“Henry, mind your own business.” Lucy glared at him as she repositioned herself against the brick building. “I’ve been taking care of myself for over fifty years. I don’t need you—” she turned to Trinity “—or you telling me what to do. Besides, shouldn’t you be home packing or something? And what is this trip? Where are you off to?”
Trinity sighed and stood. She glanced at the brick wall behind her, before leaning against it. She’d have Jesse stop by as often as he could to check on Lucy and she’d see if she could get his brother, who was a doctor, to make at least one of those trips with him.
Trinity told them about her pending trip to Vegas and answered their numerous questions. She was going to miss them. They treated her like one of their children and she felt just as close to them as she did her own mother.
“So this fella you’re going to be guarding, I assume he’s not married?” Lucy perked up.
Trinity shook her head, trying to hide a smile. Lucy didn’t quit. “No. He’s not married and before you ask, he’s not my type.”
“He’s male and breathing, right?”
“Yes, but...”
Lucy attempted to stand and Trinity, as well as Fred, who was still sitting on a crate, turned slightly and helped her up. “But nothin’. You are a young, beautiful woman. There is only one reason you’re still single and that’s because you’re not giving these young men a chance to get to know you.”
“Leave the child alone,” Henry chimed in. “She’s young. She has plenty of time to settle down.”
“It’s not her I’m concerned about,” Lucy said. Trinity grabbed hold of Lucy’s arm and cringed when it looked as if her friend would topple over. Lucy waved her off. “I’m concerned that we’re not getting any younger and I want her to find that special someone before we leave this world.”
The next morning, besides a little small talk, Trinity and Gunner rode in silence. He had picked her up from McCarren International Airport and immediately Trinity was reminded of his net worth. Admiring the interior of Gunner’s sleek black Maybach Exelero, the most expensive car ever created, she wondered how many lifetimes it would take her to afford such a luxury vehicle. With its ultra-smooth ride, butter-soft leather seats and impressive dashboard, it had to be one of the sexiest cars she’d ever been in.
Trinity stole a glance at Gunner. A sexy car for a sexy man. It amazed her how he could make a simple T-shirt and jeans look sexy as hell. It didn’t help that he smelled heavenly, sending all of her senses into overdrive.
“Was your flight all right?” Gunner asked when they were on the highway headed to his house.
“It was fine. Thank you for making all of the arrangements. Riding in first class was nice.”
“No problem. It’s the least I could do since I’m asking you to leave your home and provide me with around-the-clock service.” He winked.
Trinity knew what type of service he was referring to, but she hated how he made it sound. She planned to make sure he knew up front what services she offered...and what she didn’t.
Thirty minutes later, they pulled up to a breathtaking house that looked like something straight out of House & Home. The sprawling two-story home, flanked with palm trees, shrubs and more windows than Trinity could count, clearly showed the expanse of Gunner’s wealth. The house sat back from the street with spectacular mountains as its backdrop.
Gunner pulled into the three-car garage. “So what’s it going to take for you to relax around me?” he asked when he turned off the car.
“Who said I’m not relaxed?”
Gunner gave a short laugh that lacked humor and stepped out of the car. He started around the front of the vehicle to open the door for Trinity, but she jumped out before he reached her. She appreciated him being a gentleman, but it was important that he saw her as his security detail. Even though she didn’t officially start work until the next day.
“You’re kidding, right?” He closed the car door. “As close as you were sitting to the passenger-side door, for a minute I thought you were going to bolt from the car the moment I stopped at a traffic light.” Gunner popped open the trunk and removed her bags, lifting them with ease, as if they were empty.
He was right. She had to get herself together and remember that this was a job. He was like any other client. He was just a man. All she had to do was ignore the strong attraction between them. How to do that was the problem. It had been easy when she visited her brother at USC, because, back then, whenever she saw Gunner he was usually hugged-up to some girl. Trinity had thought he was a dog, unworthy of her attraction to him. But now things were different. He seemed more focused, more reserved. She wondered when the transformation had taken place.
“Listen,” he said, taking his cap off and running his hand over his short hair, exhaustion covering his features. “Maybe we got off on the wrong foot. I hope you don’t feel that I forced you to take the assignment. I honestly think you’re the best person for the job. When I’m playing poker, I need to be as focused as possible, no distractions. I didn’t think I could do that with someone I wasn’t familiar with watching my back. At least with you, though we haven’t seen each other in a while, I’m comfortable. Besides, Max said that you’re the best and I believe him.”
Trinity snorted. “Well, I don’t know if you should listen to him. He’s kind of biased.” She tried lightening the tension. “But I do appreciate you giving me this opportunity. My agency is still fairly new and I need to do whatever I can to make sure it’s a success.”
Gunner yawned, the third time in the past few minutes. She didn’t know what the life of a poker player was like, but she assumed that it included late nights. At least that’s how it had been for her father. As a kid, she rarely saw him. In the mornings before she and Maxwell went to school, he’d be sleeping if he was even home. And by the time they returned from school, he’d be gone, gambling away the little money they had.
That thought brought her back to the present. She couldn’t stand gamblers. Her father died still trying to strike it rich while hanging out in casinos.
“Why don’t I show you around and then you can get settled in?” He yawned. “Ah, man, excuse me.” He tilted his head from side to side, as if working out a kink in his neck. “I’m sorry. It’s been a long day.”
Trinity glanced at her watch. “Uh, it’s only nine-thirty in the morning. You must’ve been awake all night. You didn’t have to pick me up. I could have easily gotten a cab.”
“Nah, I wanted to. It was the least I could do since I had you dropping everything to take on this assignment.”
Trinity waved him off. She couldn’t tell him that he had single-handedly saved her agency by writing one fat check. “I’ll tell you what. You get some sleep and I’ll get settled, then show myself around. Besides, I need to check out your security system, windows and stuff like that.”
He shook his head. “I’m not much of a host, but the least I can do is show you around and help you get settled.”
“All right—” she shrugged “—suit yourself.”
Gunner let them into the house and set her bags inside the mudroom. “I’ll come back for these.” With his hand on her elbow, a blast of desire shot up her spine and it took everything within her to remain cool. God help me. She clearly needed to start dating if a man’s touch alone caused her nerves to short circuit.
As