Sworn to Protect

by Diana Gardin

  He didn’t finish his sentence. He didn’t have to. He didn’t want to leave us. Something inside my chest grows warm and melty at the thought.

  Wrapping my arms around myself just to keep them busy, I chew on my bottom lip as anxiety sucker punches me. “I never should have dragged you into this. I can handle Wagner, I just need time. I can go to the authorities as soon as I have proof of what he did.” I trail off as his expression darkens, growing more intense.

  The air between us suddenly crackles as the air around us pulls taut. It’s like Jeremy’s presence is sucking the air right out of the room.

  He takes a step closer, crowding me. “You didn’t drag me into shit, Rayne. I’m where I want to be. And this is where I want you and Decker to be. You’re not leaving here tonight.”

  I open my mouth to protest. “We can’t…I mean we’re not your responsibility—”

  With another ferocious growl, he pulls me around the corner into a nook beside the entryway. Out of Decker’s sight, he presses me against the wall next to a locked cabinet. I don’t have time to think or react. Everything about Jeremy overpowers me, but it doesn’t elicit fear. Instead, my thighs clench together as my lips part with a rush of air. My breath comes in pants as his pupils widen.

  Then he claims my lips.

  And oh God, this isn’t the same boy I kissed so many times in high school.

  This kiss is fierce; it’s relentless. One hand is braced against the wall, the other slides down my side and wraps tightly around me, pulling me against his hard, hard body. His mouth works against mine, insisting, his tongue darting out to lick the seam of my lips, coaxing me none-too-gently to open for him. With a needy moan, I do, because all of the blood in my body is leaving my head and rushing straight to my throbbing core. His tongue meets mine, tangling and dancing and twisting, and it’s so sensual, so erotic, that I can’t get enough.

  My hands slide up his chest, under his shirt, and there’s a low rumble of sound deep in his throat that reverberates through my whole body. His muscles, so sinewy and strong, twitch beneath my fingers. It’s like my body is in tune with his, a perfect synchronization that promises utter and complete pleasure with our connection.

  Tearing his lips away from mine only long enough to trail soft, fluttering kisses over my jaw, his voice is hungry. “Rayne.”

  My name, from this man’s mouth? It’s soul shaking. And the way his lips are so reverent now against my skin…like he’s worshipping me. I shiver in his arms, at his complete mercy.

  I’m broken from the trance of Jeremy’s kiss by the cackle of laughter from the other side of the wall as Decker plays with Night. The dog’s soft, chuffing bark lets me know that Decker is safe with him, and my heart is full of conflicting emotions I can’t handle or control right now.

  Pushing away from Jeremy, I slide out from between him and the wall.

  I glance away from him, but his finger catches me under the chin and I look up into his earnest expression.

  “I want you here.” The statement is simple fact. “I want both of you here. But more than that, right now, I need you here. I need to keep you both safe. Let me.”

  I nod. There’s no turning him down. At least not right now.

  Jeremy catches my hand as I turn away, yanking me back to him. I stare up into his stormy gaze.

  “That kiss? I meant it. We’re not running away from it…just postponing it for later. Yeah?”

  A rush of heat makes me want to fan myself, but I swallow it and offer him a sultry smile. I’m pretty sure that right now, sultry is all I have in me. My knees are weak from that kiss.

  I salute him, trying to find a lifeline of humor before I crack open and show him everything I’m feeling inside. “Roger that.”

  The surprised gleam in his eyes is what I see before I whirl around and head back toward Decker.

  He’s barely even noticed my absence. With shining eyes, he glances up and beams at me. “Watch this, Mom!”

  Backing up from a sitting Night, he holds a nearly shredded tennis ball in his hand. “Night…catch!” Then, he tosses the ball in an arc into the air. Night leaps up from his spot, twisting his body and catching the ball in his mouth.

  He’s surprising agile for such a big dog.

  “That’s awesome, sweetie!” It really is.

