Thank you thank you thank you!

Some of you have said you're new readers, some have said your hooked already, some say you love it like you love all my other stuff and I love hearing that some of you have been with me all along :') It gives me hope.

Smartgirl, thank you for commenting that the characters are not conventional because I really go to the effort to make my stories 'a bit different' and it really means a lot when someone notices.

I really am sorry I can't thank you all personally but most of you know what your comments mean to me by now ;) (Everything)

Happy Easter! :D

CHAPTER 6

"You do realise that drinking alcohol is not permitted in Texas state until you're 21?" Troy tells me as he drops me off and parks up for his night watch.

"Oh, Troy," I roll my eyes and wonder where he gets off sounding like my dad.

"I'm just saying…"

"I know what you're saying." I smile and slide out, meeting Jack at the entrance of the Cavern he has chosen for our non-date.

"No Mr. Overprotective?" Jack asks me as he flicks his eyes toward the car where Troy is seated, looking out and around for trouble.

"He's staying there tonight." I supply happily, going ahead of him into the small cosy beer bar, finding several gazes swinging to me as I head for the bar.

"Hey, Jack. Pretty girl you have there." One guy lifts up his beer to silently toast my sound man and I turn and flick him an amused look.

"Funny how everyone assumes we're on a date." I muse.

"I think I'm old enough to be your father," he smiles back.

"Well someone needs to be. It's not like my dad is doing the job," I deride, climbing onto a bar stool.

"Is that why you were upset the other day?" He wonders, ordering our drinks- mine's an orange juice much to my chagrin.

"Yeah. And having someone following me all the time isn't always much fun." I add meekly.

"He seems pretty good at his job though," Jack tells me of Troy. "He looked pretty peeved when you hugged me the other day."

"Only because he was an asshole to me before that." I explain.

"Ah," he nods. "So he wasn't really jealous?" He smiles at me teasingly.

"Jealous?" I turn to Jack and actually laugh at his suggestion. "That man wouldn't know jealous if it came and bit him on the ass…"

"Really?" Jack lifts a heavy brow and flicks his gaze up over my head, his mouth twitching with a smile and I twist to look over my shoulder, seeing Troy heading across the tavern floor, his full suit creating interest as to his motive for being there.

"Gabi, I need to speak to you," Troy tells me with a serious face and I look to Jack with a bemused smile.

"Okay."

"Alone." He adds.

"Can this wait? I'm kind of busy?" I wonder at his interruption and I see him flick a look to Jack and then back to me, silently assessing like always.

I secretly wish I could see the jealousy that Jack hinted at, but there is nothing but professionalism in his cool gaze. He blinks twice, his long lashes contrasting against every powerful muscle in his tense body.

"Not really." He admits regretfully.

"Fine, okay," I lay my glass down and look to Jack. "I'm sorry about this. I'll be right back."

"You won't be going back," Troy's hand flattens on my back as he guides me out and I flick a look up to him in confusion, quickly sprung back into reality as a cold liquid hits my face, the perpetrator standing before me with their empty glass of drink.

"We don't want you here, little miss tramp," the woman on the throwing end of the liquid tells me but before I can even think about retaliating, Troy is in front of me and pinning the woman to the wall, telling me to 'get out' while he controls the crowd.

I do as he says and wait outside, shivering with shock at what just happened. My top is soaked with beer and the smell is turning my stomach as I imagine how many more people feel the same way as the lady back there- I wonder how many more people hate me enough to cover me in drink.

"Let's move," Troy propels me toward the car once more and quickly ducks my head as I slide into my seat, wrapping my arms around my sticky body. He stands at the passenger door and slides off his jacket, carefully arranging it around my shoulders to keep me warm before he strides around the front of the car in his shirt and trousers.

Once he is back inside, engine idling, I ask: "How did you know?"

"I heard them talking about you as they walked by. They knew you would be in there…" He supplies as he pulls away and I curl into his jacket a little more, the smell of him still warm on it and his cologne sending my skin tingling.

"Great. Don't tell me, I can't trust Jack either?" I wonder.

"Right now I don't know who we can trust and who we can't." He admits, taking the streets with easy confidence, finally arriving at the hotel once more.

He comes around the car to open my door, offering a hand which I ignore as I climb out, still in shock, still staring around me like I have no idea where I am or what my name is.

"Lets get inside," he decides practically, putting his arm around me and cupping his hand on my arm as he protects me, every cell in my body buzzing with the awareness of his proximity. I look up, licking my lips, seeing his set jaw, the muscles working there as he clenches his teeth. I see his long-short hair tidy behind his ear. I see the arch of his thick brow and the flick of his lashes and I can even make out the flat line of his lips as he swishes into the elevator and finally looks down.

"Are you ok?"

"I'm fed up of hiding." I reply sadly.

"People will get over it," he says of my past.

"Really?" I muse. "I think that this is an indication of things to come…"

My cell phone rings musically in my bag and I pull it out, excited to see who is calling.

"Tay?" I breathe into the phone.

"Hey, girl!" Her familiar voice calls back as Troy watches me with his usual frown of concern.

"How are you? I miss you!"

"I know, we miss you too!" I hear the smile in her voice. "But who is that hunk you were frolicking with on the beach?" she asks.

"Hunk?" I question confusedly.

"Yeah some big, strong, dark-haired guy…" she describes.

"You mean Troy?" I ask with a splutter, wondering how she knows about that.

"Who's Troy? Oh who cares, he is a hottie!"

