The Pursued Patriot: Georgia Patriots Romance

by Cami Checketts

  Mike lifted his hand toward Shar. “Where do you want to do this?”

  “The press Shar like a barbell?” she teased. Or the kiss? Her face filled with heat. She’d really like to shower before the kiss.

  Mike chuckled. “Yes.”

  Gunner gestured to the plush rug in the living area. “You’ll have to just do it on the floor.”

  Shar walked unsteadily to Mike and took his hand. She was a little awkward with Gunner and Lily watching but didn’t know how to ask them not to watch. She and Mike walked over to the rug. He released her hand, laid down on his back with his knees bent, extended his hands up, and grinned at her. “Ready?”

  “I’m not quite sure how to … become your barbell.”

  Lily laughed. “Just lay on his hands, but keep your body stiff like a board, and he can press you up and down. Look, we’ll show you.”

  Mike rolled up to a seated position as Shar stood awkwardly next to him. Gunner pumped his eyebrows, quickly laid on his back, and pulled Lily on top of him. She laughed as he clamped one hand around her hip and rear and the other under her armpit and chest. He pushed her up and down several times with her long, blonde hair streaming down into his face, a huge grin on his face, and his hands in positions that would be completely unacceptable for Mike and Shar.

  “See?” Lily asked, beaming as she went up and down in her husband’s arms.

  “Um, that’s not going to work,” Shar said quietly.

  “Why not?”

  “Because we’re not married,” Shar protested.

  “Oh! Sorry about that.” Lily started laughing, and then Gunner started laughing. He lowered her onto his chest and released her, letting her fall on top of him. Flipping her over onto her back, he rolled halfway on top of her and kissed her long and slow. Mike looked away, and Shar wondered if he was anywhere close to as embarrassed as she was. Gunner finally released her, and Lily smiled up at Shar. “This is the most fun job we’ve had in a while.”

  “Oh, I’m glad.” Shar supposed after tracking down drug lords and rescuing children from traffickers, this job would feel like a vacation to them. They were all safe in this cabin with the security she’d seen Gunner monitoring, and the stalker had no way of tracking them. Gunner and Lily were obviously letting their guard down. She didn’t mind. If only she and Mike could kiss like that.

  Gunner easily lifted Lily to her feet, springing up next to her. “Your turn.”

  Shar wondered if those two realized they had failed to show Mike how to hold her like a barbell while not touching her inappropriately. Her face flamed red.

  Mike smiled up at her and extended a hand. “I promise I’ll be careful where I hold you,” he said as if reading her thoughts.

  Shar appreciated his sensitivity, and she really wanted him to win lots of minutes of kissing, but she still didn’t move.

  “Please, Shar. I really want to win …” His gaze flickered to Gunner and Lily, who were watching them with amused smiles. “My … movie choice.” His dark eyes warmed her clear through.

  “I want you to win too,” she murmured.

  Mike’s grin grew, and heat raced through her body. He laid down and bent his elbows so it wouldn’t be quite so awkward for her to lay on his hands. “C’mere then.”

  Shar could hear Lily murmur, “Dang, these two are fun to watch,” and Gunner chuckle.

  She ignored them and focused on Mike. Walking closer on unsteady legs, she bent down close to him and carefully laid down across his chest, facing him. Their faces were very close, and his smile was big. His right hand gripped around her shoulder, and his left hand around her waist. He gently slid her to his right, along his body, keeping his right hand on her shoulder but bringing his other hand carefully down to her upper thigh, so he had a wider grip on her body.

  Shar’s stomach was so full of heat from him holding her and being so close to him. She was surprised at the way her stomach pitched when he quickly started pressing her up and down. She held her body as stiff and straight as she could, focusing on Mike’s handsome face as Lily called out, “1 … 2 … 3 …” Shar could hardly believe how fast he was going, but it seemed like no time at all before Lily yelled out, “20!” Then gave a cheer. “Yay, Mike!”

  “Nice job,” Gunner said.

  Mike grinned at her, holding her with his elbows bent close to his chest for a second before murmuring, “You and I both know what I’m going for now.”

  “More minutes?” Shar asked, her body getting all warm again.

