Chapter 5

Chapter

Five

Miles checked the master suite, stewing about the mess he'd created. He could've smacked himself upside the head. He'd been inches from kissing Eva, the most incredible woman he'd ever met, and he'd tried to explain about Lily. Easton and Walker would attempt to thrash him for missing the opportunity of a lifetime. The two of them together might accomplish it.

He and Lily hadn't had much of a relationship for years now. He hadn't spoken to her or texted her in … at least two months. She usually waited for him to reach out in case he was on a mission, and he hadn't felt any urge to reach out since the awkwardness of their last date. The only thing standing between him not having any commitment to Lily was a one-on-one conversation.

If only he'd been more determined to make a clean break six months ago. He'd felt like the worst of human refuse when Lily started crying. It wasn't like her to turn on the waterworks so he'd known she was genuinely distressed. Now as he thought about those tears, he wondered if something else was going on that had nothing to do with him or their relationship.

After an hour of being around Eva, he could easily see that his and Lily's ‘love' was a high school relationship that should've ended long ago. Any romantic feelings had burned out. Their friendship remained, but them ‘dating' seemed more of a title to him.

He'd kept himself busy with the SEALs and hadn't dated anyone but Lily. What did a teenager, then a man wholly focused on becoming a world-class soldier, know about love? Though he'd known they had little hope of a future, he'd remained loyal to Lily. Right now, he felt anything but loyal. Each look, word, and touch with Eva was out of this world. He had no idea that depth of feeling and sparks existed in romantic relationships from simple touches. What would kissing her feel like?

He let out a heavy sigh, pushing that dream from his mind. What a mess. How to explain to Eva? He couldn't. He'd sound like a wishy-washy loser who'd held onto the girl waiting for him back home for too long—twelve years too long, truth be told. Now he was willing to make a change because he'd met a famous and beautiful actress. Eva wouldn't think he was much of a man and surely wouldn't believe she was special to him. If only he could show Eva how drawn he was to her, and that it had nothing to do with her stardom.

Walking out of the suite, his gaze locked on hers as she stood on the stairs, still backed against the railing and clinging to it.

"All clear," he said, forcing a smile. "I'll hurry down to my room and shower quick so I don't stink."

"You don't," she said softly .

"That's good news." He stepped back and gestured into the master suite. "I'll just need a few minutes."

She nodded, ascended the stairs, and breezed past him. She didn't get close enough to brush him, didn't smile or say anything.

Heading quickly down to the bedroom he was using, he stripped out of his running clothes, took the quickest shower of record, dressed, and was back to the main level before she came down from the master.

Had she really wanted to kiss him? Was it only a kiss of gratitude she'd wanted? Had she felt a bond between them, or was that all in his head?

Her soft footsteps treaded along the wide balcony upstairs and then she appeared. The oxygen sucked out of the room and Miles's chest somehow expanded at the same time. He could not breathe and would pass out if this kept going.

Was it possible she was more beautiful than ten minutes ago? Maybe it was because he'd been reminded by the near kiss that she was out of his reach, even if she was interested.

Once again, he wanted to kick himself. He could've kissed his dream woman, but his sense of honor wouldn't allow it. How soon could he fly home, make a clean break with Lily, figure out how to help Lily as a friend, and then fly back to Eva? He was certain he'd missed his one chance with Eva. He'd turned her down and missed kissing her when she'd been coming on to him strong. She'd been grateful for his protection and looked at him like a hero. It had been a once in a lifetime opportunity and now it was gone.

She yanked her gaze away and walked down the stairs. He noticed she focused on his nose, not his eyes or his mouth.

Maybe he should excuse himself, call Lily and end things, then rush back to Eva. He'd gather her in his arms, tell her he was an idiot and there was no girl back home, and then he would kiss her until Aiden sorted out the mess she was in.

The connection between him and Eva had him edging closer. "Eva," he murmured. She met his gaze and everything settled. Of course Eva was the right one for him. Of course Lily would understand when he ended a thirteen-year relationship with a quick phone call.

No , he mentally yelled at himself. That was chicken crap. He was a Navy SEAL, a gentleman cowboy, a Christian, and a Coleville. His dad and heaven above wouldn't accept him treating Lily like that. He wouldn't accept it. She was an incredible lady and deserved better. It was on him that he hadn't ended things six months ago.

Because of his duty to Lily, Eva would be back to her acting world before he was free to explain fully and pursue her. Eva was as far out of his reach now as she had been when she didn't know him from Adam.

He stepped back and focused out the windows. The pool glowed blue, and a container ship was crawling past in the distance.

"Anything from Aiden?" she asked, her voice chipper, fake, not the real Eva he kept kidding himself he knew so well.

"Not yet." He steeled himself to look at her and forced a smile to match hers. "He'll be thorough and get the answers you need so we can keep you safe." It wouldn't be him keeping her safe. Would it? Could he volunteer? He wasn't one of Aiden's bodyguards, and he only had four days until he had to be back on base.

