Claire Tucker’s three-inch heels tapped a quick pattern as she rushed across the laminate flooring toward the exterior doors of the yoga studio.

“See you tomorrow,” Hallie, the young front desk attendant called.

“Yes, you will.” Claire grinned, waved, and pushed at the front doors. She was at the five a.m. power yoga class every weekday morning at Holistic Studios. With the fast pace of her life and business, she needed some time to ground herself and slow down. Especially when she had days like yesterday where she’d had to call security to remove a hulking football player who couldn’t take no for an answer from her office. She didn’t date much and she especially didn’t date jerks who thought every woman wanted them.

The state-of-the-art yoga studio also had locker rooms and clean showers so she could be ready and to work in her downtown Dallas office by six-thirty. Work was her life and that was fine by her.

A man caught the door and held it open for her.

“Thank you,” Claire murmured, glancing at him. Her breath caught and she paused in the open doorway. “Brig?” Brig Hunsaker was her client, Knox Sherman’s, head of security and she had the hugest crush on him. She always kept it under control because there was no way she’d fall for a man who put himself in danger again. Kyle’s face swam through her mind but she pushed it back out again. It had been three years and she’d healed and forgiven herself—sort of.

“Claire.” A huge smile made Brig’s cheeks crinkle.

He had a smooth, perfectly handsome face, blue eyes, prematurely gray hair, and an unreal built body. He was so smoking hot Claire had trouble thinking straight around him. She berated herself for it constantly. She was a sports agent and her clients were all buff and most of them were extremely good-looking. None of them had turned her head, except for Brady Giles, who was now happily married, but she knew now that crush on Brady was a mere lollipop compared to Ghirardelli milk chocolate with sea salt and caramel when she looked at Brig. How was she going to stay strong around him? He’d tried to ask her out quite a few times when she’d been at Knox and Ema’s house and she’d always been able to change the subject quickly or tease and get away.

“Hey, Brig. What are you doing here?”

“I teach a Tae Kwon Do class at seven-thirty. Came early today to work out some kinks before class.”

Claire couldn’t resist glancing over the muscles revealed in his gray tank top. Sheesh. Why did she have to be so drawn to the buff types? Most of the time that meant athletes—off limits because of her career; muscle heads—off limits because the steroids had fried their brains; or men who protected and served—off limits because she wasn’t going there ever again.

But my oh my Brig looked good. No harm in looking, so long as she didn’t think about throwing all her chips in the pot.

“Good to see you.” She walked out the door. He didn’t give her much room and her shoulder brushed his muscular chest. He smelled like musk and man. A smoldering warmth started in the pit of her stomach. Move faster, sister. It was still dark outside this early in the morning, but the city lights illuminated the sidewalk nicely.

“Wait.” Brig released the door and jogged to her side.

Claire took some calming breaths, trying to center herself. She needed another yoga class.

Brig touched her arm and no amount of breathing could prevent her from noticing how good his touch felt. It was like rocky road ice cream in a waffle cone on a hot Texas day.

Claire turned to him. He stared at her with those bright blue eyes and she wanted to trip on her Kate Spade stilettos and see if he caught her. She hated being short so she always wore the tallest heels she could get away with. She was a powerful, career-driven woman and the lift helped give her confidence. Brig wasn’t as tall as Knox or Brady or some of her other burly clients, who most likely had some form of gigantism. He was probably about five-eleven. The perfect height in her book. Instead of feeling small and looked-down-upon, she felt protected by his tough manliness. Stop it, Claire. You’re not going there.

She waited for him to say something. He was the one who’d chased her down and called for her to wait, right?

A muscle worked in his jaw as he looked down at his hand on her arm and then back into her eyes. “Everything about you is so perfect,” he said.

Claire arched an eyebrow at him, trying to look at ease while her heart was slamming against her chest. How could she resist him? He was cool, calm, and perfect. He reeled her in like she was a guppy on a hook large enough a thousand pound marlin couldn’t escape from it.

He released her arm and jammed a hand through his hair. It melted her heart that this military man could be affected by her as he mussed his own hair and studied the pavement. She loved his gray hair. It set him apart. She loved his calm persona and confidence more than his looks, and that was really saying something because his looks were perfect to her.

“Things don’t come out right when I’m around you,” he muttered.

Claire was ecstatic that he’d just admitted that. “So the tough, perfect body guard has a weakness?” Dang she shouldn’t have said that, it was like she was egging him on.

Brig’s slow smile did funny things to her stomach. “Yeah. You’re definitely my weakness.”

She had to step back or she might do something really stupid, like ask him out. “Everybody has to have one. You know, Superman and Kryptonite.” She spun on her heels and headed toward the crosswalk. “See ya.” Flinging her hand up, she ground her teeth in frustration when she noticed the traffic light had turned green and the crosswalk was a solid red hand.

Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Brig striding deliberately to her side. Dang it, dang it, dang it. Say no, be strong. Oh, good night, he’s too stinking fine for his own good.

Claire ignored him as he came so close his shoulder brushed hers and that musky man smell swirled in her nostrils. Yum. Forget breakfast, she only wanted Brig. No! She needed to move. The downtown Dallas street was quiet this early in the morning. Maybe she should run across on a green light and pray she didn’t get tagged by some errant vehicle.

“Kryptonite hurt Superman. I don’t think you’d hurt me,” he said in a low rumble that did funny things to her stomach.

Claire couldn’t resist turning to look at him. “You have no idea how wrong you are. There would be nothing but hurt in store for you and I.” Her stomach curdled. Hurt? What would he say if he knew she was responsible for her fiancé’s death? She knew more about hurt than anyone.

Brig’s smooth brow wrinkled and his blue eyes looked troubled. “You’re wrong, Claire, please give me a chance. Just one date.”

Claire took a steadying breath and shook her head. She couldn’t hold his gaze. Why did he have to look like she’d hurt him already? If only he knew. It was so much smarter to keep her distance. Head of security, military man. No, thank you, may I please choose again.

The traffic light turned to yellow and she took the out, rushing across the crosswalk. Staring at the pavement, she prayed she could get away and he wouldn’t come after her. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyelids and that made her angry. How dare Brig worm his way into her heart with his kindness and patience. She was protecting him as much as herself. He had no clue how twisted her heart was and what she’d done to the last man she’d claimed to love.

A screech of brakes startled her out of her misery. Her head whipped up to see headlights bearing down on her. She screamed and tried to hurry out of their path but her tight skirt and heels were working against her. Please help, she screamed a prayer as she heard Brig calling out her name.

Find The Irresistible Groom everywhere ebooks are sold June 20, 2018.