Safe With You

by DeMuzio, Kirsten

  She came over to stand in front of me and took both my hands in hers. “Taryn, we’ve been best friends forever. Do you trust me?” I sighed, “Of course I trust you, Linz. I just wish I knew what was going on.” She smiled at me, “You will soon. Now get dressed and meet me in the living room.”

  Lindsay was chatting with Dominic and Ethan when I came out, and my mood darkened a bit more when I saw Wyatt still wasn’t here. And when we all got in the elevator, I knew he wouldn’t be going wherever we were headed. There were only ever two of the guys on duty with me, and Thing 1 and Thing 2 were both here.

  We walked out the front door and there was a limo parked on the street in front of the building. Ethan went around and got in the driver’s side while Dominic settled into the passenger seat. Lindsay gave me a nudge when the doorman opened the back door for me. I dug in my heels when I realized she had no intention of coming with me. She whispered, “Trust me, Taryn,” and practically shoved me into the limo, slamming the door behind me.

  Chapter Nine

  Limo Ride

  It took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the dark interior of the limo, the daylight blocked out by tinted windows. When I was able to take in my surroundings I saw Wyatt sitting on the seat across from me, dressed in a tight black t-shirt and faded jeans. He was leaning forward with his elbows on his knees looking at me intently. I was surprised at the intense relief I felt that he was back with me, but I covered it with a frown and said, “What the hell is going on, Wyatt?”

  He moved over to sit on the other end of my seat, and out of principal I turned my face away to look out the window as we drove through the city. He was silent for so long I was almost ready to give in and start asking questions when he said in a low voice full of emotion, “I had to get you alone so you would listen to me. I know you’re upset with me Taryn, and I completely understand why. I was wrong not to tell you who I was right from the beginning. I crossed a line by even exploring a relationship with you while I was on the job, but I’m not sorry for that. I know you didn’t believe me, but I meant it when I said my time with you was the highlight of my days. I haven’t had many reasons to smile in my life recently, and you’re like a breath of fresh air, Taryn. I honestly don’t know what I will do if you can’t forgive me. I need you. I need to see you and talk to you and touch you.”

  Okay, that got my attention. I turned to face him, and I felt an actual physical ache in my chest at the way he was looking at me. I didn’t know what to say and I felt frozen in place by his gaze. “I want to tell you about my life over the last few years, if that’s okay with you.” I nodded, still mesmerized by the depths of his dark eyes.

  He took a deep breath and started talking. “I grew up in a small town about three hours north of the city. My dad, Robert is the Sheriff there, and my mom, Anne stayed home with my brother and me. Derek was only a year younger than me. We were almost like twins.” I didn’t miss that he talked about his brother in the past tense.

  “It was a small town with not much going on, so we had to make our own fun, which usually involved drinking and drugs. With my dad being the Sheriff I felt it was my duty to get into more trouble than most. I couldn’t wait to get out of there after high school, but college wasn’t even on my radar at that point. Instead I joined the Marines, thinking it would be a great way to see the world. It was good for me – I grew up, took responsibility and turned out to be a damn good soldier. When Derek graduated he followed me into the Marines and was assigned to my unit. Three years ago I had an opportunity to join a Special Forces team, and I took it, leaving Derek to stay behind in our unit.”

  He stopped talking to take several deep breaths, and his voice shook when he continued, “A little over a year ago I received word that Derek was killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq.”

  At this point he dropped his head into his hands and started trembling. I hadn’t moved since he began his story, but I couldn’t stay away any longer. I scooted over to sit next to him and wrapped my arms around him. He stiffened for a moment and then relaxed, pulling me onto his lap and burying his face in my neck. I threw my arms around his shoulders and held him tight as his hot tears fell on my skin.

  After many minutes he continued in a rough voice, not loosening his hold on me, “Once he was gone I didn’t care about anything anymore. I was purposely putting myself in dangerous situations and taking chances with my life. My superior officer saw I was close to burning out and he recommended me to his friend who runs a private security firm. Roland. I came back to New York, but I still can’t bring myself to go home. I didn’t even go home for the memorial service. I left him in that unit. I wasn’t there to protect him, Taryn, and now he’s gone.”