"That'll be great. Thanks again for being here for me, rescuing me. "

"Happy to do it."

This stilted conversation hurt.

"Are you hungry or thirsty?" he asked.

"No thank you."

He drummed his fingers on the counter. What would they do until Aiden called? How long could it take to expose a dirty FBI agent? He almost smiled at that. It could take days or weeks, maybe months. Just him and Eva. Stuck in Aiden's house until they got some answers. And he couldn't pursue her or even talk to her normally.

"How long have you been in the Navy?" she asked.

"Twelve years." He appreciated her trying to converse. "I left home right after high school graduation. I always wanted to be a SEAL."

"And now you're a lieutenant with your SEAL unit?" She smiled. "Impressive."

"Thank you. Not as impressive as everything you've accomplished in ten years." Her high school drama teacher had a connection in Hollywood and Eva had landed a role in a movie that took off right out of high school. Her career had launched quickly and now she was an A-lister.

She arched her eyebrows and settled onto a padded barstool. He pulled one out and sat down as well.

"Is it lame of me to admit that I hate that you know everything about me and I know nothing about you?" She bit at her lip.

Miles was grateful she wanted to know anything about him. The ‘girl back home' comment seemed to linger between them.

"I don't know everything about you," he said.

"Oh really? So you don't follow me on social media, don't watch my movies and interviews, didn't think it would be cool to meet and flirt with the famous Eva Chevron?" She didn't sound confrontational, more disappointed.

Miles couldn't lie to her, and that was a huge disadvantage right now.

"You're right." He spread his hands and grimaced at the vindicated and disappointed look in her dark eyes. "I was enamored with you, like most single men over thirteen, but I was enamored because I saw clips of you helping an older gentleman across the street, bending down and chatting with the children your co-workers ignored, standing by an actress friend when others defamed her, and you have to admit it's incredible that you have an original number ninety-nine Wayne Gretzky King's jersey."

She actually smiled at that.

Maybe he should've stopped, but his tongue rattled on. "After meeting you, I'm even more impressed with how bravely you've handled this crazy night and how genuine and intriguing you are." He took a breath, wishing he could say how her touch lit him up, how he imagined they had a unique and incredible bond. It was only fair that she knew. "Eva, the real you is a million times more impressive than your actress persona. I was enamored with you before. Now I'm mesmerized."

"Thank you, Miles." Her words were sincere. At least she'd accepted the compliment.

Their gazes met and held. Miles forgot his obligation to his SEAL unit, his family, Lily, his honor. Nothing mattered at this moment but Eva. She was destined to become the most important part of his life, and in her deep-brown eyes he could read that she felt the same way .

She moistened her lips, and he leaned in before he could stop himself.

His phone buzzed in his pocket. He pushed out a heavy breath, straightened, and ripped out his phone. It was a needed but unwelcome interruption.

"Yeah," he barked into the phone without meaning to.

"Sorry to interrupt," Aiden chirped, "but we have loads of bad news for our favorite actress."

"That doesn't sound good." He turned to Eva. She stood from the barstool, her eyes wary. He pushed the speaker button. "Eva's right here."

"Eva." Aiden's cultured voice sounded heavy. "We don't have any definite answers for you, but we have discovered that throughout his FBI career Ryken Henderson has been reprimanded for withholding evidence, prosecuted for taking a bribe, though that charge didn't stick, and passed over for promotions. His file is thick, and not because of successful cases. The eeriest thing is he's not even a field agent any longer. He's been relegated to research and he definitely isn't assigned to your case. In fact, no one is."

"So he shouldn't even have contacted me?" Eva asked.

"Correct. He must've seen the concerns with Jorge in a police report and gotten the idea to use it to get close to you. From what we can gather, he told the police he was taking over and nobody even questioned him or checked with his superiors."

Eva's throat bobbed. "Dang."

"The good news is we can blow the whistle on Ryken and Eva can go back to her life," Miles said.

The look she gave him was chilly. Did she not want to go back to her life?

"I don't believe that is possible," Aiden said .

"Why not?" Eva asked.

"When my people were digging on information about Jorge, Ryken, and you, they found some very concerning bounties on the dark web."

"Bounties? For what?" Eva asked.

Miles instinctively edged closer to Eva. He wasn't making a move; he was trying to support her.

"There were seven different requests from a variety of shadow corporations," Aiden said. "Every one had at least a million dollar payment attached to it. Every one was centered around kidnapping Eva Chevron."

Eva's face blanched. She stepped back, to sit on the barstool possibly, but she missed and stumbled.

Miles caught her around the waist and hauled her against his chest. He held her close and whispered, "It's all right. I'm here. I've got you."

Her deep-brown eyes focused on him, and he knew he'd do anything for her.

"I apologize, Eva," Aiden said on the phone. "I know this is shocking."

"Horrifying," she admitted, leaning into Miles.

"I'm sorry." Aiden's voice was sincere. Though he dealt with issues like this, or worse, multiple times a day, he wasn't the type to make light of someone's fears or suffering.

"Do you think I've had requests on the dark web before?" Eva asked.

