He must protect her at all costs...

Even from himself!

Security company CEO Adam Steele cannot believe that beautiful, poised piano prodigy Ani Terrance is his new client. She’s nothing like the little sister of his best friend that he remembers...and she’s tempting him with a sensuality that has him longing for more. Only, she doesn’t know the darkness he struggles with... Can he risk letting the one woman he’s always wanted into his heart?

NINA SINGH lives just outside Boston, USA, with her husband, children, and a very rumbunctious Yorkie. After several years in the corporate world she finally followed the advice of family and friends to ‘give the writing a go, already’. She’s oh-so-happy she did. When not at her keyboard she likes to spend time on the tennis court or golf course. Or immersed in a good read.

Also by Nina Singh

Miss Prim and the Maverick Millionaire

The Marriage of Inconvenience

Snowed in with Her Reluctant Tycoon

Reunited with Her Italian Billionaire

Tempted by Her Island Millionaire

Christmas with Her Secret Prince

Captivated by the Millionaire

Swept Away by the Venetian Millionaire

Their Festive Island Escape

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk.

Her Billionaire Protector

Nina Singh

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-0-008-90341-1

HER BILLIONAIRE PROTECTOR

© 2020 Nilay Nina Singh

Published in Great Britain 2020

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

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For Becks, for all the joy you’ve brought us.

And the way you guard us in your own way.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Note to Readers

Dedication

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

EPILOGUE

Extract

About the Publisher

CHAPTER ONE

ADAM STEELE KNEW he was in the right line of work. But days like this, he wondered if perhaps he should have gone in a different professional direction. He had no right to complain. Providing personal security for the A-listers of the world as CEO of Steele Security Services had certainly provided him with all sorts of riches, both material and personal. But every once in a while, an assignment arose that he just knew was going to be a giant pain in the—

Before he could complete the thought, the elevator pinged and the shiny stainless steel doors swished open. Adam entered the empty elevator and punched in the number to the top floor.

Assignments borne of requests for personal favors always made him wary. That personal connection often led to complications and distractions. And distractions could be deadly in his line of work.

He should have turned Brant down as soon as his friend had asked to see him. Instead, here he was at Terrance Technology headquarters about to meet with his old friend and the senior Mr. Terrance to personally discuss why they were suddenly interested in his services. Something told him it would be a meeting he would ultimately regret.

But Brant didn’t often take no for an answer. Adam had learned that during the years they’d served together and even before that. They’d been friends since middle school. And he remembered his friend’s character well, even though those days seemed like another lifetime.

Adam tried to avert the images threatening to invade his mind by focusing on the view of the greater Dallas metropolitan area outside the glass elevator as it took him up. Images of war-torn buildings and hot desert...

Brant made his home mostly in Manhattan these days. The fact that he’d made this trip simply to see Adam face-to-face said a lot about the importance of whatever it was he wanted to discuss.

The elevator finally came to a stop and the doors opened with a smooth swoosh. A statuesque blonde woman immediately stood up from behind a long, cherrywood desk across from him. Her tall heels clicked loudly on the heavily varnished floor as she approached him. She looked like she could be gracing the runway at a high-end fashion show. Adam would know; he’d been in charge of security for several such shows in the past.

“You must be Mr. Steele,” she said through a brilliant, ivory-white smile. “I’ll walk you to Mr. Terrance’s office. They’re waiting for you.”

Adam gave her a slight nod before following her past her desk and down a wide corridor.

“Can I get you anything? Coffee? Or water?” the woman asked over her shoulder. “Something else?”

Adam didn’t miss the flirtatious flip of her hair as she added that last part, nor the implication in her tone. Any other time, he might have pursued her invitation. Right now, he had too much on his mind.

“No. Thank you.”

Her small shrug was barely noticeable as they reached a tall wooden door that stood slightly ajar. With a small knock, she pushed the door open and motioned for him to step inside.

Two impeccably groomed men in well-tailored suits immediately stood up from behind an elegant desk as soon as he entered. They had the same eyes in shape and color. Anyone who gave them a thorough glance would easily conclude that they were father and son.

Brant stepped up to him with a wide grin and he suddenly found himself in a tight embrace. “Adam, man. It’s been way too long.” Brant stepped back to study him. “You’re still as ugly as I remember.”

