by Lori Foster
Brand stared after him. He could understand Justice’s confusion since he didn’t know all the facts, but he’d only put up with so much before he’d lose his temper. “Why the hell is he so pissy about this?”
“He hasn’t shaken off his stint as her personal protection.” Leese, too, started for the kitchen. “I have no idea why you’re even thinking about leaving MMA, but I suggest you make up your mind. Just know that if you stay, it’s a commitment until this is wrapped up. No waffling in and out.”
“I don’t waffle, damn it.”
With a roll of his eyes, Leese disappeared into the kitchen.
Miles waited to chime in until there was only the two of them. “You have some tough choices ahead with the SBC and your fight career. I know that. The thing is, you can’t be part of the setup then just bail if things here aren’t yet resolved. No one is going to accept that, least of all Sahara.” Then Miles left him, too.
Sahara was like the Pied Piper—where she went, the others followed.
Alone in the foyer, Brand grumbled and looked at the door...but he knew he wasn’t going anywhere.
His friends were right—it was past time he made a decision. A lot depended on Sahara. Talking to her, gauging her reaction, was key. He couldn’t do that if he walked away now. If he stayed, if he insisted on being the one to protect her, they’d have ample time to talk it out.
Ample time for other things as well, and that was a concern. He could keep it together, but he had a feeling that dissuading Sahara would take all his wits and then some.
After a deep breath, he joined the others.
He expected to find Sahara devouring more cookies, but instead she stood by herself at the window facing the side yard, watching the sunrise.
As if she’d only been waiting on him, she faced them all, offered up a wan smile and said with her usual sass, “If you boys are done playing, I need to get to the office.”
No one else seemed surprised by that except Brand.
“You’re going in today?” he asked with disbelief.
Sahara gave all her attention to her employees.
Justice said, “I’ll hang around and reprogram your codes.”
She nodded. “Thank you.”
“And I’m going to call your landscaper to get that tree trimmed,” Miles said, “then I’ll do a general inspection to see if there are any other weaknesses.”
“I appreciate that.”
“I’ll go to the office with you.” Leese leaned back against the counter. “You saw him this time, right? That means we have some work to do.”
Sahara nodded. “I could use your help as I go through all of Scott’s old associates to see if I recognize him among them.”
Irritated with them all, Brand said to Leese, “She needs to sleep.” And then to Miles and Justice, “She can’t stay here even if you do get things buttoned up. The bastard got in once so he might be able to get in again.”
She gave him a long look. “Shouldn’t you be training for a fight?”
“It’s months away.” And despite what he’d told her, he didn’t yet know if he’d be fighting. He had a lot of conflicts to iron out.
“Ah.” Saying nothing more, Sahara paced away from the window.
Brand blocked her. “I think you should stay with me.”
She blinked at him. “With you?”
“Yes.”
Justice coughed. Miles laughed.
Showing some sense, Leese shuffled everyone out of the room.
Soon as they were alone, Brand moved in closer to her. Seeing the exhaustion, the wariness and her confusion, he cupped his hand to her face and gently repeated, “Stay with me.”
She drew in and released a slow breath. After glancing toward the doorway where the others had left, she whispered, “I’m only a little shaken, but I—”
“Shh.” He brushed his thumb over her soft, full lips—and then he replaced it with his mouth. He’d meant to indulge in a single peck, a way to let her know that she didn’t have to explain to him, and then he’d get her agreement.
But Sahara never did anything half-measure.
With a small, hungry sound, she fit her slim body to his, sliding her hands up his chest to his shoulders and then to his neck.
That’s all it took.
Brand gathered her closer, his arms around her, his head tilted to the side so he could deepen the kiss, explore her mouth with his tongue, coax her tongue into his mouth—
“Ahem.”
Shit. It took him a second to get a grip, then he turned so his back was to Justice, effectively hiding Sahara. “We’ll join you in a second, Justice.”
“Only a second, huh? Looked more involved than that to me. Maybe I should start calling you Speedy?”
“Justice,” he warned.
“I wasn’t gone that long. You two must’ve really jumped into it, huh?”
Sahara, being unlike other women, laughed.
No embarrassment for her.
Peeking around Brand, she said, “You’re hilarious, Justice.”
“He has his moments,” Brand agreed. Unfortunately, this wasn’t one of them.
“Yeah, well, I’m sorry to interrupt.” He eyed Brand. “Sort of. Thing is, we all agreed that you should leave at the same time as Leese, so...is that going to be any time soon?”
“Yes, very soon,” Sahara promised. “While I get changed, would you please call Enoch and ask him to have my brother’s suite at the agency cleaned out and prepped? He knows my eating habits, so I’d like for him to arrange groceries as well.”
Brand had no idea what she was up to now. “Why would you—”
“It makes perfect sense for me to stay there,” she said in a rush before he could even finish his question, “but I’d rather not deal with the memories right now.”
“I’ll take care of it,” Justice promised her.
“Scott’s belongings should be put in storage, but the women’s stuff can be donated somewhere.” In dismissal, she added sweetly, “Thank you, Justice.”