"Tay, Troy's my bodyguard…" I supply, blushing as he looks at me and realises the hunk I was talking about is in actual fact, him. And this he seems to find amusing because he is smiling inanely as he opens my hotel room door and checks inside before letting me into the space that makes my home from home.

"Well set us up would you?" Tay asks. "That body has to be worth the wait…"

"Troy?" I call him as he is checking outside through the closed curtains and I hear Tay screaming in my ear in protest. "My friend Taylor wondered if you would like to go out with her sometime?"

My heart actually stops in my chest as I ask this and I wait for him to reply.

"I have another woman in my life right now." He answers and I stare at him in shock, wondering what he means.

Does he mean me? Surely not. He always said I was a girl. Or a brat. He'd never call me a woman. But he told me he was single. Had that changed? Had he met someone on the beach I know nothing about?

"He's seeing someone," I tell my friend, snapping out of my stupor even though I can't pull my eyes away from his.

"Oh, bummer," Tay sighs. "Never mind, tell me about you…"

It's a long conversation. It goes on most of the night and Troy has seated himself in the arm chair with a book. He slipped off his tie and unbuttoned his collar a while back and now he is frowning with cute concentration, his eyes flicking over the words with quick ease.

"Good book?" I enquire nosily, waiting for him to look up.

He marks his page and lays the paperback in his lap. "Yeah. It's a crime thriller."

"So how come you didn't want to date Taylor?" I ask him as I lay my phone down and stand, ready to shower off the beer now that Taylor has been given the lowdown on my life. "I thought you were looking?"

"I really can't commit myself when I'm here twenty four hours a day," he reminds me and I nod.

"I'm going to shower off this sticky mess," I tell him, heading for the bathroom, coming out sometime later starving hungry and dressed into a nightdress-t-shirt, still wrapped in Troy's jacket.

"You keeping that?" He points to the jacket with an amused smile.

I blink sheepishly and press my lips in. "It's warm." I tell him.

He nods and rubs a finger over his full lower lip, attracting my gaze there.

"Are you settled now? I'll stand outside…" He offers, shifting in his chair.

"Will you stay?" I ask.

He meets my gaze as he stands and stretches his aching body. "If that's what you want."

"I know you're only outside anyway but so much has happened lately, I just feel better knowing you're here while I sleep."

He nods. "Okay."

I lay down on the bed and lift my head, watching Troy settle in his softer track bottoms and t-shirt, silently thanking him for staying with me tonight. I feel like a night without him is too scary right now and his bulky form sitting there is a familiar comfort I am getting way too used to.

"Do you really think people will accept me one day?" I ask into the semi-lit room, my lamp still shining.

"Yeah, I do," he assures.

"It doesn't feel that way."

"People are jealous, Gabi. You do know that's why they're doing it?" He asks.

I sit up against the pillows and look over to him. "Come and sit with me?" I beg while we're talking.

He rises from his chair and glides over, all graceful like a panther ready to pounce. His weight sinks down the mattress as he tips his head back and catches his arms around his knees.

He looks over. "Bullies only pick on those they are jealous of," he repeats quietly.

"That girl doesn't even know me," I puzzle. "Why would she hate me so much?"

"You said yourself you didn't win any fans doing Playboy…" he broaches gently.

"Yeah, who knew that would be such a big deal?"

"From what I know about women- which I admit is not much- they all like to be desired. Being in that magazine means you have every guy out there talking about you. Some girls just don't know how to handle that." He shrugs.

"Would you date a girl who'd been in Playboy?" I ask fretfully, wondering if this is why I haven't met the right guy yet. It's all guys seem to know about me.

"I don't see why not."

"Even though you know your girl has been seen naked by other guys?"

"I guess I'd be proud of her. I guess I'd feel like a lucky guy." He imagines.

"What if someone really wants to hurt me, Troy?" I look over to him and he gives me a long look before he shifts over and presses his arm to mine.

"They won't get to you." He promises.

"I believe that from you but when James wanders off, I feel like anything could happen."

"He won't wander off again." Troy assures.

"Mm. I wish I could have you all the time," I admit.

"Well that surprises me," he smiles softly, teasing me.

"I mean it. I know you're boring and serious and sometimes really, really annoying. But I feel safe with you. I trust you." I add shyly.

"I'm boring?" He questions, his thick brows shooting up toward his combed down hair, now ruffled from his day's work.

"Well, maybe not boring exactly…"

"I played Frisbee on the beach," he counters in his defence.

"Sometimes, just sometimes It would be nice if you could you know…relax a little." I hedge.

"Relax?" He repeats ruefully. "I'm too busy keeping you safe."

I'm glad he didn't say 'alive' right then. That might have freaked me out.

"So who do I go to when I need a hug?" I ask him, just like that night I was craving arms around me. Any arms. Especially his strong arms, I add secretly.

He leans forward, lifting his arm to curl it behind me, cupping my shoulder with his hand. "How's this?" he asks in a husk.

I blink away my touched tears and curl into him a little, grasping his soft top in my fisted hand. "It's good." I assure.

He nods and rubs his hand up and down my arm a little, his thumb starting a little comforting brush as I cling to him and let my guard down; maybe for the very first time since we met. Apart from when he grabbed me in the sea, but that doesn't count because I was crying and not in full control of my senses unlike now, when every thrum of his heart beat and every waft of his scent fills me with excitement.

"Really good…" I echo my earlier words as I become sleepy against his hard form beside me, closing my eyes as I feel his bulk protecting me from anything that might hurt me.

Protecting me against everything I fear.