Soldier Protector (Military Precision Heroes Book 2)

by Kimberly Van Meter

  She was touched by Rebecca’s concern, seeing as they’d never been what she would call friends, but rather simply work colleagues. “I’m fine but there was an incident at my house and I’ve been moved for my own safety.”

  Rebecca gasped. “Are you kidding me? An incident? What does that mean? This is like some serious spy stuff going on. Were you terrified? Tell me what happened.”

  “I can’t really go into details. I don’t know if my phone is being tapped. All I can say is that I’m safe.”

  “Wow, you are living quite the double life. Who would’ve thought that you, of all people, would be caught up in some international intrigue.”

  “We don’t know if it’s international. For all we know this could be some sort of domestic terrorism. Or it could be just some crazy fruitloop who has a death wish for the entire human race. But let’s not go jumping to conclusions,” she reminded Rebecca.

  “Of course. You’re right. I shouldn’t draw conclusions without adequate information. To answer your question, no, we haven’t made much progress. We keep running into the same walls as we did before. Frankly, as much as I hate to admit this, we need your brain.”

  It was the closest Rebecca would probably ever come to admitting that Caitlin was the team leader for a reason, but Rebecca was no slouch; she was brilliant in her own way. Still, Caitlin was disappointed to hear that no progress had been made. “There’s really no room for ego when the fate of the world is at stake,” she murmured. “I’m going to see if I can get back to the lab soon. But I don’t know if Zak is going to be willing to do that.”

  “Well, how is that going to work? We need you here,” Rebecca insisted. “I mean, I get that your safety is important and all but as you mentioned, we are dealing with the fate of the world, so concessions might have to be made.”

  “I know that. I’m just saying Zak isn’t willing to compromise on certain things.” As frustrating as it was to be cooped up, Caitlin respected that Zak followed a certain set of rules and wouldn’t budge. Okay, so she found his being a stickler for protocol sexy. Or maybe she just found Zak sexy. Hard to tell.

  “So what’s it like being locked up with tall, blond and handsome?” Rebecca asked.

  Caitlin blushed, thankful it wasn’t a video call. “It’s no big deal. He’s the perfect gentleman.”

  “Still? Good grief. That’s a shame. If I were locked in a house with that hunk of burning love I’d be recreating the Kama Sutra.”

  Oh, not that she hadn’t had those kinds of thoughts but she couldn’t rightly attack her bodyguard for sexual attention. That would be the height of inappropriate. Not to mention she wasn’t going to admit such thoughts to her assistant. “Well, Zak is here to do a job, not to be pestered by me with inappropriate sexual advances.”

  Even to her own ears she sounded like a stuffy old prune, so she wasn’t surprised when Rebecca made a sound of annoyance. “Do you ever loosen up? Tell me, what do you do for fun? Go through your penny jar and make coin rolls?”

  Actually, that was very soothing but Caitlin kept that to herself. “I do plenty of fun things. Right now isn’t about fun. Right now is about saving the world. And it seems someone isn’t on board with that plan and wanted to put a bullet in my head.”

  Rebecca gasped again. “Are you kidding me? Like, as in, a serious bullet? You must’ve been terrified.”

  “Yeah, it wasn’t a great feeling knowing that somebody had tried to end my life but thankfully Zak was here and he took care of the situation.”

  “Oh, my Alpha Male, did he just seriously get hotter? C’mon now, you feel nothing for this guy? Evolutionarily speaking, that protector gene should be awakening that primal feminine core that’s hardwired into our ape brains and turning you into goo. What gives?”

  Caitlin was accustomed to Rebecca pushing the boundaries of their professional relationship but Caitlin’s nerves were a little too shot for that right now. “Can you act your age for two seconds, please?” she snapped. “There’s more at stake than knocking boots with the hot bodyguard. I was freaking shot at, I’m holed up in a strange house, hiding from only God knows who, and I have no idea what’s going to happen next. I need you to act like a grown-up for once.”

