As I keep reading, I see that he’s going off the rails.

  He didn’t like it when I came onscreen.

  “Skyler, who is that man?”

  “Tell him no, Skyler.”

  “You may not know it yet, but you’re mine.”

  “You’re mine, and no one else can have you.”

  The comments get pretty heated, and Skyler’s loyal fans start telling him to stop.

  Did I do the right thing? I dunno. Is bakersking going to escalate? He might.

  I walk into the living room and sit down to finish watching Skyler’s show from my phone.

  She’s recovered from me butting in. I’m transfixed on her icing the cupcakes. Fuck she’s beautiful anyway, but doing what she loves, she’s practically glowing.

  When she signs off, I prepare myself because I know what’s coming.

  No sooner does she sign off from her show than she’s stomping through the house. As soon as she spots me on the couch, she puts her hands on her hips. “What the hell was that?”

  I nod. “You have every right to be mad at me right now.”

  She nods. “Yes, I do. What were you even thinking? This is my job. This is my livelihood.”

  I stand up. “I know that. I wasn’t trying to hurt you, you have to know that. I saw the comments, and I don’t know what went through me. I wanted to⁠—”

  I stop myself before I say too much.

  She starts to laugh. “What? You wanted to do what? Embarrass me? Pay me back for the stupid naïve twelve-year-old I was? Or maybe you just want to see⁠—”

  “Stop.” I move across the room to her. “Stop it.”

  She’s breathing hard, and I put my hands on her shoulders to try and calm her. “Sky, listen, I wasn’t thinking. You want the truth? I saw what he posted, and it went all through me. It wasn’t professional what I did, but in that moment, I had to let him know that you weren’t here alone, that you had me by your side.”

  She holds her hand up. “By my side? You didn’t just show him you were by my side. You claimed me, you asked me to be your girlfriend!” She blows out a breath, and her voice is strained. “I don’t know if you realize it or not, but fans love this kind of stuff. My viewership just exploded.”

  “That’s a good thing, right?” I’m quick to jump in. Dang, something good has to come from my choices.

  “Good?” she asks. “Yeah, sure, until you break up with me and people lose their minds, blaming me. There are already people commenting that there’s no way I’m pretty enough for you. Some of these people are brutal.”

  I shrug. “First of all, that’s ridiculous. You’re beautiful. And second of all, we just won’t break up.”

  She stares wide-eyed at me. She goes to her tiptoes, lifts her hand, and touches my forehead. “I’m sorry, did you hit your head or something? We’re not even together.”

  I’m going crazy. That’s all I can think because to me, we’re together. Yeah, I haven’t seen her since she was a kid. Yeah, I took one look at her in a video on my phone and thought, mine. I’m so royally fucked right now.

  I release my hold on her and back up. “Look, my job is to protect you, and that’s what I’m going to do. And that’s in all things. I’ll protect you, your reputation, all of it.”

  Her phone rings, and her eyes widen as she looks at the caller ID. “It’s my sister-in-law, Aria.”

  She answers it, and I wish I could hear the other side of the conversation because it’s obvious Skyler is freaked out.

  “Shit” is all she says.

  I hold out my hand. “Here, let me talk to her.”

  Skyler must be freaked out because she just hands over her phone without argument. “Hey, Aria. This is Zach. Is everything okay?”

  Instantly, she asks, “Yeah, are you packing?”

  “Excuse me?” I ask her.

  She huffs in frustration. “Do you have a gun?”

  “Yes. Do I need it?”

  I’m not sure if we’re talking in code or what, but I’m on high alert.

  “No!” she screeches. “Miller and Penn are on their way over there. They’re pissed, and I really don’t want you to shoot my husband or my brother-in-law.”

  I blow out a breath. “They saw the streaming?”

  She laughs. “Oh, they saw it, and they’re not happy.”

  “Okay. I’ll take care of it.”

  I’m about to hand the phone back to Sky when Aria demands, “Don’t hurt her, Zach. If anyone can, it’s you.” She blows out a breath. “And if you do, you won’t have to worry about the Brody brothers because I’ll get to you first.”

