To Love and Protect

by Stacey Joy Netzel

  “This trip is fully Dev approved,” she defended before turning to extend her arm toward him. “Grayson Cole, meet Devante Torrez, family friend and my new, apparently improved bodyguard.”

  “Apparently?” Dev protested. Shelby grinned, and he shook his head while turning back to offer a hand to her stoic half-brother. “Nice to meet you. Saw you at the wedding but missed the introductions.”

  He gave a firm handshake, his lips twisting in a grimace as they released. “I didn’t stay long.”

  Dev had noticed. He didn’t know much about him other than mentions his parents had made over the past two years that the guy had not walked into his new-found family with open arms. But he also hadn’t asked for more gossip, seeing as it wasn’t his business. Now, he found himself more than a little curious about the lingering chilly attitude when Cole held first billing on a foundation complex his father had fronted with a hell of a lot of money.

  When her brother rose to his feet, Shelby took his place on the floor so the puppy could crawl up onto her lap. “How’s little Luna doing today?”

  “She’s full of piss and vinegar.”

  “Of course she is, she’s a puppy.” She hugged the animal to her chest, then laughed when it lunged for the end of her ponytail. When she brushed her hair back over her shoulder, the pup threw its head back with a high-pitched yip, pawed her cheek, and nipped at her chin. “Okay, yeah, you are a handful, aren’t you?”

  The puppy wiggled wildly, trying to get to her face again. She pulled away with another laugh, and the pure joy in the sound warmed Dev’s heart. Her anxiety had relaxed a fair amount since he’d started teaching her self-defense, but the underlying tension never quite bled away. This momentary relief of stress softened her features, letting her natural beauty shine the way it should.

  Beside him, Grayson crossed his arms with a soft grunt, and Dev glanced over to find the guy watching him with a narrowed gaze. It was uncanny how much he looked like Loyal. Same Diamond dark hair and brown eyes, brooding brow, and angled jaw covered in a close-cropped beard.

  “Doesn’t seem wise to have her out right now,” her brother stated in a low tone.

  “With the schedule switched up, I figured better here than sitting at the house for possible target practice.” Movement drew his eye, and Dev followed the progress of a stocky, blond-haired man leading another German Shepherd down the hall toward the doors they’d come through. The guy grinned when he saw Shelby and called out a cheery hello. “And it would appear I have all the back-up I’d need if anyone tried to get to her here.”

  Grayson gave a tight nod. “You would. Everyone loves Shelby.”

  Including him, grudging though it appeared. And Dev himself knew all too well how impossible it was not to fall for her.

  She shot them a glance as if she knew they were talking about her, and set the puppy down. “I have to get to work, little girl, but I’ll come back and play before we leave.”

  Aware of her brother’s keen attention, Dev kept his gaze from lingering when she got up and brushed off the seat of her snug jeans.

  “I’m going to try Gus again,” he advised. He’d tried to connect with him back at the house, but had to leave a message.

  While Shelby and Grayson set up over at a stainless steel exam table, Dev paced to the other side of the room to call the private investigator.

  “I just hung up with Mark,” Gus answered without preamble. “We got the sonofabitch.”

  Dev’s pulse skipped as he spun to look at Shelby. “He’s in custody?”

  “As soon as the warrant comes through, the cops are gonna pick him up.”

  His hope dimmed. A warrant didn’t mean shit if they couldn’t find the guy. Hell, it didn’t mean shit if a judge wouldn’t sign it. There would be no relaxing until he was behind bars. “Who is it?”

  “Neil Truman—the guy from that letter you had me dig into.”

  He wasn’t surprised. His gut had warned him on that one for a reason.

  “The police compared the handwriting from the letter six years ago with the note left at the Diamond estate, and the one on Shelby’s windshield,” Gus said. “All three matched. What’s more, they picked up his car on traffic cam footage a couple miles from the estate and heading in that direction shortly before the break-in this morning, but he lives and works in Boulder.”

  “Is that enough for the warrant?”