"Yes, you have," Aiden said calmly.

"Excuse me?" Eva straightened and looked at Miles with wide eyes.

"My tech people, Sutton Smith's team, and various government agencies keep their eyes out for requests like these and will pass the information on to law enforcement, and to the target if necessary. But they have to honestly evaluate the risk versus the person's emotional well-being. Do you want to live your life fearing you're a target, or do you recognize that you are a public figure and may have depraved fans or people looking to make money from you or your fame? Most celebrities have decent security, are prepared for such things, and most hits on the dark web don't get fulfilled."

"But you think whoever is after me will get their request fulfilled?"

"I don't like the coincidence of you being attacked, an FBI agent who isn't on the up and up trying to gain your trust, Jorge sending you all these notes, and most disturbing of all, seven separate requests, all with high-dollar figures appearing within the hour. There have been no police reports of you being attacked tonight and your house is clean, locked up, no lights on, no sign of the attacker or the struggle on the patio. It's disturbing. If I rated clients in danger from one to ten, your risk profile would be eight point two, and that is only because Lieutenant Miles Coleville is standing next to you. Without Miles, your chances of making it through the night without being abducted are at about zero point four."

Miles appreciated the endorsement, but not the fear in Eva's eyes. Did Aiden need to come on so strong? Maybe he'd learned he had to, or people in danger wouldn't listen and unwittingly put themselves in more danger. Miles had experienced that in foreign countries on diplomatic missions.

Eva's mouth opened, but nothing came out. She stepped away from Miles and balled her hands into fists. "What am I supposed to do? Hire your company?" She looked from Miles to the phone. "How do I know you didn't set this all up to make money off me or brag about your latest celebrity security detail?"

It was similar to when she'd been reluctant to step into Aiden's house, but much more confrontational. She was scared and defensive. Miles didn't blame her. He didn't fear much, but seven separate million-dollar hits on the dark web? That would be unsettling to anyone.

"I feel my reputation can speak for itself." Aiden didn't sound offended at all. Probably because he recognized what Miles could see. Eva was terrified and maybe in shock. "I pray you will listen to me, Eva, and disappear until my people can research, track down leads, and get to the bottom of these requests. We'll figure out what Jorge Augilar and Ryken Henderson are all about."

"Disappear?" She leaned against the counter. "How can I just disappear? I have scenes to finish. I was supposed to go see my family."

"We can work out a plan to keep you safe, Eva, and eliminate the threats, but you're going to have to trust me."

A thick silence fell, and Eva worried her lip. Miles didn't know how to help. He had to get back to base, back to his men in four days.

As he studied Eva, he stewed about what he could do to help, if anything.

"You're Aiden Porter," Eva finally said. "I know you're trustworthy and I pray you'll forgive me for lashing out, but this is huge and scary and it's my life being flipped upside down."

"I understand that, Eva." Aiden's voice was soft. "I'm only trying to keep you safe and take out the threats without any risk to you. This is what I do, and I'm very, very good at it. In fact, I'm an expert. "

Miles almost smiled at that. Aiden would never be called humble, but he was a trustworthy and successful security expert.

"I know you are," Eva said. "I've heard the chatter."

"Well, then …" Aiden's voice had a hint of a tease in it now. "Miles? Are you ready to be temporarily employed by Porter Enterprises?"

"Um … what?" Miles was a step behind.

"You've already gained her trust. You're right there. And to be completely honest, though I'll deny this if either of you have loose lips, my operatives are spread thin with Benjamin Oliver still on the loose and the need to protect many people from his deviousness and retaliations until I can rip him out of whatever hole he's hiding in."

Miles could imagine Aiden and Quaid were both busy protecting innocent victims Benjamin might target and hunting the man down. A defensive and offensive game with far too many innocents at risk and pitted against one of the most brilliant criminals any of them had dealt with.

"I will put my best people on solving Eva's dilemma," Aiden continued. "Shouldn't take long. I've got the connections to get you leave from your unit and I believe you know the place to keep a famed beauty safe for an unspecified amount of time."

Miles wanted to help and be there for Eva. He hoped it was for unselfish reasons, but he couldn't deny he'd like the chance to get to know her. If he could take her to Coleville, Montana, be near his family, and maybe have the long overdue conversation with Lily, he would be saying loads of prayers of gratitude.

"Aiden," he began, focused on Eva to see how she was taking all of this. "If you wanted to work your magic for a temporary leave from my unit, I could stay by Eva's side and take her to the ranch while your people research and eliminate the threats."

"What a brilliant idea. I thought you'd never offer," Aiden said, all cheery and smart-alecky. "Done from my end. Eva? Are you comfortable with Miles as your primary bodyguard? He will take you to a secure location. To a family of tough cowboys who protected Jacqueline Oliver for over a year without even a hint of a lead getting to her."

"That is impressive." Eva was still worrying her lip, but her shoulders weren't bunched as tightly around her ears. "What family is that?"

"Mine," Miles said, offering her a smile.

She didn't return it.