  I look into Sky’s big blue eyes. I’m not sure if she can hear Aria or not, but there’s a vulnerability on her face that makes me want to reassure her. “Aria, the last thing I’ll do is hurt Sky. I promise you, she’s safe with me.”

  Sky’s eyes get even bigger, and she looks at me as if she’s trying to figure me out. I hand the phone back to her, and she walks from the room to finish the conversation.

  I should probably be nervous. Miller and Penn are two guys I don’t want to mess with. Heck, you don’t want to get on the bad side of any of the Brody brothers. But I’m not bothered by this. I’m looking at it as two of the many obstacles I’m going to have to overcome to earn Sky’s trust.

  I keep waiting for Sky to come back to the living room, but I don’t see her until there’s a heavy knock at the door. She meets me there, and I stand in front of her. “I’ll get it.”

  She points at the door behind me. “We know it’s my brothers. Maybe you should go do something while I talk to them.”

  I shake my head. What kind of men has she been with that would just walk away and let her deal with a problem? Just the thought has me scowling. “Let me take care of this, Sky.”

  She seems shocked. “You want to deal with my brothers?”

  I nod. “I think it’s best.”

  She laughs. “Okay, have at it, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

  She steps to the side, and after looking out the peephole to make sure it’s her brothers on the other side, I undo the lock and open the door.

  Miller doesn’t hesitate when he sees me. He pushes me backwards into the house, up against the wall of the entryway. I don’t react. I don’t blame him, really. Her brothers have always been protective of Sky, so I expect nothing less.

  I let Miller get a punch into my stomach. I’m not going to lie; the hit hurts.

  I normally would react, but I know I can’t. Not if I ever want Sky to be mine.

  She yells at Miller and comes to grab her brother, trying to pull him off me, but Penn jumps in, wrapping his arms around her middle.

  Rage goes through me. I know it’s her brother, but I can’t contain it. My voice is laced with a threat. “Let her go, Penn.”

  Miller pauses in his attack, and both of the men stare at me. I grit my teeth. If he doesn’t let her go, I’m going to fight back. “I’m telling you one last time, let her go.”

  Penn must see something in my face because he releases his hold on his sister. Even Miller’s hands lighten against my chest. Sky is looking up at me in shock, and I have to drag my eyes from hers. “Now, Miller, can we go in the other room and talk for a minute?”

  He releases me and without a word walks down the hallway. I stop in front of Penn. “You want to get a hit in?”

  He smirks and holds his hands up. “I have surgery in the morning. I can’t hit you. I’ll leave that for Miller.”

  I shake my head and look at Sky. She doesn’t know what to make of all this. I’m sure she feels like I walked into her world today and turned it upside down. I give her a reassuring look as I walk past her to follow Miller.

  He’s pacing the kitchen when I walk in. I lean against the counter, feigning a calmness that I don’t really feel. I don’t know if I’ll ever feel calm now, not while there are men like “bakersking” that believe they can terrorize my Sky.

  Miller stops, takes a deep breath, and lets it out. He has a dress shirt on, sleeves rolled up, revealing the tattoos on both his arms. He’s a millionaire, but right now, he looks like a man about to lose his shit. “I paid two hundred and fifty thousand dollars for my sister to be protected, and you’re turning it into a booty call.”

  I push off the counter and stalk toward him, hands fisted at my sides. “First of all, be very careful how you talk about your sister. Second of all, I told Logan I didn’t want to take the money. He said you already paid it, so I told the accountant to pin it for a future case. I’m not taking payment for protecting… Sky.” I almost said my Sky, and it’s good I caught myself because I can’t imagine that would have landed well.

  Miller is taken aback. “Wait. What?”

  I start to repeat myself, and he holds his hands up. “Why would you do that?”

  Fuck. How do I even answer that? I decide to just be honest. “Because your sister means something to me. Because I want her safe, and it kills me to think that this guy is terrorizing her.”

  He walks slowly to me and stops. “What do you mean, she means something to you? Is there something going on here?”

