locked away inside of you. Your mother’s death, your husband’s sexuality…should I go on?”
She moved toward him. “Good boy,” she said, clapping her hands. “You did your homework on me. Sorry to disappoint you, Dallas, but I’m not irrevocably damaged by my mother’s death. She was a sick woman who had enough of the world and ended her life. Whatever secrets were there, she took with her.”
Dallas folded his arms over his chest. “I find it hard to believe that you weren’t scarred by witnessing such an act. You were six when she shot herself. I don’t care how self-assured you may pretend to be.” He leaned in closer to her. “Somewhere deep inside of you there has got to be a lot of pain associated with such a traumatic memory.”
“And what are you going to do, Dallas? Heal me, or try to use my past as an opening to worm your way into my trust?”
“But you don’t want to trust me, do you, Gwen? You don’t want to trust anybody. You don’t want to let anybody in.”
“And how are you any different from me? I’d say you don’t trust many people either.”
“Not trusting people is one way to stay alive,” he curtly replied.
“Is that your professional or personal opinion, because I’m still not convinced that you’re just a bodyguard, Dallas. I get the impression that you have an ulterior motive for being here.”
Dallas grinned at her. “And what about your ex-husband, Doug? What were your ulterior motives for marrying a man you knew could never be a real husband to you?”
“Oh, you’re good. Where did you learn that little interrogative technique? Quantico?” She moved closer to him. “Don’t be so quick to judge people you haven’t taken the time to get to know, Dallas.”
“Gwen, stop trying to bait me. It won’t work.” He glanced around the living room. “So tell me, are the missing pictures on the walls your way of keeping me from learning more about you, or are you trying to hide something from me?”
She took a moment before she responded. “Maybe that is another secret you can try to worm out of me.”
He shook his head. “I can see this is getting us nowhere.” Dallas turned his attention to the front door. “I’ve checked the doors and windows downstairs, so don’t go outside unless you take me with you. I’m going to check the rooms upstairs, and then I suggest we call it a night.”
“I turn in early and I’m up before sunrise,” she informed him.
“Fine.” He walked toward the stairs. “I’ll come back down when I’m done with my sweep and turn out the lights.”
“I usually have a night cap before turning in,” Gwen admitted behind him. “I’ve got a bottle of Stolichnaya Vodka under the sink. Care to join me?”
Dallas turned to her. “Really? I pegged you for a Johnny Walker Red drinker.”
“I am, but I was told to buy you a bottle of vodka. Just wanted to let you know it’s there if you need it.”
“Lance tell you anything else about me?”
Gwen smiled as she started up the stairs. “Oh, I learned plenty, and not just from Lance.” She eased passed him. “Good night, Dallas. I hope you and Lawrence will be comfortable together.” As she started back up the steps, she paused, and turned back to him. “Oh, and one more thing. Lawrence snores,” she added with a delighted grin.
***
Dallas found out that Lawrence did actually snore in his sleep, sounding more human than feline. After ten minutes of listening to the cat gurgle, snort, and sigh next to him in the bed, Dallas took a pillow, blanket, and his gun downstairs to the couch. Dressed in his blue pajama bottoms, he wrapped the cotton blanket around his shoulders to stave off the chill in the house as he made his way to the stairs. When he passed Gwen’s bedroom, he checked her door to find she had locked it securely behind her.
After he had settled on the couch, Dallas found he could not sleep. The strange day with the woman was still eating at him. Looking
She moved toward him. “Good boy,” she said, clapping her hands. “You did your homework on me. Sorry to disappoint you, Dallas, but I’m not irrevocably damaged by my mother’s death. She was a sick woman who had enough of the world and ended her life. Whatever secrets were there, she took with her.”
Dallas folded his arms over his chest. “I find it hard to believe that you weren’t scarred by witnessing such an act. You were six when she shot herself. I don’t care how self-assured you may pretend to be.” He leaned in closer to her. “Somewhere deep inside of you there has got to be a lot of pain associated with such a traumatic memory.”
“And what are you going to do, Dallas? Heal me, or try to use my past as an opening to worm your way into my trust?”
“But you don’t want to trust me, do you, Gwen? You don’t want to trust anybody. You don’t want to let anybody in.”
“And how are you any different from me? I’d say you don’t trust many people either.”
“Not trusting people is one way to stay alive,” he curtly replied.
“Is that your professional or personal opinion, because I’m still not convinced that you’re just a bodyguard, Dallas. I get the impression that you have an ulterior motive for being here.”
Dallas grinned at her. “And what about your ex-husband, Doug? What were your ulterior motives for marrying a man you knew could never be a real husband to you?”
“Oh, you’re good. Where did you learn that little interrogative technique? Quantico?” She moved closer to him. “Don’t be so quick to judge people you haven’t taken the time to get to know, Dallas.”
“Gwen, stop trying to bait me. It won’t work.” He glanced around the living room. “So tell me, are the missing pictures on the walls your way of keeping me from learning more about you, or are you trying to hide something from me?”
She took a moment before she responded. “Maybe that is another secret you can try to worm out of me.”
He shook his head. “I can see this is getting us nowhere.” Dallas turned his attention to the front door. “I’ve checked the doors and windows downstairs, so don’t go outside unless you take me with you. I’m going to check the rooms upstairs, and then I suggest we call it a night.”
“I turn in early and I’m up before sunrise,” she informed him.
“Fine.” He walked toward the stairs. “I’ll come back down when I’m done with my sweep and turn out the lights.”
“I usually have a night cap before turning in,” Gwen admitted behind him. “I’ve got a bottle of Stolichnaya Vodka under the sink. Care to join me?”
Dallas turned to her. “Really? I pegged you for a Johnny Walker Red drinker.”
“I am, but I was told to buy you a bottle of vodka. Just wanted to let you know it’s there if you need it.”
“Lance tell you anything else about me?”
Gwen smiled as she started up the stairs. “Oh, I learned plenty, and not just from Lance.” She eased passed him. “Good night, Dallas. I hope you and Lawrence will be comfortable together.” As she started back up the steps, she paused, and turned back to him. “Oh, and one more thing. Lawrence snores,” she added with a delighted grin.
***
Dallas found out that Lawrence did actually snore in his sleep, sounding more human than feline. After ten minutes of listening to the cat gurgle, snort, and sigh next to him in the bed, Dallas took a pillow, blanket, and his gun downstairs to the couch. Dressed in his blue pajama bottoms, he wrapped the cotton blanket around his shoulders to stave off the chill in the house as he made his way to the stairs. When he passed Gwen’s bedroom, he checked her door to find she had locked it securely behind her.
After he had settled on the couch, Dallas found he could not sleep. The strange day with the woman was still eating at him. Looking
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