  “Atta boy, Night.” Jeremy’s come up behind me, his proximity causing my body to crave his closeness again. A flashback of his mouth against mine, his hand on me courses through my mind, and I shut my eyes, trying to dispel it.

  It’s been a week. A week since Jeremy stepped back into my life.

  This is too fast.

  My head spinning, I rub my temples.

  “Hey, Deck,” Jeremy calls as he steps up beside me. “We’re grilling out. Want to help me get the grill going?”

  Decker shoots me an incredulous glance. “Can I?’

  I ruffle his hair with a smile. “Guess so.”

  His answering smile almost breaks my heart.

  As they walk into the kitchen and the set of double French doors leading to the backyard, Jeremy glances back at me. His expression is a complete match to Decker’s.

  Happy. Content. Fulfilled.

  My God. Look at what they’ve brought into each other’s lives already. It’s like they’ve been missing the other one all along.

  My eyes fill, and a sudden urge to sob nearly takes over.

  “Jeremy?” I call.

  He turns, his gaze sharp. Taking in my face, he moves to come back to me. But I shake my head with vigor.

  “Bathroom?” I squeak.

  He gestures, and without another word I find the powder room and lock myself inside. The guilt is eating me alive, one tiny bite at a time, and I’m overwhelmed with the cluster of emotions. I’m sad for the time they’ve lost together. Hell, I’m sad for the time that I’ve lost with Jeremy. Seeing him and Decker together just cements the fact that he would have been there, would have been a great father all along. But I’m also so damned happy that their bond is coming so naturally to both of them. The stress of all the emotions, combined with the fear that Wagner will eventually catch up with me, is too much to handle.

  I lean against the bathroom door, and my knees give out on me. Sliding down the door, I bury my head in my arms.

  And I cry.

  When I enter the backyard through the French doors, Jeremy is standing beside an enormous gas grill on a stone patio, and Decker is playing in the manicured backyard with Night. I watch the dog and Deck frolicking around for a second, my heart lifting when Decker rolls onto the ground exactly the same way the dog does, laughing wildly while Night licks his face.

  Jeremy glances up as I approach. “I’ve never seen Night take like this to someone before. It’s amazing.”

  I gesture toward the platter of chicken breasts, covered in spices and seasoning, sitting beside the grill. “What can I do?”

  Jeremy chuckles. “I got this, darlin’. You wanna tell me what just happened in there?”

  I offer him an apologetic smile. “Not really?”

  He frowns. Using a pair of tongs, he picks up the chicken pieces and places each one on the sizzling grill. “I thought after we eat we can go out and get anything you and Decker need for the night. Then tomorrow I can go with you back to Olive’s place to get some stuff for the week.”

  I nod absently, watching Decker play with Night. Then I startle, glancing at Jeremy again. His profile is striking in the dusk, handsome and strong. “Wait, what? We can’t stay here, Jer.”

  He meets my gaze with a steady one of his own. “Why not?”

  I put a hand on his arm. “Because this is moving too fast for me. And it’ll confuse Decker. We’ll stay the night, but we’re going home tomorrow.”

  Jeremy sighs. “Yeah, I get that, Rayne. I don’t want to rush Deck. But, God…this is so damn hard. I just want him to know that I’m his dad, you know? I missed enough time. I also want to be there for you both until we’re sure you�
��re safe. And being with him feels right.”

  I nod, because I can see that. The two of them together…it is right. Sliding my hand down his arm, I intertwine our fingers together. I want to comfort him, to reassure him that I’m not going anywhere, and that neither is Decker. We have time. “I think…I think he’s going to be happy when he finds out, Jer. Really happy.”

  His eyes blaze. There’s so much emotion there, shining through the green and gold. “Yeah?”

  “Yeah.”

  His expression clouds over “Listen, if you expect me to let you go home tomorrow—and I still don’t know if I’m comfortable with that—you need to tell me everything. Tell me what happened in Phoenix with your boss. Tell me the real reason he’s got eyes on you. Everything, Rayne.”

  My stomach jumps with anxiety. But I know he’s right. He’s trying to protect me, but he doesn’t know the whole story.