  “Damn straight it is. I gotta get going right now, but I’ll call you as soon as soon as I know more.”

  “Thanks.”

  Shelby happened to look up as he disconnected the call, and their gazes locked. Her quick smile had him praying the faint light at the end of the tunnel got real bright, real soon.

  Chapter 24

  Shelby couldn’t help sneaking glimpses at Dev every so often as Grayson brought her the dogs for each well-check. Apparently, she looked often enough that her brother noticed.

  “You sleeping with your bodyguard?”

  She jerked her gaze back to little Axel on the table as heat seared her face. “No.” Although, technically, she was. Just not in the way he meant.

  “But you want to.”

  The warmth in her face spread clear down to her toes. She peered into one of the Shepherd puppy’s ears, then the other. “I’m not talking about this with you.”

  Without lifting his head, Grayson shot Dev a glance where he spoke on the phone while reaching his fingers through the links of a kennel to itch the chin of one of the dogs. “He’s into you, too, so what gives? Your dad doesn’t approve?”

  She gave him the side-eye. “Our dad doesn’t know, but if he did, he wouldn’t care.” At least, she was pretty sure he wouldn’t care. He wouldn’t have allowed them to basically live together if he did, would he have?

  No, of course he’d be fine. He and Mom loved Dev and all the Torrezes like they were family.

  Shelby handed Axel over for Grayson to switch him out with his sister, Minx. As she started the exam, he braced his palms on the stainless-steel table top. “Is he a good guy?”

  There was no holding back her smile as she checked the pup’s baby teeth. “Yeah, he definitely is.”

  Another sideways glance revealed him watching Dev from under his brow.

  “What branch did he serve in?”

  “Army. Special Forces.” Just saying it brought a rush of pride. Special Forces was a big deal. He was brave and tough and—

  Grayson grunted.

  “Eli likes him,” she defended.

  That prompted a snort, but there was humor in the sound. “Eli’s a vegetarian.”

  Shelby laughed with her frown. “What’s that got to do with anything?”

  “Come on now. How much can you really trust a guy who doesn’t eat meat?”

  “That’s ridiculous,” she admonished.

  But secretly, she was enjoying the exchange immensely. It was the first time he’d loosened up enough to joke with her. She’d heard him and Eli trade good-natured insults on numerous occasions, and he relaxed with a few of the other full-time workers, but with her, he’d always maintained a maddening wall of reserve.

  His humor remained as she finished with Minx, and they moved on to Luna. By noon, all the dogs had been checked, and when Grayson asked if they wanted to stay for lunch, she jumped at the chance. Not only was he more unguarded than she’d ever seen him before, he and Dev had hit it off in a way she’d never expected.

  Over deep dish pizza, the two talked about their time in the military and swapped a few light-hearted stories. A couple of Dev’s questions about the foundation and facilities led to an in-depth tour of the entire campus, and the day practically flew by.

  It was nearly four in the afternoon when the three of them sat on the turf floor of the arena with a half-dozen puppies crawling all over them. With the guys still chatting, Shelby played with the puppies as their deep voices ebbed and flowed in a soothing cadence.

  Her phone vibrated in her back pocket, and she pulled it ou
t to check the caller. Seeing her dad’s number, she slowed the stroke of her free hand over the fuzzy-soft pup sleeping in her lap. “Hey, Dad.”

  “Hi, hon. How are you holding up?”

  “Everything is good here. I’m at the foundation with Dev and Grayson right now.” Both of whom fell silent as she added, “How’d the vote go?”

  “Good. Your mom and I are on our way to the airport right now. But I called because I wanted to let you know I just got off the phone with the police.”

  “Any news on the break-in?”

  “They caught him, Bells. The guy who broke in and who’s been threatening you, they arrested him a half-hour ago. It’s over.”

  She sat frozen as those two words echoed in her head. Out of nowhere, her chest squeezed so tight she could barely breathe.

  “Shelby?”

