by Lexie Davis
“Ah, Cooper, this case is very close to me. I trust you to take care of the one prize I have left in this world. Promise me you will do that.”
“I promise. I’ll guard it with my life.” What it was, however he didn’t know, but if it meant something to the Major, it’d mean something to him.
After hanging up, the blonde straddled his thighs again and impaled herself on his condom-covered shaft. “You never finished me, big-boy. How about I do all the work this time?” With a sly grin, she started rocking her hips and Jackson lay back, enjoying the ride. Too bad he couldn’t remember her name.
Chapter Two
The hospital stay put a damper in Autumn’s work. The fact she had no office to work out of also put a damper in her plans and possibly threatened to close her down for good. She didn’t know what to do. Someone had tried to kill her. Her father was worried, which is probably why each of her three brothers took turns babysitting her as if she couldn’t take care of herself. Hell, she survived, didn’t she? That should count for something.
“Why are you still here?” she asked her brother. Davis, the eldest of the Callaghan clan, sat on her couch drinking her beer and eating her food as if he belonged there. “I don’t need protection. I don’t want you here.”
Taking his off the TV for a brief second, he met her eyes. “I’m offended.”
Autumn scoffed and took a seat next to him. “Go home where you belong.”
“Now, see, that’s rude.” He grabbed his beer. “I know for sure our mother raised you better than that. I’d expect that rudeness from Jeff or Nick, but not my sweet sister. It hurts.”
She laid her head back against the cushion and sighed. “I’m not a child, Davis. I can take care of myself.”
“Sure. And when some psycho killer comes after you to do God knows what to you, what are you going to do then, hot shot?”
“Call my brothers and have them come save the day.”
He chuckled. “See? You do want me here.”
Autumn knew just about as much as Special Ops as her brothers. Growing up, they had played games— still played games when they all got together—and she nearly always came out on top. Why were they making such a big deal about this?
“Oh, just so you know, Dad’s hired a bodyguard for you,” Davis went on to say.
“I don’t need a bodyguard,” she said through clenched teeth.
The doorbell rang, and Davis smiled. “Tell him that.”
Hopping up from the couch he raced her to the front door, fighting her for the chance to open it. Only because of his brute strength did he win their battle and pushed her aside. If her life turned to the pits when the bomb went off, she was in flaming hell right now.
“Well, isn’t this a surprise.” Davis grinned ear to ear at the man standing on the other side of the door. “Jackson Cooper. I haven’t seen you in ages.”
When Jackson met her eyes, she glared at him. Fourteen years she’d gone without thinking about him. Without thinking about the humiliation of literally throwing herself at him and begging him to love her. Only Davis knew what truly happened between her and Jackson, having caught them in the act in the barn. He was also the one who came after her when she ran away and all but fileted her skin from her bones to get her to spill what was on her mind. She cried like a baby and confessed it all to her brother, who in her defense threatened to boil Jackson’s balls. Up until this very moment.
And Jackson hadn’t changed one bit.
Although his hair was shorter, his eyes still hinted to the same sinful deeds. The connection wasn’t as strong as it had been all that time ago, but Autumn still saw the look of interest. He was bigger, body wise, with more muscle than that of his twenties. His thin green cotton shirt stretched across his defined muscles to the point she knew it would rip easily if tugged. She could imagine what his cargo pants covered and gulped a breath at that thought.
“You can’t be serious,” she said.
“Nice to see you too, hot stuff.” Jackson invited himself inside her home. He stood in her small foyer taking up most of the space.
Autumn leaned against the wall, refusing to breathe in his scent and let it go to her head. Those days are over, and you’ve moved on. But it was impossible. Just like Jackson the person, his scent filled the air around him and she held in a groan at the delicious spicy aroma.
“Oh, fuck it. You’re going to do what you want anyway.” She waved him off and walked away, heading for her bedroom.