  Can I tell him what I saw? I really want to tell someone…the secret is eating me alive.

  Can I trust him?

  14

  Jeremy

  I’m standing out in the hallway, my arms folded across my chest, when Rayne steps out of the guest room upstairs. She finds me there, offers a small smile, and pulls the door nearly shut behind her.

  “Thought you were downstairs.” Her voice is soft.

  I push off the wall and extend my hand. Warmth radiates up my arm and into my chest when she takes it.

  “Wanted to be here, you know…in case you needed me.” The admission seems so trite when I say it aloud. She’s been tucking Decker in for eight years. What would she need me for?

  But Rayne doesn’t act like what I said was idiotic. Instead, her fingers curl a little more tightly around mine as we head downstairs. She glances down at our hands and then up at me. The question in her eyes is clear.

  What are we doing?

  I veer straight for the couch and pull her down beside me. Night lifts his head and chuffs to acknowledge our sudden appearance. Then he rests his head back on his paws, lounging comfortably on his bed beside the fireplace.

  Rayne sits, the weight of a stressed-out, scared single mom on her shoulders. She’s beautiful, stunning, gorgeous…but the weary way she holds her elegant body and the taut line of her mouth makes me want to punch something.

  Or lift all that weight and place it on my capable shoulders. Hasn’t she been carrying it alone for long enough?

  I point toward the stairs. “He’s the best kid, Rayne. You did so good.”

  Her mouth immediately transforms into the smile I’m craving. “He is, right? God, I got lucky with him, Jer. Being a single mom…it’s hard, you know? Especially when it happens at eighteen and you’re not the least bit ready for it. My grams helped me a lot, giving me a place to live rent free and watching Decker so I could get an associate’s degree. But it’s still the hardest job on earth.”

  She’s taken her long, silky hair down from the knot she had it in earlier, and it tumbles around her shoulders in irresistible waves. Her hair…it’s always been her signature. At least for me. It’s something I could never forget. I lift a piece now and let it fall through my fingers.

  “I’m sorry I wasn’t there.” My voice has dropped low; the words are hard to expel. “But damn, I wish you’d come to me before you ran.” I can’t hide the exasperation in my voice. I’m trying so hard not to be angry, because what’s done is done.

  She looks me in the eye, her gaze steady and full of meaning. “I know you are. It wasn’t your fault. I know that now. I wish…I wish I had trusted what we had. I wish I’d come to you no matter what your grandparents said.”

  I wish she had, too. But somehow, we’re both going to have to try to let go of the past and move forward from here.

  What that means for us? I don’t know yet. But I want to find out.

  “Hey. There were times that I was there, though. Remember when you had that big photography project due on Monday, and I convinced you to come to my football game on a Friday night?”

  Her lips twist in a smile that’s half-annoyed, half-amused. “Yes. How could I forget? I was sitting there in the stands, cheering you on, while simultaneously thinking that I needed to have a twenty-seven photo story done by Monday morning. Complete with essay.”

  I chuckle, scrubbing one hand over my face. “Yeah. But what happened the next day?”

  She stares into the distance, remembering. And now her smile is fully genuine. “You took me out on the boat Saturday. We stayed out for hours, and you pointed out things I could use for my project. I took the photos, you drove the boat, and now that I think about it, it was one of my favorite days. You came through for me.”

  I lean forward, turning to face her head-on. “I want to come through for you again.”

  She’s quiet, her hands worrying the hem of her shirt while her bottom lip disappears into her mouth.

  “Tell me, Rayne. Tell me everything. I want to know the whole truth about what happened in Phoenix, with your boss.”

  After she hesitates for what feels like an eternity, she finally starts talking. And as the story pours out of her, she draws her knees to her chest, like holding them there can keep the asshole ex-boss of hers out of her life. I’m listening with rapt attention, cataloguing details about Horton that I can’t find online. Like the fact that he got lucky when his small-time tech company blew up, but that he’s not the guru behind all of his software. He has a team of computer geeks who keep him relevant. If it weren’t for them, Wagner Horton of Horton Tech would be all washed up.

