Scotland for Christmas

They were traveling away from what he knew and toward the unknown—Isabel’s family wedding.

There was still so much he didn’t know about the Sage family. Normally, he would take the opportunity to quiz Isabel about her uncle, her cousins, the kidnapping—everything he needed to know for his job. Somehow, though, she had a tendency to answer him in such a way that he ended up being the one in emotional danger.

Just when he thought he had her figured out, she shocked him into realizing he was in completely new territory.

He glanced over at her. The woman was...well, she was obviously beautiful, but it was her vulnerability that he found most interesting—the real Isabel, not the one who was so poised on the surface. He didn’t know much about how most women thought—he’d only lived with Rachel for those few weeks—but watching Isabel in action, he’d been reminded of that bathroom drawer of makeup that he’d emptied once Rachel had decided to take up with her investment banker.

Isabel had fixed her smeared mascara back at their first rest stop. Brought in that huge bag of hers and had reemerged, poised again as if nothing had happened.

There was a lot she kept hidden behind the polite smile she showed the world. The crazy part was that he really did want to protect her. He wanted to keep her safe from ever crying again, especially over that idiot who’d flown in from Scotland just to dump her.

But at the same time, it would be reckless to forget she was the enemy of sorts.

She was part of the family he meant to discover more about, and without their knowing he was doing it or why. That would bring complications. He had to be careful. The only reason Isabel hadn’t ditched him so far was that he’d been on his best behavior.

He scowled to himself. He wasn’t usually so friendly and open to people, not by a long shot. He did his job with a minimum of words. Silent protection. And he did it well; nobody got hurt or killed on his watch. He didn’t accomplish that by being buddies with the VIPs.

But Isabel wanted Jacob to be pleasant, right along with her.

“Will we be seeing some of that famous New England foliage?” she asked him as they passed north into Massachusetts.

“No. I think we’re too late for that.”

“A pity. I regret that I never made time to see it. It’s supposed to be brilliant.”

“Ah...” Jacob rarely made time, either. “The leaves turn red and yellow in the city, as well, but you’re right, there’s nothing like the vividness of the mountains in Vermont and New Hampshire.”

“Then I’ll have to make plans for another year, maybe.” She smiled sleepily at him. “I’ll have to come back and do it right the next time I’m here.”

He doubted she’d ever be back.

He let out a breath. She had a scent that filled his SUV. Shampoo, or soap, or some kind of shower gel that just...smelled good.

Made him want to move closer to her, though he would never actually do it.

She had long limbs, too, long legs that filled the bucket seat, crossed at the ankle of her tall leather boots. She had slender fingers, the nails clipped short, unpainted. He liked that.

As he glanced over at her, she toyed with a pendant on a thin chain that hung over her turtleneck, her eyes drifting closed. Long lashes lay against her cheek. She’d tied back her hair in a ponytail, and it rested against her shoulder, making her look relaxed and untroubled.

“Jacob?”

“Yeah?” He snapped back to reality. The road was lulling him. She was lulling him. Building a rapport with Isabel Sage wasn’t on the agenda any longer, and it was time he shook that off.

All he needed was to get her safely to the inn and pass her to the bosom of her family. Then he could start phase two of his operation: arrange his meeting with John Sage.

“We’re almost there,” he mumbled.

“Could we please stop and eat dinner together first?” she asked. “I’m getting rather hungry.”

He sighed. A reasonable request. “Yeah, sure, there’s a good place just ahead.”

A few minutes later, an hour away from their destination, he pulled the SUV into the dirt parking lot of a roadside restaurant.

Once inside, he ordered from the counter and brought back hamburgers, French fries, a root beer for him and bottled water for her—all to their booth in the back.

He was starving; the tantalizing smell of prime Angus beef and salty, deep-fried potatoes made his mouth water. He settled himself into the seat across from her and then bent his head and concentrated on the meal.

“Thanks for taking care of me today,” she said softly, that gentle hint of Scotland back in her voice.

“Yeah, no problem,” he said between bites.

“I’ve been thinking.” She ran a finger around the edge of her French-fry carton, not meeting his gaze.

Please don’t think.

“Are you being nice to me just because you’re being paid to?” she asked.

Oh, hell. He put down his burger and wiped his mouth. “I’m not actually being paid, so...no, I don’t think so.”

She tilted her head at him. “Why aren’t you being paid?”

He couldn’t spook her. Had to maintain his cover. “Ah, because I’m doing a favor for my friend. Lee. He, ah, owns the security company.”

“And how do you know this Lee?”

Great. He’d just opened Pandora’s box.

Jacob crossed his arms and stared behind Isabel at the paneled wall and the old Orange Crush soda clock. “Lee was the team lead for my first few jobs in the Secret Service.”

“And...?” she prodded. She could really be a sharp cookie when she wanted to be. “What do you owe him?”

“Nothing. We’re friends—isn’t that enough?” Jacob concentrated on pounding the bottom of the glass ketchup bottle. “If I like somebody, I’ll do them a favor. No big deal.”

“Do you find that you ever get hurt that way?”

“You know, I’m trying not to take this whole line of questioning personally because I know you just got burned pretty badly,” he pointed out.

“Don’t show me any favors. Do something because you want to, or don’t do it at all. That’s my new philosophy.”

Where was this going? He raised an eyebrow at her. Maybe the breakup had affected her more than he realized. “Sure,” Jacob said. “Will do.”

“And I’ll do the same. With you, I mean. Nothing phony or pretend between us.”

He darted a gaze at her, but she was already staring at him. They both looked away. Then back again.

“Was Lee at your wedding?” she asked finally.

Whoa. He went very still.