by Apryl Baker
Everything in him rebelled at letting Gabe anywhere near her. She was his to protect, and no one else’s. His nostrils flared at the thought. Shit. He was in trouble here. She wasn’t his. She was a client.
“Viktor?”
Her whisper brought everything back into focus, and he gave her an easy smile. Viktor knew he was scary as fuck, but he could be just as charming as his brothers, and suddenly he wasn’t so scary. That was the smile he tossed her, the one that got him anything he wanted.
And right now he wanted her to forget his lack of control.
“Ready?” He got out, hurrying around to open the door for her. She didn’t get out right away. She looked up at him, confused.
“Were you…” Her voice trailed off, and she shook her head as if to clear it.
“Was I what?”
“Nothing,” she muttered and got out.
He knew exactly what she was going to ask, but like her, he let it go. No need to complicate an already complicated situation.
“Do your parents have a separate freezer?” They each collected a shopping cart and Viktor followed her to the vegetable tables.
“Yes, downstairs.” She wouldn’t look at him, and that didn’t sit well with him at all. “Why?”
“I’m going to load up on meat since Gabe and I eat enough for a small army.”
“You really don’t have to do that.” She picked through the tomatoes as she talked. “I swear these people have no idea how to handle produce. Look at all the bruising.”
She was babbling, and he let a smile slip. Sara was nervous around him. He pissed her off, but it didn’t dispel her nervousness.
“Sara Jane!”
Viktor turned to see a woman striding over to them with purpose written in every step. She appeared to be in her sixties, and her bleached blonde hair only added to the lines around her face. She wore a pinched expression that was definitely not friendly.
The way Sara stiffened confirmed this woman was a danger to her, at least emotionally, and Viktor stepped closer, ready to shield her if necessary.
“Elizabeth.” Sara turned to face the oncoming storm.
“How dare you lie about my son?” The anger radiating from her could have ignited the flames of hell itself. This had to be Roger’s mother.
“I didn’t lie, Elizabeth.” Weariness coated her words, and Viktor put a hand against the small of her back.
Elizabeth’s eyes zeroed in on the movement, and she made a sound of disgust. “Oh, I see what’s going on. You went and got yourself another man and decided to make my son out to be some kind of wife beater so you can go off and fornicate. You ain’t nothin’ but a skanky whore trying to keep my grandbaby away from her daddy!”
“I would be extremely careful what you say.” The iciness in Viktor’s tone left no room for confusion.
Elizabeth took a step back, and Viktor smiled, the grin predatory.
Sara’s face flamed with embarrassment, and she stepped away from him, forcing Viktor to drop his hand. “Elizabeth, this is hardly the time or the place…”
She wagged her finger in Sara’s face, preparing to hurl even more hate, when Viktor stepped in. He gently pushed Sara behind him and turned back to the slightly overweight woman, using his height to tower over her. He spread his legs and crossed his arms, his best “do you really want to fuck with me” stance.
Elizabeth’s eyes narrowed. “Just who do you think you are?”
“Someone you do not want to fuck with.” While he felt bad about using foul language, he needed her to understand this was not acceptable behavior. “I suggest you go back to your shopping and let us do ours.”
“She can’t keep me from my grandbaby.” The hostility remained, but the woman backed up a few steps.
“I’m not trying to keep you from Delia.” Sara dodged around Viktor, and he growled in frustration. He’d put her behind him for a reason. “You are more than welcome to come to the farm and see her anytime you want.”
“I have a perfectly good home she can visit.”
“No.” Sara straightened. “I will not let her go anywhere Roger can get near her.”
The snarl returned to Elizabeth’s face. “My son did nothing to that child.”
“He hit her so hard, it knocked out her front tooth.” Sara tried to keep her voice down, but Viktor was very aware of all the patrons who drifted closer to eavesdrop.
“Lies. He said she fell and hit her mouth on the end of the coffee table. The tooth was already loose.”
“The judge didn’t think it was lies.”
Elizabeth turned her hate-filled eyes to Viktor. “Did you sleep with him too?”
Enough was enough. “I told you once to be careful what you say.” Viktor leaned down so he could look her in the eyes. “Leave now, or I will slap a harassment and slander lawsuit on you so fast you won’t be able to see your own head spin.”
Elizabeth gasped, and her face started to turn an angry shade of red. She looked like some kind of mottled fish with her face all screwed up in rage.
Viktor steered Sara away from the hateful woman and pushed the buggy ahead of them both. He could hear Elizabeth grumbling behind them, but she didn’t follow. He doubted she cared about the lawsuit, but she had to be wondering exactly how far she could push him.
“Thank you.” The sincere appreciation in Sara’s voice brought his attention back to her. Her face was still a bright shade of red, and she kept her eyes down, embarrassed as people around them whispered. She didn’t deserve this.
“I told you I’m here to protect you.” He leaned down, his mouth right next to her ear. “Even against old biddies who are drama queens spoiling for a cat fight in aisle ten.”
Sara burst out laughing. He did not just whisper that in a conspiratorial manner like they were two thieves plotting the heist of the century.
