Accidental Bodyguard

by Sharon Hartley

Wearing a black leather jacket, black jeans and boots, Lola climbed down from her Hummer and approached.

  Without speaking, they shoved Claudia’s car down the embankment. It entered the water with a quiet splash and floated toward the center of the canal with water rushing inside through the open windows.

  “How long do you think the bug will keep transmitting once wet?” Jack asked as he and Lola waited for the car to sink.

  “Depends on the quality of the equipment,” Lola answered, hands in her jeans pockets. “Since my sources tell me this group has tech experts, it should stay active until the Warriors find this location.”

  “Good,” Jack grunted.

  In less than a minute, the front end of the vehicle tilted down and it disappeared into murky waters. A rusted rear bumper was the last thing to vanish beneath the dark surface. After a second or two, not even a ripple remained to mark the sinking.

  Jack climbed into Lola’s Hummer, and she drove back to the ferry.

  “I suspect come morning the Warriors will discover their bug has moved,” Lola said. “They’ll likely triangulate this location by noon.”

  Jack grunted his agreement. He knew where this conversation was headed.

  Lola threw him a look and said, “You know they’ll be seriously pissed that they’ve lost their quarry. My gut tells me they’ll keep trying to breach security. They’ll want to look for clues as to where she disappeared.”

  “Agreed.”

  “I confirmed with my sources that she’s on the witness list for the Romero trial.”

  Jack nodded. He’d made a call himself while waiting to board the ferry.

  “You need to get that woman off Collins Island,” Lola instructed. “The sooner the better.”

  “I’m working on a plan.”

  “The hell with a plan. She needs to go into protective custody.”

  “She won’t do it.”

  “We could force her hand. Call the feds and give up her location. Allow her no choice.”

  “And what if she’s right?” Jack demanded. “What if the feds have a leak and she ends up dead?”

  His question simmered in the Hummer between them. Lola remained silent until she reached the ferry landing and shifted the Hummer into Neutral.

  “Why do you care what happens to this woman, Jack?”

  “We’re not lovers, if that’s what you’re asking.” He shifted in the seat.

  “She’s not your problem.”

  “I think she’s everybody’s problem. She’s put her life in jeopardy in order to keep a murdering terrorist from killing others.”

  “You’re such a Boy Scout sometimes.”

  Jack laughed. A Boy Scout? “I guess that’s the way my momma raised me.”

  “You’ve got twenty-four hours to come up with a plan, Jackson,” Lola said in a tight voice. “If Claudia Goodwin hasn’t relocated by then, I’m calling the US Attorney’s Office and telling them where she is.” She motioned with her chin. “Our primary focus has to be the safety of the residents on that island.”

  “Understood,” he said.

  Jack boarded the 3:00 a.m. ferry. When the boat departed the Miami dock, he moved to the railing and let the cool ocean breeze rush against his face. He’d caught no shut-eye and should be exhausted, but a strange exhilaration energized him.

  Was it because he was back in the field—even if for just a few hours—and tonight’s op had gone as well as could be expected considering the lack of planning?

  Or was it because he looked forward to seeing Claudia again and exploring the possibilities behind that mind-blowing kiss? He remembered how soft and willing she’d been in his arms, the eagerness in her smoky blue eyes, and felt himself harden.

  Disgusted, he blew out a breath. The woman was addictive. He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her since she drove off the ferry a week ago.

  And she was still off-limits. Getting emotionally or even just sexually involved with anyone under his protection was taboo. He’d seen matters go horribly wrong too many times when that rule was ignored.

  He considered Lola’s remark that Claudia wasn’t his problem. Why did he somehow feel that she was? Why did he care about what happened to her?

  He wasn’t in love with her. He wanted her, sure. Had wanted her since he’d first laid eyes on her. Any man would. But desire, even desire bordering on obsession, wasn’t love. His momma insisted he didn’t understand love—and she was right—but he knew that much.

  His life was all about his work, and he liked it that way.

  A gentle bump brought Jack back to the present. The ferry had reached the other side. He stepped off the boat with Lola’s ultimatum about relocating Claudia clanging around inside his head. Yeah, right. A plan. I’m working on it.

  He didn’t like the only solution he’d come up with so far. In fact, he hated it.

  He nodded at the two guards manning the security office.

  “Need a ride, Mr. Richards?” one shouted.

  “No. I’m good,” Jack yelled back.

  Truth was he needed to walk. Even better would be a long, brutal workout to generate some heat and sweat and help him figure out what to do about Claudia Goodwin. He knew his boss wasn’t just jerking his chain. She meant every word she said. Lola had no qualms about turning Claudia over to the feds.

  No question Claudia’s presence on Collins Island created a danger to the owners who paid ridiculous monthly fees for the peace of mind the tight security on this island gave them. And since a sizable chunk of that money went to the Protection Alliance and paid his salary, it was his job to enforce that promise of safety.

  So Claudia had to go, and go now. But where? What would be the safest location to stash her for the three weeks until Romero’s trial?