  Dev’s voice jolted her attention, and as she met his concerned gaze, she realized her dad was still talking. Somehow she managed to reply, and then told him and Mom to have a safe flight before hanging up.

  A smile trembled on her lips as she whispered, “It’s over. He said they arrested the guy who’s been stalking me.”

  And then everything went fuzzy as relief swept forward on a wave of overwhelming emotion. Dev was beside her in an instant, passing the puppy from her lap to Grayson before pulling her into his arms. She buried her face against his chest as a sob tore from her throat.

  “I’m s-sorry,” she stuttered. “This is stupid. I’m happy, and I don’t know why I’m crying.”

  “Stress relief.” His voice was matter-of-fact as he rubbed his hand up and down her back. “It’s a totally natural reaction. Just breathe through it.”

  She concentrated on the rise and fall of his chest until a semblance of control returned. With it came a wave of embarrassment. Pulling free from his embrace, she pushed to her feet and turned her back to gather her composure while wiping the tears away.

  A moment later, Grayson stood in front of her with two of the puppies. “You good?”

  Shelby gave a watery smile. “Yeah.”

  “Great.” He pushed the squirming bodies into her arms. “I’m ready to be done for the day, so let’s get these guys put away.”

  She cuddled the bundles of fur close and forced herself to meet Dev’s gaze as he rose. His expression asked if she was okay, and she nodded. He and her brother scooped up the rest of the pups to return them to their mother, and it was as if her little breakdown never even happened.

  Except, Grayson gave her a hug goodbye—a first that nearly brought her to tears again. And as Dev drove home, reality hit on a few fronts. She didn’t need his protection anymore. Which meant she didn’t need to stay with him anymore. In his house. In his bed.

  And speaking of bed…he didn’t need to worry about the rest of the world anymore. He could focus on her and only her—if he wanted.

  She chose to focus on the reality that didn’t have her stomach tangled up in knots.

  “I can finally drive my own car again,” she mused. “You won’t have to chauffer me everywhere anymore.”

  He shot her a glance, then shrugged. “It hasn’t been so bad.”

  “Says you. I haven’t been able to sing car karaoke for over a month.”

  “No one’s stopping you.” He gestured toward the radio dial with a smirk. “Pick your poison.”

  “I’m stopping me—and sparing you. You’re welcome.” The joking didn’t help her feel better, so she turned her head as they passed a woman jogging along the sidewalk. All by herself. “You know, we could probably swing by my apartment and get my car right now. I have my keys with me.”

  Why? Why kick-start the split the second you don’t need his protection anymore?

  Because now that she didn’t need him, she was afraid he wouldn’t want her. It would be easier to walk away on her own than wait for his rejection.

  “I don’t want to live there anymore,” she continued, “but once I get my stuff from your house, I can go back to Mom and Dad’s until I find a new place.”

  “You have a place.”

  Dev’s firm, almost angry statement lit a spark of hope. When she glanced over from beneath her lashes, he swore under his breath.

  “Geezus, what’d you think, I was going to throw you out the second the guy was in jail?”

  “Not exactly, but—”

  He flipped on his blinker and braked while swerving to the side of the road. She lurched against the seatbelt as he threw the truck in park. A wary glance in his direction revealed his hands tight on the wheel as he glared out the windshield.

  “First of all, I know you’re itching for your freedom back, but it’s going to be at least a few days yet. We have to let everything settle and see if he posts bail.”

  “Oh. Right.” She sank lower in her seat. “I didn’t think of that.”

  “And second…” He unsnapped his seatbelt and twisted toward her while leaning closer.

  Her heart stuttered in her chest when he reached to cup her cheek and turn her face to his.

  “I don’t want you going anywhere now that I can finally do this without feeling guilty.”

  She had about a half a second to catch her breath before his warm lips covered hers. She tilted her chin up as he slid his hand to the back of her neck. Gentle exploration quickly grew more urgent as he angled his head to deepen the kiss. Shelby opened without hesitation and thrilled at the surge of heat from the deep, bold strokes of his tongue.