Damn, her father for bringing him into this. Of all people to turn to, he chose her worst enemy. Jackson Cooper wasn’t a man she’d trust with her life because that too would probably end up like her heart—shattered to pieces when something new and something better came along.
Instead of coming in to talk to Davis, Autumn found Jackson barging in her house and following her right to her bedroom as if he had every right to. She turned on him, standing before her poster bed, feeling defeated before the battle even begun.
“Get out of my room,” she said in the calmest voice she could muster. In the end though, it came out hoarse.
“Not until we get a few things straight.” He stood perfectly still at the door, pinning her with his eyes. “I’m here on business. Your father hired me to protect you, and I fully plan on doing my job. So get it out of your pretty little mind you’ll somehow get rid of me or avoid me the entire time, I’m here. It’s not going to happen. I see all my battles through to the end. This one is no different.”
She refused to cry in front of him. He had lowered her from a human being to a job in five seconds flat. The look in his eyes said that he didn’t care. He didn’t give a shit about her or her life. He was in it for the money.
“I don’t care. Just leave me alone.”
“Not until someone tells me what the hell is going on.” Jackson stepped inside her bedroom. “Why do you need someone to protect your stubborn ass?”
“Look here, buddy. You do not get to come into my home and insult me. I don’t give a shit what my father told you or is paying you, but this is my house and ultimately my decision.”
A spark of interest flashed through his eyes and his lips curved slightly at her remark. “I fully intend on the Major briefing me, but I haven’t the slightest idea what the hell is going on. I need you to tell me what happened so I can plan the best course of action.”
Course of action. Yeah. Right.
“Someone planted a small bomb in a package and sent it to me. It blew up at my office. My father’s overactive imagination thinks the person who sent it is out for blood and planned on killing me in the process. I know enough about bombs from studying with Nick that a little hand-held isn’t going to threaten a life. Take an arm off, maybe. But not take a life.”
“And you saying that shows your naïve stupidity.”
“Stop it,” she screamed, tears forming in her eyes. “You do not get to waltz into my home and call me names. Especially when you’re uninvited.”
“No? You’d rather me sugarcoat it for you?” Jackson stepped inside her bedroom, taking up her space. “Tell your father, ‘Yeah, sure she’s tough shit. She can handle herself.’ Then stand to the side and watch your body turn into pink mist when a bigger bomb explodes—all on my watch? When hell freezes over, sweetheart. If you think I’m backing down on this mission because I hurt your feelings fourteen years ago, you’re not only stupid but an ignorant fool.”
“I hate you.”
“Yeah, well, that’s something I can live with.” He reached into the side pocket of his pants and pulled out shiny metal cuffs.
“What are you doing with those?” Autumn arched a brow.
“Until I can trust you, you’ll be handcuffed to the bed.” A sly grin crept across his face.
“You aren’t putting those things on me.” She walked around the bed, positioning it between them.
“No? Is the tough girl going to stop me?”
Autumn sized him up and immediately decided it was
a battle she’d lose. Although she roughhoused with her brother Nick, Jackson was twice his size. She would lose before the battle even began. Where the hell was Davis? “I’ll scream.”
“And no one will hear you.” He grabbed her arm and clicked the first cuff in place before she could pull out of his reach. “Or better yet, no one will care.”
The cool metal wrapped around her wrist like a snake twining around a limb. Autumn struggled and Jackson’s grip tightened. She hated the tingle he sent up her arm when his fingers held her wrist immobile. Nothing was more humiliating than the fact she still had that kind of reaction toward him after all he subjected her to.
“Now that’s a good girl,” he cooed. “If you’re really nice to me, I promise to give you more freedom.”
“Davis!”