  “Yes, ma’am.” Mike winked, and then started pressing her up and down again. He didn’t even seem to be breathing hard as Lily laughed and started counting again.

  “… 34 … 35 … 36, Mike, how long are you going to keep going?”

  “As long as Shar will let me.” His grin was huge, and Shar decided she was absolutely in deep like with this man, but her stomach and head were protesting being lifted up and down like a barbell over and over again.

  “I think you’ve won the bet,” Shar managed.

  He pulled her down close again and murmured so hopefully only she could hear, “But sixteen minutes is nowhere close to long enough. Can I kiss you as long as I want?”

  Shar stared into his dark brown eyes. They could kiss all night long, and she wouldn’t complain. “Yes, sir. As long as I get to shower off my stinky sweat first.”

  Mike released his barbell grip on her and wrapped his arms around her. “As long as I get to see you in just a towel after.”

  “Mike Kohler,” she scolded. “Do you kiss your mama with that mouth?”

  Mike laughed deep and throaty. “Yes, ma’am, and I’m going to kiss you with it too.”

  Shar was hot from head to toe, and she could hear Gunner and Lily laughing behind them. She pushed off of Mike when all she wanted to do was kiss him here and now. Scrambling to her feet, she said quickly, “I’m going to shower, and then I’ll make y’all lunch.”

  Mike jumped up to his feet and winked at her. “Sounds like a great plan, but when do I get my bet repaid?”

  “Tonight, unless you tick me off before then,” she shot at him, then turned and pumped up the stairs to her bedroom. She doubted very much he could do anything that would tick her off, and she could hardly stand the wait for darkness to fall. Gunner and Lily would hopefully want some privacy as well because all she wanted was time alone with that beautiful man.

  Chapter Eleven

  Shar was anxious and excited about all those minutes of kissing that Mike had earned as the day slowly progressed. She enjoyed being around Gunner, Lily, and most of all, Mike, but at the same time, she was wishing away each moment of daylight.

  Lily and Gunner kept sharing secretive looks, and Mike kept giving Shar smoldering glances as they ate and made a fuss over Shar’s vegetable soup and Waldorf salad for lunch. Then, they played card games and watched a movie to pass the time in the afternoon. Shar really enjoyed snuggling close to Mike during the movie, but she wanted more. She wanted to kiss him and never come up for air. While Gunner checked everything outside, monitored security, and spent more time on the phone discussing the people Mike had written down with Sutton, the rest of them worked together to make a seafood scampi, homemade breadsticks, and seared vegetables for dinner. Shar worried that Lily had eaten a similar pasta last night, but Lily reassured her she would be more than happy to eat it again.

  Dinner turned out fabulous, and Shar was blushing from all the compliments, especially loving how much Mike seemed to enjoy it. They all talked and laughed together as they ate and cleaned up after. Gunner could actually be funny, but Shar still thought he’d married up. Lily was amazing. After they cleaned up dinner, they sat around in the living area, talking. Shar felt like she and Mike were just waiting for the moment it was acceptable to say they were going up to bed. Not that they were going to bed together, but that they would finally get those minutes of kissing she’d been daydreaming about all day.

  “Any news from Sutton?” Mike asked.<
br />
  Shar really liked that they all were part of this. Gunner didn’t seem to be hiding anything from them. He and Lily were a great team, and Mike included her in the conversation.

  Gunner straightened on the couch, and his dark eyes got more serious. “They haven’t found any red flags about most of the names on your list.”

  Shar felt the swoop of disappointment. Would they ever find this stalker?

  “But Sutton is concerned about Brett White.”

  Shar straightened and glanced at Mike. “The wide receiver for the Giants is on your list?”

  He nodded tightly. “He called this morning, and I couldn’t put the name from my mind as I wrote the list. I felt bad about it, though. He’s been my friend since college, and actually I’ve known him since high school.”

  Since college? Shar could understand why Mike would feel bad about naming his fellow player and friend.