Adam laughed. It was a wonder the two of them had become such close friends over the years despite the odds. Brant was a prodigal son, born into wealth and a loving family. Adam had been abandoned and discarded when he was barely a teen. If not for the decency of a well-off uncle who’d begrudgingly taken him in, Adam would have no doubt found himself in the foster system instead of the ritzy town where he’d grown up. A town where he’d known he didn’t fit in.

“Nah. You’re just too pretty for your own good.” Adam rebutted. The teasing words held a minutia of truth. Brant had the reddish-blond, blue-eyed looks of a Renaissance angel. Though somehow, he carried such features without looking the least bit angelic. In fact, he bore the sort of rugged looks that most men worked hard to achieve with hours in the gym and intense grooming.

“So I’ve been told,” Brant responded. He motioned to the older man behind him. “You remember my father.”

Adam reached over the desk with his hand out. “Mr. Terrance. So nice to see you again.”

“Please, call me Edward. We are all adults now, after all,” he said as they shook hands.

“Very well,” Adam agreed, though it would take some getting used to.

All three sat down with Adam facing the other two men across the desk.

Brant took a deep breath, making it clear any catching up or chitchat would have to wait. “I’ll begin by saying this might be a lot to ask, especially given that as CEO you don’t personally do fieldwork anymore. And considering that you know the person in question.”

That last sentence sent warning bells ringing in Adam’s head.

Brant continued, “But I find the need to ask it, anyway.”

Adam crossed one ankle over his knee. “Maybe you should just tell me what this is all about.”

Brant inhaled sharply and looked away toward the wide window. He appeared visibly shaken. “It’s Ani.”

Adam tried not to react visibly to the name. It wasn’t easy, despite his professional training. “Your younger sister.”

“That’s right.”

“Has something happened? Last I heard, she was on her way to being the next international musical phenomenon.” Anikita Terrance was a musical prodigy, a world-class pianist at the young age of twenty-six.

Brant nodded, pride clear in his eyes. “That she is. In fact, she’s been asked to perform in Paris. Then Brussels. A one-woman concert.”

“She got her talent from her mother,” Edward added, the sadness thick in his voice and clear in his expression. They’d lost Brant and Ani’s mother over a decade ago after an unexpected and short illness.

“Is she in trouble in some way?” Adam asked.

Brant snapped the pen he’d been holding in two. Adam didn’t think he was even aware of doing so. The action spoke of far more than concern for a sibling. Brant was downright angry. Brotherly protectiveness could be a hell of a force, and Brant had always been fiercely protective of his sister, particularly after their mother had passed.

“I’m afraid she is,” he finally answered, his voice shaky. “Through no fault of her own. And I trust you to be the one to get her out of it.”

Ani bit down on the groan of frustration churning at the base of her throat as she entered the high-rise building in central Dallas that housed the family business headquarters. As much as she loved her brother and father—they were the only family she had, after all—this meeting was sure to be an exercise in patience.

She knew what they wanted to talk to her about. And she knew they only had her best interests in mind. Still, she couldn’t help but feel they were simply blowing the matter out of all proportion. As usual. Famous people received disturbing messages all the time. Or near famous, in her case. She was hardly a household name. She was only just starting to receive some recognition for her playing.

All the more reason for Brant and her father to get a grip already. Yes, she’d received some anonymous notes and emails from someone claiming to be her only true love, her soul mate. They hadn’t been overtly threatening. But Brant and her father had had a bit of a panic when the last note mentioned that her secret admirer would show himself when he felt the time was right. And that afterward, they would live happily-ever-after when he whisked her away. It was enough of a threat that the two significant males in her life were now up in arms about her “stalker.”

Hence the reason she’d been summoned to her father’s office to discuss it all this morning.

Ani liked to think she wasn’t naive. Of course, she’d heard horror stories about seemingly innocent correspondence from admirers turning suddenly dangerous and nefarious. She just didn’t think her case warranted such alarm. Not yet, anyway.

The elevator finally reached the top floor and Ani exited with a resigned sigh. Best to get this over with. The sooner she could smooth over Brant and her dad’s ruffled feathers, the sooner she could focus on practicing and rehearsal for her upcoming performances in Europe. It had been a pure stroke of luck that a previous act had canceled a couple of dates on their tour. Ani’s manager had been at the right place at the right time.

