“Sounds exhausting.”
“It is.”
Max turned into the garage for her building and parked in one of the two spots that had been given to him for the detail by the building management group. Cole’s Lexus was in the other.
“Did someone get my things from the hotel?”
“I did that myself and turned in your room key.”
“Thank you.”
She had the softest, sweetest voice he’d ever heard. It warmed him through and through, a response he’d never had to a woman. Sure, he’d had relationships he’d enjoyed, but none of the women came close to how this one made him feel, and he barely knew her.
He might be fucked.
Especially since he had to be around her most of the day.
No, he was good and truly fucked.
“Max?”
“Hmm?” He opened his door and got out, pausing to look at her.
“Are you sure it’s safe to be here?”
The worry in her voice hit him right in the chest. A caveman urge to protect beat at him, and he pushed it down. He was a professional. He’d act like it.
“Of course. You have a brand-new security system. Mason is heading to your home in Virginia tomorrow to assess the security there and add what’s needed. You’ll be able to see the video feed from both places on an app we’ll install on your phone as well as from any tablet or computer. We are very good at what we do.”
She nodded and reached for the handle of her door. He beat her to it, zooming around the truck faster than he’d ever sprinted.
“I’m not some diva. I’m capable of opening my own door.”
He didn’t miss her sarcasm, just grinned. “My mama taught me better than to let a woman open her own door. It’s not about whether you can or not. It’s about respect and good manners.”
She gave him one of those soft smiles, and his dick stirred to life.
Fucked. He was just fucked.
“Thank you.”
She took his hand, and he helped her out of the big truck. Her skin was as soft as he thought it’d be. Like smooth silk and perfectly flawless.
When she was down, he let her go and turned around, not surprised to see Cole standing a few feet away. Shay gasped and drew back, but Max urged her forward.
“Shayna Moore, this is your other bodyguard, Cole Daniels.”
Cole had shaggy dark hair and even darker eyes. Dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, he had that casual, just rolled out of bed look. He always looked like that, though. Cole told him it helped him blend in. If he wore a suit and tie, he’d stand out. As it was, people would look at him and keep going right past him. Max couldn’t decide if it was the smartest thing he’d ever seen or if Cole used it as an excuse to be able to wear whatever the fuck he wanted.
Cole smiled and shook Shay’s hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Moore.”
She returned the smile. “Thank you for agreeing to help me.”
“Don’t worry about a thing. Between Jasper, Max, and me, you’ll be perfectly safe.”
“Are you going to be down here or in the lobby?” Max put his hand on Shay’s back and urged her toward the elevator that led upstairs.
“Since you’re with her tonight, I’ll camp out in the lobby. Jasper will relieve me tomorrow morning.”
The three of them got into the elevator and hit the button for the appropriate floor. Cole handed Max a small radio. It would be on all night in case of emergency. Radios worked faster than cell phones.
Shayna lived on the fourth floor, which surprised Max. He’d expected her to have an apartment on the top floor. There were no penthouses in this building. It wasn’t a cheap place, but it wasn’t a building an actor would normally choose. Considering what Shay was paying his company, he knew she could afford better than this apartment complex.
“Here we go.” Max pulled her keys out of his pocket and unlocked the door. “You sure about this?”
She nodded. “I’m not going to let fear rule me.”
Beautiful and brave. He opened the door, revealing the God-awful mess inside.
The living room was covered in papers, and while they’d righted the furniture, several pieces were destroyed, like the dining chairs. They’d been busted into pieces and thrown throughout the room. Food had been taken out of the fridge in the kitchen and poured out, as well as all the food in the pantry. Cans had been opened and dumped onto the floor and the furniture. It was a mess.
Shay sighed and walked into the room, dropping her purse. “This is awful.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Max shut and locked the door.
“Don’t call me ma’am. I think you’re referring to my granny.”
Max laughed. “Sorry. My mama taught me good manners.”
Her tone softened. “You lost your mother a few years ago, didn’t you?”
“Yes. Cancer.”
“I remember. Desi told me. I’m so sorry, Max.”
He brushed it off and changed the subject. He didn’t want to talk about his mother and open up all that pain again.
“Are any of these papers important?” He gestured to the papers strewn everywhere.
“Yes. I don’t keep anything that’s not necessary.”
“Okay, I’ll start by gathering them all up and you can go through them later.”
“You’re going to help me clean?”
“Sure, darlin’. I have to stay here too, and I don’t want to sleep in a mess any more than you do.”
“You don’t have to. It’s not your job.”
“My job is to make you feel safe, and you’re not going to do that until this place is cleaned up. So, yes, it’s my job because I’m making it part of your security package.”
She laughed and went to a small closet off the kitchen, pulling out a broom, mop, and bucket. “Then let’s get this place put back together. And thank you, Max, for everything, not just this.”
“You’re very welcome.”
They both started to work. It was going to be a long night.
3:00 a.m.
That was what his watch said when they both finally stopped cleaning. The entire apartment had been cleaned. Shayna had even insisted on shampooing the carpets. Max understood her need to scrub the feeling of violation out of the place. Hell, he was surprised she’d even come back. He knew some clients who refused to go back into a home once it had been broken into, unable to stand the feeling of fear the memories brought back.
But Shayna Moore was a surprise. It was like she took one look at the space and decided to say, “Fuck you, this is my place and I’m not letting you win,” to her stalker. Brave. There was that word again.
She wasn’t at all what he expected.
“God, I’m starved.” Shayna collapsed on the couch, letting her head rest against the cushions. “And tired.”
“I’m not sure if there’s anywhere open this time of night.”
“There is if you know people.” Her eyes twinkled.
“And I’m guessing you know people?”
“I do, and I already called and placed an order. It should be here soon. Enough food for all three of us.”
“Cole won’t leave his post.”