“Gareth, I’m not going to ask you to leave this alone. You won’t anyway. What I am going to do is insist, if you persist in this line of thinking, you have an agent by your side twenty-four-seven.”
Kira’s breath lodged in her throat. Would the president agree to an agent, and would he allow her to be that agent?
For the first time since they’d congregated back in the Oval Office, Gareth smiled. “All right, Malachi, I will agree to that.”
His smile now seemed a bit smug to Kira.
“I just have one stipulation I’d like to make pertaining to the agent.”
Oh no! Kira knew what was coming. Gareth was going to pull presidential rank. No way was he going to allow her to be that agent.
“What is it, Gareth?”
“I want a man guarding me—”
Kira and Malachi spoke at the same time.
“Gareth, Kira is an—”
“Mr. President, I assure you I am capable—”
Gareth’s hand sliced the air, his eyes glittered with some type of emotion Kira couldn’t pinpoint, and his smile grew into a grin.
“If you two would allow me to finish.”
Both Kira and Malachi fell silent.
“Thank you. Now, what I was going to say is I will allow Agent Jackson to come on board as my agent on a trial basis. To ensure she is not right on the firing line during the day, she will work the graveyard shift.”
Chapter Five
Kira scanned the back of the White House and the immediate vicinity. Good. The guards were making rounds. She bent her knees in preparation for the jump to the roof.
Sure, she could just go up through the attic, but she wanted to keep as low a profile as possible. Even though she would not have to show her credentials—she’d already made the acquaintance of the night guards and the early morning ones who patrolled inside and outside the White House—she’d rather not have anyone know she was on the roof.
The advantage of being able to get there under her own steam would allow her to scan more area than from the ground.
Adrenaline pumped through her veins, her feet flexed inside her boots, and one…two…three. Yes!
Kira landed softly near the flagpole holding the American flag. For a moment, she allowed the night breeze to caress her face before she did a 360-degree turn. Her vision honed in on every scrub, tree, and car lining the property, and a few that didn’t. Excellent vision was a given for her family, although there had been a few instances when second or third-generation protectors needed spectacles. She, however, was blessed with a bit more than the perfect twenty-twenty vision doctors loved.
So far, her job had been peaceful, leaving her with nothing to do but double-check the grounds. Gareth had been almost absent after the little episode in his office when he’d agreed to hire her a few days before. Several top-secret meetings between the U.S. and a Middle Eastern country kept him under her radar since they took place during the day. With her handling the night hours, she wasn’t sure she’d even get a glimpse of him outside the private quarters unless he had an evening meeting.
Malachi had pretty much glued himself to Gareth’s side since the president dropped the bombshell concerning her boss’s nature. Her efforts to find out what had happened afterward had gone unanswered.
She’d been dismissed from the rest of their meeting, and only after a nail biting, grueling hour waiting for Malachi to come out of the lion’s den did she discover Gareth agreed she could have the job. Sure, the president had spit out the part about her taking the graveyard shift, but in the mood he’d been in, there was no way to know if he meant it or not.
All Malachi would tell her was she had the job, don’t mess it up, and for all that was holy, don’t tell Gareth she was a vampire. He said something to the effect about not muddying the waters any more than necessary, and left it at that.
Kira did a series of stretches and then scanned the perimeter again. The president should be sound asleep soon, and she’d do a quick dissolve and rematerialize inside the private quarters to make sure all was well.
* * * *
Gareth ducked his head under the hot spray of the shower. It’d been a long day. Meetings had kept him pinned inside the White House without a chance to walk off some of his frustration. Ha, frustration, his ass. It was more along the lines of unsatisfied lust for one sexy-as-hell agent. Thank God for the meetings. The tedious protocol of his office had stopped him from smacking something or someone.
He’d not glimpsed a sign of Kira anywhere since their first and last meeting, but he couldn’t stop thinking about her. By the time she came on duty, he was sequestered in his room, preparing for the next round of meetings. Tomorrow should conclude the peace talks, and then he would hopefully find some time to chat with his agent.
Chat? Oh yeah, Gareth, you know you want to do much more than talk.
