A gentle mist started up and sprayed his face as he put the spare tire on the ground near the flat one. The weather forecast predicted light showers through most of the night and ending sometime after midnight. He had no complaints with that. He’d never been a big fan of running in the rain, and he planned to meet his buddy Brayden for a run at five o’clock in the morning. Walking past the driver’s side door on his way back to the trunk, he pulled it open. “Why don’t ya sit inside so ya don’t get wet?”
“It’s just mist. I’m fine.”
Rock grabbed the car jack and walked past her again. If she wanted to stand outside and get wet, that was her business. Sliding the jack under the car, he raised it. The click of heels walking across pavement had him glancing in Allison’s direction for a brief second before he refocused on his task.
Mannaggia, that woman shouldn’t go out without her legs covered. They could stop a man dead in his tracks and make him beg for a minute or two of her time.
Once he had the car high enough, he grabbed the cross wrench on the ground and attacked the nuts on the tire. The sooner he finished, the sooner he got them both out of here.
“You make it look easy.” She bent down and looked over his shoulder, her breath warming the back of his neck and her subtle perfume teasing him.
“It is. My sister could’ve handled this.” He, along with his older brothers and dad, had made sure their baby sister knew how to take care of herself, and that had included minor repairs to her car.
Once he loosened all the nuts, he cranked the jack up more so the tire lifted off the ground, and then he pulled off the flat. “Looks like you drove over a nail.” He pointed to the nail head embedded in the rubber tread.
“I did something similar last week, but the mechanic only found the hole.”
Her breath on his neck reminded him just how close she remained. The memory of the last dream he’d had that she stared in resurfaced, and he forced the memory of the night his mutt Baxter got sprayed by a skunk up instead. If anything could kill a guy’s growing erection, it was the smell of a skunk or in this case the memory of the odor.
Grabbing the spare tire, he mounted it on the car and worked as fast as possible to get it secured in place. He needed to get away from Allison and her sexy legs. “Good to go.” He carried the flat tire and jack back to the trunk.
“You were right.” Allison stood leaning against the driver’s side door and watching him. “If I’d called the auto club, I’d still be waiting. Last week it took them an hour to get to me. Looks like I owe you two favors now.”
Man, he knew just how he’d like to collect those favors too. Too bad those weren’t the type of favors she had in mind.
Chapter 2
Who the hell is that? She’d arrived alone and didn’t have a boyfriend. So who was the bastard changing her tire? He’d been standing out here for the past hour waiting for her. Now, some ass with more muscles than brains had her attention. That wasn’t how things were supposed to be. He should have her attention, not anyone else.
Across the lot, the SOB who’d changed Allison’s tire closed the trunk. After exchanging a few words, Allison got into her car. He’d missed out on an opportunity tonight, but there would be others. He’d make sure of it.
Turning the key in the ignition, he pulled out. He knew the route Allison would take home. He’d just follow and make sure she arrived there safely and, more importantly, alone. She hadn’t shown the dude who’d changed her tire any affection, but he also hadn’t been a stranger. She’d known him. Nothing and no one was going to come between them. He’d make sure of that. Allison might not realize it yet, but she belonged with him. No one loved her as much as he did. Soon she’d know the truth. And if anyone tried to get between them, he’d do what he had to.
Chapter 3
She’d skipped the flowers in the gift shop downstairs and grabbed a baby blue teddy bear and a balloon instead. Now seeing Charlie’s hospital room, she was glad she’d opted for the bear. Vases filled with flowers overwhelmed the small room, making it smell more like a greenhouse than a hospital room. In her opinion, it was a huge improvement. She’d never liked the industrial cleaner smell that seemed to cling to every hospital or doctor’s office she’d ever stepped into. The smell of flowers, on the other hand, she adored.
Stopping next to the bed, she hugged Charlie, who looked wiped out but happy. “Did you throw my cousin out?”
