to go through me now,” he said, his expression hard.
She knew he meant it, and it made her shiver deep inside. “Why would you risk yourself for me?”
Because he hated her, and it made no sense. But he was here, offering to do just that. Or maybe he planned to open the door and let them have her…
Ivy shook her head. That wasn’t Dane’s style. He really was here to protect her.
“It’s what I do,” he said, shrugging.
Heat blossomed in her cheeks. “So it’s the job. No other reason.”
His blue eyes were steady. “That’s right.”
She pushed her long hair back over her shoulder and took a sip of water. Her fingers still trembled, though not as badly as before. She shouldn’t have missed the target when she’d fired her weapon.
She’d been distracted. That had to be the issue—and what was distracting her was standing a few feet away and looking as delicious and tempting as ever.
“I still don’t understand why it had to be you. Any of those men could watch my back—and it would be a lot less awkward.”
“And what if it was more so? You’re a gorgeous woman, Ivy. Another man might be distracted by you—and that could prove dangerous, don’t you think?”
She heard what he didn’t say—that he would not be distracted at all.
“Not every man on earth is attracted to me, Dane. Not to mention, several of those guys are in relationships.”
“That doesn’t stop some.”
A sharpness pierced her. “Would it have stopped you?”
The instant she said it, she regretted it. It was too personal—and too far in the past to even think about.
He straightened, his expression hardening. “When I was married to you, you were the only woman in my life. I’d have never broken the vows I made to you. Never.”
Her heart thumped and her stomach tightened. “I shouldn’t have asked. It doesn’t matter anymore, does it?”
He came around the kitchen island and stalked toward her. But he stopped before he reached her, and her body trembled with excitement. God, if he would only sweep her up into his arms and—
No.
“It matters to me. It matters if you think my integrity is so meaningless to me that I’d have thrown it away the first time we were apart.”
“I didn’t say that.” Her voice was little more than a whisper.
“You didn’t have to. But the one thing you never seemed to understand is that I’m not like your father. He might have screwed around on your mother before he left, but I’d have never done that to you. Our marriage vows meant something to me.”
She wanted to reach out and touch him. Wanted, more than anything, to dial back the clock and return to a time when there wasn’t so much anger and hurt between them.
But that was impossible. Ivy dropped her gaze to the floor, her chest aching with unshed tears and a truckload of regrets.
“I’m sorry, Dane.”
He took a step toward her—and then he blew out a breath and turned away, put distance between them. She looked up again, watched him retreat. Her heart hurt in a way it hadn’t in a very long time. It was like someone had ripped the bandage off a wound just when it was starting to heal.
“Come on,” Dane said over his shoulder. “We’ve got a team meeting to attend.”
CHAPTER TEN
He must have been insane to agree to stay in the same space with Ivy. Dane leaned against the wall in the bungalow they were meeting in and listened to Matt and Big Mac talk about the plan. It was a little strange not being in charge of an op for once, but these guys were good. In fact, they were so good that his mind was mostly on Ivy.
She was sitting on a chair a few feet away, one leg crossed demurely over the other, the slit in her dress revealing a tanned calf and part of a thigh. A couple of the other guys glanced at her from time to time, and it made Dane crazy.
It shouldn’t make him feel anything at all, and that pissed him off even more. Why did he care who looked at his ex-wife or what
She knew he meant it, and it made her shiver deep inside. “Why would you risk yourself for me?”
Because he hated her, and it made no sense. But he was here, offering to do just that. Or maybe he planned to open the door and let them have her…
Ivy shook her head. That wasn’t Dane’s style. He really was here to protect her.
“It’s what I do,” he said, shrugging.
Heat blossomed in her cheeks. “So it’s the job. No other reason.”
His blue eyes were steady. “That’s right.”
She pushed her long hair back over her shoulder and took a sip of water. Her fingers still trembled, though not as badly as before. She shouldn’t have missed the target when she’d fired her weapon.
She’d been distracted. That had to be the issue—and what was distracting her was standing a few feet away and looking as delicious and tempting as ever.
“I still don’t understand why it had to be you. Any of those men could watch my back—and it would be a lot less awkward.”
“And what if it was more so? You’re a gorgeous woman, Ivy. Another man might be distracted by you—and that could prove dangerous, don’t you think?”
She heard what he didn’t say—that he would not be distracted at all.
“Not every man on earth is attracted to me, Dane. Not to mention, several of those guys are in relationships.”
“That doesn’t stop some.”
A sharpness pierced her. “Would it have stopped you?”
The instant she said it, she regretted it. It was too personal—and too far in the past to even think about.
He straightened, his expression hardening. “When I was married to you, you were the only woman in my life. I’d have never broken the vows I made to you. Never.”
Her heart thumped and her stomach tightened. “I shouldn’t have asked. It doesn’t matter anymore, does it?”
He came around the kitchen island and stalked toward her. But he stopped before he reached her, and her body trembled with excitement. God, if he would only sweep her up into his arms and—
No.
“It matters to me. It matters if you think my integrity is so meaningless to me that I’d have thrown it away the first time we were apart.”
“I didn’t say that.” Her voice was little more than a whisper.
“You didn’t have to. But the one thing you never seemed to understand is that I’m not like your father. He might have screwed around on your mother before he left, but I’d have never done that to you. Our marriage vows meant something to me.”
She wanted to reach out and touch him. Wanted, more than anything, to dial back the clock and return to a time when there wasn’t so much anger and hurt between them.
But that was impossible. Ivy dropped her gaze to the floor, her chest aching with unshed tears and a truckload of regrets.
“I’m sorry, Dane.”
He took a step toward her—and then he blew out a breath and turned away, put distance between them. She looked up again, watched him retreat. Her heart hurt in a way it hadn’t in a very long time. It was like someone had ripped the bandage off a wound just when it was starting to heal.
“Come on,” Dane said over his shoulder. “We’ve got a team meeting to attend.”
CHAPTER TEN
He must have been insane to agree to stay in the same space with Ivy. Dane leaned against the wall in the bungalow they were meeting in and listened to Matt and Big Mac talk about the plan. It was a little strange not being in charge of an op for once, but these guys were good. In fact, they were so good that his mind was mostly on Ivy.
She was sitting on a chair a few feet away, one leg crossed demurely over the other, the slit in her dress revealing a tanned calf and part of a thigh. A couple of the other guys glanced at her from time to time, and it made Dane crazy.
It shouldn’t make him feel anything at all, and that pissed him off even more. Why did he care who looked at his ex-wife or what
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