His arousal strained toward his belly, putting lie to the belief he could live without sex in his life. His life with Judith had been just a parody—a marriage of convenience. Yes, they’d been peers in college. Yes, he’d dated her because she was pretty, and yes, even then, in the back of his mind, he knew her sophisticated blonde looks would make her a good trophy wife for someone interested in a political career, as he was even then. But she’d been as guilty, wanting him for the prestige his political office would bring.
Bedroom activity with Judith was a duty. Even colder than her ice princess looks was her role as a bed partner. She’d been frigid and stiff when he tried to make love to her. The few times they managed to actually consummate their marriage had been about as satisfying as having a root canal.
Even so, Gareth had never looked outside their marriage for fulfillment. His only regret was he hadn’t married for love, and there’d been no child conceived to bear witness to the long and lonesome ten years of his marriage.
He shut off the water and dried himself before stepping from the shower stall. With the towel draped over his shoulder, and still nude, he padded to the bedroom. He poured a generous snifter of brandy from the glass decanter and sipped.
God knew, he hated what happened to Judith. With all her faults, and heaven knew he was not faultless himself, she still did not deserve to die. Yes, he’d wanted a divorce, but he hadn’t wanted her dead.
Gareth tossed back the brandy and poured another. Thoughts of Judith always caused him to want to anesthetize his brain. The second snifter followed the same way as the first. He leaned forward to set the glass on the table and watched the snifter’s slow descent to the marble floor. The crash coincided with the arrival of his previous train of thought.
“How the hell did you get in here?”
* * * *
Kira bit back the moan threatening to escape. When she heard glass shattering, she’d given no thought to whether or not she should just pop in and assure herself Gareth was safe. Now, with an eyeful of Gareth’s naked body, she could see he looked more than all right.
His chest was just as broad as she believed it would be without a shirt, lightly furred with golden hair, and his upper arms rippled with muscles.
Try as she might, she could not keep her eyes from glancing downward. His blatant arousal impressed her, and she was just a bit daunted by his size. Kira, who’d witnessed siblings in various stages of undress, and bivouacked with the cream of the military, had never experienced the much-revered art of lovemaking firsthand.
Between her dad and Malachi, no suitor stood a chance of getting anywhere near her long enough to get down and dirty, as her brothers referred to the sex act. Even in the military, most men gave her a wide berth, probably because she scared them spitless. Or possibly her dad may have put the word out he would kill, without compunction, anyone who touched his baby girl. Baby girl, what a laugh. Kira, in mortal years, was thirty-five, and a few more in vamp years.
“I asked you a question, Kira, uh, Agent Jackson.”
Kira scrambled for a reply. Something that would suffice under the circumstan
ces. “I was doing a quick surveillance in the private quarters and heard glass shattering. If you’re okay, then I will just make myself scarce, Mr. President.”
Casually, as if he were used to being butt-naked in front of an agent, Gareth moved to a dresser on the far side of the room, pulled open a drawer, and withdrew a pair of jogging pants. Again, just as much at ease, he stepped into them, and then drew the material Kira envied up his lean, sinewy legs, muscled in all the right places. The waistband caught on his still-lengthening member. Kira turned away and could have sworn she heard a low chuckle behind her.
“You can look now, Agent Jackson, not that you didn’t look before.”
This time she was sure she heard the president laugh at her. Now what? Play it nonchalant, or give him a glimpse of the desire she felt? Brave when it came to military missions, or up against most vampires, and even her brothers when need be, Kira found her courage deserting her like the sun on a stormy day in the face of her desire for Gareth.
Slowly she turned back to Gareth. “Again, my apologies, Mr. President. I should have knocked first, but with all that’s been going on, I wanted to make sure you were safe.”
“And you are to be commended for that. For now, though, why don’t you have a seat and some brandy…or anything else you like. Let’s chat for a few minutes.”
Hmmm, anything she liked. That could and should be listed as off-limits, since she wanted his body so badly she could taste it.
“All right, I have a few moments before I need to do another perimeter check.”
Gareth held up the brandy decanter, waited on a response from Kira. She shook her head. “Just water, thank you.”
