She turned just inside her studio door. “I thought a lot about us today, Jake.”

“And.” Tension crept into his body and his voice.

“And, we spend all our time at my place. I wouldn’t even know where you live if Topaz hadn’t given me John’s address when she moved in with him.” Hands on her hips, she appeared solemn and thoughtful. “I want to know more about you. I need to know more if this thing between us is going to have a chance.”

She didn’t know what she was asking of him. He’d always been secretive, closed-mouthed about his private life, but that had grown almost into obsession over the past twenty years. He also knew he had no choice. He had to let Sapphire in, had to let her see all of him if they were going to have a chance in hell of making it.

He only hoped that she could accept him as he was and that learning more about him wouldn’t scare her off. He was no clean-cut businessman. He was the guy other people went to when the hard jobs needed doing. And he was damn good at it. In fact, Uncle Sam had wanted him to stay on as an instructor, teaching the new generation of soldiers, but he’d declined, knowing he’d already lost too much of his soul in the protection of his country. Not that he regretted it. No, he was proud of his service. It was simply someone else’s turn to bear the burden.

“Sure, we can go to my place. We can pick up something on the way if you want. I don’t think there’s much there to eat.”

“Really?” Sapphire gifted him with a delighted smile and he realized she’d expected him to put her off, to say no.

“Really.” He went to her and gathered her in his arms, unable to resist for one more minute. Her head fit nicely below his chin and he rocked her gently from side to side. She sighed and put her hands around his waist.

He wanted to yell and beat his chest like a conquering hero. Instead, he kissed the top of her head, inhaling the citrus scent of her shampoo and the lighter floral of her body lotion. He knew she didn’t wear perfume, but she always smelled so damn good. He could eat her up.

His cock flexed in agreement and he was careful not to press his hips against hers, afraid she might step back if she knew how damn much he wanted her. “Show me your jewelry.” If he didn’t do something to take his mind off her sinful scent and delectable curves, they were never going to make it out of her apartment. In the short term, they’d both enjoy themselves, but he sensed it was very important to her to see his place. So therefore it was important to him that she get what she wanted.

He could wait. He was good at it.

She dropped her arms and walked over to a workbench. “This is one of the new pieces.” She held it out to him.

It was very different from anything she’d ever shown him before, more masculine and edgy. The various metals formed a pattern that reminded him of the pipes in an industrial power plant. But it was much more artistic and pleasing to the eye.

She was chewing on her bottom lip, a nervous gesture he recognized from their time together. As her bodyguard, he’d learned a lot about her and her moods, and that gave him an advantage. For some reason, she was nervous about what he thought of her work.

“It’s incredible.” And it was. Different, but it had the same sense of completeness and style that all her pieces had. “Not your usual design.” Sapphire’s jewelry was deeply feminine, dipping into fantasy.

“No, it’s something different I wanted to try. Topaz and I talked about opening up another space in the store, a storage room we barely use, and create a Sisters’ Jewels Urban, a place for edgier pieces. She’s going to approach Emerald about doing some complementary pieces to go with my designs.”

There was no mistaking her delight. “That’s wonderful news. Is that what your meeting was about this morning?”

She nodded, her eyes shining with happiness as she held up a pair of earrings that matched the design of the bracelet. “Kind of. I was thinking about offering it as part of a mass market line through a department store, but Topaz came up with this idea.”

“And you like it more.” There was no question in his mind that Sapphire would rather work with her sisters than with a large retailer, not matter how much more money she might make with them.

“Absolutely.” She set the earrings down and took the bracelet from him, replacing it on her work counter. “I’ll still be designing regular pieces for Sisters’ Jewels lines, but this way I get to stretch myself artistically.”

As much as he knew about her, he found Sapphire fascinating. “Tell me all about it on the way to my place.”

The smile she gave him had his dick standing tall and his heart thudding harder. She was really giving them a chance. He marveled at her generosity and bravery, not sure he’d have been able to do the same if she’d been the one to hurt him.