  “There are a few red flags with Brett, besides the fact that the timing works, and he has the means to coordinate the stalking or hire somebody to,” Gunner started explaining. “He’s got reasons to hate you for winning the Male Athlete of the Year over him in college, taking his spot on the Patriots, and really, just being the all-star. But there’s some other info that Sutton’s guys uncovered, actually through one of Preston’s old college buddies who plays for the Giants. I guess Brett was bragging that he was going to get your spot on the Patriots to somebody in the locker room before their early afternoon game. When Preston’s friend overheard him and asked him about it, he clammed up, said he was just joking. Preston got a text about it and passed on the info to Colt.”

  “But that could just be a player bragging, and the jealousy thing is nothing new. These guys are highly competitive, and all want to be the best,” Lily said.

  Mike nodded. “Even if he was my stalker, what’s the play? He’s trying to upset me enough to make me not play well, so he takes my spot?”

  Gunner shrugged. “A lot of players are head cases, right? Maybe he’s hoping to make you one.”

  “Maybe.” Mike shrugged. “So, nothing else?”

  “Sutton is concerned enough that he’s got two men trying to find Brett to question him.”

  “What do you mean trying to find him? He had the one o’clock start today. He should just be flying home with the team.”

  “Should be, but he’s not on that plane.”

  The room went quiet. Brett not being on that plane felt ominous, and looking out the windows at the world darkening around them, made Shar suddenly uneasy.

  Mike seemed to sense it. He slid his arm around her and said, “Don’t worry. Gunner and Lily have us so safe in this cabin, an army could come after us, and they’d just laugh and take them all out.”

  Lily smiled. “That’s right. You two are safe. Do you want to …” She pumped her eyebrows. “Head upstairs?”

  Shar gave her a look but secretly loved the suggestion.

  “Yes, yes we do,” Mike said, grinning. He stood and reached out his hand to Shar. She put her palm against his much larger one, trembles racing through her at his warm touch and the depth of meaning in his eyes. This handsome, incredible man was going to kiss her, for a long, long time. She felt her stomach take flight. She could hardly wait.

  Standing, she murmured goodnight to Lily and Gunner who were watching them with amusement. She walked close to Mike’s side as they ascended the wide staircase. The loft was dark except for some built-in nightlights and the light coming from below in the main room. Mike paused outside her door and smiled down at her. She heard Gunner and Lily’s voices trail away, and then the master bedroom door close. She knew Gunner was probably monitoring the command center in there with all the security camera feeds and monitors, but she hoped the couple could enjoy some alone time.

  She loved that she was finally alone with Mike, and her stomach did a happy dance as he rested his hand on the door frame next to her, leaning close and effectively pinning her against the closed door.

  She shouldn’t have, but she couldn’t help but quip, “So do you have a timer? I want to make sure you get your allotted minutes.”

  Mike smiled. “I’ll just count in my head.”

  “Ah!” Shar protested. “You had better not be able to count while you kiss me. I can’t even think straight when you kiss me.”

  Chuckling, Mike eased closer. His strong body brushed against hers, and a flame lit inside her. “Hmm, I guess things were a little fuzzy in my brain the last time we kissed. We’ll see if you can distract me enough to stop my internal counting.”

  Shar slid her palms up his chest, and he let out a low groan. She smiled. “Why don’t you just forget about the timer?”

  He arched an eyebrow. “So I get your lips for as long as I want them?”

  Shar bit at her lip to hide the smile. “Yes, sir.”

  “Why am I wasting any time then?”

  “Why, indeed?”

  He grinned, pinned her against the door, and lowered his head toward hers. Shar slid her hands up around his neck, arching up to meet him. Their mouths connected, and joy exploded within her. Mike kissed her thoroughly, holding nothing back. His lips were just as delectable as she remembered from last night, as she’d always dreamed they would be. She knew they could kiss the night away, and she wouldn’t complain.

  Mike released her from the kiss and swooped her off the ground. She clung to his neck. “What are you doing?”

  He grinned down at her. “I figured if we were going to kiss as long as I wanted, I’d better get more comfortable, or I’m going to get a crick in my neck.”

  Even though she got hot all over at the thought of being “more comfortable”, she realized she only knew Mike as the superstar. Just because his father was a pastor didn’t mean he had boundaries. “Mike Kohler. You’d better think again if you think you’re carrying me into one of those bedrooms.”