Her father’s secretary gave her an easy smile as she waved and walked past the circular desk in the main lobby. She appeared to be handling several phone conversations at once. Her father hired no one but the best. Ani returned the smile and entered her father’s office.

To her surprise, Brant and her dad weren’t alone. Another man rose immediately from his chair across Dad’s desk and approached her. Tall and dark, the man could be straight out of the pages of Polo Magazine. Dear heavens, he was certainly fit. His expertly tailored suit failed to hide the muscular frame underneath. She couldn’t quite place it, but she knew him from somewhere. He had a strange sense of familiarity about him.

He held a small notebook in his hand. Understanding dawned. One of Dad’s employees was apparently a fan of hers. He certainly didn’t look like the typical enthusiast who attended piano performances, but what did she know? She was so new to all of this.

With a polite smile, Ani reached over and took the notebook from his hand. A strange sensation traveled through her core as her fingers brushed his. It was the barest of contact, lasting less than a second. Yet she felt a physical tug that could only be described as longing. A curl of heat formed around the vicinity of her belly, then moved lower. How utterly silly. Had it been that long since she’d enjoyed the company of the opposite sex?

She forced herself to push away the unsettling thoughts and scribbled her signature on the page, then added a musical note symbol. She handed him back the notebook.

He simply stood silently. Then he blinked at her. Not even a thank-you. Was he that starstruck? And why had the room suddenly gone completely quiet?

Ani glanced at her father in confusion. He was rubbing his forehead. Brant, for his part, looked somewhat amused. Clearly, she had missed something.

Well, if no one else was going to break the silence... Ani summoned another smile. “It’s always nice to meet a fan.”

Brant let out some sort of sound behind her. Not quite a laugh, but pretty close.

Her father cleared his throat. “Ani, he’s not quite a fan.”

The stranger lifted an eyebrow, his gaze solidly fixed on her face. “On the contrary,” he began. “I enjoy Ms. Terrance’s music immensely.”

There was no mistaking the slight hint of teasing in his tone. Ani wanted to sink into the floor and disappear. Whoever he was, he was most definitely not here for her autograph. She’d clearly gone ahead and flattered herself. No wonder Brant looked as if he wanted to break into laugher.

The stranger stepped closer to her and Ani had to stifle an urge to move away. The man had much too strong an enigmatic pull. And she had no doubt that he was now laughing at her inside.

“But perhaps I should introduce myself,” he announced. Ani’s confusion and embarrassment grew as he continued, “Or reintroduce myself, as you clearly don’t seem to remember who I am.”

But his name echoed in her head before he could utter it. Of course. Suddenly, the missing puzzle piece fell into place. Adam Steele.

How could she have not known immediately? Brant and Adam had been buddies since middle school who’d then served overseas together. He’d been a guest in their home and Ani had always felt like an awkward and clumsy teen around him. In turn, he’d seemed utterly unimpressed and annoyed by her mere presence. Probably because she stared at him like the besotted schoolgirl she’d been at the time. Apparently, her body had recognized him before her mind had, judging by her intense physical reaction.

She distinctly remembered one afternoon when she’d headed down to the family swimming pool unaware that Brant had Adam and a few other friends over for an afternoon swim. She’d barely made it onto the patio in her newly purchased two-piece swimsuit when Adam had suddenly leaped out of the pool. Not even bothering to dry off, he’d uttered some kind of excuse about why he had to leave right then.

Now, heat warmed her cheeks as she vividly remembered being unable to look away when he’d stormed past her, his chiseled chest and tanned, broad shoulders dripping wet. He hadn’t even spared a glance in her direction as he’d stormed off.

Ani felt the embarrassing sting of the moment as if it had happened yesterday. Looking at him now, it was little wonder she hadn’t recognized him right away. Any hint of boyishness or youthful features had vanished from his face. His ebony hair was now cut shorter than she’d ever seen on him. A dusting of dark stubble ran along his angular jawline. His eyes were harder.

Ani tried to shake off the memories. How stunningly, cringingly cliché. She’d embarrassingly had the hots for her older brother’s friend. He’d been so out of her league. Unlike most of Brant’s neighborhood friends, Adam had always seemed distant and unapproachable with an aura she’d be hard-pressed to describe, much rougher around the edges than the others. The perfect swoon bait for an awkward teenage girl who had no real female influence around her.

