Chapter 10

Chapter

Ten

Eva kept a practiced smile on her face and fought her darndest to stay in character and stay detached from Miles. She'd loved relaxing and being herself around him. Now she'd have to utilize her acting skills to guard her heart. The problem was she couldn't decide what role to play. A forbidden romance would just make her long for him more. She couldn't force herself to pretend he was a double agent or a secretly evil character. She finally decided she'd have to stick with the truth—he was off limits, and she refused to be the woman who broke up a relationship.

His family helped distract her. Mama Millie fussed over her during breakfast. Easton and Walker tripped over themselves complimenting her and trying to take care of her every need.

The problem was, Miles was right there. He looked like the cowboy slash military hero she'd always longed to find, but he wasn't some poster boy or movie character. This was Miles. He was genuine, humble, true, and the electricity in the air between them was difficult to ignore. The yearning in his brilliant blue eyes was even worse.

He had kept some distance from her after she slammed the door in his face. He didn't take her hand or put his hand on the small of her back as they walked down to breakfast, ate with Easton, Walker, Jared, and Millie, and pitched in to clean up. Not touching helped. No, not really. Nothing helped. How soon would he run for his Lily?

Eva dried the dishes Miles handed to her from rinsing, trying to avoid touching his too-intriguing hands every time. She hadn't washed dishes by hand since she'd been home to Wyoming. She liked it.

When they were done, Miles got a FaceTime call from Autumn on his phone. She had hardly said hello to Eva and Miles when Easton popped his head into the picture behind Eva.

"Well, hello handsome," Autumn purred. "Are you the one and only Easton Coleville? Bull rider extraordinaire and my future boyfriend?"

Easton's face broke into a huge grin. It appeared he had to remind himself to act suave. He gave Autumn a smoldering look. "Yes, ma'am, I am. You have me at a disadvantage, beautiful. I would love to hear your name and when we're going to meet in person."

Autumn chuckled, low and throaty. "As soon as I can hunt down the scum threatening my friend Eva and dismantle them, you plan on a date."

"You'll hunt them down and dismantle them?" Easton whooped. "I think I've met the love of my life."

Autumn laughed again. "You're irresistible, but just so you're up to speed, the term boyfriend was stretching it. Love of my life will never happen. I'm not available for anything but shallow hookups."

Easton's eyes widened.

"Now I have heard about enough of this bull-larky," Mama Millie sputtered from across the kitchen where she'd been wiping down the table. She slammed both palms on the wood tabletop. "Young lady," she threatened. "You had better ask our dear Savior to help you find a moral compass, and don't you even think the words ‘shallow hookup' regarding one of my boys again. Do I make myself clear?"

Miles and Eva exchanged a look. Mama was a sweetheart—until you pushed the wrong button, apparently. Jared and Walker both grimaced.

"Forgive me, Mama," Easton said.

"I had no idea your mother was in the room," Autumn said, her eyes darting around wildly, trying to see Mama or look for an escape route. "Please forgive me, Mrs. Coleville."

"Of course I will, and I will pray for you to find the love of Jesus in your life." Mama's voice was much softer.

"Um … thank you?" Autumn looked desperate to escape. "Miles and Eva, should I call later, or can we talk in private?"

"We can talk in private now," Miles reassured her. "Excuse us," he said to everyone in the room. He took Eva's elbow and directed her out of the kitchen, through the living room and the entryway and into the office.

The ranch foreman was in the security room. He lifted a hand. Eva liked the quiet man. He seemed to spend more time in the security center than taking care of the ranch. Jared helped him with both the ranch work and the security center.

Miles shut the office door behind them and he and Eva stood side by side, looking into his phone screen and Autumn's pinched face.

"You all right?" Miles asked.

"I should be asking you two that," Autumn insisted.

"We're doing just fine," Miles answered, then looked to Eva.

She'd be more than fine if he were a free man. That was hardly the question. "Yes. We got settled in and slept, just had breakfast. Nothing dangerous here."

"Besides Mama defending her boy," Autumn snipped.

Miles bristled.

Before he could open his mouth, Autumn rushed on, "Forgive me, Miles. She had every right and I'm sure she's an angelic mother. I had no clue she was there and was just flirting but setting my boundaries like I always do."

"A shallow hookup is a boundary?" Miles asked.

