Free Tina Leonard - A Callahan Outlaw's Twins by Tina Leonard Page B

me was caught.” When Sloan didn’t reply, she said, “Look, soldier. I’d rather have you as a lover than a bodyguard.”
    He blinked, completely caught off guard. “I guess it can’t be both.”
    She shook her head. Sloan’s heart sank a little. Her long hair was in a ponytail, covered by a blue ski cap. She had on a blue parka that matched her eyes. She wore some kind of black pants that looked warm and protected her injury.
    “It can’t be both because I left the house for ten minutes and you followed me. I’m carrying—a small gun, but enough to slow someone down—and I drove a jeep with all-wheel traction. I have my cell phone. Fiona knew where I was, as did Ashlyn.” Kendall’s frown didn’t mar her beauty, but he felt it in his bones. “I’ve taken all the precautions. And yet here you are.”
    “You’re my assignment,” Sloan said.
    After a long moment she nodded. “I know.”
    She started the jeep and drove off.
    Sloan followed, wishing an assignment was all Kendall was to him. It would be so much easier that way.
    * * *
    K ENDALL WAS IN BED when he went up to her room a few hours later. She was moving around photos she’d laid out on a board, but didn’t look up. “I don’t need a bodyguard.”
    “I got that message.”
    Her eyes met his. “So you don’t need to be in my room.”
    That stopped him cold. “You want Ashlyn or one of my brothers to—”
    “No. I don’t.” She put the photos on the nightstand, laid the board against the wall by the bed. “I’m not going to live in fear. I was scared because of what happened to me. I’m not going to be anymore.”
    “Okay.” He didn’t like it, but her decision had to be her own. He’d known making love to her was a mistake. It made casual, professional interaction between them impossible. “I’m going.”
    She nodded. “Thanks for understanding.”
    “I do.” He looked at Kendall for a long moment, wishing that he’d met her under different circumstances. “See you around.”
    He went out of her room, heading down the stairwell.
    “Hi,” Ashlyn said. “Where’s Kendall?”
    “Taking a nap.” He didn’t want to admit she’d given him his pink slip. “Where is everybody?”
    Ashlyn smiled, went into the kitchen. She picked up a huge bowl of popcorn sitting on the counter. “Everybody’s at their posts. Why aren’t you at yours?”
    She offered him the popcorn. He shook his head.
    “I’m going to need a new post.”
    “You can take mine. I’m getting fat. If Fiona has a spare minute, she sticks something in the oven.” His sister’s eyes sparkled. “I weighed myself. I’ve actually gained three pounds. That’s about a pound a day since we’ve been here.”
    “You could use it.” He glanced at the ceiling, wondering what Kendall was doing. The problem with her running him off was that he wouldn’t know what she was doing all the time. She was right in that respect: he’d been relying on his job as bodyguard for an excuse to be around her, see her. “Why’d you let her go out by herself?”
    Ashlyn stared at him. “This isn’t a prison, brother.”
    “Okay.” He let out a breath. Maybe he was being paranoid. “Aren’t we here to keep an eye on things?”
    Ash munched some popcorn. “The family is gone. We’re here in an overseer capacity now, more than anything.”
    She was right. He couldn’t put Kendall in a bottle to keep her safe.
    Xav came in, shaking snow from his shoulders as he entered. “If this is any indication of what Christmas will be like, I predict it’ll be white.”
    Sloan noticed his sister sat up straighter when Xav appeared. She offered him the popcorn bowl and Xav took a handful. The whole thing happened silently, as if this was a normal routine. Expected.
    Sloan frowned, realizing his little sister might have a thing for Kendall’s twin.
    “Is this dinner?” Xav asked, his gaze on Ash.
    “Maybe,” she said, her eyes sparkling.
    Sloan’s radar went up. This