The Bodyguard's Fake Marriage (Sweet Fake Marriage Romance Book 3) Read online

  He laughed and shot her a glance. “You’ve decided, huh?”

  “Yes, I have.”

  “What if I want to ask you questions?” he asked as he popped an animal cracker into his mouth. He’d bought a giant bag of them at the last rest stop. She’d teased him, but she had to admit they were pretty tasty.

  She shook her head. “Nope, you know about me. I know nothing about you. Like what’s your full name?”

  “Jacobi Randolph Maverick.”

  Her jaw dropped. Wow. “Jacobi? I like that. Why don’t you use it?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know. People started calling me Jake, and I just went with it.”

  “I like Jacobi, but I’m used to calling you Jake. Now I’m torn. Jacobi or Jake. I’ll have to think about that. Where are you from?”

  He laughed. “A little town called Mount Chase in Maine.”

  “Small, huh?”

  “Less than a thousand.”

  Her eyes widened. “Whoa. That is tiny.”

  He nodded. “Yep.”

  “What about your family? Any brothers or sisters?”

  “I have a brother, but I don’t see him often. He’s been in trouble a lot with the law, and I had to cut him off a few years ago.”

  She touched her hand to the spot above her heart. “I’m sorry. What about your mom and dad?”

  “We grew up in the foster system after my parents died.”

  Oh, to grow up without a family? “I’m—”

  “It’s not your fault.”

  “How old were you?”

  Jake shrugged. “Six. Jeremy, my brother, was eight.”

  In her mind, she pictured Jake as a cute little boy with sad eyes. It broke her heart. “You were just a baby. Did you understand what was going on at the time?”

  He shook his head. “Not really. We were shuffled from one family to the next during the first little bit, and it took a while to realize they weren’t coming back.”

  “And what happened when you finally realized it?”

  “I cried.”

  The way he said it was so matter-of-fact. No embarrassment or shame. She always thought the idea that men couldn’t cry was silly. Women wanted men who were sensitive and caring, but how could they be when they were expected to keep everything inside to fulfill some weird standard of toughness?

  Maybe that’s why she was finding herself so drawn to him. Jake was this huge, well-muscled man who was tough, but he was also soft, sweet, and tender. She couldn’t fathom someone not wanting him. “And no one ever adopted you?”

  “I didn’t want to leave my brother, and he was struggling with my parents’ death. He got into fights at school and all sorts of other things. As he grew older, he turned to drugs and alcohol.”

  She crossed her arms over her chest. “You both should have been adopted, and the adults should’ve had the wherewithal to see two little boys hurting.”

  He raked his hand through his hair. “I dealt with all of that a long time ago. I’ve learned to let it go.”

  “I’m sorry you had to deal with it. I can’t imagine how hard that was.” She paused and then took a chance with her next line of questions. “Faustus called you a captain. Were you in the army?”

  His grip tightened on the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white, and she wondered if he’d answer her. After a moment, he nodded. “Yes.”

  “Did you join because you were in the foster system?”

  He nodded again. “Yeah, but I loved it too. I’d wanted to join since I was a freshman in high school.”

  She had a feeling he’d still be in the army if he could. “Would you tell me what happened?”

  “It’s classified,” he said softly.

  “Oh, did you do a lot of classified stuff?”

  He nodded. “I was a Ranger.”

  Her eyebrows rose. Wow. She didn’t know a lot about the army, but she knew that was special. “How long were you a Ranger?”

  “Not long enough, but I appreciate the time I had.”

  Yeah, that was a subject he wasn’t willing to discuss any further. “Where did you go to boot camp?”

  “Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri.”

  She chuckled. “I bet that was a culture shock. From Maine to Missouri?”

  He nodded. “It was a learning experience.”

  “I’m trying to picture an eighteen-year-old Jacobi Randolph Maverick as a young buck in the army. I bet you were cute back then too.”