  “Sshhh, Wyatt. You can’t blame yourself.” He shook his head on my shoulder, “It’s my fault.” I knew nothing I could say at that moment would help, so I simply held him. He clung to me long after his tears ran dry and his body had stopped shaking. The ache in my chest continued as I finally understood what he was trying to do tonight. He had shared his secrets with me just like I had shared mine with him. We had trusted each other with our deepest feelings and fears, things we shared with no one else, and I knew there would be no turning back for me now. I was without a doubt 100% in love with Wyatt.

  I ran a hand through his hair and eased back a bit so I could look into his eyes. My eyes filled with tears at the pain I saw there, and I would have given anything at that moment to make him feel better. He stared into my eyes as I moved my hand to caress his cheek, and I slowly brought my lips to his. I kissed him softly and he trembled when I brushed my tongue along his lower lip. He parted his lips and deepened the kiss while his right hand cupped the back of my neck. I shifted on his lap and he pulled back groaning.

  “Taryn….the only thing that has eased the dead feeling inside and made me actually want to go on is you…please tell me I haven’t lost you.” He looked at me with such desperation in his eyes.

  “Sshhh, baby. I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.” He brought his mouth back to mine and kissed me so passionately that all rational thought flew out of my head. I shifted my legs so I was straddling him and fisted both hands in his hair, holding his mouth to mine. His hands roamed up and down my back pressing my body as close as possible to his. He broke away to trail kisses along my jaw and down my neck. My head fell back and I arched toward him as he moved his hands under the skirt of my dress and up my thighs.

  Just when his hands cupped my ass and pulled me into him, a quick knock sounded on the door behind us. I jerked my head up and tried to climb off his lap, but Wyatt held me tight and chuckled against my shoulder. “Don’t worry, he’s not going to open the door.” I relaxed a little but still tried to climb off his lap. This time he let me and helped me adjust my dress back into place.

  “I guess we’re here already.” I tried to look out the window, but didn’t see much except that we were in a large parking lot in what seemed like the middle of nowhere. I hadn’t realized we had been driving so long to be this far out of the city. “Where’s here?” I asked.

  Wyatt grinned at me, “Let’s go find out.” He opened the door and climbed out, taking my hand to help me out behind him. Dominic and Ethan were standing several feet away and I looked around, my eyes landing on a huge billboard advertising a country music festival. I squealed and jumped up and down, clapping my hands together. “Really? Who’s playing?”

  Wyatt laughed at my enthusiasm and said, “Today we’re going to see The Band Perry, Luke Bryan and Miranda Lambert.” I squealed again and threw my arms around Wyatt’s neck. He caught me around the waist and hugged me close, his warm breath on my ear as he murmured, “Do you forgive me, Taryn?”

  I pulled back to look into his eyes, “Of course I do, Wyatt. Thank you for explaining to me and making me listen to you. And for bringing me here.” I kissed him in a way that left no doubt that I forgave him, and I only pulled away when someone loudly cleared his throat behind us. Wyatt gave me my favorite s
low sexy smile and put his arm around my waist, guiding me toward the entrance. “Let’s go. We don’t want to miss any of the show.”

  “So why is Ethan here too? This doesn’t seem like an extra dangerous place.”

  “It’s not, but there have to be two of us on duty at all times….And I’m not here as your security today, Taryn. I’m here as your date.” At that I had to kiss him again. This was our first official date, with him off duty, and I could ignore the fact that my other bodyguards were only a few feet from us at all times.

