Rebirth: Love me Again

[EVE]

Sinclair simply shrugged and took another leisurely sip of his tea, entirely unfazed by my protests. "If you can find another agency that can protect you better than the Fays, be my guest."

Challenge accepted. I grabbed my phone, determined to prove him wrong.

"I will, and I'll show you that there are plenty of agencies out there. They may not be as prestigious as the Fays, but they're reliable and—" I paused for effect, glaring at Cole. "—

second-best

will do just fine."

I began dialing number after number, fully aware that the room had gone quiet as all three men—Sinclair, Cole, and Zen—watched me with varying degrees of amusement. I wasn't going to back down.

However, one after another, my calls were rejected.

"I'm sorry, Miss Rosette, but we don't have enough staff right now."

"My apologies, madam, but all our personnel are on extended assignments."

"I'm afraid we can't help at the moment. Cole Fay—um, I mean, we're out of people."

I gripped my phone tighter, my frustration mounting.

Was everyone in the entire world hiring personal bodyguards right now?

Or was I just

unlucky

enough to have Cole Fay sabotaging my every option?

"What's wrong?" Cole asked, feigning innocence, though the hint of a grin tugged at his lips. "Couldn't find one?"

I shot him a glare, hoping the sheer intensity of my stare would burn a hole through his shameless face. But no matter how hard I tried, he remained completely unfazed.

Since when did he develop such thick skin?

I didn't know he was this shameless!

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to stay calm as I turned my gaze back to the three men.

Sinclair was watching me with a barely concealed smirk,

Zen looked positively delighted, and Cole . . . well, Cole's face was its usual stoic mask, though I swore I caught the slightest twitch at the corner of his mouth.

Sinclair raised an eyebrow. "Did you find anyone?"

I clenched my teeth, trying to suppress the urge to scream. "I . . . I'm working on it."

He set his teacup down with a finality that made my heart sink. "Based on your expression, I'd say you didn't."

I swallowed hard as he leaned back in his chair, completely in control. "So, you can either make your choice—be comfortable and die, or live and be uncomfortable in the presence of Cole."

I closed my eyes, feeling my headache intensify. This couldn't be happening.

Of all the people in the world, why

him

? Sinclair knew my history with Cole. Why would he choose him? Did the old man

hate

me?

Gritting my teeth, I cursed under my breath. "Fine," I muttered, my voice barely a whisper.

"Fine what?" Cole pressed, clearly waiting for me to say it.

I refused to look at him, not wanting to see the triumph in his eyes. "I'll agree to it, but only temporarily. Just until I find a suitable bodyguard. One that I'm

comfortable

with."

and don't have any ulterior motive

. I wanted to add.

Cole smiled faintly, not pushing the issue further.

Sinclair calmly sipped his tea. "Alright then, I'll have the contract prepared. Your rooms are ready, and I trust you'll take care of my granddaughter from now on?"

Cole nodded, though I could feel his eyes on me. "Don't worry. I'll take

very good care of her

."

My skin crawled. Why did his voice suddenly sound husky? Or was it just me?

"I'll leave you two then," Sinclair said, standing up. "I'm sure you have a lot to discuss. Come, Sebastian."

Sebastian barely lifted his head, then went back to sleep at my feet.

Sinclair sighed, waving his hand. "Fine, do what you want."

Once he left, I stood as well, turning toward my room without a word. Sebastian followed closely, and I was all too aware of Cole trailing behind me.

"What do you want? If you're looking for your room, go ask the servants," I snapped, refusing to acknowledge his presence even though we were now under the same roof.

Nothing had changed between us, and nothing will.

"My room will be next to yours," he said, not asking for permission. It was a simple declaration, like he already owned the place. "It'll be easier to protect you that way."

I spun around, crossing my arms, glaring at him with the iciest look I could muster. "What game are you playing this time?"

"Games?" he echoed, raising an eyebrow.

"Don't pretend. I know what you're doing," I accused, my voice sharp.

"Really?" he asked, his tone maddeningly calm.

His nonchalant attitude was starting to irritate me beyond reason. "Why are you

really

doing this? You're filthy rich, Cole. You don't need to be a bodyguard. Definitely not for the money."

A chuckle escaped his lips, a sound I rarely heard, yet it sent shivers down my spine.

"I thought you were smart, Eve . . ." His voice suddenly shifted, dropping into a deeper, more dangerous tone as he took a step toward me.

Instinctively, I backed away. There was something in his eyes, something predatory, as if he was about to consume me whole.

Before I knew it, I had backed into the wall. My breath caught in my throat as he continued to close the distance between us, his gaze never leaving mine.

We were mere inches apart when he placed both hands against the wall, trapping me between his arms. His face hovered dangerously close, so close I could feel the warmth of his breath against my skin.

"Of course, I didn't take this job for the money," he whispered, his voice low and rough, sending a wave of heat rushing to my face.

My pulse quickened, and I suddenly found myself unable to look away from the intensity of his gaze.

"Then why . . .?" I whispered, my voice barely audible.

His gaze softened just slightly, but his presence remained overwhelming.

"It's obvious, isn't it?" His lips curved into a small, wicked smile as he leaned in even closer, his words wrapping around me like a spell. "I did this . . . so I could be with you and make up for everything."