by Becca Van
“Thanks, Doc. We’ll make sure Rachel takes the time she needs to rest. Since we know we can trust you, I think I should fill you in on a few things,” Damon said with a sigh, his hand running down his face in frustration.
Damon spoke quietly, telling Doc everything that had happened to Rachel, why she was on the run, why she was so exhausted and in need of people to look out for her. He watched Doc’s face go from stoic to downright furious as he glanced back and forth to Rachel and Damon. By the time Damon had finished explaining, the expression on Doc’s face was enough to make any warrior sit up and take notice. He watched Doc rise to his feet, pat Rachel on the shoulder, then leave the room without a backward glance.
“What are we going to do?” Sam asked.
“Anything and everything we can. I was thinking while Doc was examining Rachel. Since none of us can take any time off from work, maybe we should call a few of our Marine buddies. See if they’ve settled in yet, or are still at loose ends. I don’t want to let her out of my sight, but I know damn well if I make her come to the office with me every day, she’ll only work herself more into the ground. And what do I do when Luke or I, or both of us, get called out of the office? No, we need some help, and I want no one but trained Marines helping to keep our woman safe. Are we agreed?” Damon asked.
“Agreed,” confirmed Tyson.
“Go make some calls, Damon, then we need to get Rachel home to bed,” Sam stated.
Tyson reluctantly transferred Rachel over to Sam and went back to work, and Damon stepped out of the room and headed to Tyson’s office to make his calls.
Chapter Six
Rachel woke feeling as if she had been dragged through a hedge backward. Her whole body was one big aching mass of nerves. Her eyes and cheeks felt swollen, and then she remembered her breakdown in the ladies’ room of Tyson’s hotel. She didn’t remember much after that, but knew she was in danger. She flung the covers of the bed back, embarrassment heating her cheeks when her totally naked body came into view. Oh God, who undressed me? She glanced at the clock on the bedside table to see it was already after ten in the morning. She hurried to the bathroom and was back minutes later, showered and dressed. She grabbed her purse and keys then rushed down the hall to the kitchen. She froze in the doorway when she saw Damon sitting at the dining table, drinking coffee and going through some papers.
“How are you feeling, baby?” asked Damon.
“I’m fine. Why didn’t you wake me? And why are you still here?”
“I’m working from home today, and you are no longer employed with the sheriff’s office until this thing is over.” Damon held his palm up to stop her from interrupting when she tried to argue. “You can’t rest if you’re working, baby. Doc said you needed to rest, and that is exactly what you’re going to do.”
“I need money to survive, Damon, and you need a secretary. How can I rest when I won’t have money to pay you for leasing your room?”
“You’re not leasing our room anymore, Rachel. You are our guest. No, don’t go arguing with me. Tyson, Sam, and I have already decided. You will be staying here with us until that bastard and his cohorts are in jail. I have called in a few favors from friends. By tonight, there will be two ex-Marines here to act as your bodyguards. We wanted to do it ourselves, but we haven’t been here long enough to take any time off.”
Rachel felt her eyes fill with tears, but was determined not to let them fall. She had done enough crying last night to last her a lifetime. As much as she didn’t want to put anyone else in danger, she had no money and nowhere else to go.
“Damon, I…thank you.”
“Aw, honey, you don’t need to thank me. I’m just doing my job. Why don’t you take a load off and I’ll get you some coffee and breakfast.”
“Coffee, I would kill for. Breakfast, I don’t have the stomach for.”
“You will have some toast at least, baby. You heard what the doc said. Plenty of rest and regular meals. How the hell are you going to have the strength to endure this shit if you don’t eat properly? Come on and sit down. Drink your coffee while I make your toast. No arguments.” Rachel watched Damon move around the kitchen. He poured her coffee and set it on the table in front of her then headed back to the kitchen and made her some toast. She loved the way he moved. His body was like poetry in motion as his muscles moved beneath his clothes. He sat down and nudged the plate of toast toward her until she picked it up and took a bite.
