Bodie by Nyssa Kathryn

Chapter 4

Bodie locked the bar door.

It was his sixth night working at Inwood, but his first night closing with Maya. Shayna was supposed to close with her tonight, but Bodie had managed to convince the woman to swap with him. If she hadn’t, he would have just hung around, skulking in the shadows, keeping an eye on Maya. This was easier. Also warmer.

Bodie grabbed glasses from tables on his way back to the bar, his gaze shooting to Maya wiping down the counter. “You think Trish is nervous about the two new kids in town doing the close?”

Maya lifted her head and smiled. “I think Trish was a step away from closing the bar down early to avoid this very situation.”

Bodie chuckled. “We’ll just have to be the best damn bar closers around so she builds some trust in us.”

A small frown creased Maya’s brow. It was cute. “And what would the best damn bar closers look like?”

Bodie carried half a dozen glasses to the sink. “Sparkling floors. Glasses so shiny a person can see their reflection. Maybe ‘good morning’ spelled out with nuts on the counter.”

Maya’s lyrical laugh caused Bodie to pause mid-step. The strain she wore on her face like a mask lifted briefly. The little stress lines around her eyes smoothed out.

“Beautiful.” He murmured the word quietly. So quietly that it would never reach her ears.

For the next ten minutes, Bodie and Maya worked in silence. Silence for Maya, that was. For Bodie, the sound of her steps, her breaths, even her heartbeat, were loud and clear.

Most of the time, Maya’s heartbeat sounded just like everyone else’s. There were also times that it didn’t. Every so often, there was a whooshing sound from her heart, unlike anything he’d ever heard.

Had he not known about her heart defect, he would have been concerned.

Atrial septal defect—a hole in the wall between her atria. He’d researched it extensively before meeting her, so he knew that sometimes the defect required surgery. Sometimes it didn’t. It depended the size of the hole. Bodie had no idea which category Maya fell into.

“The other morning when I saw you on your run, you were quite out of breath. Does that happen often?”

Maya’s head popped up from the table she was wiping. A rosy pink tinged her cheeks. “No. It doesn’t happen often.” She paused, as though she were considering her next words. “I have this heart thing. I’m still getting used to it. I pushed myself too hard that morning.”

“A heart thing sounds serious.”

Maya lifted a shoulder like it was nothing. “I’m okay.”

Bodie was keenly aware she had carefully avoided confirming or denying the “serious” part of his statement.

He could have found out the full extent of Maya’s medical history himself. Well, not himself, but with the help of Wyatt. Wyatt was a whiz with technology and could find out a lot with the click of a button. That’s why the team called him Jobs. He’d already done a background check on Maya, but had carefully avoided looking into the woman’s medical history.

It had seemed like too much of an overstep. She wasn’t an enemy. So if she wanted to share, that decision should be up to her.

Bodie only knew about Maya’s heart condition because of Wyatt’s partner, Quinn.

“Bodie?” His gaze shot across the room to Maya. She had stopped cleaning altogether and was watching him. “Are you still thinking about my heart?” She sounded curious, but there was also a tinge of confusion.

Damn. He should have masked his features better. Unlike his brothers, he was never one to conceal his emotions too thoroughly. “Is it so bad that I’m worried about you?”

Her expression softened. “You don’t know me.”

Oh, but he felt like he did. She felt familiar to him. “We’ve worked together for a week. I probably know you better than you think.”

She gave a small laugh. “It would take a lot longer than a week to get to know me.”

Wasn’t that true for everyone? “Tell me something about you then. Something true. Something not many people know.”

“You first.”

Easy. “I believe in love and happy ever after’s. I believe everyone deserves someone by their side to make the bad days bearable and the good days even better.”

God knows he could have used someone to make his bad days more bearable after Project Arma had been uncovered. Plus, he’d seen love firsthand. The impact that it has on a person. He almost craved it.

The pulse on the side of Maya’s neck sped up. “I’ve never loved anyone before. Never had anyone love me.”

Thick silence filled the air. Every protective instinct in Bodie sprang to life. He wanted to simultaneously hurt every person in Maya’s past who was supposed to love her and didn’t, and pull the woman into his arms and promise that love would come.

Maya scrubbed a hand over her face. “I shouldn’t have told you that. I don’t know why, but I feel like I can say things to you that I wouldn’t normally say.”

Good. Bodie wanted her to talk to him. “Every person who’s touched your life and not loved you is a fool.”

Her eyes widened. “Maybe I’m just not the kind of person people love.”

Anger shot through Bodie like wildfire. Nothing about what she’d just said was true. He was in front of her in an instant. Reaching out, running his knuckle down her cheek. So damn soft. “You are.”

Two words. And he meant them.

She opened her mouth, and Bodie got a sudden urge to kiss her. Taste the beautiful woman in front of him.

Then she blinked. Once. Twice. Three times…before looking away.

She gave a little shake of her head. “We should keep going.”

They should. Only there was a part of him that wanted to remain exactly where he was. A large part of him.

* * *

Maya reached for her jacket,all the while avoiding Bodie’s gaze.

She couldn’t believe what she’d said to him. She’d only known the man for a week and already she was showing him the broken fragments of her heart.

What the heck was wrong with her?

The one small reprieve was that she hadn’t mentioned the danger she was in. Telling him no one loved her? Okay. But not that she was on the run and hiding…a wanted woman.