No wonder he had been her very first crush. Clearly, she hadn’t outgrown it. And she’d just made a complete fool of herself upon seeing him again.

He had to wonder if she was playing some kind of game. She couldn’t really be that much of an ingenue. That description certainly might have fit Anikita Terrance all those years ago. But she’d done some growing up in the meantime. It chafed his ego a bit that she hadn’t guessed who he was. And didn’t that make him all sorts of foolish?

She’d thought he was here for her autograph!

In all fairness, he’d had an advantage over her, knowing who she was and why they were all here in her father’s office. He had to admit, he might have very well been unable to recognize her if their roles had been reversed.

Anikita was no longer the bespectacled, gangly, awkward teenager she’d been when he’d last laid eyes on her. Just how often had he good-naturedly teased her about those thick glasses and tight ponytail?

He had nothing to tease her about now. The thick glasses were gone. Her thick, satiny red hair hung in soft waves around her face and over her shoulders. Gone were the frizzy, tight curls. And the shade was so much richer. She had inherited the most striking looks from both sides of her heritage. Dark, almond-shaped eyes from her Singaporean mother and fiery red hair from her American father. It made for a stunningly striking combination. Adam cursed internally. He was so not the type to wax poetic about the color of a woman’s hair. Not normally, anyway.

He’d felt inexplicably drawn to her all those years ago. Probably because she had never questioned his background or asked where he came from. And also probably because she was one of the handful of people in this town who didn’t manage to make him feel completely out of place in their well-heeled circle of friends. She and Brant had been the only ones who hadn’t, in fact.

He’d also managed to see beneath Brant’s little sister’s geeky exterior to the attractive young woman hovering underneath. And man, had he been right. Anikita Terrance was a stunner all grown-up.

A stunner who was currently staring at him with confusion. Focus.

Brant suddenly approached to stand between the two of them. He looked nervous. “Adam, sorry. We haven’t really had a chance to discuss all this with Ani just yet. Her schedule has just been so busy.” He glanced down at his much shorter sister. “Also, she’s been a little resistant to the idea.”

“What idea?” Ani asked.

Adam pinched the bridge of his nose. Great. Just great. She really had no idea why he was here. Hadn’t been expecting him at all. What had Brant and his father been thinking?

His friend must have sensed the frustration humming through him. “You have to understand, Adam. We weren’t even sure you were on board. Then by the time Ani found some time to come in, Dad and I never got a chance to actually tell her.”

“Tell me what?” Ani demanded once more.

Brant inhaled deeply before addressing his sister. “Adam owns a private security firm now.”

Adam watched her facial features harden as she put two and two together. “Do you mean to tell me you’re trying to keep me secure with a bodyguard?” Saying she was resistant to the idea certainly seemed to be the case, judging by the murderous look she threw at her brother. She turned just long enough to shoot the same glare at her father, who merely shrugged.

“Adam’s the best there is,” Brant insisted. “I’d trust him with my life, sis. And yours.”

“You didn’t even discuss it with me, Brant. You had no right to make such a decision.” Ani didn’t give her brother a chance to respond before turning back to face Adam. “I’m sorry you had to waste a trip out here, Mr. Steele. My brother and father seem to have exaggerated my predicament. I have no need for personal security.”

So formal... She wasn’t using his first name. For some reason, that rubbed him the wrong way. It had been bad enough when she hadn’t even remembered who he was.

“You’ve been receiving anonymous messages from a stranger,” Brant argued.

She glared at her sibling. “They’ve hardly been threatening.”

“Not yet, anyway.” Adam felt compelled to jump in.

“He’s got a point, Ani. Just listen—”

Adam cut Brant off before he could continue. “I’ll leave if you like, Ms. Terrance.” Two could play the formal game. “But would you mind if I asked you a couple of questions first?”

She released a deep sigh and leaned back against her father’s wide mahogany desk. “I suppose. It’s the least we can do given how we’ve wasted your time today.”

Her tone gave every indication that she was merely indulging him. How generous of her. It shouldn’t have irked him, but it did. He was used to dealing with some of the wealthiest, most privileged individuals on the planet. He’d seen more than his share of spoiled, entitled behavior. But coming from her, it sent prickles of irritation along his skin. He’d thought he knew her better.