“You’re going to need to tell me what happened if I am going to help you, baby. Are you up to talking?”
“Yeah.” Rachel took a deep breath and wrapped her hands around her mug, relishing the comfort the warmth gave her. “I had finished working for the day and had even left the office. I was five minutes up the road when I realized I’d left my cell phone at work. So, I turned around and went back. I was halfway across the parking lot. The doors opened and Detective Mark Reeves was just exiting. I heard the squeal of tires on the tarmac in the lot and turned around to see a car speeding toward him. The popping sound didn’t register for a while, but the determination I saw on my boss’s face in an unfamiliar car and the smoking gun in his hand did. I turned back to the detective to see him lying on the ground. His eyes were wide open, he had three bullet wounds in his chest, and there was a pool of blood forming beneath his body. I didn’t stop to think. I ran to my car and drove to the Police Commissioner’s offices. I demanded paramedics be sent for Mark, even though I knew it was too late. I don’t know what made me do it, but when I was talking to the Commissioner, thankfully, I hit record on my MP3 player. I told him what I had seen, and he didn’t say anything for a while. He just stood there staring at me. When he did speak, it was to threaten me and my mom. He told me if I said anything about what I had seen, he would kill me and then go after my mom. It was obvious he was in this shit up to his neck.
“I ran. I went to my mom’s, got on her computer, and booked her on a six-month cruise. I hired a bodyguard to go with her, even though my mom doesn’t have a clue. Luckily I had left some clothes at my mom’s. I grabbed a bag and packed, took my mom to the airport, where I surreptitiously met her bodyguard, cleaned out my bank account from an ATM machine at the bank, and I haven’t looked back since. I have been on the run ever since.” Rachel finished her recitation, a hitch breaking her voice.
“Come here.” Damon held his hand out to her. Rachel put her hand in his, and he tugged her from her seat, pulling her onto his lap. “You’ve had a time of it, haven’t you, baby? I don’t want you to worry anymore. We will do everything within our power to keep you alive and safe.”
“I don’t want anyone getting hurt because of me, Damon. I couldn’t stand it if you or your brothers got hurt.”
“You let us worry about ourselves, baby. We are trained Marines, not long out of the service. No one is going to get to us, Rach,” Damon reiterated. She tilted her head up when he placed a finger beneath her chin. He stared deeply into her eyes, and she didn’t pull away when he slowly lowered his head to hers. She just sat staring back at him, and he lowered his mouth the last couple of inches.
* * * *
Damon groaned against Rachel’s lips then slid his tongue into the moist recess of her mouth. Her flavor exploded on his tongue, and with the first taste of her, he knew he would never be able to get enough. He moved a hand to the back of her head, cupping her head to his. He slanted his mouth over hers again and again. His tongue probed over her teeth, the roof of her mouth, her cheeks, and back to slide along her tongue once more. The sounds she made, her whimpering in the back of her throat, had his cock pulsing and straining against the seam of his fly. When Rachel slumped against him with acquiescence, he knew he had to pull back. He slowly wound the kiss down until he was sipping at her lips. He raised his head, taking in her passion-glazed eyes, her red, swollen lips, and pink-hued cheeks.
“Wh–why did you do that?” Rachel asked.
“You are such a sexy little thing, Rachel. Surely you’ve noti
She obviously didn’t know what to say, because she pushed away from him and stood to her feet.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She wouldn’t look into his eyes. She kept them averted from his. He watched her pick up her mug and plate and knew she was using the mundane task to recompose herself, taking them to the kitchen and placing them in the dishwasher. Once done, she stood staring out the window into the backyard, her arms wrapped around her waist defensively.
Damon walked up behind her and felt her stiffen when he caged her in by placing his hands on the edge of the sink. He breathed against her ear as he spoke quietly and felt her shiver.