  It was an outdoor venue, so we found a great spot on the grass and spread out a blanket. Wyatt left me for a few minutes to get a beer for himself and one of those individual size bottles of wine for me, that I ended up drinking straight out of the bottle. We spent the next several hours enjoying the music and drinking a few more bottles of beer and wine. Wyatt watched me with amusement as I danced along with the songs I loved. A few times I pulled him up to dance with me, and I sang the lyrics of “Better Dig Two” by The Band Perry softly in his ear. At the end of the song he pulled me down to sit with him on the blanket. He looked at me curiously, “Will you be wearing white on your wedding night, Taryn?” I laughed at his reference to the lyrics. “God I hope not.” He chuckled and pulled me onto his lap.

  At that moment I knew there was never anyplace I would rather be than sitting on Wyatt’s lap with my arms around his neck as he nuzzled his nose in my hair. I felt him inhale deeply, and I whispered, “Are you sniffing me?” He laughed and simply replied, “Yes.”

  The sun had set and the stars were out by the time the concert ended and Wyatt folded up the blanket and handed it to Dominic. He turned around and pointed to his back, “Hop on. Your feet have to be killing you after dancing all day in those boots.” Wyatt gave me a piggyback ride all the way back to the limo, and I took the opportunity to kiss his neck and nibble on his earlobe. He groaned, “Cut it out, Taryn. Or we’re not going to make it back to the limo.”

  Dominic gave me a warm smile over the top of the car. “Glad to see you in a better mood tonight.” I smiled back at him before ducking into the backseat. “Why were you in a bad mood earlier?” Wyatt asked me. I shrugged, “Because you were gone.”

  “Awww, you missed me,” he teased. I rolled my eyes and took off my boots, wiggling my toes in his direction. Wyatt sat on the seat across from me and grabbed my feet, pulling them into his lap and massaging them. I moaned as my head fell back against the seat and my eyes closed.

  The next thing I knew Wyatt was nudging me awake from where I was laying with my head on his lap. “Taryn, baby, wake up. We’re home.” I grumbled and sat up, stretching and yawning, seeing that we were in fact back in front of my building. He helped me out of the limo, barefoot, and carried my boots for me. I leaned into him on the elevator ride and yawned again, his arm firmly around my waist holding me up.

  When we stepped into the foyer I turned and wrapped my arms around his neck, running my fingers through his hair and stood on my tiptoes to kiss him. “Thank you for today. It was the best day ever,” I murmured against his lips. After a few moments he pulled back slightly and said, “It’s late, Taryn. You should get some sleep.” I hesitated, wanting him to come with me but not sure how to ask.

  As if he could read my mind he leaned down to tug on a braid and whisper in my ear, “As much as I would love to come with you, I can’t cross that line while I am still on your security detail.” I frowned and he chuckled at me, releasing me and giving me a nudge in the direction of my room.

  Chapter Ten

  Taking Advantage

  Back in my room, alone, I slipped on a tank top and a pair of bikini underwear before I brushed my teeth and climbed into bed. I smiled as I looked at the nightlight in the corner of my room. It reminded me of what I had shared with Wyatt and what he had shared with me tonight. I had been through many years of therapy and was majoring in psychology, so I could see that Wyatt was still suffering deeply in the aftermath of his brother’s death. Some people might feel burdened with being the only thing to bring him joy since then, but I felt honored. I just hoped his feelings for me were true and not just an attempt to battle the darkness. At that thought the smile fell from my face and I fell into a restless uneasy sleep.

  It had been a long time since I had a nightmare about the darkness, but tonight it was back. I was locked in my room in the pitch black of night, but it was not my parents I was crying for this time. It was Wyatt. I was pounding on the door, tears streaming down my cheeks as I cried his name.

  “Ssssh, baby. I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.” I heard him speak the same comforting words I had said to him earlier tonight. Slowly the dream faded away and I felt the bed dip as Wyatt crawled under the covers. His arms came around me and he pulled me close. I wiped the tears away and buried my face in his chest, gripping his shirt with both hands. He continued to whisper soothing words and run his hands softly over my hair and down my back.

  The fear from my dream melted away and I became aware that Wyatt was in my bed and I was pressed up against his hard body. I lifted my head slightly and pressed my lips to his throat. His hands stilled on my back and his body tensed. I pressed another kiss to his neck and another, feeling the shiver that ran through his body. His hands moved on my back again, but with more urgency this time and I raised my head even farther to press my lips to his.

