HER BODYGUARD

by Michelle Jerott

  She looked down at her tightly clasped hands, smiling ruefully. She'd daydreamed of what their first time would be like, of taking him back to her suite at the Drake and slowly seducing him, all sleek and sophisticated – nothing about this morning had been sleek or sophisticated, just a lot of heat and urgent need, like teenagers making out in the backseat.

  Not that it had been any kind of a disappointment; God, not at all. Matt Hawkins kissed like a dream, and his tongue and fingers had found all her hot spots, and he'd known exactly what to do with them to make her mindless of anything else but making love with him and easing that tight, delicious cord of tension. The touch of his thumb on her breast had almost been enough to plunge her into the shivery release of an orgasm.

  If a little kissing and foreplay could do that, making love with him would be absolutely wonderful. She had no doubt he'd be an incredible lover – and despite the danger and worry hanging over them, she couldn't wait to find out just how incredible.

  Lili shifted in discomfort, grimacing. Great; now she'd worked herself into a state again.

  She looked out toward the woods, thinking Matt had to be as frustrated as she was, and wouldn't protest too much if she dragged him into the trees. Maybe getting it out of the way would make the long ride a little more tolerable. The lack of condoms was inconvenient, but there were ways to get around that—

  BAM!

  The report of a gun cracked across the silence. With a sharp inhalation, Lili froze – until a second shot galvanized her into action.

  Her fingers shaking, Lili turned off the hazard lights and unlocked the doors. She scrambled out of the car, ran to the front, and dropped the hood with a loud clang. After sliding back inside, she cranked the ignition and shoved the passenger side door open, ready to go the instant Matt appeared.

  If he appeared.

  "Dammit," she hissed. "I told you it was a bad idea!"

  She shifted the automatic transition into drive, one foot on the brake, the other on the accelerator, and through it all her anger grew – but beneath that pulsed a cold fear for Matt.

  A split second later, he came crashing through the woods at a run, a bundle of clothes crushed against his chest and a grim expression on his face.

  Throwing the clothes into the car, he jumped on the floorboard, grabbed onto the open door, and yelled, "Go, go!"

  Lili hit the accelerator. The jalopy shot onto the road, tires spinning and spitting gravel. Matt, dangling half out of the car, slammed back against the door frame.

  "What happened?"

  "Just drive!"

  Tightening her mouth to keep from screaming at him, Lili sped down the road and past the farmhouse. From the corner of her eye, she glimpsed a tall, paunchy man with a rifle. As he ran toward the road and their car, he fired again.

  Cursing, hanging precariously with one hand on to the wildly swinging car door in a white-knuckled grip, Matt pulled his gun.

  "What are you doing? Put that down!"

  Ignoring her, Matt fired his gun into the air. Lili flinched at the noise, then twisted, looking back over her shoulder. The farmer had dropped into the ditch for cover.

  "Lili, slow down so I can get in!"

  She mashed the brake. The car jerked to a stop, the open door swung inward, and Matt yelped.

  "Ow! Dammit, I said slow down, not stop!" He ducked into the car, his hair mussed, clothing askew, face damp with perspiration, and pulled the door shut. Glaring, he said, "Driving like that'll get you killed."

  Through clenched teeth, she said "I live in New York City – I don't own a car! I take cabs, trains, or buses. Okay?"

  "Okay." He eyed her for a long moment, his expression oddly tight. "So when was the last time you drove a car?"

  Lili scowled, stomped on the accelerator, and roared back onto the road. Matt slapped a bracing hand on the dashboard.

  "A while."

  "Ah." A pause, then, "You do have a driver's license, right?"

  "Yes!"

  His face reddened, his pinched look deepening – and suddenly he burst into laughter. Loud, rolling belly laughter that engulfed the car as he sprawled in the seat, his head thrown back.

  Lili darted a glance his way, torn between irritation and alarm at his lunatic response. "I don't find any of this amusing, Matt."

  His broad grin, flushed face, and bright eyes – adrenaline obviously still running high – made it impossible for her to stay angry, despite her urge to throttle him for scaring her half to death.