  Certainly it had to be out of the immediate area. His thoughts churned as he broke into a jog, considering and rejecting possibilities. Broward County? Too close. Fort Myers or Naples on Florida’s west coast? Too obvious, and he didn’t have any contacts there. The Keys were a possibility. He’d bought a vacation home in Islamorada that he seldom took the time to visit, but that elevated structure would be difficult to defend and he always liked an escape route.

  So where could he take her to ensure the Warriors would never find her?

  By the time he arrived at Villa Alma, he knew where she had to go. If he were honest with himself, he’d known all along. Much as he hated the idea, it was the only way.

  He rang the bell and waited for Claudia to admit him. She’d hate the idea even more than he did, but she had no choice. She either agreed to his plan or went under the protection of the federal government. Her decision.

  * * *

  THE INSISTENT RINGING of the bell at the front gate awakened Claudia. Disoriented, she stared at the planked ceiling wondering why she was fully clothed and sleeping on a couch.

  Then, with a sickening blow to her gut, she remembered. Carlos’s people had found her, which threatened the people on this island. Jack had taken her car.

  She leaped off the couch and hurried to security central to see who demanded her attention.

  Jack stood by the gate glaring into the camera. With a relieved breath, she released the electronic lock, and he strode out of the camera’s range.

  “What happened?” she demanded when he marched into the pool house wearing a determined expression. Damn. He looked like he was about to do some sort of hand-to-hand combat.

  He turned to face her, eyes narrowed. “Nothing scary. We drowned your car.”

  “Did steam rise out of the water as it sank? Lightning bolts illuminate the deep?”

  His mouth twitched. Maybe he was fighting a smile.

  “No. It went down without any protest at all.”

  “The demon probably
escaped out a window,” Claudia said. “Maybe hitched a ride back with you and that’s what took so long?”

  “We took our time. Made sure we weren’t followed.”

  She nodded, and realized she was clasping her hands so tightly her knuckles had begun to ache. Jack was giving her nothing. Didn’t he understand how anxious she was? She had no ride, nowhere to go. Why did she let him take her car? What was she thinking?

  Dropping her hands to her sides, she said, “I tried to wait up for you, but fell asleep.”

  “Good,” he said.

  “I guess you didn’t get any rest.”

  “I’m fine,” Jack said.

  “I called my parents. I told them I was relocating in case the Warriors were listening.”

  He nodded, eyeing her speculatively, but didn’t respond. What was going on inside his head? He was tense, distant. Why wouldn’t he tell her anything?

  “So what happens now?” she asked, unable to stand the suspense any longer.

  “You can’t stay here.”

  “I know.”

  “I think protective custody is your best option.”

  “I know what you think.” She shook her head. “I told you I can’t do that. I might as well stream a banner over South Beach announcing my location to Romero’s people.”

  Jack continued to stare at her across the small living room. Was this it? Was this man going to abandon her to terrorists? But why shouldn’t he? She was nothing but a problem to him. Her mouth went dry, and Claudia licked her lips. Where can I go? And how can I get there?

  “Do you want my help?” he asked.

  She nodded, unable to form words around a tongue that felt clogged with sand from the nearby beach.

  “I’ll take you somewhere safe, but you have to be honest with me.”

  “I have been,” she managed to say, her voice hoarse.

  “No more secrets or lies.”

  “I promise,” she said.

  “And do what I tell you.”

  “Where?”

  “Dunnellon.”

  She must have looked confused, because he said, “A little town in north central Florida, near Ocala.”

  “Why there?” she asked, although her relief was so immense she wouldn’t have cared if he’d said an igloo in Alaska.

  “I know the area. I grew up in Dunnellon and own a small cabin in the middle of fifty acres. If we handle this right, the Warriors will never track you.”

  “When do I go?”

  “Daybreak. I need a couple hours of sleep.”

  That fast? She sucked in a deep breath, but decided it didn’t matter. She needed to transition to the next stage of her exile sooner rather than later. All she needed was logistics.

  “How will I get there? Are you going to loan me a car?”

  “I’m going with you.”

  She let that sink in before responding. The gladiator was going with her?

  “What about your job here?”

  Jack shrugged. “Believe me, my boss will understand.”

  Claudia nodded. His boss had likely ordered him to get rid of her pronto.

  “For how long?”

  “As long as it takes to make sure you’re secure.”

  “How will I get back for the trial?”

  “We’ll worry about that in three weeks.”

  The dread tightening her gut released a little knowing that she wouldn’t be alone in a strange new city. But she didn’t know this man. She’d met him—what—a week ago? He owed her nothing.

  “I don’t know why you’re doing this, but thank you,” she said.

  “You might not thank me when I tell you how you’re getting off the island.”

  “And that’s how?”

  “Inside the gun compartment of my truck. I hope you’re not claustrophobic.”

  She blinked. “A gun compartment?”

  “It’s snug, but you’ll fit.”

  Claudia imagined being locked in a dark confined space and shrank from the idea. “Couldn’t I just lay down in the backseat with a blanket over me?”