  Head swimming, she gripped his forearm as a hum of approval vibrated in her throat. When she tried to get closer, the seatbelt held her in place. With a frustrated sound, she fumbled to release it, but Dev caught her hand.

  His breath was rough and uneven as he leaned his forehead against hers, eyes closed. After a long moment, he said, “I probably should’ve waited to do that until later.”

  Her heart soared at the unconcealed longing in his voice. “I’m glad you didn’t.”

  He smiled, eyes opening as he pressed another quick kiss to her mouth. She leaned forward to maintain contact, and when she tangled her tongue with his, things got hot and heavy again real fast.

  With a low groan, he twisted his head to the side and shoved back to his side of the truck. “I definitely should’ve waited.”

  Shelby bit the corner of her lip to keep from grinning like a fool, but when he glanced over at her, she ended up laughing anyway. His cute, light-hearted grin nearly had her blurting out how much she loved him.

  “If I remember correctly, you packed a dress and heels in your suitcase, didn’t you?”

  And he said she didn’t miss much? “Two dresses,” she confirmed.

  “What would you say to putting one on so I can take you out for dinner tonight?”

  Her stomach gave a nervous little flip as she arched her eyebrows. “Are you asking me out on a date?”

  “I am.”

  Wow. She never would’ve expected the simple gesture of a date to trigger the rush of emotion that had her blinking against a sting of tears.

  “Are you going to say yes?” he prompted.

  She nodded, her throat too thick to manage more than a whisper. “Yes.”

  Was that relief in his grin? She wasn’t sure because he turned away to put his seatbelt on, flipped the signal, checked his mirrors, and pulled back onto the road. When they reached his house, he came around to get her door as always, but kept his distance. This time, knowing his reasoning for not touching her and loving why, she didn’t take offense.

  Inside, she hovered near the door as he reset the security alarm. “So…um…I guess I’ll go get ready?”

  “Sure.” But then he turned with a frown. “Unless it’s too early?”

  It was almost five o’clock. She shook her head. “Oh, no. I’m going to need at least an hour.”

  “Really?”

  “I mean, it is our first date.”

  When he narrowed his gaze as if trying to gauge her seriousness, she barely kept her poker face i
n place.

  “O-kay then. Let me grab my clothes and the master is all yours for as long as you want.”

  Fifteen minutes later, Shelby dried off after her shower and belted her robe. She took ten minutes to put on just a light touch of make-up, then another ten to blow dry her hair. Leaving it loose, she turned to eye the two dresses she’d hung in the bathroom to steam out any wrinkles.

  Black or burgundy?

  Nude.

  Stomach whirling, she fiddled with the collar of her robe as the idea spun in her mind. She knew exactly what was going to happen when they got back later, and it was amazingly sweet of Dev to want to take her to dinner first, but did she really want to wait any longer?

  No.

  Her pulse picked up speed as she crossed the bedroom to her suitcase. Now for the real question—would it still fit?

  Chapter 25

  Dev sat on the edge of the couch cushion, flipping through channels on the T.V. while checking the time every two minutes. He still had a good twenty-five minutes to wait, he noted with a grimace. Glancing down the hall, he wondered what the heck she needed a whole hour for? This whole past week, she’d never once taken more than thirty minutes and always looked beautiful on her way out the door.

  Turning back to the T.V., he tried a few more channels. Not a single program caught his attention, so he shut it off and tossed the remote on the coffee table before pacing into the kitchen for a drink of water. Then he paced back to the couch.

  Fuck, he hadn’t been this nervous since…he had no clue when. He’d showered, shaved, and dressed in slacks and a black dress shirt in about ten minutes. Which left him almost the whole hour to sit and think about the upcoming evening.

  He was an idiot for torturing himself with dinner, but after the look on Shelby’s face when he asked her on an actual date, he’d endure ten dinners if need be. She deserved to know she was special.

  “Dev?”

  Shelby’s raised voice from the bedroom spun him around. “Yeah?”

  “Can you come help me with my zipper?”