“Do you have any idea who the sender might be?” he asked her.

She shook her head. “I get correspondence all the time.”

“Has anyone else been as regular with their contacts as this admirer?”

She paused before answering. “No. He is the only one who emails regularly.”

“How often would you say he does?”

“At least three times a week. He uses different addresses. But the sign-off is always the same. He calls himself Ani’s Admirer.”

“I see. When this all started, did you receive these messages with the same frequency?” When he’d first walked in, Adam had been convinced he wanted nothing to do with this assignment. That he was only here to indulge the request of a friend. So why was he now actually trying to convince Ani to hear him out?

He knew the answer, though he loathed to admit it. The moment he’d seen her, his protective instincts had kicked into high gear. The thought that she might actually be in some kind of danger wasn’t sitting well, though he’d sworn to himself he wouldn’t return to fieldwork. He didn’t miss it at all. And the people who worked for him were more than capable without him.

But Ani was acting as if she were doing him the favor. He was downright foolish to continue standing here rather than accept the out she was giving him and simply walk away.

“No. At first he only sent them once a week or so,” Ani answered.

“So things have escalated.”

She crossed her arms in front of her chest. “I would hardly call a few emails an escalation.”

“Have you at least changed your email address?” He couldn’t seem to help the accusatory mocking in his tone.

This time, her irritation was obvious in the tight gritting of her teeth. “Of course I have. He seems to have somehow discovered what it was changed to.”

“So he’s determined and skilled.”

The other two men in the room gasped with alarm. But Ani wasn’t moved.

“Have you answered any of these emails?” Adam continued.

“Of course not.”

“And what happens if he grows impatient?”

“Impatient?”

He nodded. “If he gets frustrated at your lack of response?”

“I guess we’ll have to cross that bridge if we come to it.” Adam didn’t miss the emphasis on the if.

“Unless it’s too late.”

She defiantly lifted her chin. “Regardless, I do not need a personal bodyguard at the present.” But her statement this time sounded a bit less certain, her voice wavering ever so slightly. “I simply don’t see a need at this point.”

He really didn’t need this. So why wasn’t he walking away already?

Ani stood glaring at him. Adam half expected her to stomp her foot before he gave her a small, affirmative nod. “If you say so, Ms. Terrance.”

Ani had to resist the urge to stomp her foot. She most certainly didn’t need a bodyguard. And she definitely didn’t need him to be the overbearing, overly smug man that was Adam Steele. What nerve, to ask her if she’d taken the most basic precautions. What exactly did he take her for?

Brant and her father had really gone too far this time.

“Ani, please hear us out,” her father pleaded. She hated that strain in his voice, hated that he was so worried about her. He overworried. He always had. Ever since the loss of her mother.

Adam turned to the other men. “Could we have a moment? Anikita and me. Alone?”

Ani started to protest but couldn’t seem to summon any words. No way she wanted to be alone with him; her insides were quaking just being this close to him in the same room. She was likely to blither like an idiot if he got her alone. How could she not have gotten over a silly schoolgirl crush after all these years? Adam Steele may have changed in appearance, but he was still treating her like a pesky, ignorant child.

But her father and Brant didn’t even hesitate. They swiftly walked out the door, shutting it quietly behind them.

“Your father and brother are very worried about you,” Adam began as soon as they were alone.

She’d thought often over the years what it might be like to run into him. The scenario currently before her had never once crossed her mind.

“They tend to worry excessively.”

“Maybe so. But I know your brother well enough to sense that it’s different this time. He’s very concerned.”

“That’s because he’s used to having me near home. Where he or my father can keep an eye on me. I didn’t even go away for university, I stayed in Dallas. They’re both out of sorts because I’ll be traveling to perform. That’s all there is to it.”

He shrugged. “You might be right. But I’m not the type who can live with myself if Brant’s concern turns out to be warranted and I just walked away.”

“Even if I’m the one asking you to?”

“I’m afraid so. And then there’s your father.”

Sweet honey on a cracker. Why did he have to go there? “So Brant told you?”

“Only that Edward had a health scare a couple months ago.”

“His heart. He’s being monitored very closely. By the finest cardiothoracic specialists in Dallas.”

“Still, the last thing he needs is the added worry and stress about the safety of his only daughter.”