  “Oh” was all Rebecca said in response and Caitlin actually felt bad for a moment until Rebecca added with a sniff, “I’m just trying to keep things light. You’re about as fun as a poke in the eye. Fine, back to almost dying. Did Zak catch the guy who took the shot?”

  Caitlin drew a deep breath before asking with mild suspicion, “How do you know it was a guy?”

  “Oh, good grief, okay, let’s keep it PC—the person—male or female, who took the shot.”

  Caitlin could only imagine how she must sound on the other end. Paranoid much? “Sorry, this whole situation has me on edge.”

  “You’re forgiven.”

  “Thanks. Okay, well, whoever took the shot realized that he hadn’t accomplished his mission, and he took off running. Once Zak realized the house had been compromised, we were out within ten minutes.”

  “So I’m guessing you were moved to some kind of safe house? Boy, you are living in a spy movie.”

  “Yeah, except it’s not that fun and I wish I knew there was going to be a happy ending at the end of this movie.”

  And, predictably, Rebecca giggled. “I can think of a few different kinds of happy endings I’d be open to, hint, hint.”

  Caitlin’s cheeks heated even more. “Good Lord, woman, you have got to be the most perverted person I’ve ever met in my life. You should probably get a boyfriend.”

  Or girlfriend. She didn’t actually know which way Rebecca swung in her sexuality, not that she cared.

  “So here’s the thing. Zak is probably not going to let me return to the lab, but I need my lab to do my work and I’m going to need my team. So you need to be prepared to leave at a moment’s notice.”

  Rebecca sounded giddy. “Are you kidding me? Are you asking me to go on an epic adventure with your hot bodyguard? Hell, yes! Where do I sign up? I’ll pack my bags right now.”

  Caitlin smiled even though Rebecca’s enthusiasm was a little unsettling. “Rebecca, this is very serious. You’re not coming on board to flirt with Zak. I need you with your brilliant IQ to work on the problem at hand, not imagine my bodyguard tied up in some kind of sex dungeon.”

  “Caitlin, you dirty bird. I didn’t realize you had it in you.” Rebecca laughed. “Calm down, I’m not going to harass your bodyguard. However, what I fantasize about on my own free time is my business. You can’t stop me from doing whatever I choose on my own time.”

  Rebecca was kidding but it made Caitlin a little uncomfortable knowing that Rebecca was likely touching herself while thinking of Zak. In fact, a ripple of possessiveness sharpened her tone as she said, “Well, just try to keep it professional when you’re on company time.” Even though it went without saying that Rebecca would always be professional when push came to shove, Caitlin took some comfort in voicing her expectations.

  Rebecca was a flirt but she was also a bright scientist. Bottom line, Caitlin needed her, which was why she put up with her nonsense. It wasn’t because Rebecca was the only person who seemed to take an active interest in her in spite of her lack of reciprocity. Now that she thought about it, why was that?

  “Okay, so when is this big, secret move happening?” Rebecca asked. “I want to make sure I’m ready.”

  “I don’t know. We’re still waiting to find out where Red Wolf wants to put us. Zak’s TL is coordinating with Tessara to find out which lab we’ll be using.”

  “Do you think it’ll be a lab in the States or out of the country?” Rebecca asked.

  “I have no idea but in the interest of expediency I’m guessing that it’s going to be here in the States.”

  “Good point. All right, I’ll let the rest of the team know and we�
��ll get our notes ready for travel. Is there anything else that you need from the lab that I should grab?”

  Caitlin wanted to do the work herself but she knew that Zak wasn’t going to let her be out in the open. So she gave Rebecca instructions on what to bring if and when the time came to mobilize.

  Breaking character, Rebecca asked with genuine care, “Seriously, though, are you okay?”

  Caitlin fumbled with the knowledge that Rebecca actually seemed concerned and wasn’t feigning it like people did when they remarked upon your summer cold. The solicitude in her voice appeared to be real. Given the fact that Caitlin had never been particularly chummy in return, it made her feel like a jerk. “I’m okay,” she reassured Rebecca, deciding she needed to make a better effort to be less prickly in the future. “Just a little bored and a little anxious to get back to work.”

