinking about them enrages me.”

“Why?” She seemed legitimately confused.

Hadn’t he already covered the why with her before? But he could explain again. “Because I am possessive where you’re concerned. You’re my PA.”

“And yet you were willing to bet me tonight.” A sniff.

“Ah, still sore over that, are you? I’ll repeat, there is no world where I will lose you.”

“But you don’t want me in your life. You don’t want to work with the CIA. You were adamant that you didn’t want me pushing into your world. How am I supposed to suddenly believe that you’ve changed your mind? That you want me close? When you put me up as stakes in that game, I thought that was your way of getting rid of me.”

His hands fisted. It was either fist them or reach out and pull her into his arms and having her in his arms would just lead to way too much temptation.

She just said we aren’t fucking.

So…bad idea. Taking her into his arms was a bad idea. “Let me be clear.”

“That would be lovely.” Her chin notched up the tiniest bit.

“I will not trade you. I will not lose you. I will not ever give you to someone else.”

A nod.

“I will take down any sonofabitch who so much as bruises your skin.” Maybe he should have stopped talking. Whoops. Too late now. “If someone tries to take you from me, I will take everything that person has. I will leave him with nothing.”

“Is…is that why you took the villa? And the casino?”

That was just the start.

But…

Why am I reacting this way? “I’m a bad enemy to have,” he finally said. “Pierre and Ares are well aware of that fact. They knew that truth before they even sat down at the table with me. They knew, and they still asked for you. Those bastards deserved to lose. They deserved to have the things they valued stripped from them. They deserved it because you don’t take what belongs to me.”

She bit her lower lip.

“I’m going to bed, Charlotte.” Flat. “And you’re coming with me.”

“Logan—”

“I told my lawyer you were moving in as my bodyguard. You can pretend to be my bodyguard or you can pretend to be my lover. Either way, you will be in my suite when I crash in bed.”

“Why?”

“Because I want you close.” No, more than that. “I want you where I can see you. Morris intended to kill you. Like I said, he’s not usually the type to get his hands dirty. So I’m concerned the order to attack me and the order to attack you might have come from someone else. Until I know more, you should stay close.” You will stay close.

“Okay.”

That was it? No more protests?

“We’ll pretend to be lovers,” she added in a rush. “I’m sure your friend Freya will already be spreading that story, anyway. I guess I could be your lover-slash-bodyguard.”

“Freya is not my friend. Don’t make that mistake.”

“But you acted as if you liked her.”