  “Cut that out.” He laughed. “I’m not…”

  She leveled her eyes at him. “Really? Are you really going to tell me you don’t think you’re gorgeous? ’Cause you can shovel that somewhere else.”

  Suddenly, the mood had shifted as he leaned his head against the seat. “Honestly, I don’t even think about it. It’s been so long since there’s been anyone I was even remotely interested in, and with my assignments, I’m not supposed to form an emotional attachment. It can interfere with the job.”

  Lexi was desperate to keep him talking, but she was worried that if she said anything, he’d clam up. It was quiet for a moment, and she almost broke it, when he said, “When I was discharged, I didn’t know where to go or what to do. My buddy who was in the army as well started working with this company, and every once in a while, he’d have more than he could handle. That’s how I got started in this.”

  “How many have you guarded?”

  “A dozen or so. Most of the time, my assignments aren’t very long. A few weeks while a money exchange is going down or while a celebrity is in town. This is the first assignment I’ve taken that’s been any length of time.”

  She chewed the tip of her thumb. “But you’ve guarded women who were forward?”

  He nodded. “Yeah, but they didn’t want me. They wanted the guy who represented excitement. When they realized I was just a well-trained guy with a gun, I wasn’t nearly as interesting.”

  Really? Not interesting? How could any woman spend any amount of time with this man and not want to know everything about him? “I find that hard to believe.”

  “Believe it.”

  “What made you take my case?”

  He shook his head. “I had my reasons.”

  “And they were?”

  “That’s need-to-know, and you don’t.”

  Oh yeah? She unclipped her seatbelt, slid across the seat, and leaned into him. “I need to know.”

  He glanced at her, a smile playing on his lips. “Why?”

  “Because I do.”

  “This incredible surgeon-to-be needed to be protected. Is that good enough?”

  She shook her head. “There’s more to it than that.”

  “What makes you think that?”

  “There’s more to you than people give you credit for. You are quiet and thoughtful. There are always more than a few reasons you do things. So, I suspect there were other reasons that led to you taking my case.”

  “Maybe your father was just very convincing.”

  She set her chin on his shoulder. “He is, but I don’t think that was the deciding factor.”

  After that, he stayed quiet, like he was afraid he’d slip and say more than he should. When she realized his wall was back up, she slid back to her seat and fastened her seatbelt again. The silence stretched between them like the darkness that surrounded the truck.

  Before long, she leaned her head back and closed her eyes. It felt like she blinked, and they were pulling in front of a gas pump. “Where are we?”

  “Just crossed the line into Texas.”

  “So we’re close?” She smiled.

  He shook his head and chuckled. “No, we’d still have a day of driving if we took the main roads. Taking these backroads, we have at least two days of driving. Texas is a lot bigger than people think.”

  She crossed her eyes. “Great.”

  “You’ll be rid of me soon.” He winked.

  Rid of him? She quickly unbuckled and slid across the seat. “I don’t want to be
rid of you. It’s not you I’m tired of. It’s the driving at night. I don’t even get scenery to look at. We can’t play punch bug or I Spy.”

  He put his hand on the door handle. “I know, and I’m sorry. Maybe we can rest a bit and get back on the road before it’s too dark.”

  Before he could move, she circled her arms around his neck. “I’m glad I know your name is Jacobi and that you’re from Maine, and I think you’re interesting even when you don’t have a gun.”

  He put his arms around her and took a deep breath. It seemed like a thousand heartbeats before he said, “Just so you know, you’re the only person to ask me questions and get answers from me.”

  She leaned back. “Why me?”

  “Shouldn’t my doctor have my information?” He grinned.

  Lexi popped his arm. “You are such a…such a pain.”

  With a quick kiss to her forehead, he released her and got out of the truck. Once it was filled with gas, he pulled it into a parking spot and shut the engine off. “I could use a drink, but I’m not all that hungry.”

  She palmed the side of his face. “Are you feeling okay?”