  His eyes widened, but then they filled with warmth. “Shar Heathrow. You’d better think again if you think I’d ever disrespect you like that.” He turned and carried her toward the leather couch set on the loft.

  Shar cuddled in against his chest as he settled onto the couch. “Sorry,” she murmured. “I didn’t know where your value set was.”

  “It’s okay. You don’t know me that well. I’m about to remedy that.” He grinned, tilted her chin up with his palm, and proceeded to kiss away all her worries and rational thought. Shar loved every second of being held tightly against him as they kissed.

  Suddenly, an alarm blared through the cabin. Shar jerked away from Mike, and her heart started racing fast for a completely different reason than his unreal kisses. Mike lifted her easily to her feet, stood, and took her hand. They hurried to the stairs and down them. Gunner burst out of the master suite with guns and knives strapped to his body like some kind of Rambo. Lily was right behind him. She had a pistol in hand.

  “What’s going on?” Mike asked.

  “I’ve got three bodies outside according to the heat sensors, and that alarm is for fire. The system shows it on the back wall, but they somehow disabled the sprinklers. I’ll dispose of the threat, and then stop the fire,” Gunner said shortly. He turned and kissed his wife. “If something happens to me, you know the plan. Get them somewhere safe.”

  She nodded, her eyes filled with trepidation. “I love you.”

  “Love you too.” He kissed her again before hurrying to the back door. “Arm this behind me.” He slipped outside, and Lily quickly typed in the security codes to lock down the cabin again. She seemed to be taking all of this in stride, but Shar could see her hand was trembling. She tilted her head to them. “Get in the master. It’s the safest spot.”

  Shar’s body was shaking with fear. Three men out there, and Gunner was going to take them all on? And where was the fire again? Were they really safe in here? Mike wrapped a reassuring arm around her waist and escorted her into the master suite. “Don’t worry,” he said. “My money’s on Gunner.”

  Shar
knew how good Gunner was, but she could hardly believe he was going after those men alone. Lily closed the master bedroom door and locked it, easing to the monitors covering one wall. “I thought it was just another squirrel or deer, they’ve been setting off alarms all day. We heard a sensor trip while we were kissing,” Lily muttered. “I’m sorry we let down our guard.”

  “This is not your fault,” Mike assured her.

  The bodies looked weird, like watching “Predator” and seeing the red that showed the heat from someone. Shar thought she knew which one Gunner was, but she counted the ones he was creeping toward, and it wasn’t three. It was five.

  “Lily!” she whispered harshly. “There are five of them. Can’t we help him?”

  Lily’s face filled with indecision, her blue eyes looking tortured. Her husband, the man she loved, was outside fighting five men. How could she not go to him? Was her sense of duty for protecting Mike and Shar that strong? They heard a gunshot and a shout, and Shar screamed as she saw one weird red shape hit the ground, but the other four turned and flew toward Gunner.

  Mike’s jaw clamped tight. “I’m going to help him.” He strode toward the door.

  Lily jumped in front of him. “You’re not trained. You’d just be a liability.”

  “I can fight,” he said, lifting her off her feet and to his side. He strode toward the door, but Lily slid underneath him, knocking his feet out. Mike hit the floor on his knees.

  Lily sprang onto his back, wrapping her arms tight around his neck as more gunshots rang outside. “You think I don’t want to help him?” she ground out. “This is killing me.”

  Shar gasped. “Don’t fight each other,” she begged them, hurrying to help, but she didn’t know who to help either. She didn’t want Mike going out there, but she also didn’t want Gunner dying. But then she smelled … smoke.

  “Fire!” Shar yelled. Smoke was oozing under the closed door.

  Mike and Lily sprang apart. Lily went to the security station. “The kitchen wall’s on fire,” she said. “I have to get you two out of here.” She glanced at the screens, and everything was a blur as the bodies were obviously engaged in deep combat. Tears raced down her face as she turned away and motioned. “Let’s go. The Escalade is bulletproof. Sutton’s guys are an hour out, but we can start their direction.”