“I’ve considered it a time or two,” she said with a smile as she accepted the bear. “But no, he just went to the cafeteria. You know him and coffee.”
Oh, she knew all about Jake’s obsession with coffee. Other than her cousin, she’d never known anyone who had started drinking the stuff at the age of twelve. From what Jake had told her, Charlie was just as bad, and it had been difficult for her to give it up when she became pregnant.
“Is he sleeping?” From where she stood, she could only see the back of the newest Sherbrooke member.
Charlie nodded as she placed a hand on her son’s back. “For the moment. It won’t last. He eats almost every hour on the hour.”
“Sounds a lot like Jake.” Her cousin was and always had been a bottomless pit when it came to food. How the guy never gained weight amazed her.
“You know my husband well.” Charlie managed to get the words out right before a yawn escaped.
Unable to help herself, Allison walked around to the bassinet for a better look at Garret. Sound asleep, he looked like the most peaceful baby on Earth, with a full head of light blond hair and tiny fingers, which were curled up in a fist. “He’s beautiful. Did you decide on a middle name?” When Jake called and announced they’d had a boy, he’d told her they were still going back and forth on a middle name.
“Ruari, after Ma’s dad.”
“Garret Ruari Sherbrooke. Sounds nice together,” Allison said, watching the little bundle move but not wake up. “Garret? Isn’t that Aunt Elizabeth’s father’s name?” She’d heard the name somewhere before, but she wasn’t positive where.
“No, it’s Elizabeth’s grandfather’s name. So Jake’s great grandfather. Some of Jake’s other ancestors have it too. I guess it was originally a surname and someone decided to use as a first name generations ago. Believe or not, when we told Elizabeth his name yesterday, she cried.”
She’d only seen her Aunt Elizabeth cry a handful of times. If a simple name made her cry, it must mean a great deal to her. “Has she been in today too?”
“She promised to stop in later this afternoon before the fundraiser.”
She’d make sure she was gone before then. While she loved her aunt, she didn’t love the secret service agents who accompanied her everywhere. Not that she had anything against them personally. It was just the fact that they were around. Ever since her Uncle Warren first decided to run for president, the agents had become a permanent part of his life as well as his wife’s and, to some extent, his children’s lives. While Jake had told them to take a hike not long after Uncle Warren took office, her cousin Sara still had agents assigned to her. Whenever they went out together, the agents weren’t far behind, making her grateful her Uncle Warren and not her father resided in the White House.
Unfortunately, secret service agents would be at the fundraiser tonight. Nothing under the sun would keep Aunt Elizabeth from a fundraiser supporting Jake’s foundation.
Charlie readjusted her position in bed and winced but didn’t complain. “Ma and Sean will be back later today too and they’ll stay a while. They’re leaving on Monday, so Sean will probably have to drag Ma out of here tonight.”
She’d only met Charlie’s mother and brother once, but they’d both seemed nice and Jake only said good things about them. “Garret’s her first grandchild, right?”
“Yeah, but I don’t think she’ll have to wait long for another. My brother is getting married this summer and his fiancée is anxious to start a family.” A cry came from the bassinet and Charlie reached in for her son. “Since Ma a
nd Sean will be here tonight, I’m trying to convince Jake to at least stop in the fundraiser and make an appearance.”
“And I told you’d I’d think about it.” Jake entered the room carrying a tray of food. “If I’m not there, Allison will be. She can give my speech. She helped me write it anyway.” After putting down the tray, he hugged her before he looked at Charlie. “They didn’t have any French fries, so I got you onion rings.”
Allison’s heart melted as she watched her cousin first kiss his wife’s cheek and then place a kiss on his son’s head. “And just about everything else in the cafeteria,” Allison joked, eyeing the tray Jake carried in.
“Only about half of what’s in the cafeteria is edible, and you never know which items that’ll be. It’s safer to grab a little of everything and save yourself a trip back.”
Interesting logic, but if it worked for him, who was she to argue?