  “My last night there…I was working late. Wagner wasn’t expecting me to be there. I saw something.” Her voice trembles, and I lean forward, staring into her eyes.

  “What’d you see?” The hair on the back of my neck stands at attention, and my instincts are telling me her next sentence is going to be vital.

  Rayne’s voice drops to a whisper, like someone other than me is going to hear her. “I discovered documentation proving that Wagner Horton is stealing technology from another company. His biggest rival, to be exact: Prednar, Inc. He’s getting ready to roll out the next new tech that will change the way people communicate, but it’s not his idea. It was Prednar’s, and he used corporate espionage to steal it and claim it as his own.”

  Her revelation makes my insides feel like they’re being hollowed out. If what she’s saying is true, and I believe it is, then she has something on Horton that he would never, ever want to go public. People have killed for less. A lot less.

  Fuck! I want to hit something, but I focus on Rayne. Her midnight blue eyes are brimming, like she’s holding back tears. She knows exactly how serious this is.

  “You’re sure?”

  She bobs her head. “Jeremy, I’ve been over and over this in my brain. Every possible scenario. But I know what I saw can’t be explained any other way. He’s a tech thief. And he’s going to profit big-time off of what he stole.”

  She’s got a point. “Tech companies have all kinds of crazy spyware in place so their new software and designs don’t get hacked. Wagner shouldn’t have been able to get in. Maybe he had help.”

  She leans forward. “You mean, like someone on the inside at Prednar was helping him?”

  Nodding, I rub my chin.

  “Yeah. You don’t have proof, do you? Nothing to show the authorities that can end this?” I raise a hopeful brow.

  There’s a hesitation. She glances down at her knees, still pulled tight against her chest. “What I saw was a code…it was encrypted in the Horton Tech software. But it had the irrefutable Prednar logo incorporated in a way that couldn’t be erased. He kept it, I’m guessing, in case anyone on his team needs to check the code against what they’re working on. It was a file I was never supposed to see.”

  “Can you show it to me?” Adrenaline pumps through my blood, because codes? That’s something I can work with. I’m nowhere near the top of the hacker game, but with help I know I can get what we need.

  “I wou
ld, but I can’t log on to the network unless I’m inside the Horton Tech system.”

  Smirking, I shake my head. “That can be arranged, darlin’.”

  She narrows her eyes at me. “When did computers become your superpower?”

  I lift one shoulder as her hair catches my attention again. When she moves, a rush of floral-scented sweetness washes over me and I’m pulled into this fantasy where neither of us is wearing anything but that scent. Despite the fact that we’re discussing a serious and possibly dangerous subject matter, my body responds to her closeness the way it has a habit of doing. The rhythm of my heart becomes rapid and irregular, my eyes become laser-focused on her lips, and my cock goes hard, making my jeans uncomfortably tight.

  Shifting in my seat, I lift one shoulder in a shrug. “After.”

  After a career-ending shoulder injury, after my grandfather showed how little he cared about my well-being, after you left, after everything changed.

  She studies me, scooting closer on the couch. Now with her legs tucked underneath her, she reaches out and traces a line with her index finger around the scar at my hairline. It’s small, and faint, but it’s definitely there.

  “After what, Jer?” Her voice is the softest blanket, one I want to wrap around myself and burrow into.

  I don’t think about this topic. I don’t talk about it. I’ve built a suit of armor around myself in the years since it happened, turning to constant lightheartedness to get me through. Humor helps me remember that I can trust the people around me, that they’re not all shameless traitors the way my grandfather was.

  No one’s ever had a reason to ask me what happened back then. Until now.

  Shuddering, I fight for a lame attempt at a joke. “After I lost the three most important things in my life: football, my grandparents, and you. But hey…they say change is good, right?”

  Her expression softens, but she doesn’t crack a smile.

  Right. Because she knew me Before. Everybody else in my life got there After. She’s not gonna let me hide behind a joke or a prank. Not Rayne.