And she realized…she didn’t want to do this alone.
“But I…would be grateful…I mean, if you have the time…”
It shouldn’t feel so awkward to ask for his help. But she was so used to relying only on herself.
“Want me to come with you? You got it.” He grinned at her widely, his teeth gleaming like a pirate’s. “I was afraid you’d never ask.”
“Weird thing to get excited about.” She nudged his thigh with her foot—for no other reason than to remind herself of those hard muscles. “It’s not like it’s a hot date.”
“We’ll see.”
Chapter Thirteen
Darius had left out one important detail about Ethan James—the guy was a hottie. They met him in the lobby of the Eagle’s Nest Resort and Hotel, by far the most expensive hotel in Lost Harbor, and one of the few that stayed open all winter. With his easy smile and penetrating eyes, Ethan James was instantly appealing.
But not quite as appealing as the big guy at her side.
“Call me Kate,” she said immediately upon shaking Ethan’s hand.
“Ethan. Thanks for meeting with me.”
They claimed a quiet nook with a stunning view of the restless gray ocean and the icy peaks on the other side. Misty Bay was living up to its name today, with long fingers of fog drifting past like smoke.
They had the lobby to themselves. The reception clerk was watching TikTok videos on his phone, and the only other noise was the quiet bubbling of a fish tank.
“I have lots of questions, Ethan.” she told him, after making sure the clerk had his headphones in.
“Of course you do. I would too. Let me start with who sent me up here. My client is the law firm of Cotton and Bryant.”
Her eyes widened. That name was famous in California legal circles. It was one of the most respected law firms in the country. “That’s reassuring.”
“Good. I can’t say that I know the ins and outs of your situation, but I do know that they’re not trying to put you in danger. They want your testimony in a case.”
“What’s the case?”
“Class-action suit against Dr. Robert Kramer.”
So the ADA had been right on about that. “The supplement fraudster.”
“That’s the one. Your…ahem…” He cleared his throat delicately, glancing at Darius.
Kate gritted her teeth. “You don’t have to dance around it. My father was working with him. Darius knows all the dirt at this point.”
“Good. Then I can speak freely?” Kate nodded, and he continued. “Thirty victims of the supplement scam are filing a five hundred million dollar class-action lawsuit against Kramer’s company. Cotton and Bryant’s team thinks your testimony can be useful.”
“I’m not going to testify against my father,” she said flatly. “First of all, I was his lawyer. Also, he’s my father, and even though he wasn’t much of a parental figure, I couldn’t do that to him.”
Ethan shook his head with a frown. “No no, not that. We’ve gathered evidence that Kramer ordered his operatives to harass you and intimidate you. That’s the testimony we’re after. All you have to do is recount everything that happened before you left LA, and the steps you took to protect yourself. Just tell the truth. That’s all. The law firm will pay all your expenses to fly to LA and you can tape your deposition.”
Her heart skipped a few beats. Fly to LA. Sunshine. Freeways. Maybe a brunch with a few friends. A taste of her old life.
“With your testimony, you could help bring the victims’ families some closure.”
Her eyebrows lifted. “I’m sorry, don’t you mean cash?”
“That too.” He smiled slightly. “Before I came up here, I did a little research on you. I found it interesting that you became a lawyer when your father spent so much time dodging them. You could have chosen his kind of life, but you didn’t.”
She threw up a hand. “I don’t need a psych profile, Ethan James. I’ve spent a lot of time trying not to be my father. I know that. I’m sympathetic to the class-action suit. I know what it’s like to be scammed. I’ve seen it many times and it’s a terrible feeling. But I left LA because I was being threatened and—”
“All security costs will be covered. Sorry, I should have mentioned that right away.”
She stole a glance at Darius, but his expression told her nothing. He had his intimidating poker face on lock.
“When would they want me? For how long?”
“It should only take a couple of days. One day to meet with the team and prep, one day for the depo. Maybe more if the opposing counsel gets frisky.”
Two days. That sounded safe, but it didn’t leave much time for extras. Brunch with friends was probably out.
And come to think of it, she wouldn’t want to expose anyone else to any bad guys catching wind of her return.
“I’d like to choose my own security.”
Ethan relaxed back in his chair. Obviously he knew a victory when he witnessed one. “That sounds like a reasonable request.”
“I’d call it more of a condition.”
He laughed. “I see you haven’t lost a step. Condition. Got it. I can almost guarantee they’ll agree to that very reasonable condition.”
She smiled, finding him charming.
Darius leaned forward; he didn’t seem to find Ethan quite as appealing as she did. “There’s something else. Maybe you should tell Kate how you found her and how you can guarantee that no one followed you.”
She shot Darius a grateful glance for remembering that point. Bringing him along had been a good move.
Ethan hesitated, clearly reluctant to reveal his own trade secrets. “Is it enough if I just tell you that you’re still safe here?”
“Not even close,” Darius answered for her in a low growl.
It felt really good to have a guard dog by her side. More of a guard bear, taking into account his size.
