Now her brother rumbled out a full-blown laugh. “Rookie freeze-up syndrome? I like it. Remind me to accuse one of the guys of having that.”

“I’m serious, Carson.”

“So am I. And trust me,” he said again, “Cash has mad skills. He won’t let anything happen to you.”

Jen froze as the name registered in her head.

No, she must have heard wrong.

And if she’d heard right, then that didn’t mean the Cash he’d referred to was the same one she’d met at the Tavern. Her Cash worked in security, or at least that’s what he’d told her. Unless he’d lied… But why would he? If he was a SEAL, why not just tell her?

Yeah, had to be a different man. Maybe the name Cash was more common than she’d thought. People were naming their kids all sorts of weird things these days—maybe Cash topped one of those Most Popular Baby Names lists, along with Apple and Potato and every other bizarre moniker.

Jen put on her most nonchalant tone. “Cash? That’s the guy you’re dumping me off on?”

“Yeah. Cash McCoy.”

McCoy.

Crap. It was him.

Annoyance rippled through her as she realized that he had lied about what he did for a living, but the irritation couldn’t mask the rush of heat that flooded her belly as she grasped what this meant. She’d be playing house with her sexy cowboy for the next three weeks.

“How come I’ve never met him?” she asked suspiciously. “And if he’s such a good guy, why wasn’t he at your birthday party?”

“Because his parents were in town and they had tickets to a show. He came over the next night for beers.”

“Oh.”

Jen suddenly felt queasy. Did Cash know she was going to be his new houseguest? She hadn’t told him her last name, and knowing Carson, he’d referred to her as Jenny-Pie or some other juvenile name when he’d told Cash about her. Chances were, the guy was in for the surprise of his life.

As panic jolted through her, Jen got ready to blurt out a protest, but apparently Carson was done talking. He threw open the driver’s door and slid out of the SUV, rounding the vehicle to get her bags out of the trunk.

She stayed rooted in her seat, her heart lurching. She couldn’t spend the next few weeks with Cash McCoy. Maybe if he’d called, things would be different, but looking into his sexy blue eyes and drooling over that spectacular body, all the while knowing he wasn’t interested? That would suck.

And the icing on the cake? He was military. She had a firm rule about military men: don’t date one.

Who says you have to date him?

True. She could always just f**k his brains out.

Except he clearly wasn’t interested in doing that, seeing as he hadn’t called.

A sharp rap on the window jarred her from her thoughts. She turned to see Carson’s exasperated face peering into the half-open window. “Out of the car, Jenny.”

She opened her mouth, nearly confessing that she already knew Cash. But she stopped herself at the last second. Shit. She couldn’t tell her brother about the night at the Tavern. Not only did it make her look like the slut of the century, but it suddenly occurred to her that if she did tell Carson she knew Cash, he might scrap this whole houseguest plan and act on his threat of involving their parents.

Another knock sounded on the window.

“I’m getting annoyed,” he announced.

Sighing, Jen got out of the car. “I doubt you’re as annoyed as I am.”

Her brother’s blue eyes softened. “I’m just trying to look out for you. Maybe I’m overreacting, seeing a threat where I shouldn’t, but I won’t take chances with your safety. Until Brendan is gone, I refuse to leave you unprotected.”

An arrow of guilt pierced her chest. Carson sounded so genuinely concerned that she felt like an ass for the way she’d bitched at him all morning. “I know. I’m sorry I’m being such a brat.”

“’S’all good. I’m used to your brattiness.”

He reached out and tugged on the end of her ponytail, the way he’d always done when they were kids, and Jen couldn’t help but smile. As infuriating as Carson could be, he was still her big brother and she loved him something fierce. Besides, as much as she didn’t want to admit it, he was right. She didn’t feel safe. She’d been on edge ever since Brendan started playing these sick games with her, and although she wasn’t convinced her ex would actually cross the line from creepy to violent, she’d definitely breathe easier once he left town.

“Come on, let’s go in,” Carson said, linking his arm through hers.

Jen’s anxiety returned once they entered the building. She wondered how Cash would react when he saw her. If he even remembered her. A guy as good looking as him probably hooked up with ten girls a night. What if she’d just been another one of his faceless conquests?

Lugging her bags, Carson crossed the small, clean lobby toward the stairwell door. “Cash and Matt are on the second floor,” he told her. “But Matt’ll be staying with his girlfriend while you’re here.”

When they reached the second floor landing, Carson led her to a door at the very end of the hall. “Oh, and Ryan and Annabelle live upstairs,” he went on. “So if you want to do any girlie things, just call Annabelle. You met her, right?”

Jen nodded. Although she’d yet to meet her brother’s newer teammates, she knew most of the older ones well, along with their wives and girlfriends. Out of all the women, Annabelle Holmes was her favorite. They’d gone out for dinner a few times, and she’d hung out with the sarcastic brunette at Carson’s thirty-fourth birthday party last month, so it was a relief knowing that Annabelle would be nearby.