  His gaze darted to the store and back to her. “Yeah, I’m okay. My legs need stretching, but that’s all.”

  “You’d tell me if you weren’t, right?”

  He nodded, hesitated a half a second, and then kissed her. “I would. Let’s run in, and we can get back on the road. There should be a motel in the next town over.”

  “Okay.”

  She tangled her fingers in his, and they strolled into the store, separating long enough to use the restroom and then rejoining near the entrance to the restrooms.

  Jake leaned down. “Do you want anything to drink?”

  “Not yet.” She lifted on her toes and kissed his cheek. “Thank you, though.”

  He took her hand and stopped short. Two black cars had pulled into the gas station while they were in the bathroom. Four men slowly poured out of the cars, and she watched as their gazes swept over the parking lot.

  Jake ducked and pulled her with him. “Stay close.”

  He swiped a broom as he crept along the back of the store. He paused as the men entered. As the men strolled across the front, Jake quickly jumped behind a large soda display. He put his lips to her ears. “We’re going to go up the aisle closest to the door, run out the front, and I’m going to use this broom to temporarily lock them in, okay?”

  She nodded.

  As soon as he could, Jake grabbed her by the hand, and they made a run for the front door. The second the bell chimed, the four guys charged, and Jake slammed the broom through the handles of the doors. They dashed to the truck, and just as Lexi got in, a bullet whizzed past her head.

  She threw herself flat against the seat of the truck as Jake started it, and the smell of burnt rubber filled her nose as he backed out and sped away. He cursed under his breath as the truck lurched forward.

  Her heart pounded against her ribs, and her body trembled. She had no idea what she and Jake were going to do now, but she knew that whatever it was, it was going to be adding a lot more driving before they reached Houston.

  Chapter 14

  Jake raked his hand through his hair and swore under his breath. He’d let himself get distracted, let the assignment affect his judgment, and allowed the threat to get too close. This is why he didn’t deserve to be loved. Once again, he’d let down someone he cared about.

  But why had they shot at her? “Ms. Maheras, why would Faustus want you dead?”

  “My name is Lexi.”

  “Your name is Ms. Maheras. Kissing you was a mistake that could have cost you your life. Now, why would Faustus want you dead? I thought he needed you to get your family’s land.”

  She pinched her lips together. “Just because they shot at me doesn’t mean it was your fault or that he wants me dead. They shot at both of us, and you’ve admitted you don’t know how he keeps finding us.”

  “It was my fault. I allowed myself to get distracted. Allowed you to take my focus off of what was important. That won’t happen again.” It was killing him to say it because he could see the hurt in her eyes. “Now, tell me why.”

  “Property laws in Greece can be tricky. It’s not like America with titles and deeds and such. If you’re gone from your land long enough, someone else can claim ownership, and it can be hard to prove it. And while we’ve held that land for centuries, if my papa and I are out of the picture, it would be easy for Faustus to move in and take the land.”

  That made sense. “So, if Faustus can’t marry you, he’ll kill you.”

  She gasped. “Do you think that means he’s killed my papa?”

  “I don’t know. None of this makes sense. I don’t understand how Faustus thinks he can take your land when it’s been in your family for so long. You said yourself that in order for someone to be put on the deed, they have to sign something, right? So wouldn’t that mean you can prove it’s yours?”

  She shrugged. “Papa says his political and social influence has increased, and like I said before, he could have paid officials to look the other way. At this point, anything is possible.”

  “I’m wondering if someone at the police department has sent out a BOLO on us. I can’t believe anyone would do it, but sometimes people are put in no-win situations and their choice is taken away. Well, not really, but they think it is.” That had to be it. And Faustus, having studied Jake, would have known he’d take a different route.

  What was he going to do now? “Okay, we’re not stopping for a while. I’m heading northeast, and then I’ll double back.”