“Sure thing.” Cell phone already out to call Enoch, Justice exited the kitchen.
Brand couldn’t hold back the amazement he felt. “Nothing rattles you, does it?” She hadn’t been in the kitchen worrying as he’d thought. Not Sahara. No, she’d taken some quiet time to plot her next step.
He couldn’t imagine anyone ever taking her off guard.
“I’m the woman who raced upstairs in a fury, if you’ll recall. I was plenty rattled.”
Actually, she’d raced away so he wouldn’t see her upset and he felt guilty as hell about it. He knew he’d hurt her feelings when that had never been his intent.
“Rattled, huh?” Giving her the excuse, he smoothed his hand along her thick braid. “I’m surprised you’d admit to it.”
She faked a stern frown to go with her dire warning. “Ever repeat it and we’ll have a problem.”
“Your secrets are safe with me.”
Still kidding around, she flared her eyes wide. “Wow, what a promise. How do you know I won’t unload on you?”
“You could,” he said with sincerity. “I wouldn’t mind.”
She patted his chest. “Yes, well, I refuse to be a wimp, so don’t hold your breath.”
Covering her hand with his, Brand said, “You can trust me, Sahara.” If she’d rather stay at the agency suite, fine, but he’d figure out a way to stay with her.
“Trust you to make me nuts,” she muttered.
“Sahara—”
“I need to change for the office and pack some things for my stay in the suite. Are you still playing guard dog?”
“I am.” Except that he wasn’t playing.
“Excellent.” Putting her small, soft hand in his, her grip firm, Sahara led him out of the kitchen and toward the stai
rs. To Leese, she said, “I’ll be ready to go in ten minutes.”
“Hey, Speedy,” Justice called after him.
Vexed, Brand glanced back.
“Protect her this time.”
Brand flipped him off, but then also gave a nod. He’d protect her all right.
Today, tonight and for the foreseeable future.
* * *
BRAND LEFT AFTER she and Leese were in the offices. Sahara wasn’t sure what to think about that, but she pretended to think nothing at all. In front of everyone, he’d kissed her forehead, told her he’d see her again soon, then just walked away.
Soon could be later in the afternoon, later in the week or at the end of the month. She just didn’t know.
Should she have accepted his offer to stay with him?
No. That would smack of being needy, which would undermine her authority in a big way.
She could have invited him to stay with her instead, but again, needy. The thought of spending the night alone in her big house had given her chills. Unfortunately, the idea of being alone in the suite wasn’t much better. At least she knew the agency was protected; no one could get past the 24/7 security.
Except...people once had.
They’d shot her guard, grabbed Enoch and nearly killed him, then gotten to the suite where they’d attacked Leese and Catalina. At the time Catalina wasn’t yet Leese’s wife, but they were already well on their way to being more than a client and her bodyguard.
Thank God, Leese was a lethal, highly trained machine who’d made the attackers regret the decision to intrude.
It’d be best to put that horrid breach in security from her mind. Since then they’d tightened up all entry points. She’d be fine. She believed it, so she just had to find something else to occupy her mind. Given that she was anxious to dig into the files of her brother’s known associates, she had plenty of distractions at hand.
She was at her desk, coffee beside one elbow, the shiv she’d made at the other, painstakingly going through each file and cross-referencing them with any photos she could find, when Enoch opened her door.
“He’s ba-aack.”
Sahara straightened. For one startling second, she thought Enoch meant her kidnapper. Then she caught his smile and, clearing her throat, asked, “Who?”
Sliding into the room and closing the door behind him, Enoch said, “Brand Berry.”
“Oh?” Sooner than she’d expected. “I thought he’d left for the day.”
“Apparently not.” Enoch’s smile turned knowing. “Care to share?”
Actually... She hopped up from her chair and skirted her desk. “What do you think of him?”
Without hesitation, Enoch said, “Big, capable, confident.”
All true. Sahara added, “Plus smart, attentive, motivated.”
Enoch nodded. “The emotional in a nice physical package equals just what you need.”
That gave her pause. “You think I need someone?”
“Sahara,” he chastised. “You know you’ve been one of my favorite people for a very long time.”
“Ditto.” She and Enoch had met prior to her brother’s disappearance, and they’d immediately hit it off. She’d leaned on him after Scott came up missing, and when she inherited the agency shortly after that, she’d asked him to be her assistant.
Best decision she’d ever made, and that was saying something because she didn’t make bad decisions.
She’d grown Body Armor, shifted the focus, given it more clout, more sex appeal—and through every change big and small, Enoch was there helping her to make it a seamless transition.
“You’re also one of the strongest people I’ve ever known. More independent even than Scott.”
“Really?” Crazy how much that flattered her.
“Once Scott made the business successful, he went about enjoying that success.”
He said that like an accusation. “I enjoy the success.”
“No, you always push for more, and that’s fine. Your single-minded drive is a big part of who you are. But you shouldn’t forever go it alone.”
“I have you.”