“Like I said, I did some research and stumbled across the Lost Harbor connection. I figured it was worth checking out. As for guaranteeing Kate’s safety, I told my client that I was pursuing a lead but didn’t give any details. I turned my phone off before I left the city, took three different flights in case someone was following me, and I’ve been using a burner phone since I got here.”
That sounded thorough to her.
But Darius still didn’t look convinced. “We called the number that was on your business card.”
“I got that card printed in Anchorage.”
“Got a receipt for that?”
As they lobbed arguments back and forth, Kate looked from one to the other. What the heck were they fighting about? Why was Darius being so hostile to Ethan, after saying he was a decent guy?
“Darius, can I talk to you in private for a second?” She tugged him to his feet and led him around the corner to a little nook, where a door led to an enclosed terrace that contained an outdoor hot tub. He pushed open the door and they stepped outside. Immediately, a rough wind jostled them, like sharp elbows on a crowded bus.
Darius positioned himself so his big body shielded her from the worst of it. With his legs braced apart on the deck and his hair tossed by the wind, he looked like a pirate.
“I thought you vouched for Ethan. Why are you so suspicious?”
“Due diligence, isn’t that what you lawyers call it?”
“Are you sure we don’t call it being territorial?”
His expression shuttered. “You want me to back off.”
“No. You’re thinking of things I should have thought of. I’m just wondering if you think there’s something suspicious going on with Ethan.”
He shoved his hands in his pockets and hunched his big shoulders. “No,” he admitted. “I think he’s being straight. I just—” He made a sound like a growl. “Wish he wasn’t such a charmer.”
Secret joy sparked inside her. Darius was a little jealous. And that was kind of adorable. She kept her face neutral. “Can I ask you something?”
> He jerked his head with a nod.
“Big guy like you, have you ever worked private security?”
Surprise lit up his face. “You want me to come with you to LA?”
“I do. I want someone who’s not connected to the law firm. Not that I don’t trust them, but…” She shrugged. “I’d feel more comfortable with someone I know, someone smart and strong. Could you get time off from the station?”
“I have backlogs of vacation time. Nate can take over for a few days. It’s not a problem.”
“So, Sir Armor-All. Would you like to play personal bodyguard for a couple of days? You and me and a hotel room in LA?”
Heat flared behind his eyes. Her pulse picked up and energy sizzled between them. A gust of wind swirled around them, making her sway toward him. Her nipples pebbled into hard peaks. This man, between her thighs…
She took a step back. This wasn’t a hookup, for heaven’s sake. It was a risky trip into her recent past.
Finally he nodded. “Yeah. I’ll be your bodyguard.” The roughness of his voice told her he was feeling the same lust that she was.
“Are you sure?” she asked innocently. “I mean, Ethan’s an LA local, and I’m sure he’s perfectly capable—”
At the fierce look in his eyes, she dropped the act.
“Good,” she said simply. “I was hoping you’d want to come with me. I already feel safer.”
One corner of his mouth quirked up. “You were teasing me about Ethan?”
“Maybe a little.” She shot him her naughtiest grin. “Call it revenge.”
“For what?”
“I’ll think of something.”
He tilted his head back and burst into laughter. She watched the strong tendons of his neck flex and had the impulse to lick his skin, just there.
“Has anyone ever told you you’re a pain in the ass?” he asked her when he was done laughing.
“I’m pretty sure you told me that in one of your first emails.”
“Well, it’s still true.” He stepped to the side, breaking their intense connection, and opened the door for her. “But don’t worry. I take my bodyguard duties seriously. I won’t let anything happen to that ass.”
On her way through the door, with her back to him, she gave her ass a naughty twitch.
She didn’t have to see Darius’ face to sense his reaction to that. She could feel his gaze burning up and down her backside.
This was going to be a very interesting trip.
Chapter Fourteen
The law firm of Cotton and Bryant booked them adjoining suites in an upscale boutique hotel in Century City, a neighborhood that seemed to consist entirely of high-rises. Even though Darius was a ranch boy by birth, he’d lived in both Houston and El Paso—different cities for different marriages. He enjoyed cities, when he wasn’t scanning every passing face for some sign of a threat.
It was a relief to step into Kate’s suite and drop out of watchdog mode.
Kate set her suitcase on the floor and surveyed the impeccable room with a happy sigh. Stargazer lilies and a tropical fruit basket sat on the glass coffee table.
“You know, I think it’s worth putting my life at risk just so I can have a fifteen-dollar kiwi paid for by a fancy law firm.” She plucked a fuzzy brown fruit from the basket and peeled it with her thumbnail. Juice wetted her fingers, and he decided that watching her eat it—her lips on that green flesh—might be too much for him.
“I’m going to do a quick check of the room.” He went from window to window, making sure everything was locked from the inside and inaccessible from the outside. He did the same thing in his own suite.
“Do you want this open or closed?” he asked her from the door that separated their suites.
“What’s safer?” She paused with the kiwi inches from her lips. Damn. He knew that would be trouble. He lost his train of thought.
“Safer in terms of…”
Her eyebrows lifted. “In terms of not getting surprised in the middle of the night.”
What kind of surprise did she have in mind?
He shook off his inappropriate thoughts and got back to business. “Probably open, so I can hear if something happens.”