“I heard Rock’s accompanying you tonight.” Jake took his coffee off the tray before anything else and took a sip.
Charlie looked up at her as she covered her shoulder and chest so Garret could nurse. “Addie’s brother at the restaurant Friday night? How did that happen?”
Trent had a big mouth. Her sister-in-law wouldn’t have told Jake that little bit of news. “Not long after you two left, Charles walked in and saw us. I lied and said Rock was my boyfriend. Now he expects to see us together at the fundraiser.”
“Why did you tell him that?” Jake asked, releasing his coffee long enough to rip open a bag of potato chips.
“I didn’t want him asking me out again. I’ve told him a bunch of times I’m not interested, but he doesn’t get the message. I thought, if he believed I had a boyfriend, he’d leave me alone. If I’d known he bought a ticket to the fundraiser, I wouldn’t have said anything.” Allison grabbed a potato chip from the bag her cousin held toward her. “And it’s not like I can skip it. Rock was nice enough to agree to go when I asked him.”
“How long ago did you and Charles break up?” Charlie asked.
“Some time before Halloween, so five or six months ago. And he’s been pestering me ever since.” She wondered why she’d dated him for so long in the first place.
Jake paused between bites of his sandwich to speak. “And he’s still bugging you? Most guys would’ve gotten the hint by now.”
If the tables were reversed, she would’ve gotten the hint a long time ago. Then again, Charles was unique. “Maybe seeing me with someone else will be that final push he needs to get it through his thick head.”
***
After slipping on the new gown she’d purchased for the fundraiser, Allison stepped in front of the mirror. With the exception of the frown reflecting back at her, she liked what she saw. Prior to two nights ago, she’d been looking forward to the evening. In general, she loved parties and fundraisers. She enjoyed the interaction with people and simply found it fun to slip on a gorgeous dress and go out. Unfortunately, Charles’s announcement Friday killed her enthusiasm for tonight’s event. She’d even tried to come up with a good excuse, which her conscious would accept to get her out of it. Plenty of other Sherbrookes would be in attendance. In the end though, she’d known she couldn’t skip this one. When she’d left the hospital, Jake had still been up in the air about attending, even though Charlie kept insisting he should go. Allison knew he didn’t want to leave his wife and new son’s side, even if only for a short time. If Jake didn’t attend, she more or less became the foundation’s official representative tonight.
On the bright side, at least she wouldn’t be showing up alone, which meant Charles wouldn’t pester her all night like he had at the Brown’s Christmas party. That night he’d hung around her so much, several people asked her later if they’d gotten back together. Tonight though, with Addie’s brother by her side, Charles would keep his distance. Charles was an intelligent, power-driven man, but more or less a wimp. He wouldn’t risk making Rock angry by hitting on his girlfriend.
At the thought of Rock, Allison’s reflection smiled back at her. In the past, she’d dated sophisticated, professional men. Men who had attended Ivy League Universities and who now spent their days putting more money in their already impressive bank accounts, not that there was anything wrong with that. The same description more or less fit her brothers too. However, since she’d started work with the Falmouth Foundation, she found herself bored with those types of men. Perhaps that explained why she was eager to see Rock again tonight. She didn’t know much about him, but she looked forward to learning more.
Allison added all she could fit into her matching clutch before she headed downstairs. She’d offered to meet Rock at his apartment, but he’d insisted he’d pick her up. He’d claimed it made more sense because her townhouse in Alexandria was closer to the Keystone Hotel in DC than his apartment in Dumfries. She suspected there was more to it than simple proximity. Rock didn’t strike her as the type of guy to let a woman pick him up for an evening out. In the long run, it didn’t matter as long as she reached the fundraiser on time.
Door chimes echoed through the house as she came down the front stairs into the foyer. Glancing out the window before she opened the door, her belly did a little shimmy when she spotted Rock outside.
Holy moly. She forgotten just how panty-melting gorgeous he looked in his full Marine dress uniform. Without a doubt, tonight he’d catch the eye of more than one female in attendance.
