Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN

Dare studied her where she stood frozen next to the steps of the porch. Her fathomless blue eyes held wariness but also… fear? She couldn’t possibly be afraid of him, could she?

Of course, she could . People either wanted to be his best friend to avoid legal troubles, or they avoided him like the plague. Because of his position, he didn’t allow most people to get close to him. He was well aware that he came off as an asshole sometimes, and some people—women, mostly—found him unapproachable.

He hadn’t gotten that vibe from her the other day, though, so what had changed? And what in the hell would prompt her to show up out of the blue without even a phone call? There had to be more to the story.

Ainsley bit her lip and toyed with the hem of her shirt. “Um… If you don’t mind, I need to use the bathroom. Then maybe we can talk inside?”

He fought to keep his expression neutral. There was definitely more here than met the eye. What was going on?

He debated pushing her for more information, but instead let it slide for the moment. He would let her calm down a little and get comfortable. Then he was damn well going to get her to talk.

“Come on in.” He stepped aside and let her enter. As he closed the front door, he quickly scanned the area. Nothing seemed to be amiss, but he locked the door behind them just to be safe.

Ainsley’s gaze followed his movements, and some of the tension drained from her body as the lock clicked into place. He almost laughed out loud at the look of relief on her face. Most women would be running for their lives being locked inside a house with him. Clearly, she found him to be the lesser of two evils compared to whatever, or whomever, was bothering her.

“The bathroom is down the hall on the right. Meet me in the kitchen when you’re ready.”

She nodded her assent, slipping like a shadow into the bathroom, and Dare made his way down the hallway toward the kitchen, pondering her demeanor. She didn’t appear to be hurt in any way, although it was difficult to tell. She still wore the black shirt and pants he assumed she’d worn to the bar last night, judging from the sweet smell of alcohol emanating from her.

Something was wrong, though. She’d told him she worked at a bar about a half hour north. If that were the case, she must have come here almost directly after closing. The question was—what had caused her to leave town in the middle of the night?

The question plagued him as he waited for her to appear. The sound of the bathroom door opening tore him from his thoughts, and he busied himself by grabbing a mug from the cabinet. Ainsley padded into the kitchen just as he closed the door.

Dare poured her a cup of coffee and slid it her way. “Sugar’s on the counter, cream is in the fridge.”

Ainsley waved him off as she settled on a stool. “This is great, thanks.”

“So.” Dare took a sip, then regarded her over the rim of his own cup. “You decided to make the move.”

Her hands tightened around the mug, causing her knuckles to turn white with tension. “Yeah. I mean, if that’s still okay,” she rushed to add.

“Of course. I took the ad down after we talked.” He sensed she would be back, though he’d assumed she would call first.

The whole situation bothered him immensely. Whatever was going on, it was serious. If she was in some sort of trouble—and it was looking more and more as if that were the case—then Ainsley clearly needed somewhere safe to land. Dare wanted to make sure it was right here, where he could keep an eye on her.

Her gaze dropped to the coffee cup clutched between her palms, and she cleared her throat. “I kind of forgot to ask… Do you want first and last month’s rent up front? I’ll have to look for a new job, so I might be a little short. But I promise I’ll try to find something right away.”

Dare lifted a hand to alleviate her concern. “Just first month’s rent is fine. It’s just a small place, so if it works for you, we’ll work on a month-to-month lease.”

“That sounds great, thank you.”

His gut told him she would balk if he asked for her to sign a lease binding her here for an extended period of time. Why, he wasn’t quite sure. Her family lived here, so it only made sense that she would want to be close by.

But Dare was damn good at reading people, and everything about her mannerisms told him she would run at the drop of a hat. Getting answers out of her wouldn’t be nearly as easy as he’d assumed. She was like an oyster, clamped down to protect herself. Ainsley needed time to get comfortable with him before she could trust him. He decided to offer up a little bit about himself.

Dare tipped his head her way. “I was just getting ready to make breakfast when you showed up. You hungry?”

She shook her head. “Really, that’s not necessary. I’m fine.” As if on cue, Ainsley’s stomach rumbled and her eyes jumped to Dare’s, her cheeks turning bright pink.

He fought the urge to smile. He had a feeling it would somehow make her feel bad, and the last thing he wanted was for her to pull away from him. “Maybe just something light?”

“That would be great, thank you.”

Dare nodded, then began to pull out ingredients out of the fridge, studying the woman across from him as he worked. She was unfailingly polite, and he wondered exactly how far he could push her before she cracked. He wanted to ruffle her feathers and pull back the layers, find the real woman beneath the timid exterior.

