She pushed his hand away from her hair. "A grandchild?"
He frowned. "Go take your vacation, young lady. And when you come back, we'll talk about this some more. In the mean time, I'll see that no one bothers you."
She left the room with an annoying thought. How would he see that no one bothered her - by having her followed?
That was her first thought on the airplane when she noticed the man watching her. Each time she glanced his way, he turned back to his book. Had her father sent him to watch over her?
A wave of anger came out of nowhere, surging through her veins and washing the resentment to the surface of her consciousness. Was there any place far enough away to escape the tentacles of paternal love? What drove her father to meddle in every facet of her life? Did he think she was incapable of taking care of herself, or had she simply tolerated his interference so long that it had become a habit? She shook herself mentally. What did it matter? Let the stranger play guardian angel - as long as he kept his distance.
She stared boldly at him as he read from the book in his lap. He wouldn't dare look up while she was watching him. He was close to her age and, though she wouldn't have described him as handsome, there was something about his features that she found attractive. His strong profile was masculine without being rugged, and a healthy olive tan suggested an outdoor hobby. His curly brown hair stopped somewhere short of being unruly, but it was clean and clipped short.
He glanced up and met her startled gaze with eyes the color of fine amber - not brown, not yellow, but an indistinct mixture of both. They were warm eyes - eyes that held her attention long enough to bring color to her cheeks.
She looked away. No, he wasn't devastatingly handsome, like Denton. He didn't have that look of money or polished charm. He had something far more attractive. He looked like someone she would like to know. Someone she would have selected, not Dad.
She opened her purse and pulled out a paper back novel. She was letting her imagination run wild. Searching for a shadow behind every face wasn't exactly conducive to enjoying her vacation. He was merely another passenger.
She absently flipped through the pages to her bookmark. But why was he watching her? According to Denton, there was only one reason why a man would give her so much attention. Had Denton sent the man? No, Denton didn't know she was leaving the state. She sighed. Of course, a lot of people knew her on sight - people she didn't even know. Maybe he simply recognized her and was wondering where she was going.