Doing his best not to notice the sexy woman across the room.
Around one he decided to call it quits since Cloe hadn’t. Closing his laptop and setting it on the coffee table, he rose to his feet. “Time for lunch and groceries.”
Cloe glanced up from behind her computer. “One o’clock already. No wonder I’m hungry.” She tapped a couple more keys, then stood. “Let me put on some jeans and I’ll be ready.”
It didn’t take her long to change into a pair of form-fitting jeans that made his mouth water. She’d put on sandals, her painted toes looking more sexy than a woman had a right to be.
He led her to his car and closed the door once she got in.
“Do you have a list?” she asked when he slid in driver’s seat.
He tapped his forehead. “All up here.”
She belted herself in as he pulled onto the quiet street. A glance in his rearview mirror alerted him to a dark SUV that pulled out of a parking space four cars down. None of Cloe’s neighbors had an SUV of that model. He’d taken inventory during his run this morning. Could be family of a neighbor, but he wasn’t taking any chances.
So as not to alert Cloe, he took a few more turns than necessary to get to the grocery store. The SUV stayed a couple car lengths back, but made every turn Donovan did. Definitely not a coincidence.
They had a tail.
Parking midway down the lot, he turned off the engine. Cloe moved to get out. He put a hand on her arm to stop her.
“Wait here for a sec,” he said, and climbed out of the car.
The SUV sat idling a few spots down. The windows had been tinted so he couldn’t see the driver clearly. With determined strides he headed toward the vehicle.
Halfway there it revved its engine. Donovan didn’t break stride. Almost there, he narrowed his eyes on the man sitting behind the wheel. He couldn’t be sure if it was the man who had hit Cloe or not, but he’d bet it was.
Wanting to rip the guy in two, he approached the SUV. The driver revved the motor again, then whipped the vehicle around and squealed out of the parking lot. Donovan clenched his jaw. Had he been alone, he would have chased the bastard down.
“What was that all about?”
He looked over to see Cloe standing next to him.
Not wanting to worry her, he put an arm around her shoulders and steered her toward the entrance of the grocery store. “Nothing. Thought I knew them.”
“You don’t need to sugarcoat it for me. It was him, wasn’t it?”
Beauty and brains. Made it damn hard to protect her.
“I can’t be sure. The windows were tinted. If I had to guess I’d say yes.”
“He’s following us now?”
“Looks that way.” And he didn’t like it one bit. The guy wasn’t doing anything he could take to the PD. Just being an asshole.
Cloe stopped walking, bringing him to an abrupt halt. She didn’t step out of his embrace though.
“He’s messing with us. That really annoys me.”
Donovan’s respect for her ratcheted up. “Me, too,” he said, urging her forward, happy she hadn’t pushed his arm away yet.
“Why do you think he’s doing this?” she asked quietly.
He squeezed her shoulder. “I’m not sure, but we’ll figure it out.”
“Thank you.”
They had reached the automatic doors. He pressed a kiss to her temple. “Happy to help.”
He let her go once they stepped inside the grocery store and grabbed a shopping cart. Together, they gathered what was needed. Donovan couldn’t remember the last time he’d done such a menial task that didn’t involve danger and terrorists. It felt pretty damn good.
Jill had never gone grocery shopping with him. She always seemed to be dieting and didn’t eat much. She’d hated the big meals his family sent home for him. Barely ate the meals he prepared when he was home.
Cloe was the complete opposite and he liked that. Made him want things he knew he shouldn’t.
Things that could get his heart broken again.
Chapter Eight
Balancing grocery bags in both arms, Donovan followed Cloe into the house. Her gasp made him stop short just inside the doorway.
“Oh my God,” she said. “What happened to my house?”
Setting the bags down on the floor, he pushed Cloe behind him. “Wait here.”
He crept through the rooms, stepping over upturned furniture and broken dishes. Someone had ransacked her house. And he knew exactly who had done it. This, he could report to the PD. As he did recon he made the call.
After checking every nook and cranny inside and outside, he met Cloe at the door where he’d left her. She turned confused eyes to his.
“I don’t understand why he’s doing this,” she said. “He hit me. I had the right of way. It was an accident.”
Donovan put his hands on her shoulders. “I know. But I’ll stop him, Cloe. You have my word on that.”
“I should call the police.”
“Already done. Why don’t you see if anything has been stolen while I put these groceries away.”
With a small nod she walked slowly into the room, stooping to pick up a piece of a broken vase. “This stuff isn’t even mine,” she said sadly. “The house came fully furnished. How am I supposed to tell Mrs. James that her things were destroyed?”
“Insurance will cover replacements. This wasn’t your fault. She won’t blame you.”
Cloe spun around to face him. “It is my fault. I live here. I’m responsible.”
He realized she was angry, not on the verge of tears like Jill would have been. Not that he couldn’t handle tears, but it would kill him to see Cloe cry.
“These are just things. You could have been here. He could have harmed you.” The words came out more gruff than intended, but, damn it, he could have lost her.
She sobered immediately. “You’re right.”
He took a step toward her, but she held up a hand. “I’m fine. I’ll just do inventory the best I can before the police get here.”