  "Yes, it is. My getaway driver doesn't drive!" Another spasm of laughter shook him. She glared, and he held up his hand. "Sorry. Really."

  "You don't look it," she retorted and, catching sight of the speedometer, applied the brakes. Not with such a heavy foot this time, but she and Matt still snapped forward, then back against the seat. She winced. "Touchy brakes."

  Matt rubbed a hand over his jaw, wiping the smile away. Mostly. "Pull over; I'll take it from here."

  Lili did so, carefully bringing the car to a rolling stop.

  "I'll squeeze over you while you slide to this side. I don't want to get caught out of the car in case our farmer friend decided to come after us."

  After putting the car into park, Lili slid across the seat while Matt arched over her, brushing her breasts.

  For a moment, they both went still. He glanced over his shoulder and caught her gaze. As a blush heated her cheeks, Lili looked away, focusing on the purloined clothes, well-worn denim and faded flannel, strewn across the floorboard.

  "Nothing worth getting nearly shot for," she said, annoyed all over again. "What happened?"

  "Bad break, that's all." Matt put the car in gear and drove back onto the road, not sounding at all upset. "That guy must have eyes like a hawk, because I swear nobody could see me from the house. I'd just pinned the money to the line when he fired. I didn't even know he was there. I grabbed the clothes and ran for it. I'm lucky I didn't catch a load of buckshot in my ass."

  "So much for our low profile. Between this and the gas station caper last night, we may as well have walked into a Wal-Mart – it would have caused less attention." She glanced at him. "Do you think he'll call the police?"

  "Hard to say. The money should keep him quiet, and I don't think the police would be too happy to hear he fired at me. On the other hand, I fired back, and he could be pissed-off enough to report what happened. The quicker we get out of here the better. Give me that map, would you?"

  Lili handed him the folded map. He studied it as he drove, grunted, and put it aside.

  "What?" she said, exasperated. "I'm not fluent in grunt. Is something wrong?"

  "Nothing's wrong. I'm just thinking I should take the back way north. We're more likely to avoid the highway patrol that way."

  "Oh, great – now we're running from the police. If I get arrested, don't expect me to handle it with grace." She glared again at the pile of clothes on the floor. "Especially over a bunch of ugly clothes."

  Wisely, Matt kept his mouth shut and drove along a route consisting of winding little country roads through more farmland. A half hour later, when he was sure they hadn't been followed, Matt turned onto a gravel road, and the car slowly rolled and bounced along until he stopped just below the crest of a hill, out of sight of the main road.

  "Now what?" she asked.

  "Now we change."

  Lili looked around. Nothing much to see beyond a lot of rolling fields gone wild with tall grasses, wildflowers, and scrubby bushes. No handy buildings to duck into. No big trees to scurry behind for modesty's sake.

  As if modesty mattered, considering what they'd already done. Still, daylight made things so much more awkward.

  Oh, screw it.

  Lili slipped out of her wrap and threw it in the backseat. Ignoring Matt, she grabbed the hem of her dress, raised her hips from the seat, and pulled the dress up and over her head. She gently tossed it over her shoulder, and heard it land with a soft whump on the seat.

  Bared to the c
ool air, in nothing but a white lace bra and panties – the stockings and garter belt were still somewhere in the backseat – she shivered and pulled the scattered clothing onto her lap.

  Then she risked a quick peek at Matt. He was looking at her breasts, and she cleared her throat, bringing his attention back to her face.

  He didn't appear at all happy.

  With a deliberate calmness, Lili said, "There's not much of a choice here. The overalls look way too big for me, so I'll take the jeans."

  She dropped the overalls, plain white Hanes T-shirt, and a red-and-black buffalo-check flannel shirt on his lap. She slipped on the other flannel shirt, a basic blue-and-green Campbell plaid. Old and worn from many washings, it was soft on her skin and smelled of sunshine and fresh air. The shirttails nearly reached her knees, and she rolled up the sleeves so they didn't dangle past her hands. She pulled on the jeans, sighing when she saw how badly they gaped around her waist.