“Please come in,” she said after opening the door.
“Sorry for being late.”
Late? She’d told him six and the wall clock read six now. “You’re right on time.”
Rock pointed to the large watch on his left wrist. “It’s five minutes past.”
Allison pressed her lips together. The only other alternative was to laugh. He appeared dead serious, and she suspected he’d find laughter an insult. “We still have plenty of time anyway. Let me grab my keys and wrap, and then we can go.”
Rock gave her a stiff nod, and she turned away before he caught her smile. Friday night he hadn’t come across as quite so serious. Was that because then his sister had been around and he’d been more relaxed or did it have something to do with the uniform? Either way, she hoped he loosened up a little as the night went on. The main goal of the fundraiser was to raise money; however, it was still a party. Parties were for having fun.
As always, several cars lined the street out front. The only downside to living where she did, most of the residents had to park on the street. Only a few of the historic townhomes had driveways and even those that did could only fit one car. Even with the flaw, she hadn’t been able to pass up the historic three-bedroom townhouse built in 1850 when she’d gone house hunting in January.
“I’m parked over here,” Rock said, pointing in the direction of the utility pole where two vehicles were parked, a big black pickup truck and a white two-door sedan. She’d never noticed either vehicle in the area before, but something told her the pickup belonged to Rock.
When he pulled out his car remote and the taillights of the pickup blinked, she knew she’d guessed right. Allison eyed the distance from the ground to the truck door. If she had on pants, she could climb up without too much difficulty. However, unless Rock picked her up, she saw no way for her to get inside tonight and maintain any dignity. They’d have to take her car.
Rock opened the passenger side door and waited, reminding her a bit of the Marines she’d walked past when she visited Uncle Warren at the White House. Much like those men, Rock’s posture was perfect and his face was devoid of any emotion. Yep, the man really needed to loosen up a little bit if he was going to have any fun tonight.
“We can’t take your truck tonight. Do you mind if we take my car instead?”
Rock’s jaw moved a fraction of an inch, or she thought it did.
“There’s no way I can get in wearing this dress.” She gestured down to the narrow skirt, which reached her ankles, and his eyes followed her hand.
Closi
ng the door, he nodded. “I didn’t consider that.”
Allison shrugged, her wrap slipping down her shoulder. Before she could pull it back up, the silk brushed against her skin as he moved it for her. Surprised by his thoughtfulness, she smiled at him. “This gown might make it difficult for me to drive. Do you mind?” She held the keys out toward him. She’d driven in similar gowns before, so she could do it, but if she didn’t have too, all the better.
“What’s the best way to reach the George Washington Parkway from here?” he asked, starting up the car once he got behind the wheel.
Making herself comfortable, she reached out and turned on the heated seat. The temperatures had stayed in the low 60s for much of the day, but they were dropping fast and the leather seat was cold. “Take a right out of the driveway and head straight. Then take your first left. That will take us straight to the parkway.”
With another stiff nod, Rock backed out of the driveway and headed down Cameron Street. Several seconds ticked by and she kept waiting for him to say something. Even if he only commented on the weather. Instead, he remained tightlipped and silent as he followed her directions. She’d never cared much for silence. Even when she was alone at home, she liked some kind of background noise whether it came from the stereo or the television. She guessed after growing up in a house with four brothers, silence was just too foreign to her.
“Did you get to see Addie and Trent yesterday?” Since it didn’t look like he planned to say much, she better; otherwise this would be one heck of a quiet ride.
“Yeah, they came by.”
Allison kept up a steady conversation all the way into the city. At first Rock only answered the questions she put out there. By the time they reached the Keystone Hotel, though, he’d started to offer up a little more information and even ask a few impersonal questions of his own. It was a start anyway.
“This is my favorite hotel in DC,” Allison said once they left her car with the valet. “From the ballroom on the top floor, you get an incredible view of the city.”
Protecting The Billionaire Page 3