Autumn jerked her hand away only to lose her balance and fall against the bed. Jackson climbed on top of her, pressing his body against hers to hold her still. She bit her lip to keep from saying something stupid like “Kiss me.” This was war, not foreplay, and she should have used her legs to kick him off her. Instead, her mind played their past relationship like a silent film. Each kiss, each touch flooding her memory faster than the speed of light. She groaned when he pressed his hips to her, remembering the feel of his body as he moved inside her. She’d been with men since her time with Jackson, but he was the only one who made her scream. Oh, how he made her scream.
He clicked the other cuff in place around the posts, the smug smile on his face saying he knew her thoughts. She didn’t exactly hide them, with her legs spread apart and her crotch all but rubbing against his. So much for not embarrassing herself.
“You try to play tough, sweetheart, but in the end, you will lose, and I will win.” Jackson brushed a strand of hair from her face. His gaze lingered along the length of her body almost as intimate as a caress. “I always win.”
She screamed her frustration, and he did nothing but smile. She kicked her legs in an effort to fight him, but he moved quickly out of the way. All logical reasoning said she was doomed. She couldn’t comprehend who he thought he was coming into her house and holding her prisoner, but he sure as hell would pay for it. They’d all pay for it, starting with her overbearing father and his gallant status quo.
Jackson held out his hands. “Now don’t move.” He snickered. “I’ll be back in a minute.”
“Fuck you, Jackson!”
He smiled. “As memory serves, you already have.”
* * * *
Jackson paused outside Autumn’s bedroom and took a deep breath. It was her. The forbidden temptation. Fourteen years ago, Autumn was pretty, but now…now she was hot.
Jackson leaned against the closed door and tried to erase the image of her body from his mind. Although she was still small, her body had filled out to perfection. Her plain black Metallica T-shirt did nothing to hide her perky breasts that he knew for a fact felt good in his hands and tasted even better on his tongue. And the tight denim jeans molded along every curve of her lower body, leaving nothing to the imagination. His libido came to life, dancing with excitement at the forbidden temptation she offered. A lot had changed since he saw the love-struck teenager last, and from what he could tell, it was all for the better.
He tried to clear his mind and erase the way she essentially tried to hump him on her bed just a few seconds ago. He never fucked the job, no matter how tempting it was. And that’s all Autumn Callahan was. The job.
He pushed away from the door and made his way into the living room to find Davis smiling at him, a boy with a secret. For whatever reason, he had been chosen to protect Autumn, and the Major expected him to follow through on his commitment. As hard as he knew it would be, he would follow through.
“Stop smirking.” Jackson plopped down in the nearest chair. “Brief me.”
“Dad’s just being protective. We all can’t be here to protect her, and Dad called you, assuming you could.” Davis sighed. “She’s possibly the most stubborn woman I know, but you’re partially to blame for that.”
Jackson rubbed the back of his neck. “I can’t help it.”
Davis stiffened. “Maybe not, but you could have handled it differently. She was just a child. You were her first love. Seeing you fucking another woman after you told her you wanted nothing but her body isn’t the best way to get rid of someone.”
Jackson glanced over to the side, focusing his attention on the kids playing basketball across the street. “I know that. But we were both young and stupid.”
“Really? From what I hear, your ways haven’t changed that much. What are you now, old and stupid?”
Jackson stood. “The last thing I expected was to get a lecture from you. Give me the information to do my job.”
“Two weeks ago, Autumn received a bomb attached to a clock. Though it was an amateur design, according to Nick, she was scared out of her mind. Dad wanted her to come to the ranch, but she refused. She said she had work to do, and the stubborn girl went to work the same day she got out of the hospital. She won’t quit doing what she loves most, and that’s treating sick animals. You’ll find that out soon enough so be prepared to spend your time at her clinic.”
“So the guy sends a bomb, something he obviously knows nothing about, with the intention of what? Killing her? Or was he just trying to scare her?” The stuff wasn’t adding up in Jackson’s mind.
“Autumn doesn’t have many enemies,” Davis said. “But in all honesty, she doesn’t have that many friends either. I don’t think it was a threat on her life, but someone definitely wants her to live in fear. She only tells us parts of her life, and most of that we have to drag out of her. She’s closed off and likes to keep her business to herself.”