Eva wondered how Miles would survive in Hollywood. Most of the time, nobody was honest enough to admit to a shallow hookup, but that was all anyone seemed to want.

"I never do more than kiss any man." Autumn's smile got sneaky and much more like the Autumn Eva had met last night. "When they make any move to do more, I knock them on their butts. It's so fun."

Miles half-grunted and shook his head. "My brother would never try to do more."

"Whew. That man is more appealing by the moment. Except for the fact he still lives with his mama."

"He doesn't. He has his own cabin."

"Yes! Sign me up for a flirting and kissing session with my bull riding cowboy very soon."

"Autumn." Miles half-laughed now. "You are a very impressive lady, and a piece of work. Do you know that? "

"Yes, Lieutenant Coleville, I do." Her voice turned hard. "Now, enough about me. You're safe there from your perspective?"

"Yes."

"Our reports are revealing some of the media and Eva's friends and work associates are buying the sick in bed line and some are not."

Eva wondered who wasn't buying the sickness. It was disconcerting not to have her phone and respond to family, friends, and work associates and know what the media was saying.

"I don't look enough like Eva to venture outside," Autumn continued, "which is going to drive me insane by the way, but that's all right. More motivation to catch these losers and restore Eva and me to our happy lives. Anyway, I've spotted a few prowlers in the night, but like the good girl I am, I followed Aiden's instructions and didn't leave the house. Paul found a VRBO a few doors down and across the street. No beach views for the poor guy. He's checking in at four and will be able to go after anybody prowling around tonight."

She took a breath. "This morning has been interesting. Some stiff in a white uniform knocked on the door. I figured if I pulled him into the house and didn't let him see my face, I could see what he was about?—"

"Autumn," Eva broke in. "Oh, shoot. I should've told you my chef delivers meals on Tuesday mornings."

"Eh." Autumn lifted her hands and grinned. "It gave me something to do, and he was surprisingly chill about it. I explained I'd learned how to take a man down in Protecting the Influencer ."

"He never saw your face?" Miles asked .

"No, sir. To more exciting news. I was in the shower when our buddy Agent Ryken Henderson decided to disable the alarms and stroll in the house like he owned the place."

Eva's blood chilled. "Are you serious?"

"Deadly serious. He came right into the master. Aiden has Adam tailing him, and I had alerts going off that he was coming so luckily I'd jumped out of the shower and got a robe on and a weapon in hand. Not that I'd need a weapon to take out that pansy. We had a nice conversation through the master bathroom door. I convinced him I was miserably sick, probably had the worst flu virus I'd ever had in my life. I kept sneezing and coughing and sniffling. He kept fishing for why the camera feeds weren't working. Scum ball didn't want to openly admit he was watching you on camera. I must've convinced him he wasn't getting answers and he didn't want the gumbo. He left. Adam said he's gone to work. I'm fighting Aiden for permission to just thrash him when he comes back. Easiest way to get the truth out of a loser like that."

Miles smiled at Eva. "Aiden sticks to a code of ethics."

"Blah, blah, blah," Autumn said. "You want ethical or you want the innocent to be protected? Agent Henderson doesn't give two rats about ethics." She waved a hand. "Anyway. Aiden, Paul, and the tech team are all focused on unraveling who put the hits out on the dark web. It still looks to be seven different parties, but that doesn't mean they aren't all related or trace back to one slime ball. Any questions or ideas from your end?"

Eva looked at Miles and lifted her hands. "Besides Ryken, I don't know anybody who is after me."

"Besides the millions of men around the globe who are in love with Eva Chevron," Miles said.

"So it could be anyone," Eva said, wondering if she misread the jealousy in Miles's voice. She didn't like when he said her full name, as if she were the famous actress and an object, not a real woman with feelings. Feelings for him .

"You haven't dated anyone seriously, from the media's standpoint, besides Lake Eastwood for years," Autumn interjected. "Correct?"

"Yes."

"Lake Eastwood." Autumn whistled long and low. "Now there is a fine piece of man flesh."

Miles stiffened.

"He's a lot better looking on the outside than on the inside," Eva said.

Miles visibly relaxed.

"Truly?" Autumn's smooth brow wrinkled. "Everybody adores him. You two were the couple of the century, I swear."