  Stopping at the monument was a bad idea. He knew it when he agreed, and because he’d let his feelings get in the way, Faustus had the chance to catch up. If they’d kept going, maybe those men wouldn’t have found them.

  “Jake, I know what’s going on in that head of yours. None of this is your fault. And kissing me—”

  “Was a mistake that I won’t be making again.” He shot her a glance and inwardly winced at the pain he saw on her face, but he needed her to hate him. “These feelings? This whatever-it-was, was a lie. It was two people stuck together, lonely and bored. You have a life you need to return to, and as soon as I get you to safety and neutralize this threat, I’ll be gone.”

  “Lonely and bored? You kissed me because you were lonely and bored?” she asked, her bottom lip trembling. “You can’t really mean that.”

  “Yes, I can. We are not a couple. We are not really married. I am your bodyguard, and that’s it. We’ve been on the run, and it’s easy for things to get out of hand. That’s all that happened. There is nothing else.”

  She turned away from him, staring out the window for the longest time before returning her gaze to him. “So, all of it was just you keeping me happy and compliant?”

  “Yes,” he said, swallowing down the bile in his throat. The lie made him physically ill.

  “I guess you were right all along. I am too good for you, and I do deserve better. I certainly deserve better than being used and manipulated. For the remainder of this trip, you’ll call me Ms. Maheras, and you’ll only speak to me when absolutely vital. Otherwise, I don’t want to hear your voice. Am I understood?”

  He knew the words were coming from a place of anger and hurt, but they didn’t cut any less. At the moment, his heart was in shreds. “Crystal.”

  “I’ve worked my whole life to not hate anyone. Dislike with a passion, sure. But I hate you. What you did was despicable, and you should be ashamed. You might be great at your job, but you’re a lousy person.”

  More dagger-like words. He thought he was prepared for the verbal attack, but inside, he was dying. She had no idea how much truth she spoke. “You’re right. I am.”

  She crossed her arms over her chest and angled herself away from him. “Don’t speak to me anymore.”

  Jake nodded and then focused on the road ahead of him. Of all the horrible things he’d ever done, hurting her was one of the
worst. He’d kissed her because he loved the feel of her lips. He’d held her close because he craved her warmth. He loved her smile, the way her hair would change color in the sun, and how her eyes sparkled when she was excited.

  He loved her. He loved her more than he ever thought he could love someone. But she was right. She deserved better. He’d known that all along, but hearing it from her was like a knife to the heart. He also knew it was too late now.

  The fury in her eyes, the words she spoke…he knew without a doubt there was no changing what he’d done. No amount of apologizing or groveling would ever fix what he’d broken. It’s what he wanted, right? For her to distance herself and take away any chance for him to make it right?

  This was for the best, and it would keep her safe. If he really loved her, wouldn’t he want what was best for her? Even if that meant never getting to hold her or kiss her again?

  His chest tightened as his thoughts whirled.

  The silence continued as he drove through Texas, skirted through Oklahoma, and then crossed into Kansas. It was way out of the way, but he’d been trying to figure out why it seemed like Faustus was herding them to Houston. Just enough pressure to keep them going, but not so much that his men were right on top of them. When he finally pulled over, he could drown in the tension that filled the cab.

  Lexi jumped out.

  “Stop.”

  She whirled around and glared at him. “I’ve spent hours in a truck with a man I hate. We’re far enough ahead that I think I can use the restroom on my own.”

  “Please wait. We don’t know if someone will show up. I can’t protect you if I’m not close.”

  “You’re close enough.” And with that, she spun on her heels and stalked into the convenience store.

  The truck was nearly on fumes when he pulled in, and he couldn’t risk getting caught with an empty gas tank. He knew she’d be angry, but he never thought she’d deliberately put herself in danger. Granted, she was right that no one was there, but it was the principle.

  When he finished filling the tank, he backed the truck into a space at the front of the store and stalked in to find her gathering candy. She pointed to the end of the aisle. “You stand over there. I don’t want you anywhere near me.”