  Matt was still staring at her. "I can't believe you just stripped in front of me. I was going to offer to step outside and turn my back to give you some privacy."

  "Oh." So much for acting tough. "Well, I'm not showing anything you haven't already seen."

  "True," he admitted, and took a long breath. "Except it was pretty dark, I was in a hurry, and I didn't get that good a look."

  Flustered, Lili dropped her gaze. Without really thinking about what she was doing, she pushed his coat aside and poked at his belt. "I need this."

  Silence, then, "My belt, you mean?"

  She jerked her head back up and said tartly, "Don't get cute. After that stunt you pulled, I'm tempted to shoot you myself."

  He grinned. "And I thought you were such a nice girl."

  An answering smile almost eked past her guard, but she held it back and looked down again at his belt. "Be that way. I'll just take it off myself."

  Ignoring his amusement, she began unbuckling his belt – only to stop when one of his large, tanned hands covered hers, holding her palm down over him.

  He was aroused, and deep inside, her body answered with a sweet ache to the feel of him beneath her hand.

  "I can unbuckle my own belt, Lil."

  She looked at him through her lashes. "So you want me to stop?"

  He arched a brow, all cool and controlled, but the expression in his eyes was rueful. "I'll take anything I can get right now. Even cheap thrills."

  Lili laughed; she couldn't help it – but when his thumb caressed her, her laughter faded. Beneath her hand, he was hot and hard, and as she circled her palm tentatively over his erection, he sucked in his breath.

  "Right." He abruptly removed her hand from his lap. "As good as that feels, we don't have time for it, and I've gotta change."

  He removed his belt and handed it to her, then climbed out of the car. "Maybe some cool air will clear my head."

  Lili considered doing the decent thing and not watching, but to hell with that. She wanted to get a better look at what she hadn't been able to see in the darkness, either.

  She turned and looked through the rear window. He'd moved to the back of the car and was busy peeling away his clothes: coat, gun, vest, and shirt. When he dropped his pants, she smiled.

  Black silk boxers. She knew it.

  Opening the door, she slipped her feet into Rose's shoes, and then stepped out. When she moved into his view, he snatched up his trousers and held them in front of him, cheeks flushing darkly.

  Enchanted by this unexpected show of shyness, Lili grinned and said, "Hi. Nice boxers."

  "What are you doing?"

  "What does it look like? I'm watching." Folding her arms over her floppy shirt, she tipped her head to one side and unabashedly enjoyed the view.

  He had a body that showed exactly what was beautiful about a man. Muscular, but not overly so – broad-shouldered and narrow-hipped, he had a lean power she found irresistible. She liked the light dusting of dark hair that fanned across his chest, and how his ridged muscles flowed seamlessly as he moved. The bandage on his arm looked startlingly white against his tanned skin. He might not have the thick, blocky build of a Hollywood-style bodyguard, but she didn't doubt for a minute he'd move fast, and lethally, if the need arose.

  Obviously uncomfortable, Matt shifted, but a small smile played at the corner of his mouth. "Can I get dressed yet?"

  Lili gave an exaggerated sigh. "I suppose."

  He hesitated, then tossed aside his trousers, and Lili noticed that while her presence might embarrass him, he didn't mind that much. Probably why he was holding his trousers to begin with, considering his state.

  As she watched, he pulled a plain white T-shirt over his head. It was too small through the shoulders and chest, but she couldn't complain, considering how it looked on him. He pulled up the overalls, and fumbled with the unfamiliar contraption of buckles and straps. The scabbed wound still hurt him, and he moved his arm gingerly.

  "A little short in the crotch," he said.

  "You can make the straps longer. Here, let me help." She extended both straps as far as possible, then fastened them. Moving back, she gave him a critical once-over, and smiled slowly.

  The bib rode low across his broad chest, and the baggy cut of the overalls only emphasized the fabulous muscles beneath the old T-shirt.

  "My God," she said, and whistled in appreciation. "I never considered overalls sexy. I think I need to broaden my fashion horizons a little."