  “What if Romero’s people are watching the landing? Do you want to take that chance?”

  “No,” she said on a quick exhale. “Definitely not.”

  Her legs suddenly weak, she sagged onto the couch, circled her knees with her arms and lowered her face.

  “You okay?” Jack asked.

  The cushion dipped beneath her when he sat. Claudia raised her head and found him watching her with a grim expression.

  “What’s going on?” he asked.

  “This is just—just crazy.” She sucked in a breath. “I guess I’m a little overwhelmed. Either that or I’m numb.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  Jack smoothed a hand over her hair, a strangely intimate gesture.

  “Don’t apologize,” she said. “None of this is your fault.”

  He dropped his hand to her shoulder and gave a slight squeeze. “Truthfully, I expected you to fight me on relocating north.”

  Hyperaware of the weight and warmth of his hand, she said, “How could I? I’m out of options.”

  He smiled, his green eyes focused on her lips. “There’s always the government safe house.”

  She shook her head, wishing she could read Jack’s mind. He slid his fingers down her arm, pausing close to her right breast. Maybe he was thinking about kissing her, picking up where they left off before he went to drown her car. Did she want him to kiss her again?

  More than anything.

  His gaze shifted to her chest, and a flare of intense, desperate longing surged through her. So she wasn’t numb, after all. Not numb at all. Just crazy. She wanted to be held, to be made love to by Jackson Richards when nothing could be more inappropriate.

  She took a deep breath, mentally urging him to slide his long fingers over to cup the swell of her breast.

  He lowered his mouth closer to hers, almost touching her lips. “You won’t change your mind?” he whispered, his warm breath tickling her chin.

  She closed her eyes. What was he asking her? She was only sure about one thing. Jack needed to kiss her. Now.

  “You won’t go into federal protection?”

  The words federal protection made her leap to her feet and move away from Jack. What was she doing? She’d find maybe an hour of escape in his arms, but then what? Would he own her? Try to control her the way Carlos had? Dear God, she was behaving exactly as she did with her ex, letting her hormones overrule her brain, eagerly tumbling into bed with a man before she even knew him.

  That was what got her into this mess. She couldn’t do that again.

  She took a deep breath and turned to face him. “We’ve been over that. I can’t go—won’t go—into a safe house. I wouldn’t survive one night.”

  Jack rose but didn’t speak. Was that disappointment in his eyes?

  She looked away. “Please understand.”

  “I’m trying,” he said.

  Were they even talking about the same thing? Maybe she’d imagined the sparks between them. No, she hadn’t imagined that incredible kiss a few hours ago.

  “Do you want me to leave?” he asked.

  No! she silently screamed, meeting his intense gaze again. She hesitated. Yes, he should go. She was beyond weak, and he was a temptation impossible to resist.

  But the thought of spending the night alone in this pool house, knowing the Warriors knew where she was...

  “No,” she said across a dry throat. She swallowed. “Please don’t go. I—I’d feel better with you here.”

  His gaze raked her body. She folded her arms over her chest. Was he going to demand sex in return for his protection? Is that what this had come to?

&n
bsp; “Okay.” He glanced down at the sofa, his lips lifting into a resigned smile.

  She blew out a breath. “I’ll sleep on the sofa,” she said. “You can have the bed.”

  “I couldn’t do that,” he said.

  “I probably won’t sleep, anyway,” she said.

  They stared at each other across the room. Was he thinking the same thing she was, that there were more pleasurable things they could be doing besides obsessing about terrorists alone in the dark? At least there wasn’t much of the night left.

  “If you’re sure,” she said.

  “I’m sure.”

  “There’s extra sheets in the hall closet,” she said, moving in that direction. “I’ll get them for you.”

  She glanced back to Jack and found him watching her. Feeling another of those delicious tugs on her lower belly, she quickly looked away.

  Sex was exactly what she needed, but sex always got her into big trouble.

  * * *

  WHEN JACK WOKE, the sun beat against the window coverings of Villa Alma’s pool house. He’d actually slept—and longer than he’d intended, but he needed the rest for the long drive ahead. Uncomfortably aware of the tiny couch, he closed his eyes and stretched his body, his thoughts drifting to the events of the night before, to Claudia, a woman on the run from her crazed ex.

  To protect her, he’d agreed to take her to his home.

  He hardened as he pictured her last night offering him her bed. He wanted her, and last night he had come close to losing control and taking her. She was more than willing. He wouldn’t have to use any persuasion.

  But sex with Claudia couldn’t happen. Not while he was protecting her.

  His number one rule was never to get involved emotionally with a client. Bad decisions were made when you were too close to someone on the job. When he’d been with the Marion County Sheriff’s Department, a partner had rushed into a domestic situation he shouldn’t have involving his sister. Because of a disastrous snap decision, the sister had died and that cop lost his job. Jack shook his head, remembering. Bad business. He’d learned from that mistake.

  Maybe she wasn’t paying him, but Claudia was now his client. She was on the run from her ex, a crazed terrorist, and he’d agreed to take her home to Dunnellon to protect her.