by Lisa Weaver
“That’s correct,” Luke confirmed in an I-mean-business tone of voice. “I told your daughter I’d arrange for you two to meet tomorrow, but she decided to initiate a private reunion on her own instead.”
“Ah. Then she is very much like her mother, not only in looks but in temperament.”
“If that temperament includes a blatant disregard for adhering to what’s in her best interest then, yes, she is.”
Brianna rolled her eyes. “I’m right here in the room, you know.”
“You’re lucky you are. You could have wound up in the morgue after the stunt you just pulled. What were you thinking, coming here alone, after I expressly told you not to?”
“You said your house was secure. If they didn’t know where I was staying, how could they have followed me?”
“Mendacci’s goons might not have any idea where you are, but they can take a stab at where you might go. It’s a safe bet you’d try to make contact with your father at some point.”
“He’s right,” her father agreed. “As happy as I am that you came to see me, it isn’t safe for you to be here until this mess is squared away. For now, you need to let the security agency do its job. I know it’s a lot to ask, but when this all blows over, I’d like the chance to spend some time with you. To get to know you.”
“There’s nothing I’d like more,” she enthused, hugging him tightly.
After saying good-bye to her father, Brianna got back in the Lamborghini and made her way back to Luke’s estate. The glow of his headlights in her rearview mirror made her feel safe. Secure. Like the man himself did.
Luke had been afraid for her tonight. That fear revealed something deeper than the concern of a bodyguard for the client he was charged with safeguarding. He cared about her. She just needed to make him see it.
Once the vehicles were parked in the garage, Luke ushered her into the house. She was prepared to get a lecture. He had every right to be angry at her for sneaking out the way she had. Instead, he surprised her by drawing her into his arms.
“What am I going to do with you?” he murmured. “And how on earth did you manage to get past my dogs?”
“They might be tough, like their master, but they do have a weakness. They like steak,” she grinned up at him, unrepentant.
“You nearly gave me a nervous breakdown with your little stunt. You make me crazy, you know.”
Before she could reply, his arms encircled her waist, drawing her closer. Pulling her up against the hard length of his body, he fused his mouth to hers. His kiss was urgent. Demanding.
It was too much. It wasn’t enough. And when he broke away, she was instantly bereft.
“Tell me what you want, Brianna.”
“You,” she breathed on a shaky sigh.
It was all she needed to hear. Swinging her up into his arms, he carried her to his bed. Soon she was lost in sensations so exquisite she didn’t care if she ever left his arms.
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
She awoke to sunshine streaming in the bedroom window, and an empty spot beside her where Luke had been. Hurriedly showering and dressing, she went in search of him. She found him in his den.
Engrossed in a phone call with his back to her, he didn’t hear her enter the room. “Don’t worry,” she heard him say. “I’ll tell Brianna this morning.”
“Tell me what?” she blurted.
At the sound of her voice, Luke spun around. “I’ve got to go. I’ll talk to you later, Liz.”
“So what is it that you want to tell me?” she demanded as he disconnected the call.
He breathed a sigh, raking a hand through his hair in exasperation. “I’ve decided it’s time someone more competent took over your protection. I’m no longer effective at guarding you.”
“That’s the most ludicrous thing I’ve ever heard! You’re scared because you’re beginning to have feelings for me, so you’re running away. Well, you don’t have to worry. You don’t want things between us to get serious. I get that. There’s no need to make up excuses.”
“I’m not running,” he retorted vehemently. “I’m doing my duty. I have a responsibility, as an agent, to step down when my ability to protect a package is compromised.”
“So that’s all I am to you? A package?”
“You know you’re far more than that. That’s the problem. That’s why I have to turn this assignment over to another agent.”
Chapter Sixteen
Brianna’s beautiful eyes met his, wide with disbelief.
“You aren’t serious! You can’t just walk away.”
“This isn’t up for discussion, Brianna. I’ve made some major mistakes in the past couple of days. If I’d been on top of my game, you never would have made it out of the house—much less off my estate—before I hauled you back to safety. If I hadn’t spotted you leaving last night, your little adventure could have ended very differently …” he trailed off, wiping a hand across his face, unable to give voice to the thought haunting him. The outcome could have been disastrous and completely unbearable. She might not be standing here right now.
“But it didn’t,” she refuted.
“Only because I got lucky. The next time you pull a stunt like that, I might not be so fortunate. That’s not something I’m willing to risk.” She meant too much to him.
“I know what I did was foolhardy,” she admitted. “I promise I won’t do anything like that again.”
Tanya had made promises, too. Promises she hadn’t kept.
“You say that now, but what happens if you can’t follow through? If I remain on your security detail, my lack of self-control where you’re concerned could spell disaster. I’d rather step away from this assignment than take that chance.”
“You’re really going to abandon me after what we shared last night?”
The devastation in her tear-filled gaze was nearly his undoing. He dug deep and held firm. He had to see this through.
“I’m not abandoning you. You’ll be in good hands with Donovan.”
“The only hands I want to be in are yours,” she insisted.