  A flush marked his high cheekbones as he gathered his suit, folding it neatly before stashing it on the backseat. He folded her dress as well, and hid all the clothes beneath the wrap. A Chicago Bulls ball cap sat below the back window and he pulled it out, looked it over, and put it on, bill backward. Then he retrieved the cheap pair of sunglasses he'd found earlier in the glove box – black, with oval lenses – and slipped them on.

  When he grinned at her, Lili stared back, dumbfounded by the transformation from grim-faced bodyguard to cute guy who, if he were ten years younger, would fit right in on any college campus.

  "At least now we look like we belong in this car," he said.

  Lili glanced behind him at the mud-brown, rusted-out jalopy with its big wheels and shiny hubcaps. He had a point.

  His wing tip shoes suddenly snared her attention, and she grinned. "Houston, we have a problem."

  "I know. There wasn't much I could do about the shoe situation." He lifted his shoulder rig from on top of the trunk. "We'll have to find a Wal-Mart or Kmart and buy a few decent clothes and shoes. And I need to call Monica to check on Manny and Dal."

  Lili felt her smile fade. She'd been trying not to dwell on her worry and guilt; now it all came rushing back. What was wrong with her? How could she even think of flirting with Matt like this, after what had happened?

  Her mood darkened, a shadowy foreboding fluttering at the back of her mind as she watched Matt check his gun and then slip on his holster. He pulled on the flannel shirt and buttoned it to hide the gun.

  Matt caught her gaze over the top of his sunglasses. Lili didn't miss the sudden anger, the grim determination in his eyes, and a cold fear wrapped around her.

  "You could've been killed back there," she whispered. Despite her efforts to stay strong, to be as cool and unemotional as he was, a tear rolled down her cheek.

  "C'mon, don't do that," Matt said, grimacing. "Nothing happened to me. You don't have anything to worry about."

  "It's not me I'm worrying about! I'm crying because I'm scared you will be hurt," she snapped, angrily wiping away the tear. "I feel so stupid. I want to be tough for you, and not drag you down—"

  "Lili, you're not dragging me down. And what makes you think I need you to be tough?" he interrupted. "I don't need you to be like that, I need you to be—"

  He caught her hand and pulled her against him, leaning back against the trunk for support. After removing the sunglasses, he cupped her face in his hands and looked directly into her eyes.

  "I like your mile-wide romantic streak," he said with
a quiet intensity. "And I like how you throw yourself into everything you do. Okay?"

  Still embarrassed – and feeling a tingle of pleasure at his words – she buried her face against the warmth of his chest.

  "I have enough hard people in my life," he said as he moved his hands to her back, cradling her. "I don't need any more."

  Lili wound her arms around his waist and, for a brief moment, it seemed he held on to her as tightly.

  Squeezing her eyes shut, she said into his chest, "I hate your job, Matt."

  His body stiffened, and she gathered his shirt in her fists, half-afraid he would try to push her away – and she wouldn't let him do that.

  "Yeah, I know, but I do all right at it, and there's not a lot of jobs out there for guys with résumés like mine." His voice was cool, but she detected no bitterness, sensed no shame or apology – just a flat statement. "I don't see that you've got much to complain about. I'm keeping you safe."

  Lili shifted, looking up into his dark, grim face. "But at what cost?"

  His eyes were shuttered to her, and she couldn't read him at all. "Most of the time, the job is boring. Most of the time, I don't even carry a gun."

  Not exactly the answer to her question.

  "Try telling that to Jodie Farrell and see if it makes her feel any better."

  Anger suffused his face. "Dammit, Lili, that's not—"

  "What? Not fair?" she cut him off, narrowing her gaze. "What happened to Dal wasn't fair, either, was it? And for what, money? Was it enough to risk dying for, or having his entire life altered in a split second?"

  He regarded her for a moment. "It's not that clear-cut. What I do isn't pretty or nice, but people like me are all that stands between the monsters and people like you. I make the monsters invisible, so you don't have to think about them."

  "I know that, but I still don't like it." She took a deep breath, and even knowing it was impulsive and illogical, added in a rush, "I care about you, Matt. A lot."

  He didn't respond, and with his lids lowered, she couldn't tell if he was pleased or angry or surprised.