Jackson could understand that. He was the king of keeping his shit private and had mastered his inability to care about others personal lives. Although, he couldn’t imagine the Major’s sweet little Autumn keeping secrets from her daddy.
“That’s it. If you need me, I’ll be at the ranch. I have a couple days off before I go back to the base.” Davis made his way to the door, stopping when he reached it. “One thing though, Jack, you hurt her again, and we’ll come after you personally. I should have done it years ago when she told me what happened at your house, but I overlooked it, knowing it was what it was. It’s not a threat, but a promise.”
Jackson stared at the closed door long after Davis left. What the hell was he doing here? The case was too personal, no matter how much compensation came from it. He glanced back at Autumn’s bedroom door and sighed. Too much was left unsaid between them. He knew he hurt her feelings, but he stood by his reasons. She was his job now. He crossed his t’s and dotted his i’s. No turning back.
He rolled his eyes and stood. He never went back on a commitment, and whether he liked it or not, he made the commitment to see this job through. If only he could remember Autumn Callahan was the job and not just a hot woman who hated his guts.
He twisted the doorknob and pushed her bedroom door wide. “Davis just left so it looks like I’m bunking with you tonight.”
He glanced toward the bed where Autumn should be and saw a pile of rumpled sheets. Shifting his eyes upward he saw the wooden post in the headboard missing.
“Fuck.”
He entered the room and turned to face a very pissed-off Autumn. Before he could react, she swung the wooden post at him, nailing his solar plexus with the blunt attack.
“I’m sick and tired of men like you trying to dominate my life.” She pulled back and swung again, hitting him with a blow for each of her statements. “My father. My brothers. And you.”
She tried to swing again, but Jackson grabbed the piece of wood from her and pinned her body against the door. Her breath whooshed from her lungs as he manhandled her. He twisted caught her arms and pressed them on each side of her body, forcing her to face him without reprieve.
“You hit me again, and I’ll reciprocate,” he murmured .
“Let me go.” She
struggled but he pressed his hips harder against her, effectively pinning her against the solid wood.
“Let’s get one thing straight. I wouldn’t be here if your father hadn’t called. You wouldn’t be here if someone hadn’t sent you a bomb. So for us to part ways again and go back to our normal routines, I need to figure out who or what the threat is and dispose of it immediately. The more you cooperate, the faster I’ll leave.”
Tears gathered in her eyes, and Jackson nearly groaned out loud. He hated it when a woman cried and hated it even more Autumn Callahan was the one crying. The same look on her face fourteen years ago reappeared. He may not know about feelings and emotions, but he did learn over the years that women usually only cried when their feelings were hurt or they wanted their way. In this instance, the possibility of both reasons rang true.
“Why’d he have to pick you?” She sniffled. “Of all the possible men out there, why did it have to be you?”
Jackson couldn’t answer that question honestly. No one ever question the Major’s intentions or reasons, and he wasn’t about to be the first. Jackson would like to think it was because he was the best at his job, having served in several hostile environments and come away with a victory, but he knew the Major only trusted certain people with certain things. Autumn Callahan was his most prized asset. Even though he had three boys, Autumn, Jackson knew, reminded the Major of her deceased mother. The fact that he trusted Jackson with his daughter’s life spoke volumes.
He stepped away from her and turned toward the bed. “I don’t know. I’ve done shit for him in the past and succeeded in everything I’ve done. I don’t know why he picked me other than the fact I do my job well and I always see it through until the end. I never back down no matter how tough shit gets.”
“He doesn’t know about our past,” she said.
Jackson turned to see her beautiful brown eyes shimmering with moisture.
“My brothers are the only ones who know, and it was impossible to keep it from them, otherwise I would have. He sent them to find me when I ran away, and Jeffery all but tortured me to tell him everything.”