“Always,” he vowed. “But you should have more than just a friend. I want to see you loosen up a little. Live a little.” He softened his voice. “Share yourself.”
Enoch made it all sound perfectly normal, not at all needy. “You know why I don’t date.”
“That was a long time ago.”
She nodded. Sometimes it felt like a lifetime had passed since the last guy tried to charm his way into the family finances. “Scott always weeded out the users, the men only after my wealth, but now...how can I tell what a man really wants?”
“Oh please.” Disgruntled, Enoch frowned at her. “I respected Scott a lot, you know that. But he was sometimes wrong—especially when he assumed anyone attracted to you was only after your money.”
It didn’t happen every time...just often enough that she stopped trusting herself. She’d been born into money, and was left a healthy inheritance that Scott had expanded exponentially. Money had never been one of her worries—except when it came to knowing which was the bigger draw, her or her wealth. “I am filthy rich, and that’s a powerful lure for a lot of people.”
“You think the money is so important that a man can’t really see you?” He scoffed. “Have you looked in a mirror lately? Trust me, any guy with blood pumping through his veins sees you. And even if he’s not interested in...romance, he’s bound to admire you, respect you, and—”
“Like me?” She often wondered.
It was one of the things she appreciated most about the fighters she’d hired, as well as their close friends. They were friendly to her, but so down-to-earth, capable and self-sufficient, thoughts of benefiting from her wealth never entered their minds. If anything, they seemed to forget she had money and influence.
Enoch’s scowl grew darker. “Of course they like you. You’re beautiful, witty, honorable and, well...” He flapped a hand. “Apply all those accolades we already gave to Mr. Berry because you have them as well.”
“Not his strength.”
With a snort, Enoch said, “I’d match your cunning and determination to his physical strength any day. And that’s the beauty of it—he’s a good counterpart to your personality.”
“I would like to know him better,” she admitted. “Only he won’t let me hire him.”
“Ha! If he worked here, he’d have grounds for sexual harassment charges in no time. You—” he emphasized “—are as nuanced as a tsunami when you want something...or someone.”
In most cases, she saw no reason for nuance. Propping a hip on the desk in her favored position, Sahara idly swung one foot, her shoe dangling off her toes. “I guess that could be a problem, at least until he gives in.”
Enoch shook his head in exasperation.
“But if I can’t hire him, then how should I—”
Squaring his shoulders, Enoch said, “Sleep with him.”
That bald statement coming from her circumspect and very proper assistant caused a smile to tug at her mouth. “Sleep with him to get to know him?”
“For you, it’d be the most expedient way.”
Obviously, she wasn’t averse to the idea, but to hear her friend instructing her... “Enoch, you’re blushing.”
In a low voice, he confided, “I feel like a pimp.”
Sahara laughed. “Not a pimp, but as my best friend and an irreplaceable assistant, you more than anyone can advise me.”
“Then out of concern, let me say: be yourself with him.”
“I’m always myself. Who else would I be?”
He bent a stern look on her. “Sahara.”
Mimicking him, she replied, “Enoch.”
He rolled his eyes. “You’ve taken the role of boss to heart. You know, you
don’t always have to be the one in charge, the strong one. Sometimes it’s nice to delegate—or even to lean on someone else.”
No, she didn’t want to do any leaning. “I delegate to you all the time.”
“That’s not what I mean and you know it.”
“Fine. I promise I’ll try to be myself.” Feeling impulsive, she gave Enoch a hug. He was smaller than her, and in no way resembled the ripped fighters she’d hired as bodyguards to ramp up the agency’s sex appeal. But he didn’t need physical stature to be one of the finest people she’d ever known.
While they were involved in this mutual exchange of respect and admiration, she pressed him back and asked, “How’s Tina?”
Surprise blanked his expression. “You know about her?”
“My number one guy starts a torrid affair and you think I’d miss it?”
He sighed. “It is rather torrid.”
Delighted for him, Sahara grinned.
She’d always known of Enoch’s keen intelligence and aptitude for organization, but in the last year, she’d discovered new depth to her friend.
His loyalty to her, to all innocents, had enabled him to endure terrible abuse—to the point that the thug who’d taken him thought that he had choked Enoch to death.
Thank God, Enoch had hung on.
Remembering that awful time, and how close she’d come to losing someone else she loved, weakened her composure. Her throat felt thick and her eyes got blurry. Squeezing him tighter, Sahara said, “She’s a lucky woman.”
He patted her back, and since he always saw through her, asked, “Are you sure you’re okay?”
Sahara nodded and concentrated on not letting the tears fall. “Yes, thank you.”
Proving his value, Enoch didn’t press her. “You’re welcome. If you need anything, please let me know.”
He’d been more attentive all morning, constantly checking in on her without actually hovering. He’d even brought her an iced and decorated donut with her coffee. “You’re the best, Enoch.”
“I’ll look for proof of that in my next raise.” After winking, he opened the door and announced, “She’ll see you now, Mr. Berry.”
On his way in, Brand said, “You really have to quit calling me that. It makes me feel like I should be in a suit or something.”