“Okay. Open. But no peeking.” She winked at him and bit into the fruit in her hand. Juice ran down her forearm, and she darted out her tongue to catch it.
He wheeled around and pulled the door half-closed behind him. “Taking a shower,” he told her in a choked voice.
“Me too,” she called after him. Great. Simultaneous showers. He’d have to make his a cold one. “Want to get dinner after that? I’d say it’s on me, but the law firm’s paying for everything so it’s on them.”
“Sounds good.”
Instead of a cold shower, he turned the heat up and filled the stall with fragrant steam. Then he soaped up his hand and wrapped it around his cock. With the other hand braced against the tiles, water cascading onto his head and back, he stroked himself. Kate’s face and lips danced behind his closed eyes. The way she’d licked that juice off her arm…that should have been her tongue on his erection. And it was, in his imagination.
What was she doing right now? Was she too in the shower? Soaping her breasts, covering herself with lather? Maybe her hand was between her legs right this very moment. Maybe she was rubbing herself, touching her own nipples. Oh God.
It took only a few strokes for him to come in his hand. Pressure relieved. At least for the moment.
He spent some more time catching his breath, cleaning himself thoroughly, and delivering himself a lecture about proper bodyguard behavior.
When he’d gotten himself dressed in a new set of clothes, he knocked on the adjoining door.
“Come in,” Kate called. She spun around as he stepped through the door, and all that hard work he’d done in the shower went right down the drain.
It was just a black dress, but the way it cupped her breasts and pushed them together was a goddamn threat to a man’s sanity. The fabric clung to the curves of her waist and hips, then stopped short just above her knees. Not only that, but she wore heels so high she came up to his chin rather than his chest.
“I brought my stilettos with me,” she told him cheerfully. “It’s not often I can wear them around a man without towering over him.”
He grunted, since that was the only sound he was capable of making right then.
“Also, in a pinch, I can use them as a weapon.” She bent to slide off one of her shoes, giving him an even better view of the bare upper curve of her breasts. His mouth went dry.
He cleared his throat. “That’s okay, you don’t have to demonstrate. I feel safer already.”
She tugged the shoe strap back into place and stood up. “How’s your appetite?”
Wrong question. He lifted one eyebrow and didn’t answer. She flushed and ran her tongue over her lips. “There’s a great steakhouse around the corner.”
“Works for me.”
Good God, he had to get a grip. He was here to watch her back, not slobber all over her.
She pulled on a red sweater—forevermore, he’d associate the color red with her—and they headed out the door.
The electric atmosphere between them followed them into the elevator and through the foyer. It must have made Kate nervous too, because she launched into a breathless explanation of how much she’d been looking forward to dipping into her Los Angeles wardrobe again. And then something about makeup and hair stylists and brunch.
When they hit the sidewalk, she wobbled a little on her stilettos, and he grabbed her arm to steady her. She leaned on it for extra support as they walked. Finally he saw the advantage of those shoes, aside from the fact that they made her legs look about as long as a high-rise.
“Look at us, all civilized and going out to dinner in LA. We’ve come a long way from that muddy road in Lost Harbor,” she said lightly.
“And from the Moose is Loose, passed out in that cabin.”
“Knocked out,” she corr
ected. “Passed out sounds more degenerate. I didn’t have enough fun to qualify for passed out.”
“Really?” He gave her a wicked sidelong look. “I did. It was a great night, until I woke up all alone with a goddamn crick in my neck.”
She pulled a mock-apologetic face and slid her hand to the back of his neck. “Poor baby. I can make up for it now if you like.”
She massaged him lightly, and he groaned. “Now? In the middle of a city sidewalk when I’m supposed to be watching for bad guys? We really need to talk about your timing.”
With a smile, she dropped her hand, letting it linger on his back before settling at his elbow. The muscles along his spine tingled, missing her touch already.
“Don’t worry, I won’t interfere with bad guy patrol. If you weren’t here, I’d be barricading myself in the hotel room and ordering room service.”
“Maybe we should—”
“No. It’s such a short walk, and there’s all this warmth and smog to enjoy. “
He laughed. “Forget what it’s like after all that clean Lost Harbor air?”
“I did.” She inhaled a long breath. “It’s strange being here. I feel like I’m drunk but I’m definitely not.”
“I don’t even have that excuse,” he murmured, half to himself. But he knew exactly what she meant. It was a giddy feeling to be here with her in this enormous, sprawling city in which no one knew their business. No curious volunteer firemen or hockey teammates to be seen. They could do whatever they wanted and no one ever had to know about it.
They could throw every rulebook in existence out the window.
Except for the one that would keep her safe, of course.
To that end, he made sure they were seated in a corner booth, from which he could see everyone who came in and out of Ruby’s Steakhouse.
“You seem like you know what you’re doing, bodyguard-wise,” she commented after the hostess had left them alone with their drink menus.
“I’ve watched enough Jason Statham movies to get the general idea.”
She smiled at that. He loved making her smile. That little divot that appeared near her chin just did him in. Every time.
Naughty All Night (Lost Harbor, Alaska Book 5) Page 10