When his knuckle had touched her cheek, it sent tingles of awareness through her entire body. The urge to reach up and kiss him had almost been overwhelming.

Luckily, she’d saved herself from doing just that. Nothing could come of it. And there was a good chance she’d never have lived down the embarrassment.

“Ready to go?”

Jeez, even his voice made her toes curl. Maya nodded and trailed behind him, watching as he locked the door. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Bodie shook his head. “I was raised to be a gentleman and gentlemen walk women home, especially after dark.”

Maya glanced down the street, then back to Bodie. “How do you know I don’t have a car?”

“Do you?”

No. And she would feel safer with Bodie by her side. But she wasn’t his responsibility. “I don’t. But you don’t have to walk me home.”

His answer was immediate and firm. “I insist.”

She wrapped her arms around her waist to ward off the cold. “Okay. Thanks.” It really would be nice to have someone big and capable with her. She indicated to the right with her head. “I’m this way.”

Bodie walked beside her, his legs so long it took about two of hers for every one of his. “You don’t have a warmer jacket?”

She wished. Unfortunately, just about everything she had, she’d bought along the way. Because money was short, so too were everyday essentials. Like weather-appropriate jackets. “I don’t, but I’m fine.”

If fine meant freezing her butt off.

Maya wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but she almost thought she heard a soft growl beside her. “I wish I’d brought a jacket I could give you. I don’t feel the cold too much.”

Bodie was still wearing his white shirt with no jacket over the top. Just looking at him made her cold. It was like forty degrees…freezing!

She felt him edge closer, causing his shoulder to brush against hers. His warmth immediately penetrated through her thin jacket to her skin.

“So, what brought you to Keystone?” Maya asked. The man intrigued her, and she found herself wanting to learn more about him. Even though she shouldn’t.

There was a pause. It was slight, but enough to make her look up. Under the moonlight, it was hard to interpret his expression.

“The decision to come here was last minute. I guess you could say something drew me. I’m not sure how long I’ll be staying.”

That was very cryptic. Not that Maya minded. She had her own secrets, so he was allowed his. “Me either.”

If finances weren’t a problem, she’d already be gone. Even though she felt safe in the busy bar, and the money was very welcome, staying still made her nervous. It gave people a chance to track her.

As they walked, she anxiously waited for him to ask her what she was doing in Keystone. She’d told Trish she was just passing through. Exploring the country.

For some reason, she didn’t want to lie to Bodie.

“Are you enjoying it here?”

She just stopped herself from expelling a relieved sigh. It wasn’t the question she was expecting, and she was grateful. “The locals are nice. The people at work are friendly. So, yeah, I’m enjoying it.”

As much as she could while continually glancing over her shoulder.

His big shoulder gently nudged hers. “But one person you work with is particularly nice, isn’t he? Quite the looker too.”

One side of Maya’s lips pulled up. “Yeah, Rodney in the kitchen is super lovely and very good-looking.” All two hundred and fifty pounds of him. And they weren’t pounds of muscle.

Bodie chuckled. It was low and sexy and had her body tightening. Christ, was there anything that wasn’t sexy about this man?

As they continued to walk, Bodie charmed Maya with his conversation, temporarily making her forget about the cold as well as everything else that wasn’t quite right in her life. When they reached her front door, Maya realized she hadn’t smiled or laughed as much as she had with Bodie since…before.

“Thank you for walking me home.”

He dipped his head. “You’re welcome. Would you mind if I gave you my number?”

Maya’s brows shot up in surprise before Bodie continued.

“I’m assuming you live alone. I’m also assuming that being new in town, you don’t know many people. If I give you my number, you’ll have someone to call if you need anything. Even if it’s just a friend.”

“And you’re my friend?”

His tone lowered. “I’d like to be.”

Oh, boy.

Maya nibbled on her bottom lip. It wouldn’t hurt. She was beginning to trust him. She’d only known him for a week, but so far, he’d been nothing but kind. He was warm and easygoing. When she talked, he really listened. And any time he touched her…

A shiver coursed down her spine even thinking about his touch.

Having the number of someone she trusted sounded nice.

Maya pulled out her phone—her burner phone—before handing it to Bodie. He keyed in his number and then handed it back.

“Good night, Maya.”

She expected him to walk away. He didn’t. At least, not straight away. Instead, he leaned down and pressed his lips to her cheek.

Maya didn’t move. She didn’t so much as breathe. His lips were soft and warm and made lava pool in her stomach.

When he lifted his head, he gave her a smile. “I’ll see you tomorrow, darlin’.”

Then he was gone.

Maya continued to stand there for a good thirty seconds, watching him walk away. Her hand went to her cheek, lightly grazing the place his lips had just touched.

Yep. She was in trouble. She shouldn’t be building relationships with people. Relationships that would be hard to break when she soon left.

Shaking her head, Maya unlocked her door and pushed it open, careful to step over the thin thread she’d strung near the ground. Luckily, there was a small gap between the door and floor, which made her system work.

Still in place and unbroken.

Next, Maya systematically went through the house, checking the string on every window as well as the back door. The place was small, with a kitchen and living area to the right, and doors leading to the single bedroom and bathroom to the left.

None of the threads were broken. That meant no intruders.

She was safe.

The process caused Maya to crash back to reality with a thud.

Danger still lurked. She wasn’t safe. She wouldn’t be safe for a long time. And it would be best not to drag Bodie into her hell.