They spent the next twenty minutes getting everything on her mother’s shopping list, and then Viktor loaded up two extra shopping carts. Sara’s eyes widened. Who could eat that much food?
“That should do us for at least a week.” Viktor looked at his haul like he was contemplating getting another buggy to fill.
“More like a month.” Sara ushered him into the checkout lane before he could do just that. “There’s no way we’ll eat all that.”
“You might not, but Gabe and I will.” He started unloading everything onto the conveyer belt.
“Even you two can’t eat this much.”
He flashed her a smile, and the checkout girl nearly choked. Sara glanced over to see her ogling Viktor’s muscles. They did look awfully fine as they rippled every time he maneuvered food out of the buggy and onto the belt. His smile must have been too much for the girl. She was in her teens, and this was probably her first part-time job.
“You okay?” Viktor asked the clerk, pausing long enough to look at her. She had a dazed expression on her face, her eyes glued to his biceps.
She squeaked out something, her face flaming red, and went back to scanning the items. Viktor smiled softly and returned to his task.
The man was sinfully sexy, and he knew it. That sly little smile said as much. Arrogant. Bossy. Everything she didn’t want. Yet her heartrate sped up every time he got near her.
Sara’s phone rang, interrupting her own ogling. She plucked it out of her purse and groaned. Roger. His mother had to have called him. Not wanting to do this in the checkout line, she let it go to voicemail. He’d keep calling until she answered, so she shut her phone off.
“Problem?” Viktor asked.
She shrugged and grabbed the little green bar to separate her groceries from Viktor’s. He shook his head and put it back.
“I told you, I’m buying this.”
Sara pursed her lips and picked up the bar again. “You buy yours, and I’ll buy mine.”
He straightened, and his eyes narrowed. He plucked it out of her hands. “No. I’m buying all of it.” He looked at the checkout girl, his eyes finding her name tag. �
��Sandy, all of this is on one bill.”
“You can’t just decide…”
He put a finger to her lips. She jerked back like he’d burned her. His mouth turned up in a half smile at her reaction. “Don’t argue. Let me do this.”
“I don’t want you to do this.”
“We don’t always get what we want, now, do we?”
It pissed her off because it was exactly what she’d told Delia this morning when she demanded waffles after Sara made her eggs and bacon. She was not a six-year-old to be told what to do.
“Now, you listen here, Viktor Kincaid…”
“Sara Jane?”
Sara’s tirade was interrupted by Mrs. Walsh, her old neighbor. Gossipmonger of the town. She closed her eyes, mentally preparing herself for a moment, before turning to face her. She was dressed in her flowered jumpsuit and her brown hat. Shrewd eyes studied Sara, making her want to run and hide. Instead, she plastered on a smile.
“Hello, Mrs. Walsh.”
“Who’s your young man?”
“I’m Viktor Kincaid, ma’am.” Viktor flashed her a smile and started unloading Sara’s cart.
“He’s not my young man,” Sara told her, shooting Viktor a glare. He didn’t need to add strength to the rumors that were going to start after they left. “He’s…”
“I’m her bodyguard.” Viktor pulled out a card from his wallet and stuck it into the card reader before Sara could stop him. Dammit.
“Bodyguard?” Mrs. Walsh looked confused. “Why do you need a bodyguard?”
“It’s a long story, Mrs. Walsh, and I’d prefer not to get into it in the checkout lane.”
Mrs. Walsh pursed her lips. “You don’t trust your husband to keep you safe?”
“I’m keeping her safe from her husband.” Viktor put his card away and gently tugged Sara forward. “It was nice to meet you, ma’am.”
Sara took one of the grocery carts and followed Viktor and the bagger out to the parking lot. She wanted to kill him. He shouldn’t have told the worst gossipmonger in town anything. Now she was going to have to contend with the entire town knowing her business.
He thanked the bagger and sent him back inside with a five-dollar tip. Well, that was nice and something she didn’t expect him to do. It sidetracked her anger for all of ten seconds, then she remembered his highhandedness.
“Viktor.”
“Hmm?” He was totally ignoring her.
She rolled her eyes and poked him in the back.
He turned, and in that second, she wished she’d just gotten in the car. His eyes had that sleepy, sexy look, and a small smile tilted his oh-so-kissable lips. The look he gave her caused her stomach dip deliciously.
“Yes, Sara?”
His voice sent shivers up her spine. Her tongue refused to work. All she could do was stand there like an idiot. She took two steps backward to get some space, but he followed, turning so she was forced to back up against the Jeep. He put his hands on either side of her, effectively boxing her in. He was so close she could feel the heat from his body seep into hers.
“Vik…” Her voice died on a squeak. The same kind of squeak she’d laughed at the cashier for earlier. Sweet baby Jesus, this man and what he did to her.
He leaned in closer, his mouth right by her ear. The warmth of his breath teased her hair. “Sara.”
The way he said her name made her clench her thighs together.
“Look at me.” He pulled his head away from hers, and she glanced up at him. His eyes were pools of obsidian fire.
She swallowed thickly and tried to calm her rampant breathing.
“It’s getting harder and harder not to kiss you.”
She let out a surprised gasp. He wanted to kiss her?
“I keep telling myself you’re a client, and I don’t get involved with my clients.”