“Be careful. There’s broken glass all over the place.”
Her short nod before she turned away tugged at his heart. Cloe was a strong woman, no doubt. But this shook her. As much as she tried to hide it.
Grabbing the bags, he strode into the kitchen and began putting the groceries away. He’d just finished when a knock sounded on the door.
“I got it,” he said, going to open it. Two officers stood on the porch. “Officers. Thanks for coming so quickly.” He opened the door wider so they could enter.
They questioned him and Cloe before taking notes on the destruction.
“Nothing is missing, Miss Carter?” The tallest of the two asked.
“No.”
“And you suspect the same man involved in your accident is responsible for this?”
Donovan pressed closer to Cloe, putting more distance between her and the officers. “We have no hard proof, but between the phone call and him staking out her house this morning, it’s a good chance it’s him.”
“Can you describe the vehicle?”
Donovan gave them the details of the SUV, his slashed tires, the phone call and presence at the back door. The officers took it all down, but he knew what they were thinking. Besides preparing a report for insurance purposes, there was nothing they could do.
“All right. We’ll be in touch if we have any more questions.”
Donovan showed them out, then turned to face Cloe, whose face still hadn’t regained color.
“There’s nothing they can do, is there?” she asked.
“Not without evidence. Come on, I’ll help you clean this up.”
Two hours later they had the place back to normal. All the glass swept up, the furniture put back in place.
Cloe wrapped her arms around her waist. “I feel his presence here,” she said with a shudder.
Donovan put a coaster back on the coffee table. “Go pack a bag. We’re staying at my place until
this is over.”
“Are you sure?”
“One hundred percent. I’ll pack up the groceries while you get your stuff together.”
Relief showed in her eyes before she hurried into her bedroom. He didn’t blame her for not wanting to stay here. Not after this. Besides, he needed to get her somewhere safer. The guy had escalated. There was no saying how far he’d take things.
****
Donovan pushed open the spare bedroom door, saying a silent thank you to his mom, who always made sure the sheets were clean. God bless her. Her intentions weren’t purely just being helpful while he was deployed. He knew how she felt about her children fornicating. She didn’t hide her opinions. She expected his spare room to be used if he had a ‘guest’.
Jill had been the only other woman he brought to his house. Too many women wanted to be with a Navy SEAL just to say they had. He wasn’t into that scene and didn’t want any of them knowing where he lived, so he didn’t do SEAL ‘groupies’. Some of his teammates got into it, but not him.
His mom would be proud of him for using the spare bedroom for the first time. Jill had been pretty, but Cloe knocked him sideways. Just spending time with her made him want to know her secrets. Want to protect her. Make love to her. Especially after that kiss.
Whoa.
He’d signed on to watch over her, not take her to bed. No matter how appealing.
“Sheets are clean,” he said to Cloe as she brushed past him. The scent of spiced apple drifted past his nose.
“Bathroom is to your right if you’d like to shower before bed.” They’d stopped for a bite to eat at the restaurant on the way here. His brothers suspected something more was up with Cloe, but Donovan didn’t elaborate when they pulled him aside to question him. They had kept them at the restaurant longer than he intended. Now, Cloe looked exhausted.
“I think I’ll take you up on that.”
His gaze wandered to the bed, inappropriate thoughts filling his head. “I’ll let you settle in.” He retreated before he did something stupid like invite her to stay in his bed tonight.
He grabbed a bottle of water and stretched out on the couch. He was dead tired, but knew sleep would evade him with Cloe undressing in the next room. Her footsteps were light, but he heard her go into the bathroom and close the door.
Minutes later he heard the shower. He kept thoughts of her naked, water sluicing down her slender curves, at bay. Damn, it was hard but he managed.
By time the bathroom door opened he was nearly sweating from the battle with his libido. Cloe walked out, now wearing a pair of drawstring shorts and tank top, her feet bare. Her hair hung in loose, damp strands over her shoulders, her face scrubbed clean of makeup. Bruises marred her arms and legs, more yellow now, but still there.
“I’m going to turn in now,” she said.
“Can’t tempt you with dessert and a movie, huh?” For some reason he didn’t want to let her go. He had Tiramisu in the fridge. Courtesy of his brother’s wife.
Her steps faltered. She glanced at the bedroom door, then back at him. “All right, but nothing scary.”
He grinned. “Deal. You sit while I get dessert.”
It didn’t take long to serve up the Tiramisu. Cloe sat on the sofa, covered in his mother’s quilt. Those long, gorgeous legs of hers were tucked beneath her. Too bad. She had magnificent legs. They would look really good wrapped around him while he slid slowly inside her.
Giving himself a mental shake, he handed a bowl to her and sat on the end of the sofa. Close enough to smell her apple-scented hair and spicy soap, but not so close he could run his hand over that silky flesh.
“This is delicious,” Cloe said after taking a bite of the sweet dessert. Pleased, Donovan dug into his own bowl, clicking on the television and finding a movie.
A little over an hour later his eyes were drifting closed. Cloe had fallen asleep on his shoulder. Without disturbing her, he leaned forward just enough to get the remote and turn the television off.