"I'm not sure how you missed the media hailstorm, but Lake cheated on me with Bermuda Venus and Jezebel Noir," Eva admitted, not looking at Miles. It had been humiliating enough when it happened.

"The scum!" Autumn cried out. The video went wild as she paced around in a circle. "I can't! I must've been on a deep cover assignment. I just assumed you broke up. I loathe him! Cheating on Eva Chevron. What kind of a loser … Miles, you must avenge her!"

"Gladly," Miles gritted out.

Eva let herself look at him. His fists and jaw were clenched and the muscles in his arms were all engaged. She wished her cowboy hero could avenge her. But he wasn't hers.

"Has the idiot tried to get you back?" Autumn asked.

"Constantly."

Miles flinched .

"Don't you dare fall for his lies," Autumn warned.

Eva barked out a laugh. "Don't worry, friend. I would never let him get in my head again."

"Good." There was a pause, then Autumn asked, "Have you had any interaction with him recently?"

"When he found out Jorge was after me, he found me and demanded that I call him if I was in danger." She rolled her eyes. "As if his fake muscles could protect me."

She glanced at Miles again. His very real muscles had protected her. She wanted to lean into his solidness and forget about all this stress for a while.

"What did you tell him?" Autumn asked.

"I told him to drop dead in the ditch and I'd rather pick up a rattlesnake." She smiled to herself. "Then he said to me, ‘Don't think your Idaho redneck lingo is going to win you any roles without me. You'll be crawling back and begging me to love you again.'"

"Pardon me?" Miles turned to her. "He threatened you and the idiot doesn't even know where you're from?"

"It doesn't matter." She shrugged but loved that Miles got how annoying that was. "My producer and agent won't listen if he tries to blackball me. From what I've heard, Jezebel and Bermuda want nothing to do with him and his lying tongue either. He's burning his own bridges."

There was a pause, then Miles asked, "How did he find out Jorge was after you?"

Eva searched her brain, trying to remember. She'd been irritated when he showed up at the gym as she was exiting the private training room. "I remember asking him and he skirted the answer, kept talking about how concerned he was for me and how he wanted to be there for me. He only said his last lines after I wouldn't give in to his ‘charm'."

"Doesn't sound very charming," Miles muttered.

Eva agreed but said nothing.

He pushed out a breath and focused on Autumn. "We'll relay this to Aiden, but keep an eye out for Lake."

"Oh, I will." Autumn smiled. "He sounds like a fun one to lure in, then almost break an arm."

"I think that would be a great lesson for him," Eva agreed.

"But keep the objective in mind," Miles said. "We want everyone believing Eva is home sick in bed and we want information from Lake, not a broken arm."

"I said ‘almost a broken arm'," Autumn reminded him. "I know, I know. Nobody will see this gorgeous face and realize it's not the famous and gorgeous face of my friend Eva." She smiled, but then her golden eyes became penetrating. "Eva. Are you doing okay emotionally? You feel safe and comfortable there?"

Eva's throat felt thick. "Thank you for asking. I'm very safe and comfortable here." She risked a glance at Miles. "Emotionally, I'm trying not to think about some weird bounty on my head. Thank you for all you're doing to figure this out."

"I'd say it's my job, but I have too much fun to consider it work." Autumn grinned. "All right. I'm signing off. Chat soon."

"Bye," Miles and Eva both echoed.

Miles turned to her, and Eva's heart immediately picked up its beat with one searching look from those blue eyes. "I apologize. I haven't asked how you're doing emotionally."

"You're a guy and my bodyguard. I don't think my emotional state is part of your job description."

He looked over her face. "I wish it could be. "

Eva's eyes widened and her stomach pitched happily. Just as quickly, it dropped. It couldn't be his job. He had Lily.

"You deserve much better than some idiot like Lake who doesn't appreciate the real you and would cheat on you," Miles said softly.

Eva studied him. Did he think he knew the real her? Did he want to? Did she need to remind him about his ‘girl back home'?

Miles suddenly stiffened and pulled his phone out. "Aiden," he said.

She nodded and listened in as he shared with Aiden about Lake. Aiden agreed to check into him. Aiden talked about some of the technology they were using to track the individuals who'd made the requests on the dark web.

At least the threat to her life gave her a small distraction from the threat to her heart.