Ani felt her resolve deflate like a pinned balloon. Of course she’d thought of all that. Had almost entertained the idea of canceling her mini performance tour. But ultimately, she’d decided against canceling. If she knew her father, the thought that he’d held her back from her dream would be no less traumatizing for him than his actual concern about her traveling.

She stood and rubbed a hand down her face. “Does it...? I mean, can we...?”

He merely quirked an eyebrow at her.

Better to just say it outright. “What I’m saying is, does it have to be you?” There. She’d just gone ahead and blurted it out.

A muscle twitched along his jaw. She’d hit a nerve. No doubt he was insulted by her question. Ani had a sudden urge to cry. What must Adam think of her? He probably took her as a spoiled, rich dilettante used to getting her own way, with how she was behaving. She’d actually signed an autograph for him thinking he was a fan, for heaven’s sake. Adam no doubt thought her a snob with a superiority complex.

It was so far from reality.

The truth was, her sanity would be sorely tested if Adam Steele was the one guarding her. The two of them together as she traveled for her two performance dates. In close quarters. How in the world would she even be able to concentrate on her playing? He had no idea the affect he would have on her. The havoc he might wreak on her equilibrium. As much as she wanted to deny it, and as much as she wished it weren’t so, he still had an effect on her. Just as he had when they were kids.

She’d only laid eyes on him again about thirty minutes ago and already she was behaving uncharacteristically—less like the accomplished musician she was and more like the silly schoolgirl who’d been shooed away at every turn.

Adam’s answer was abrupt, and hardness rang in his voice. “You’ll have a full detail. A team of professionals. But I’m the one in charge.” Clearly, there’d be no arguing that. “As competent and highly trained as they are, all of those professionals work for me.”

“I see.”

“I’m the best there is.” There was no bragging or conceit in his voice. Simply a matter of truth he had no qualms stating. “Trust me, I’m the man you want at the helm.”

That was it. She had no response. But she wasn’t about to fold completely either. “In that case, I’ll agree to a trial run.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You have to realize this was all thrown at me unexpectedly. I have to wrap my head around it somehow.”

“What do you suggest?”

“You accompany me to the first venue. The Le Trianon theater in Paris. After that trip, I need to have a heart-to-heart with my brother and father. Perhaps bring the Dallas authorities in, see what they have to say.”

He studied her. “I know what they’re going to say. Would you like me to tell you?”

She simply shrugged.

“They’re going to say they’ll put their cybersecurity guys on it. But your case will be low priority. As you said yourself, so far you’re only dealing with a couple complimentary emails. After that, they’ll tell you that without any specific threats or any kind of leads to go on, there isn’t much they can do for you.”

Ani had to fight the urge to bristle at his smug tone. “Nevertheless, it’s all I can agree to at this point. You and your team accompany me to the first performance. After that, the four of us will revisit this whole matter.”

He gave her an exaggerated nod that bordered on a slight bow. He was mocking her. “As you wish, Ms. Terrance.”

She managed to stammer out a resigned thank-you, despite her annoyance. The man bothered her on so many levels.

I’m the man you want...

Little did he know, that was what scared her the most.

“Is this really necessary?” Ani asked in a defiant tone as she begrudgingly let Adam into her apartment.

“I’m just going to take a look around. Get a feel for your surroundings.” He stepped past her through the doorway. “I’ll study the outdoors on my way out when I leave.”

He’d been satisfied enough by the footman at the high-rise building’s entrance and the solid lock on her apartment door.

Her place wasn’t quite what he would have expected. A grand piano sat in the corner. Music books were strewn about all over the floor. A book sat open on its face on the cream-colored couch that was the centerpiece of the room. Behind the piano was an open doorway that led to a small kitchen. There was a pet bed next to a water dish, and a feed bowl against the wall on the opposite side.

“You have a dog?”

She nodded. “He’s at doggy day care for a few more hours.”

“Good. It’s good to have a pet around, under the circumstances.”

She released a small laugh and her eyes lit up with amusement. For an insane moment, Adam wished things could have been different between them. That he was somehow here to pick her up for a date and they were merely getting acquainted, learning about each other.

Maybe in a different universe.

He squashed the useless pining. Meaningful relationships with women weren’t in his cards.

“He’s hardly a guard dog,” Ani said. “He’s about twelve pounds.”