  I jut my chin. “Today is the first time I’ve seen her since she was a kid, if that’s what you’re asking.”

  He looks at me with doubt in his eyes. “And what? You decide you need to be the one to save her? This isn’t adding up, Zach.”

  My voice is quiet and tense. “Trust me, I know how the video looked, but I can promise you, none of it was planned. All I can tell you is the truth. I was watching her from the sidelines, and I knew the minute her stalker joined because Sky lost some of her joy. I moved closer to see her phone, not even thinking I could have checked mine. And when I saw his comments, I did what I thought I had to do. I wanted the asshole to know that she had me in her corner. That she was protected. I acted on impulse, but I think it was the right move.”

  He looks at me through scrutinizing eyes. “You like her?”

  My jaw tightens. “I do.”

  Miller jerks back and throws a hand up. “Fuck, what am I supposed to do with that, Zach? I know you. Hell, I’ve known you a long time, but this is my sister. This is her safety.”

  I nod emphatically. “And I will protect her with every breath I have in my body, Miller.”

  He’s glaring at me, looking for the truth. “You hurt her and I’ll kill you.”

  I shake my head. “I won’t hurt her.”

  He tilts his head and looks at me. He wants to say more, but he doesn’t. “Even though you didn’t take the money, I want you to keep me updated. I want to be sent daily updates.”

  I pat him on the shoulder. “I got it, Miller. I’ll make sure you know what’s going on.”

  He huffs. “Right, I know, this is what you do, but she’s⁠—”

  I cut him off. “She’s your sister. I get it. Nothing is going to happen to her, I promise.”

  He nods, and without another word, he walks out of the kitchen. I follow him through the house, and he stops by the front door. “Penn, you ready?”

  He’s sitting on the couch with Skyler, and her eyes are on me as soon as I walk into the room.

  Penn stands up. “I’m ready.” He’s talking to Miller but points at me. “We good here?”

  Miller nods. “Yeah, we’re good.”

  Penn smiles, comes over, and shakes my hand. “Take care of her man, or I’ll⁠—”

  “Kill me? I got it. You’re the third Brody to threaten me today. Your wife was the first one.”

  When I mention his wife, his face tenses, but I’m not sure what to make of it.

  Miller and Penn both hug Skyler, and I wait until they’re gone before I lock the door.

  CHAPTER 6

  SKYLER

  My brothers leave, and I know Zach and I should talk, but I’m not sure what to say. So much has happened this evening, and I feel like I need to process it. “I’m going to bed.”

  Zach is watching me closely. “Did you eat dinner?”

  I shake my head. “No, but I’m not that hungry.”

  He scowls. “Sky, you didn’t eat any of the cookies or the cupcakes you made either. Eat with me.”

  I lift my chin in surprise. “You want to eat dinner with me?”

  As soon as I say it, I realize how it sounds. I’m acting like it’s a date or something. “I mean, do you want me to fix you something?”

  He holds his hand out to me. “No, come on. I’ll fix us something to eat.”

  I stare at his hand, and there’s a pull in my belly. I’m not sure what’s happening, but I know that there’s no world where Zach and I make sense. I avoid touching him and walk past him toward the kitchen. “I can heat up lasagna or cook some chicken if you prefer that.”

  I’m walking past the island to go to the refrigerator when Zach calls my name. “Sky.”

  I turn, and he’s right behind me. Instantly, I put a hand to his chest to steady myself, and his hands go to my waist.

  “Hey,” he says.

  I’m staring at his chest, frozen. Being this close to him, with his scent surrounding me, feeling the warmth and the weight of his hands on me is a little overwhelming. He lifts one of his hands to tilt my chin up so I’m looking at him.

  He leans toward me. “Sky, I know you’re used to doing this all alone, but you don’t have to. Not anymore.”

  I search his eyes. He’s making it sound like he’s going to stick around, and the way he’s looking at me feels like this is more than just him protecting me.

  As soon as the thought forms, I shake my head, pulling from his hold. “What are we doing here, Zach?”

