Free Be on the Lookout by Tyler Anne Snell Page B

side,” Jonathan observed. Kate nodded.
    â€œOne of the best!”
    Greg put his hands up, smiling.
    â€œAnd here I thought I was just coming to deliver a package, not have my praises sung among the smell of roasting coffee beans and budding writers working on their screenplays.” They glanced over to a younger man with bright blue hair, head bent over his laptop and two empty coffee cups next to him. Kate couldn’t help but laugh.
    â€œSo, is what you do as secretive as what Kate does?” Jonathan asked. Apparently he could curb his curiosity for only so long.
    â€œNot particularly,” Greg said with a grin. “I used to be an adjunct professor at Harvard—science was my game—when I decided I’d like a change of pace. I’m a business consultant now, with an unperturbed affinity for scientific pursuits on the side. That’s to say, I dabble in lab work here and there, and am occasionally hired as an adviser on more complicated projects.” Greg shrugged. “Mostly boring work, I’m sure, especially compared to the life of a bodyguard.”
    Jonathan cracked a smile.
    â€œIt has its moments. The travel is great and the people I’ve met have been—” he gave Kate a pointed glance “—interesting.”
    â€œI’d imagine so! It sounds like a dream job for some.”
    Jonathan’s smile at talking about his job—one he seemed to hold very dear—lost some of its mirth. The corners dropped slightly.
    â€œIt used to be mine,” he admitted. “But, actually, this is my last field contract.”
    That caught Kate off guard.
    â€œYou’re leaving Orion?”
    Jonathan shook his head.
    â€œI’m not leaving Orion unless Nikki Waters tells me to,” he said with a laugh. “Until then she’s agreed to help find me a job at the office. One where I’m not constantly traveling.”
    â€œRoots,” was all Greg said, as if all of his wisdom leaked into the one syllable. Jonathan nodded. The two men shared a look of what Kate believed to be understanding. She, however, hadn’t yet caught the meaning behind it. If Jonathan loved his job so much, why give it up for a glorified desk job?
    â€œSo does that mean you have someone back home you’d like to grow those roots with?” Kate’s idea about questioning why a seemingly driven man like Jonathan would give up fieldwork came to a screeching halt. Since she’d met the bodyguard, she hadn’t once asked him about or even pondered his relationship status. She hadn’t seen a ring on his finger and had assumed he wasn’t married, but beyond that she’d not thought about it. Not even when realizing how attracted to him she was.
    Jonathan’s weakening smile found a dose of strength. It grew alongside a sinking, cold feeling of disappointment in Kate. Why?
    Why did it matter if he had someone back home? He was her bodyguard, nothing more.
    â€œSadly, no. Aside from friends, it’s only my roots that will be growing.” The cold in Kate’s stomach found a spot to settle. Greg’s eyes swept her expression and once again she hid behind her coffee cup.
    â€œI’m sure you’ll find someone to share your life with,” Greg said. Then, with another loud hoot of laughter he added, “And if not, you could always get a dog.”
    Both men burst into a fit of laughter. One Kate found herself joining in on. She’d been unsure of how this meeting would go. Greg was and always had been a nice man. However, like her, there were moments when he’d become clipped and detached, his thoughts trailing back to whatever project he was currently on. Kate was glad Jonathan was able to meet the carefree and personable Greg Calhoun. For some reason, she found she wanted the bodyguard to like him. And vice versa.
    â€œWell, Kathryn, it’s only fair I reiterate the same question to you,” Greg said