Adam returned her smile. “Still, any dog is useful for alerting their owner to unexpected visitors.”

She laughed again. “Right. You might change your mind about that when you see Snowball. He’s more likely to lick any visitors with boundless affection.”

A twelve-pound dog named Snowball. Clearly, they weren’t speaking about a German shepherd or a Doberman.

He made his way to the window. Her blinds were open. Anyone in the building across the street would have an easy view into her apartment with the right eye gear. He would have to address that further with her at some point. Once they got past this trip to Paris.

He pulled his notebook out from his back pocket. “Does anyone else have a key to the apartment?”

“Just the building manager.”

“No one else? A friend? The person who waters your plants?”

She shook her head. “No.”

“A boyfriend?” Why was he holding his breath after asking that?

“No. I’m not seeing anyone seriously. Certainly not serious enough to share my key.”

The unknotting at the base of his gut was not due to some sort of relief at her answer.

“Are you seeing anyone at all? On any dating sites? I’ll need names if so.”

She visibly bristled. “Is that really necessary? We seem to be getting into some personal areas here.”

“It’s my job to get this personal, Ani.”

“Not yet, it isn’t. Your assignment hasn’t even begun.”

“I beg to differ,” he countered.

She planted her hands on her hips. “And I beg to argue.”

Adam blew out a deep sigh. He wasn’t going to debate the point with her. The time would come soon enough when she could no longer deny his involvement. And whether she liked it or not, he’d considered himself on the clock as soon as she’d walked into her father’s office earlier.

“Nevertheless, we need to go over some ground rules.”

Ani crossed her arms over her chest. “What sort of ground rules?”

“You need to keep your phone on at all times, so that I can track it.”

She glared at him.

He continued, “Please forward me your password so that I can monitor your emails.”

Her jaw fell open. “Some of those messages are personal.”

“I’m sorry if this is uncomfortable for you. But some things are nonnegotiable.”

She visibly gritted her teeth.

“Furthermore, don’t make any sudden changes in plans. I need to know where you are and what you’re doing at all times.”

“You can’t be serious. The tour hasn’t even started yet.”

He ignored that. “Do you have any plans for the rest of the day? When do you leave to pick up your dog?”

“He’s getting dropped off here later by the day-care staff,” she answered. Adam could have sworn she hesitated before she answered. “Why?” She wanted to know.

“I told you. You’re not to go anywhere without letting me know exactly where you’re going and the timing.”

A tinge of red appeared on her cheeks. “This is preposterous. Please tell me my father and brother didn’t agree to any of this.”

“It just so happens they did.”

Before she could argue further, he made his way down the hall to her bedroom.

“Hey, wait a minute,” she protested behind him.

He halted in his tracks at the urgency in her voice. “Is there a problem?”

She brushed past him, rubbing against his shoulder in the process. A delicate flowery scent tickled his nostrils as she moved by. “I wasn’t exactly expecting company. Give me a chance to pick up some things.”

Adam leaned back against the wall. He felt off balance, out of sorts. This wasn’t how his usual gigs worked. Never before had he been assigned a VIP who didn’t want his protection. Not to mention, he’d been out of the field for the better part of two years. It was all throwing him off. Not at all how he liked to run his game. Even the smallest mistake could be too costly.

He should have asked her for permission before trying to enter her bedroom. She probably had all sorts of personal items lying about. After all, it was probably where she undressed.

He made certain to stop that train of thought completely in its tracks.

He entered the room when she gave him the okay moments later. The shades were pulled wide open here as well.

“Do you keep these blinds open mostly?”

Her mouth formed a tight thin line. “Only when I want natural sunlight. That’s their purpose after all, isn’t it?”

“At all times? What if you’re not dressed?”

Ani gasped.

“Did it ever occur to you that someone might be watching?”

“If you’re asking if I prance around the apartment naked with my shades wide open, the answer is no. Obviously.”

Adam bit out a curse. Again, he found himself redirecting the path of his thoughts. How utterly, shamefully unprofessional. What the hell was wrong with him? He’d convinced himself that he could handle this assignment because he owed it to his friend.

One thing was certain, he had to refocus and pull it together or he was bound to make a mistake. His new VIP was distracting him like none other before.

He knew firsthand and all too well exactly how costly distractions could be.