As soon as he thought it, he knew he’d do the same. He really had no choice. Sapphire had become essential to his life. Somehow, this quiet, artistic soul had made a place for herself in his heart, even though he’d barricaded and closed that organ off for years.

He helped her on with her coat and took her hand after she locked her apartment door behind them. “What would you like to eat? We can order and pick it up on the way to my place.”

* * *

Sapphire’s eyes widened when she got her first look at Jake’s home. The brownstone was old but well tended, and it certainly had character. Broad steps led up to a hunter-green door with a brass handle and trim. A tall, thin window flanked either side of the door. It was lovely.

“Come on.” Jake ushered her toward the door, one hand on her back and the other one balancing their dinner. They’d decided on pizza, half vegetarian and half meat-lovers special. “Hold this.” He gave her the box and unlocked the door, holding it as she stepped into the foyer.

“There are two apartments on this floor that we rent.” He let her keep the pizza and urged her toward the stairs. “I have the entire second floor and John has the third. I suppose John and Topaz have the third now.”

“Are they home?” She couldn’t quite contain the worry in her voice.

“I have no idea. Why?”

She shrugged, not wanting to talk about her sister and his brother and how much either of them might know about the situation.

He frowned as he unlocked his door and held it open for her. “You haven’t told her about us, have you?”

She sailed inside, pizza clutched tight in her hands. “No. I didn’t see the need.”

“I see.” Jake closed the door and locked it.

She wasn’t quite certain what it was he saw. She also wasn’t sure why she hadn’t told her sister about them, only that it seemed too personal to share. Of course, there was always the worry that Topaz would confront Jake and make their situation worse. Topaz took her role of older sister very seriously.

She set the pizza down on a table just inside the door and got her first good look at Jake’s home. It was a masculine space with the flat-screen television dominating the living room. His sofa was dark-brown leather, large and looked comfortable. A slightly battered, well-used chair sat off to the side. The floor was hardwood without a rug to soften it. There were no throw pillows and only wood blinds covered the windows.

Jake grabbed the pizza box and carried it into the dining area. Sapphire followed, wanting to see more of his home. His dining area was just as sparse as his living room. A wooden table sat in the center surrounded by four chairs. There was no art on the walls and the table was bare. He dropped the pizza on the table and continued on into the kitchen, which was separated from the dining room by only a countertop.

Jake collected two plates and two pieces of paper towel to use as napkins and came back to the table. “What would you like to drink? I’ve got red wine, beer, water or ginger ale.”

“I’ll have a glass of wine.” She needed something to steady her nerves. Being here with Jake, seeing his home, was giving her a whole new insight into the man. He and his brother had owned this building for several years, but Jake’s space looked as though he’d just moved in. It was stark, with nothing personal at all to say anything about the man who lived here. She’d only lived in her own space a few short weeks and it already felt much homier than his place.

It was as though his need to protect his privacy spilled over into his own home. What must it be like to live that way? So guarded and alone.

It made her heart hurt to think of him sitting in that large living room chair all by himself with little to comfort him. She could easily imagine him kicking back by himself to watch some sports event on his rather large television. Jake liked all sports and would watch just about anything. She favored hockey and baseball and wasn’t all that fond of football.

Jake placed a glass of wine in front of her and set a beer down by his plate. “You okay?” His deep voice broke into her contemplations and she smiled at him.

“I’m fine.” He was so handsome it made her ache to touch him, to reassure him he was no longer alone. But that wasn’t altogether true. It was up to him to let her into his life. She couldn’t force her way in. He had to really want her to be a part of it.

“You sure?” He pulled out the chair next to her and sat, his gaze still on her.

She nodded and reached for a piece of pizza—the vegetarian side. Jake grabbed a slice from the other side and took a big bite. She watched his strong jaw chew and his throat ripple when he swallowed.

Heat crept up her cheeks and she lowered her head and took a bite of pizza. Honestly, she had to stop looking at him as though she wanted to nibble on his jawline, to lick his stellar chest and washboard abs. Her nipples tightened and she bit back a sigh.