Dare plated the food, and Ainsley smiled appreciatively. “This looks great, thanks.”

They ate in silence for several moments until they’d cleaned their plates. Though Dare tried more than once to initiate small talk, Ainsley was infuriatingly succinct. She refused to offer up anything about herself except the most inane information, most of which he’d already ferreted out on his own. By the time he pushed his plate away, he was ready to snap at her.

Clamping down on his control, he gathered the plates and set them in the sink, then turned to face her. “Ready to see the suite?”

She nodded. “Sure.”

Striding over to the very last cabinet, he pulled open a drawer and retrieved a key, then nodded his head toward the back yard. “Come on, follow me.”

He strode through a wide arched doorway into a small, formal sitting room, then crossed to a set of patio doors. Light streamed in through the windows, spilling squares of sunlight over the rich, honey oak floors. “This is the quickest way. Unless you want to grab some of your stuff first?”

She shook her head, answering a little too quickly for his liking. “No. That’s okay. I’ll grab what I need later.”

Dare just nodded and made his way across the patio to corner of the house. The large plantation-style home had been built nearly two hundred years ago, and at some point one of the late owners had divided the house into sections, creating a mother-in-law suite.

The suite was accessible only from a set of stairs that ran up the side of the house. At the top, a narrow deck ran the length of the building. Two small patio chairs sat in the corner, the perfect place to watch the sun set.

Ainsley paused, staring out over the lake with wide eyes. “Dare, this is beautiful.”

He couldn’t help but smile. “You haven’t even been inside yet.”

Unlocking the door, he pushed it open then stepped back to allow Ainsley to enter first. He flipped on the light but left the door open. “Sorry. I haven’t turned on the air yet, so it’s a little stuffy in here.”

“Wow.” Ainsley’s gaze flitted around the small room. “I wasn’t expecting it to be furnished.”

His grandfather had left more than enough furniture, and Dare had moved some of it into the suite. “You’ll probably want to clean it for yourself, but I did set out fresh sheets and towels so it’s at least livable. Are you sure you don’t want help with your stuff?”

Ainsley waved a hand dismissively but didn’t make eye contact. “I didn’t bring much, so it won’t take too long. Thank you, though.”

“So, anyway,” he said, changing the subject. “I’m sure you noticed there’s no TV in the suite yet, but we can get one for you if you’d like. Otherwise, you can watch whatever you want in the house.”

She waved the offer away. “A TV is the least of my worries.”

He nodded. “There’s an oven and a small fridge, but no laundry room. You’re more than welcome to use the one in the house.”

“If you don’t mind…”

She trailed off, and he shook his head. “You’re welcome to use the house as often as you like. Here’s your key for the suite, so you can come and go as you please. I’ll get you a house key, too.”

Ainsley studied him, confusion tugging at the space between her brows. “That’s really nice of you. Thank you.”

She was obviously concerned about his motives, and he wondered once more exactly what had happened to make her so wary. He offered her a smile, needing to reassure her. “I’m glad you decided to take the suite.”

“Me, too.” A shy smile curved her full lips and she dropped her gaze to the floor, suddenly very interested in her feet. “I really appreciate everything you’ve done.”

He dipped his chin in acknowledgment. “My pleasure.”

She fiddled with the key, turning it over in her hands, shifting from one foot to the other. He took her discomfort as his cue to leave, and he cleared his throat. “I’ve got to leave for work here soon. Is there anything you need before I head out?”

She shook her head. “No, thanks, it’s been a long day. I think I’m just going to crash for a few hours.”

“You have my number, right?” She nodded, and he continued, “I’ll be home around five or so. Call me if you need anything.”

He headed back to the house and changed into his uniform. Movement from the driveway caught his eye as Ainsley retrieved her belongings from the car. His eyebrows drew together as he watched her pull several grocery-type bags from the backseat, but no luggage. Not the strangest thing in the world, but… who moved into a new place with no luggage? That couldn’t possibly be everything she owned.

He waited for her to come back for more stuff, but after about twenty minutes he finally gave up. She had either taken all of her stuff up with her in the grocery bags, or she would go back to get the rest later. Memories of her behavior this morning left him strangely unsettled, and he wondered if that was truly all she owned. The pieces of the puzzle didn’t fit yet, but he was determined to figure out what was going on.

Sarge practically bolted out of his room the moment the door was open, and he darted toward the kitchen, eagerly sniffing Ainsley’s lingering scent.

He whistled for the dog. “Come on, boy. We’ve got some work to do.”