Ani watched Adam leave her apartment twenty minutes later and blew out a breath as she shut the door behind him. That had gone even worse than she’d anticipated.

He sure seemed to take up a lot of space. His mere presence in her living quarters had made her edgy and tense. She was too aware of all the pure masculinity he exuded. And when he strode into her bedroom, she’d wanted to kick herself for the wayward thoughts that had shot through her head like a mini movie. If someone had told her years ago that Adam Steele would be standing in the middle of her bedroom, she would have offered to sell them a bridge.

More was the pity, considering the frustrating reason for his presence.

She had to stop thinking of him like that. He was only a temporary fixture in her life for the next few weeks. For all the wrong reasons. Once her two-city performance tour ended, Adam would go back to being the unreachable, distant teenage crush from her past just as he’d been all along. Nothing more.

Well, he may think his responsibility toward her had already started. But he was wrong, as far as she was concerned. She hadn’t agreed to any of this. And she still had a few days of freedom left before the tour started and Adam became an unwanted presence in her daily life.

She hadn’t really lied to him earlier about her plans for the day. She’d simply answered only the question about having to leave to get her dog. That part of it was completely true. Snowball was due to be delivered to her later this evening by one of the doggy day-care staffers. As far as the rest of it, that really wasn’t any of his business. Not yet.

She waited several moments after he’d left before returning to her bedroom closet. She slipped off the summer dress and replaced it with her most comfortable pair of jeans and a soft cotton blouse. Pulling her hair up, she secured it in a large tortoise shell clip.

Then she sneaked out of her apartment.

Adam had just finished making some cursory notes outside about Ani’s block when he saw a familiar figure exit her building. He watched as she strode confidently to the street and hailed a cab.

What the...? It couldn’t have been more than twenty minutes since he’d left her apartment. Where exactly was she going?

Better question was, why hadn’t she mentioned her plans to leave?

Was this about a man? She’d been quite hesitant to answer his questions about dating. Perhaps she was going to meet someone right now. But why the secrecy?

Without hesitation, he jogged to his parked car and began to follow her. Every turn took them farther out of greater Dallas. Chic boutiques and swanky restaurants gradually gave way to boarded up buildings and graffiti brick walls. About four miles later, the cab came to a stop.

Adam pulled up behind them and parked his car as Ani exited out the passenger side of the taxi. When she noticed his presence, her surprise quickly collapsed into an expression of clear anger. She stomped her way over to where he stood next to his car.

“What are you doing here?” she demanded.

“I could ask you the same question. I thought you said you weren’t going anywhere the rest of the day.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “No. I said nothing of the kind.”

Adam pinched the bridge of his nose. Great. Now she was arguing semantics with him. The truth was, she’d deliberately misled him. “You were less than forthcoming.”

“Never mind that. Did you just secretly follow me?”

Adam couldn’t help a bristle of irritation. She had a lot of nerve stepping out on him like this and then acting as if she was the affronted party. “If it had been a secret, you wouldn’t have any idea I was here, sweetheart.”

The deep red flush of her cheeks deepened. “Don’t call me that!”

Her demand took his ire down a peg. She was right. It was highly unprofessional of him, past history or not. “We should talk about that, by the way,” he told her.

“About what, exactly?”

“How you didn’t even notice there was a car trailing you all that time. You need to be more aware of your surroundings.”

She countered with an exaggerated eye roll. “You had no right to follow me.”

“I beg to differ. What are you doing here, anyway?” He glanced up at the sign hanging above the doorway of the gray stone building they stood in front of.

Plano Street Youth Center.

“I hardly see how it’s any of your business. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

She turned on her heel but Adam stopped her departure with a gentle but firm grip on her elbow. She seared him with a look of outrage.

“Sorry, Ms. Terrance. Not so fast. You may think our association hasn’t started yet, but you’d be wrong. It started the moment I left your father’s office earlier today after signing a contract. Now please answer the question. What are you doing here?”

She tugged her arm free with so much force, Adam worried for a moment that she might actually topple backward. “See for yourself. If you must.” With that, she strode toward the entrance.

Adam released a deep breath and slowly counted to ten. Then he took a moment to pray for patience. He had to make sure to maintain an emotional distance here. The guilt would eat him alive if he failed in his duty yet again.

He followed her inside.

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