  “Well, be careful what you wish for. As soon as they locate a suitable lab I’m guessing you can forget about sleep and eating until a cure is found or until we freaking die because some maniac has decided he’s had enough of humanity.”

  Caitlin shuddered. “God, I hope not. We just need to find a cure.”

  “We will. I’ll wait for your call.”

  Caitlin clicked off just in time for Zak to knock softly on the bedroom door. “Come in,” she called out.

  Zak stood with a deck of cards in his hand. “I thought you might be bored and I found these in a drawer. Are you up for a rousing game of rummy?”

  She smiled, shaking her head. “I don’t actually know how to play but I suppose now is as good a time as any to learn. Are you a good teacher?”

  His lips formed a sensual line, probably without Zak being aware of how that one tiny gesture sent ripples of awareness down her body. “Girl, I’m the best,” he said.

  Her heart fluttered an odd beat and she scooted off the bed. “All right, then, but don’t get butt-hurt when the student surpasses the teacher. I’m a freakishly fast learner.”

  * * *

  Zak stared at Caitlin’s hand, amazed and, frankly, annoyed that she’d won again. “Seriously, you weren’t lying. You’re good.”

  “I catch on fast. This is fun,” she said with a bright smile as she prepared to shuffle for another hand. “I’ve always enjoyed the concept of card games. There’s something very quaint about playing cards. Something left over from a bygone era.”

  He laughed. “Card games are not that archaic. People still play cards all the time. You mean to tell me your parents never played rummy or pinochle to pass the time?”

  “My parents were research scientists. They often had their noses stuck in books, completely oblivious to one another or me.”

  He felt a wave of sadness for the lonely girl Caitlin had been. He couldn’t imagine how life would’ve been for him without Zoey. Even thought they’d been four years apart, their bond had been unbreakable. She’d been his best friend. Swallowing the lump that rose in his throat, he smiled through the sharp pain and said, “Well, they must’ve done something right. You’re a pretty dope chick.”

  She paused to regard him with a quizzical smile. “Yeah? You think so? I never considered myself anything but different and strange. I had difficulties making social connections. I always attributed my challenges to being an only child but now as an adult I realize I don’t think it would have made a difference to have a sibling. In fact, I probably would’ve found a sibling incredibly annoying.”

  “Well, that’s how they’re supposed to be. Annoying your sibling is a given but there’s a lot of love there, too. My sister, Zoey, could push my buttons like nobody’s business but she was my world. For a long time, it was just she and I against the world, bouncing from one foster home to the next. Our bond was the only stability we knew.”

  “Was it awful?”

  “At times.”

  “Why did you go from different homes?”

  He drew a deep breath, admitting, “I got into a lot of trouble. Had some issues with authority. I was usually the one who got us bounced. Some of those places, though, it was a blessing to get moved, but there were some nice ones, too. I feel most bad about that.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Sometimes at night when my brain won’t shut off, I wonder if maybe we’d stayed in one of the good places, if Zoey would still be here.”

  “You can’t think that way. As much as it hurts, what Zoey did was her own choice. From what I’ve read of suicide, when someone makes the decision to go, there isn’t much anyone can do to stop them.”

  “She was a kid. She just wanted some stability in her life and I kept taking that from her because I was selfishly just thinking about my own bullshit.”

  The stark truth had a tendency to burn. He blinked back sudden tears. God, this wasn’t how he envisioned the evening. He wiped at his eyes, gruffly muttering, “Sorry,” before rising and disappearing to the bathroom to get a hold of himself. What was his deal? He wasn’t one to break down in front of strangers but somehow Caitlin didn’t feel like a stranger. She felt like someone he’d known his entire life and it was a relief to share that terrible burden of his guilt with someone.