“Don’t lie to me, baby, but most especially, don’t lie to yourself. You may not want to admit it, but you want us, as much as we want you. We’ve seen the desire in your eyes when you look at us. You can’t hide the heat in your eyes or the reaction of your body. We are trained to observe every little nuance of body language a person makes. I want you to get used to the idea of being with us. Not one or two, but all three of us. You were made for us, baby. You just have to get used to the idea. So I’m letting you know, from now on, we are going to do everything within our power to keep you by our side and get you into our bed,” Damon whispered into Rachel’s ear. He kissed her on the temple, straightened, and moved back away, giving her room to breathe and move.
* * * *
Rachel waited until she heard the scrape of the chair on the timber floor and the rustle of paper, indicating Damon was once more seated at the table, before she moved. She walked over to the sliding glass doors and exited into the backyard. She wandered around the yard looking at the plants growing, but not really seeing them. She sat down on a bench seat and breathed in the clean, warm spring air. The feel of the sun on her face was something she hadn’t taken the time to enjoy for over six months. The scent of roses and jasmine permeated the air, making her delight in being outside for a change. The garden brought her thoughts around to her mother, who loved to garden.
She missed her mother and the conversations they had had on a regular basis, but knew she was better off staying away from her and her home. She was worried about what she was going to do, because her mother would be heading home in three weeks’ time after the worldwide cruise she was on ended. Rachel had used the money she had been saving to buy her own house on paying for her mom’s cruise, but didn’t begrudge the fact her mom was safe. Nothing was more important to Rachel than her mother. Her dad had died when she was just a toddler. She had been so young she couldn’t even remember her father. Her mom had not been interested in remarrying, so she had worked day and night just to keep a roof over their heads and food in their bellies. Rachel felt it was now her turn to try and repay her mother for everything she had sacrificed for her. Not that she expected any gratitude, but Rachel felt guilty her mom was being threatened because of her. She would do anything to keep her mother safe. The sound of Damon’s voice calling to her pulled her from her reverie. She turned her head toward the doors and saw him beckoning to her.
Chapter Seven
“Rachel, there’re some people I’d like you to meet.” Damon indicated to the two big men sitting at his dining table.
Rachel hadn’t seen them, as her eyes were still trying to adjust from the bright sunshine to the dim light of the interior of the house. She blinked to clear her vision and moved further into the room. The two men were studying her curiously, their eyes roving over her body, but not in a lascivious way.
“Rachel, I’d like you to meet Seamus O’Hara and his brother Connell. They are going to be staying in the room out behind the garage. They are here to protect you when we can’t be with you. Guys, this is Rachel Lamb,” Damon introduced.
“Nice to meet you,” Rachel said courteously.
“Oh no, the pleasure is all ours, honey. We will do everything we can to protect your sexy little body.” Seamus flirted outrageously.
“Knock it off, bro. You’re gonna get your clock worked over if you’re not careful,” Connell said to his brother. “Ignore him, darlin’, he’s an indomitable flirt. He’s like this with all the ladies. Pleased to meet you, Rachel. If there is anything you need, don’t hesitate to let us know.”
“Thanks, but I’m fine. I really should be going to work. I would be as safe there as I would anywhere else, but the sheriff here has other ideas,” Rachel said facetiously.
“You would do well to listen to Damon, Rachel. He knows what he’s doin’,” Connell explained.
“I’m sorry if I sound ungrateful, because I’m not, but I think the best thing for me to do would be to leave. I don’t want anyone else getting hurt because of me. Can’t you understand that? I couldn’t deal with anyone getting hurt or killed because of me,” Rachel stated vehemently, tears of frustration and emotion pricking the backs of her eyes. She glared at the three men before her then turned and rushed from the room.
* * * *
“That went well,” Seamus stated.
“Shut up, O’Hara,” Damon bit out.
“I think this is the time I should take to settle into our room. You coming, Connell?” Seamus asked.