  “Taryn,” he breathed as he rolled me on my back and lowered his body back to mine. I parted my lips and sucked his lower lip into my mouth. He cursed and took over, kissing me deeply and leaning his weight on one forearm so his other hand could run down my body pulling my knee up over his hip. I had never felt such hunger before and my hips rocked up involuntarily to meet his. I could feel the tension and restraint in his lean hard muscles and his impressive erection pressing into me right where I needed it. He groaned and started rocking against me in an agonizingly slow rhythm. I ran my hands from his biceps up to the back of his neck and up into his hair grabbing it in my fists. His breathing was harsh as I pressed myself as close as possible, and it still wasn’t close enough.

  A shiver ran through my body, and my eyes fluttered shut as he sucked my earlobe into his mouth and gently bit down. He placed soft kisses down my neck and over my shoulder moving the strap of my tank top aside. I cried out when his mouth reached my breast, sucking and teasing my nipple with his tongue. I whimpered and pressed closer. He practically growled as he crushed his lips back to mine.

  My hands ran over the strong muscles of his back and pulled his t-shirt over his head. “Wyatt…please,” I moaned, clawing at his broad bare shoulders. “I know, baby,“ he murmured as he shifted to the side and ran his hand from my knee up the inside of my thigh. He paused for a moment before his fingers moved inside my underwear and then inside me. I gasped at the sensation and incoherently mumbled for him not to stop. His rapid breathing matched mine and he brushed his fingers over my most sensitive part, around and over until I couldn’t take any more. I cried his name as I came, and he kissed my neck softly and held me tightly as the shudders racked my body.

  By the time I was capable of rational thought again I realized Wyatt had pulled the covers back over us and was snuggling me. Snuggling? WTF? I rolled on top of him and started kissing my way down his neck while I ran my hands over his chest. “Mmmm, Taryn…” His hands came to my hips and I leaned up to suck his lower lip into my mouth before biting it gently. A low rumble came from Wyatt’s chest and he rolled back over pinning me down. He was breathing heavily when he said, “Taryn, baby, we have to stop, we can’t do this.”

  “What? Why?” He eased off me and rolled us to the side so were lying face to face. “Believe me, I want to. I want this with you more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my life. But I’m supposed to be protecting you, not taking advantage of you.”

  “You’re not taking advantage of me. I’m trying to take advantage of you,” I practically whined. He chuckled lightly, “While that may be true, I don’t th
ink my boss or your father would see it that way.” I scooted closer and ran my fingers lightly down his chest, “They don’t have to know…” He captured my hand and brought it to his lips, kissing it softly. “I’ll know. When we do this, we’re not going to have anything hanging over our heads. You deserve that, Taryn.”

  I smiled and gave him a quick kiss. “Okay, we can snuggle and talk…You’re such a girl, Wyatt,” I teased. He laughed and pulled me close intertwining our legs but keeping his hands in safe territory of my arms and back. I really wanted some clarification on what exactly our relationship was, now that I knew I was in love with him, “So, what is going on here? I mean we’re not really dating, I guess because we can’t, but …”

  He ran his hand over my cheek, “We may not have started off under normal circumstances, and being your bodyguard is kind of cramping my style, but…you’re mine, Taryn. That may sound a little caveman, but there are no other words that accurately describe how I feel about you.” I never would have thought myself the kind of girl who would want a possessive boyfriend, but Wyatt’s words sent a thrill through my body and had my heart pounding in my chest. I knew he didn’t mean it in a controlling, creepy way. From the beginning, I felt – we both felt – the connection between us that didn’t need a label. It just was.

  I leaned over to kiss him and whispered, “And you’re mine, Wyatt.” We kissed for a few minutes before Wyatt pulled away. “So what do we do about this? Should I fire you, so you can be my boyfriend instead of my bodyguard?”