Walking away was the most difficult thing he’d ever done, but in light of the intensity of his feelings, it was his only option. One death on his conscience was enough for a lifetime.
“We’ve been lucky so far. We might not be so fortunate the next time I make a mistake. I’m not willing to risk it.”
“I don’t want a stranger taking over my protection because you’ve developed some kind of misplaced inferiority complex. You’ve already proven you can protect me. The only person I want looking out for me is you.”
“If I don’t remove myself from this assignment, odds are you’ll wind up paying the price for my selfishness.”
It was bad enough he’d already demonstrated poor judgment by staying as long as he had.
“I don’t want a bodyguard, but if I have to have a babysitter I want it to be you. If what we’ve shared means anything to you, you’ll stay.”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t do that. It has to be this way.”
She opened her mouth to argue, but the chiming of his doorbell halted her protest. After verifying the identity of his visitor, he unlocked the door.
“Thanks for coming, Donovan,” he greeted his fellow agent. Satisfied Brianna would be secure under his coworker’s watchful eye, and needing to escape before the hurt swimming in Brianna’s eyes weakened his resolve, he turned to leave.
“Listen to Donovan. And no more stunts, okay?”
Brianna nodded mutely, her eyes brimming with tears at his parting words. He’d ripped her heart right out of her chest and then calmly walked out the door. Every ounce of joy and love in her soul had walked out right along with him, leaving nothing but a desolate chasm behind.
Luke’s eyes had held no trace of the heartbreak she was feeling. He hadn’t even looked back. Had she really meant that little to him?
She’d known, even from their first meeting at the lake, that they shared a bond tha
t was once-in-a-lifetime special. She never would have behaved so brazenly if she hadn’t believed it with every fiber of her being. She still believed it now.
She shook her head in dazed disbelief. “How can he do this?”
“He has to step away. It’s what’s best for you.”
“That’s crazy. He thinks he’s failed me in some way, but he hasn’t.”
“No, he hasn’t,” Donovan agreed. “But he’s afraid he will. In our line of work, emotions can impede even the most stellar agent. Instinct and edge are integral to a security expert’s effectiveness. Developing feelings for a package can annihilate those critical aptitudes. Turning your protection over to someone whose judgment isn’t clouded by emotions is the most sensible thing for Luke to do, under the circumstances.”
“So you’re telling me Luke cares about me? If that were true, he never would have lied to me.”
“It’s because you’re so special to him that he did.”
Her heart didn’t believe that at the moment. It had shattered in a thousand pieces when Luke had walked away. The ache that accompanied the fracture was a sure sign that, despite her best efforts to not fall for him, she had.
Donovan placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, and steered her toward the sofa.
“Luke wasn’t being deliberately deceitful in keeping the details of his assignment a secret from you. He was doing what was necessary to ensure your safety.” He hesitated a moment before continuing. “I’m going to share something with you I probably shouldn’t, but it will help you understand why Luke made the choice he did. A few years ago, he was involved with a woman. An heiress.”
“Tanya Ford?” Brianna ventured.
“So he’s told you about her?”
“Just that he was serious about her.”
“Did he tell you she was murdered?”
Brianna shook her head, shocked at the revelation. “No. The news reports said she was killed in an accident.”
“Only because her parents used their influence to make sure the gorier details of the incident remained buried. Tanya was reckless and wild, and she got mixed up with a bad crowd. Luke cautioned her about the dangers, but she ignored his warnings and continued to hang out with the same people behind his back. That decision placed her in the wrong place at the wrong time. It got her killed, and Luke blames himself. There was absolutely nothing he could have done to prevent her murder, but he still shoulders the burden of it.”
Suddenly it became clear why Luke had been so angry with her the night of the purse snatching. He thought she’d taken an unnecessary chance with no regard for her personal safety. He’d feared her impulsive action might have cost her her life, as it had Tanya.
“There’s more,” Donovan continued. “One of the men Tanya was partying with that night confessed he’d been intimate with her the evening she was murdered.”
“She was cheating on Luke? He must have been crushed.”
“He was devastated she died so senselessly, but he wasn’t surprised to learn she’d been unfaithful. He’d already suspected she was cheating on him, and he planned on breaking up with her.”
“Was the other man she was with a suspect in her murder?”
“He was, but he had an airtight alibi and he was able to account for his whereabouts at the time of Tanya’s death.”
“So they may never know what happened. I can see how that would be difficult for Luke. But he’s not to blame for the choices Tanya made.”
“We both know that, but Luke’s reality and ours are two different things. He believes he let Tanya down. He’s afraid he’ll let you down, too. That’s a pretty heavy burden for a man to shoulder, even for someone as tough as Luke.”
“So he took the cowardly way out and walked away.”
“Not cowardly. Smart. Surely you realize he’s crazy about you. That makes you his Kryptonite. He can’t trust himself to be at the top of his game when he’s around you. That’s a major liability in our business. He removed himself from the equation to keep you safe.”
“Thank you for giving me a glimpse inside his head.”
“I thought understanding what motivated his decision might help. I hope it makes this a little easier to deal with. He’s one of the good guys, Brianna, and if you ask me he deserves someone like you in his life. Give him some time. He’ll come around.”