  He huffs out a breath and then lifts me by my hips and sets me on the counter. It all happens so fast that I’m shocked speechless.

  He cages me in, putting his hands on each side. “So this is what we’re going to do. You’re going to sit here, and I’m going to fix you something to eat. I want you to relax.”

  He’s waiting for an answer, and only when I nod does he reluctantly back away. He walks over to the refrigerator, and I can’t take my eyes off him. His jeans are tight across his butt, and I feel guilty drooling over him, but heck, every part of him is nice to look at. “Do people still call you Fabio?” I blurt out.

  He grabs some containers out of the fridge and turns to me holding them. His cheeks are red. “Not much since I cut my hair years ago.”

  I nod, but I’m sure he’s just being humble. I sit on the counter and watch him work. Every now and then, he looks up at me and smiles or asks me where something is. When he has our food heated up, he hands me a bowl of lasagna with a fork.

  I’m about to jump down when he puts his hands on my waist and lifts me down, pulling out the stool with his foot and putting me in the seat. He acts as if I weigh nothing when we both know that I eat more of my baking concoctions than I probably should.

  “Is this common for you?”

  He grabs two waters out of the fridge, sets them down in front of us, and then sits down on the stool next to me. Instantly, he turns to face me. “Is what common for me?”

  I smile. “Oh, I don’t know. Manhandling women, taking over their kitchens, bossing them around, uh… asking them to be your girlfriend in front of thousands of people?”

  He takes a bite of the lasagna, moans, and points at the bowl with his fork. “Did you make this?”

  I nod. “Yes, are you avoiding the question?”

  He takes another bite and levels me with a look. He’s thinking about how he’s going to answer. That much is obvious. When he chews and swallows, he shrugs. “I don’t think I was manhandling you. I like holding you.”

  I’m barely able to process that, but he continues. “I just heated up some food. I’ll clean up. Does it bother you to have me in your space?”

  He doesn’t wait for me to answer. “And I’m sorry if I come across as bossy. This is, uh, new to me, and no, I haven’t asked anyone to be my girlfriend, let alone in front of thousands of people. You were my first… and I’m glad you said yes.”

  I put my fork in my bowl and set it down on the counter next to me. “Zach… what is this?”

  I watch his massive chest rise and fall. “You mean, this, between us? You feel it too, right?”

  My mouth drops open, and I quickly snap it shut. “Feel what?”

  He blushes again, and the sight stuns me. Shocked, I ask him, “You’re serious, aren’t you?”

  He takes another bite of food, chews, and swallows. “Yeah, I’m fuckin’ serious. I don’t know how not to be… not with you.”

  I can’t dwell on this, so instead I answer the question he asked. “No, it doesn’t bother me to have you in my space. It’s just new… and I don’t know what to make of all this.”

  He nods and eats the last few bites of his lasagna. He grabs my bowl and puts it in my hands. “Finish that, honey. You have to eat.”

  I take the bowl from his hands, and he gets up, moving to the sink to clean his bowl. I take a few bites, thinking of everything he just said. He doesn’t stop at the one dish. He cleans the bowl and pan from the cupcakes I made. I’m enjoying the view, but I know I should go help. I finish my food and am about to get up, but he holds a hand up to stop me. “Here, I got it.”

  He takes the bowl and makes quick work of cleaning it. When he’s done, he turns, leans his back against the counter, and puts his hands on each side of him. “Nothing can come of this. I mean, not right now.”

  And just like that, the floor shifts beneath me. I was a fool, and I shouldn’t have let my guard down. I felt it too. I felt there was something happening between us, but obviously I was just being crazy.

  I get off the stool. “Right. Well, I’m going to cover the cupcakes and then go to bed.”

  I avoid his gaze and put the cupcakes into storage containers. I feel like I’ve been on a roller coaster. One minute I feel like he’s going to kiss me, and the next he’s telling me that nothing can come of us.

  Still not looking at him, I walk past him, making sure we don’t touch. “Well, I’m going to go to bed. The spare bedroom is at the top of the stairs, first door on the right.”

 

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