Her soft breathing filled the room. Part of him wanted to stay like this all night. He liked the way she felt against him. The other part knew she needed a good night’s sleep to rid the dark circles under her eyes.
“Cloe.” Gently, he shook her shoulder.
She came awake with a start, her head lifting off his shoulder. Her sleepy gaze turned from the TV to him. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to fall asleep. Is the movie over?”
He rose to his feet and held out a hand. “It is. Come on, off to bed. You’re exhausted.”
Without hesitation she put her hand in his and he pulled her to her feet. He didn’t let go as he led her to her room, and she didn’t pull away.
At her bedroom door, he stopped. “Goodnight, cara.”
Something flared in her eyes before she looked away. “Goodnight.”
He waited until she’d closed the door behind her to turn off the lights and head to his own room. Just in case, he kept his door open.
All he needed to do now was try and get some sleep knowing a beautiful woman slept twenty feet away.
****
“I set you up in my office,” Donovan said, leading Cloe to the small room off the living room. He opened the door and let her in. It wasn’t much, but it would give her privacy to work. After she went to bed he could do his own work, or he’d bring his laptop out and watch a game while he worked.
Cloe scanned the old mahogany desk that had belonged to his grandfather, the file cabinets, and bookshelf. “This is perfect.”
Pleased, he pointed to the file cabinet. “Feel free to use the bottom drawers if you need to.”
A sound at the front door prevented her from answering. What the hell? He’d been careful on the drive over, taking extra streets to get to his house. They hadn’t been followed, he knew that for certain.
He put up a hand, silently telling her to stay put. She nodded, eyes wide. Leaving her in the safety of his office, he moved into the living room in time to see the front door swing open. In came his mom and sisters, their arms loaded with boxes. When they saw him they stopped short.
“What are you doing here?” Angela asked, kicking off her heels.
“Where’s Cloe?” his mother asked at the same time. “You’re supposed to be staying with her.”
Donovan rushed over to take the boxes from them and set them on the floor. “Cloe’s here with me. What is all this?” He kissed his mother’s cheeks in reassurance. She patted his back.
“We came to decorate your house for Christmas,” Francesca explained, brushing a stray curl out of her eye. “I could use a hair tie. Ang, do you have one in that gigantic purse of yours?”
Angela rolled her eyes and opened her purse. “You know I do.”
Donovan’s chest swelled. This is what he missed when he was away. Usually, he came home to his house already decorated. This year he would be part of it.
Gabriella pulled him down for a kiss on the cheek. “Hey, big brother. Nice you can help us this year.”
He smiled. “Yeah.”
“Well, get Cloe out here,” his mother ordered. “The more the merrier.”
“Hey, where do you want the tree?” His youngest brother, Shane, strode through the door dragging a seven-foot Christmas tree. “Oh, hey, bro. Didn’t know you were here.”
“You’re getting pine needles all over the place,” Francesca tisked, picking up the trunk. “In the living room in front of the window where it always goes.”
Donovan saluted his brother, who grinned and followed his sister’s instructions to set the tree up. They disappeared into the living room.
“I’ll put on a pot of tea. You girls get started. Donovan, you get Cloe so she can be part of this tradition.”
Everyone jumped to do his mother’s bidding. Including him. As he strode to his office he thought, this may be just what Cloe needs.
****
Bing Crosby’s Silver Bells drifted past Cloe as she waited for Donovan to give her the all-clear. She’d heard
voices, but didn’t dare go out until he said it was okay. After the destruction of her house she definitely trusted Donovan to know what to do in case the guy found them again. How he would, she didn’t know. Donovan had taken an extra five minutes to get to his house by taking streets that made no sense. Evasion tactics. His SEAL skills certainly did come in handy.
The scent of cloves and cinnamon filled her nose. She frowned. What was going on out there?
Donovan popped his head in, startling her. She clapped a hand over her chest and glared at him.
Sheepish, he grinned. “Sorry. You can come out now.”
“I’m going to put bells on your shoes,” she threatened, following him into the living room. The sight in front of her made her chest tighten. Donovan’s sisters were digging decorations out of boxes, his mother made tea in the kitchen, and a man she hadn’t seen before was busy setting up a huge Christmas tree.
“Oh,” she said, coming to a halt. “Your family is here. I’ll just go work until you’re finished.”
She turned to go, but Donovan captured her elbow and brought her around to face him. “Not so fast. This is the first Christmas I’ve been able to decorate my own house. I’d be honored if you’d help.”
Damn him and his charming self. He had no idea what he was asking of her. How much pain it caused her to see the tree, the decorations. His family so happy. Together.
“I can’t,” she whispered when another Christmas favorite came on the stereo.
Donovan cupped her shoulders, turning her so she faced him. “I don’t know what happened to you, cara, but you can’t let it destroy you. Trust me, it will if you let it.”
His comment had her wondering how breaking up with Jill had destroyed him. The haunted look that passed across his handsome face told her something had.
She didn’t have time to ask because Angela interrupted, grabbing her by the hand. “Come on. You can help us trim the tree.”
A SEAL for Christmas (Novella) Page 8