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
Brianna was bleary-eyed when she stumbled out of bed the next morning. Preoccupied with what Donovan had told her, sleep had eluded her. After a quick shower, she dressed and headed downstairs to the kitchen, where she found Donovan pouring a cup of coffee.
“Good morning,” he greeted her cheerily.
“Morning,” she replied, taking in the breakfast feast he’d laid out on the table. “Wow. Don’t take it the wrong way, but you cook, too? Is Fine Cuisine 101 part of the covert bodyguard training program?”
“It’s only an elective,” he chuckled. “But even covert agents have to eat. And knowing our way around a kitchen is helpful on some assignments. Being able to blend in as a member of household staff can make guarding a client in a highly sensitive situation a lot easier.”
“Well, thanks for making breakfast. This is great.”
“You’re welcome. So, what’s on your docket for the day?”
“For starters, I have to pick up the convention agendas from the print shop and order floral arrangements for the meeting rooms.”
“I’m looking forward to seeing the inner workings of the motivational development world. It should be interesting.”
“It’s never dull, that’s for sure. I’ll grab my laptop and my purse and we can head out.”
After a productive morning, they broke for lunch. They decided to grab sandwiches at a little deli next to the florist shop.
Brianna didn’t miss the envious gazes the other women in the deli shot her way as she shared a table with Donovan. The agent’s swarthy good looks were a draw on their own, but coupled with the aura of barely restrained power he exuded, the effect was nothing short of magnetic.
And yet, I’d give anything to have Luke here instead.
On impulse, she texted him. If she could convince him to talk to her, maybe she could reason with him and make him see his worries were totally unfounded—she was nothing like Tanya.
To her disappointment, he didn’t text her back. Upon leaving the restaurant a few minutes later, she checked her phone again. Distracted, she didn’t see the man who stepped up beside her until he bumped into her.
The impact of the unexpected collision sent her off balance. Donovan was quick to steady her, and even quicker to step between her and the stranger. The bodyguard’s hand moved to the weapon he wore holstered under his blazer, and she found herself fervently hoping he wouldn’t have a reason to use it.
“I’m sorry,” the stranger apologized, oblivious to the tension humming in the air. “I wasn’t watching where I was going.”
“Neither was I,” Brianna said, smiling apologetically. “It’s okay, no harm done.”
The man’s gaze lingered on her handbag as he walked away. Odd, she thought. And then she noticed a note sticking out of the front pocket. The sheet of paper hadn’t been there before.
With Donovan’s attention focused on the road as he drove her to her next appointment, Brianna took the opportunity to read the note. The message directed her to be at the pier off the beach at ten tonight, and alone, if she wanted information that would put an end to the dangerous situation her father was embroiled in.
I have to find a way to make the meet.
Sensing her distraction, Donovan shot her a sideling glance. “Is everything all right?”
Grateful she’d already tucked the message back in her purse, she forced her expression to remain calm. She hoped the terror she was feeling wasn’t reflected on her face. She couldn’t let the agent suspect anything was wrong.
“Everything’s fine,” she assured him. “My next appointment is with the
band providing the entertainment for the conference’s welcome dinner. I’ll need a couple of hours with them, but you don’t have to stick around. I can meet you at the car when I’m done.” All she needed was a few minutes alone so she could break free from the agent. Then she’d hide away somewhere until it was time to make the meet.
“Nice try, but I’m not leaving your side. That’s how this bodyguard thing works, remember?”
She rolled her eyes. “Funny. I know how it works. But I’ll be fine. Really.” She hoped he missed the note of desperation she hadn’t been able to keep from creeping into her voice.
I absolutely have to be at the pier at the appointed time.
He shot her a reassuring smile, misunderstanding the reason for her concern. “You don’t have to worry about my tagging along. I’ll be discreet. You can tell them I’m a coworker learning the ropes.”
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
True to his word, Donovan blended in seamlessly.
“So, what’s up next?” he asked after the meeting adjourned.
“That’s a wrap for today,” she told him, all the while doing mental gymnastics as she tried to formulate a solution to her dilemma. Other than her plan of ditching him along the way, which had proved to be an epic fail, the only other trick she had up her sleeve was risky at best. It seemed she had no other choice but to put it into play.
“Would you like to grab dinner before we head back to the house?” he asked, drawing her from her worried musings.
“To be honest, I’m beat,” she fabricated. She couldn’t carry her plan out in a crowded restaurant. She needed to be back at Luke’s estate if she’d have a chance at pulling off the ploy she’d formulated. “What if we pick up some Chinese takeout instead?”
“Sure,” he agreed.
Back at Luke’s home, she set the takeout containers on the dining room table and excused herself to get their drinks. Alone in the kitchen, she rummaged through her purse for the sedatives the doctor had given her after the bombing. She’d had no intention of taking them, but she was glad, now, she’d kept them.
Her plan was underhanded and she really didn’t want to go through with it, but she didn’t feel like she had any other option. Crushing the pills, she stirred them into Donovan’s glass.