“But?” she whispered. There was definitely a but in there.
“But, you are a client, and I’m supposed to be protecting you, not seducing you.” He took several steps away from her. She almost reached out and tugged him back.
“Go on and get in the car. I’ll load the groceries.”
He turned away, and she did as he asked. Her body felt alive, the electricity vibrating through every pore. She took several deep breaths. He’d almost kissed her. Holy hell.
If she were honest with herself, she wanted him to kiss her. For over a week, she’d been fantasizing about it. He invaded her dreams. It was driving her mad.
Fuck it. She might just kiss him.
Wrong or right, she wanted Viktor to kiss her. It became painfully obvious when he denied her a moment ago. “Fuckity,” as her PA would say. She should just get out of the car and go kiss him.
She lost her nerve two seconds after she reached for the door handle. Sara might write about brave heroines, but she was not one of her fictional characters. At one time in her life, she was those women, but after so long with Roger, her bravado was gone.
Maybe he’d give up trying to resist the urge. It was something to hope for. Well, she could help that along by wearing some of her nicer clothes that showed off her figure. Yes, she’d had a child, but she worked out at least three times a week to maintain a semblance of her old shape. Her hips might be a little wider, and she didn’t have a flat stomach anymore, but she looked damn good.
The sweatpants and raggedy tees she’d been wearing did not induce soul-searing kissing lust. Definitely busting out the lacy tanks and the short shorts. Her mom was going to die of embarrassment, but dammit, she wanted that kiss.
All her reasons for not kissing Viktor went out the window when he’d come so close to pressing his lips against hers. And that voice? Dear Jesus, his voice did it for her. His accent made her toes curl.
She felt like a teenager with no control over her hormones. She could hear her mother telling her she needed to stop acting like she was seventeen, but her inner goddess who’d been suppressed for so long told that voice to shut the hell up and stop being so stuffy. It was long past time to start having some fun. She’d suffered enough. It was time to be herself again.
One thing was for certain.
Come hell or high water, she was getting that damn kiss.
Viktor swore six ways to Sunday on the drive back to the farm. What the fuck was he thinking, telling her he was losing his battle not to kiss her? The look in her eyes, though…damn. That look wouldn’t leave him alone. It was as if she wanted him to kiss her.
Even if she did, he had no right actually doing it.
But, fuck!
He felt her watching him the entire ride. They hadn’t spoken once, and he’d been grateful when they’d gotten home and he could busy himself unloading groceries and then flee outside.
Her mother was gone when they arrived, but her father tried to thank him for all the groceries. Kade brushed it aside. He and Gabe really did eat enough for six people.
Running from a woman. His brothers would never let him live it down if they knew. Wouldn’t matter why he was doing it, only that he was.
Once he was done with the groceries, he collected his laptop and walked outside to sit on the front porch swing. He needed to follow up on some emails, check in with clients, and make sure everything was running smoothly at KSI. Not that he didn’t trust Kade to handle everything, but he’d been doing it solo for so long, it was a hard habit to break.
Before he could even open the first email, Gabe sat down beside him.
“What’s going on with you?”
“Trying to get some work done.” He kept his voice brusque, a clear sign he didn’t want to talk about it, but Gabe was just like a brother and paid no attention to his shit.
“That’s not what I mean, and you know it.” He leaned back and stretched out his legs. “You got a thing for Sara.”
“She’s a client.”
“So?” Gabe asked. “Man, I’ve seen the way you look at her and the way she looks at you. There’s something there.”
“I don’t wan
t to talk about this.”
“All I’m saying is…”
“She’s married, Gabe.” His mother would murder him.
“She’s getting a divorce.”
His mother would really murder him.
“I don’t want to be the rebound guy.”
“Who says you would be?” Gabe stretched, showing off the tattoos on his arms, the identical ones Viktor and all the men in their unit had. They’d had a tattoo artist design tribal artwork that would wrap around their shoulders and down their arms. It was badass then and remained badass now.
“You keep telling me you’re looking for love, and all I see you doing is running away from what might be the love of your life.”
“Really, Gabe?” He rolled his eyes. “I’ve known this woman for all of a week. I don’t think that qualifies for finding the love of your life.”
“She drives you nuts.” Gabe let a grin slide over his face. “I’ve seen it. I thought for sure there on Saturday you were going to strangle her when she tried to say you couldn’t go into the signing room with her this weekend.”
“Fuck that. If she thinks for a second I’m going to let her go anywhere without me, she’s got another thing coming.”
“Roger can’t get in the room with her either until they open it to the public.”
“Fucker, I swear, if you take her side…”
Gave laughed. “Fuck, no. I’m right there with you. It’s just funny as hell to watch the two of you argue.”
“We ran into her mother-in-law at the store.”
“Fun?”
“She’s a piece of work. Started screaming at Sara right there in the store.” Viktor shook his head, remembering the awful things she’d said.
“You shut that shit down?”
“Fuck, yeah. She’s as crazy as her son.”
They were interrupted by the sound of a car pulling up. Viktor turned to see an old, beat-up Chevy truck come to a stop. It was a vehicle he knew well.
Mason.