  But Caitlin wasn’t his therapist and now wasn’t the time to go all soft and weepy about the past. Get it together, Ramsey. Package that shit where you normally stuff it and get back to work. After taking a moment to rinse his face and to piss, he returned to the game. Caitlin waited with pursed lips as if contemplating how to move forward after such an awkward moment of sharing. “You hungry?” he asked, breaking the silence.

  She looked up and shook her head. “I’m not sure what the right social interaction is for what just happened, so I’m going to just come right out and say what’s on my mind and let the chips fall where they may. Is that okay?”

  This ought to be interesting. He gestured with a nod. “Go for it.”

  “You loved your sister very much and I’m sure she loved you just as much. You can’t carry the burden of her death on your shoulders forever. I didn’t know your sister but I can’t imagine that she would’ve wanted that for you. You need to forgive yourself for not seeing what she needed. You were a kid, too. She’d want you to move on, not use her death as some catalyst for destructive behavior.”

  “What destructive behavior?” he asked, stiffening slightly.

  “You challenge death to feel alive. Your guilt drives you to court danger because deep down there’s a part of you that thinks you deserve whatever happens to you. That’s destructive behavior—eventually your luck is going to run out and then you’ll just be gone.”

  Zak sat dumbstruck. Had she just accurately psychoanalyzed him? What the hell? How was he supposed to respond? He forced a chuckle, trying to find his footing. “Well, Doc, that was pretty adept shrink stuff. What do I owe you for our session?”

  Caitlin made a face at him and rose, going straight to him, her hands resting on his shoulders. The warmth of her hands seeped through his cotton shirt and he was suddenly spellbound. “Sometimes what we know deep down is the thing we are terrified to admit,” she said, bending to brush her lips against his in a tentative but sweet kiss. Everything in him melted like hot wax. She pulled away slowly, her gaze meeting his, and added, “But it’s always the thing that holds the key to our healing.”

  Holy hell, Caitlin had just made a move on him.

  And he was shaking with the need to follow up with more.

  Chapter 13

  Caitlin knew kissing Zak was a bold move but it felt right. She couldn’t explain it; nor did she want to. The minute her lips touched his, something inside her ignited and took her breath away at the same time.

  She’d never been an advocate of chasing after broken men. Broken people tended to hurt those who tried to help them. But Zak’s broken pieces weren’t dangerous to her. She sensed his pain, which was deeply rooted in his grief over his sister’s death, and all s
he could imagine doing was trying to ease that suffering in the only way she knew how.

  And she didn’t regret it for one second.

  Maybe she was stupid and kissing Zak was the worst mistake she could’ve made but it was done and, honestly, judging by the way his gaze softened, he wasn’t about to push her away.

  In fact, his arms circled her waist and pulled her closer. “Why’d you do that?” he asked, almost desperately. “I’m not complaining, I’m just... Hell, I don’t know, but I don’t want you to feel that you owe me something or any shit like that.”

  Caitlin smiled at his bumbling attempt to put her at ease. “I kissed you because I wanted to,” she said. “Are you okay with that?”

  “Yeah,” he answered, bobbing a short nod. “Yeah, more than okay, actually.”

  A giddy warmth filled her up as she allowed him to plant her on his lap. She’d never sat on a man’s lap before. It felt perfect. “Can I kiss you again?” she asked.

  “I’d like that.”

  This time she kissed him a little more deeply, her tongue slipping in to explore his mouth. He tasted of peanuts and apple juice. His hands dipped down to cup her behind. The subtle squeeze of her butt made her mouth pop open a little more, which he fully took advantage of, sliding his tongue more deeply into her mouth.

  She shifted to straddle Zak, feeling as if someone else had taken over her body—someone far more sexually experienced than she—and she was just happy to enjoy the ride.

  A tiny moan followed as he pressed her against him, grinding the hard ridge of his erection against the seam of her jeans. Her nerve endings danced with pleasure, blotting out reason and logic. She knew they ought to stop but she didn’t want to, and judging by the way his kiss became more urgent, he didn’t, either.

  “Are you sure?” he asked, his hands roaming her backside as if he couldn’t get enough. “I don’t want you to do anything you aren’t comfortable—”