“In a minute. You go ahead,” Connell replied. “She’s a little firecracker, ain’t she? She’s also scared shitless and in love with you.”
“What? Do you really think so?” Damon asked.
“Oh, yeah, man. She looks at you like she’s dying of thirst. She really does want to try and protect you, doesn’t she? She’s gonna try and bolt at the first opportunity she gets. I’m going to get Seamus to set up a few remote sensors around the place. They’ll let us know if she tries to leave or if someone tries to get at her.”
“I appreciate you and Seamus coming to help us. It looks like we’re gonna need all the help we can get. Rachel’s also on the verge of emotional exhaustion. She collapsed at Tyson’s hotel last night. We had to get the doc in to examine her. He’s put her on complete rest for the next two weeks. Since she’s just started working as mine and Luke’s secretary, you can imagine how well that went down.”
“Yep, like a hole in the head. I’m going to go unpack, then Seamus and I will set up the sensors. What time will Sam and Tyson get back?” Connell asked.
“Ty will be out until the early hours, but Sam should be back by six, unless he has a rush job on. Do you want a hand setting up?” Damon asked.
“No, we’ve got it, man. Maybe you should try and talk to your woman,” Connell suggested, then headed out the door.
Damon scrubbed a hand over his face. He didn’t want to push Rachel too hard too fast, but if he and his brothers didn’t try to convince her she was meant for them, they were going to lose her before they even got her.
Damon stood in the doorway of Rachel’s room, watching her as she lost herself in a book. The cover on the book piqued his interest, and he moved further into the room to study it. He knew the grin that spread across his face must have looked like a cat after eating a bowl full of cream. The image of one female in sexy lingerie with two bare-chested men surrounding her made his cock twitch in his pants and fill with blood. He moved forward and sat down on the edge of the bed. It took every ounce of his control not to burst out into joyous laughter when Rachel jumped skittishly, trying to hide her book, a guilty expression on her face.
“Oh, I didn’t hear you,” Rachel said breathlessly as she scrabbled to hide her book.
“Uh-uh, baby. Too late, I already saw the book cover,” Damon said, leaning over Rachel’s body, his arms on either side of her, caging her in. “You know what this means, don’t ya, baby? All bets are off. You are going to end up in bed with me and my brothers. We’re not holding back anymore, Rachel.”
“Just because I read erotic romance about ménages doesn’t mean I want to have one.”
Damon did chuckle when she tried to speak as haughtily as she could. But it didn’t work, and the sight of her cheeks turning bright red as she glared at him had him laughing even harder.
“Now, how can you say that when you’ve never had one, baby?”
“I…” Rachel began then snapped her mouth closed.
Damon knew she was stumped for words when she glared at him with frustration. She was obviously so flustered she couldn’t think straight.
Damon didn’t ease into her this time. He took her mouth beneath his and ravaged her. He thrust his tongue between her lips and teeth, groaning as her tongue intuitively slid along his. He eased his big body over and on top of hers, pressing against her whole length. The feel of her breasts cushioned against his chest had his reflexes kicking in, and he thrust his hips into hers. He licked and nibbled at her tongue and lips, moved his body against hers, trying to get closer without crushing her. No matter what he did, he couldn’t get enough. He needed to feel her naked skin sliding on his.
Damon moved the palm of his hand beneath the nape of her neck, holding her in place so he could devour her. His free hand moved between their bodies, and he found the buttons to her shirt, undoing them one by one until he reached the last one. He moved the material of her shirt out of his way and soothed his hand onto the soft, silky, warm skin of her belly. The sound of Rachel mewling in the back of her throat made him go from burning to boiling in seconds. He caressed his way up to her chest, resting the palm of his hand beneath her breasts for a moment. When she didn’t protest or move to stop him, he moved his hand those few precious inches until he held her breast in the palm of his hand. The feel of her soft flesh giving as he kneaded it made him growl with unrequited desire.
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