Gareth poured a good-size amount into the glass. Her hand trembled ever so slightly as she took the offering. “Thank you, sir.”
* * * *
The overly-quiet agent, not at all the mouthy woman he’d hid in the tunnel with, took a seat on the love seat—if you could call her buttocks barely touching the edge of the cushion sitting. Something had Kira off her stride, and he’d bet it was the same thing that had him battling a healthy state of lust, even with his pants on.
“So, how are you finding your job so far?”
Kira’s eyes flickered closed once, twice, before opening to reveal a blue gaze shining with apprehension. Surely the woman didn’t think her answer would cause a problem with her employment? Why so nervous about answering a simple question?
“I’m finding the job more than adequate, Mr. President. It is an honor to be part of your service.”
“Come on, Agent Jackson, that sounds like an answer you’d give in an interview. Tell me the truth.”
Gareth watched her slender throat move as she swallowed before answering.
“Truth? The truth is I’m bored out of my mind. I mean, the graveyard shift is okay, but usually you’re in the PQ, and that makes my job just a look and see to make sure you stay safe.”
“I assume by PQ you mean private quarters?”
“Yes, sir. Sorry, sir.”
“Agent Jackson, this might seem strange since you’re used to military protocol, but do you think we can dispense with the sir and Mr. President when we are alone?”
Kira’s gaze, the one she had lowered to study her feet, swung up to meet his.
“Well, I guess that would be okay. What do you want me to call you?”
“How about Gareth? And I’ll call you Kira, like Malachi does, if that’s okay with you.”
“Of course, Mr. Pres—Gareth.”
“Great, so why not taste the brandy? It’s vintage and goes down quite well.”
“I’m on duty.”
“Right,” he said, and as he watched, Kira finished her water and handed him the glass.
“Thank you.”
“So let’s go back to your job. Do you need anything, or is there anything we need to talk about, etc.?”
Kira’s gaze mellowed. “I wanted to ask you the same thing. Is there anything I could do without interfering with your private time? I feel kinda useless.”
Gareth hid his elation about her wanting to talk to him, too. His sense of the agent’s probable, and necessary, concept of keeping people at arm’s length would be something he’d have to conquer in order to get closer to her. And he definitely wanted to get closer to Kira.
“Well, what if you…I take it you use a computer?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Okay, then if you’re bored in between surveillance rounds, why not use the computer in the den? Or, there are a lot of books in the library, some I brought, and even some romance novels left over from previous First Ladies’ sojourns.”
For the first time since she’d literally popped in, he caught a bit of humor in her gaze, and a twinge of interest. Could his do or die agent be a closet romance reader?
Kira pushed a lock of hair behind her ear, gave a slight grin, showing off her extraordinarily white teeth. “Actually, I would love that, Gareth. Reading or using the computer would make the nights less long.”
“Good, then it’s a done deal. Feel free to use the library or the den at your convenience whenever you are working.”
* * * *
Kira tapped down the chortle of delight, wanting to shout out her exhilaration. The one thing she’d really missed on desert missions was her books. She was addicted to romance novels—not the fluffy kind, but a good vampire, shape-shifter, or dragon book was right up her alley. Of course, there probably weren’t any titles here by some of her favorite authors, Angela Knight or G.A. Aiken, but she could now safely bring one from her freshly-bought cache at home.
“Thank you again, Gareth. I, uh, guess I should go check the grounds again. I could come back in later, if that’s okay?”
Gareth stood to his feet when Kira did. “Yes, sure. That’ll be fine. I’ll probably call it a night soon, but you can make yourself at home.”
Kira turned to go.
“Kira?”
“Yes?”
“If you find the computer and books aren’t enough, wake me up. I’ll be more than happy to keep you company.”
The heat stinging her cheeks was nothing compared to the liquid fire singeing her feminine core.. The man had no idea what he could be getting into.
“I’ll do that.” She reached out to grasp the doorknob and felt a set of strong but gentle hands at her waist. She resisted the urge to turn back and look at the one man who made her heart beat like a time bomb.
“Just one more thing.”
To not look this time would be rude. After all, he wasn’t just Gareth the man, but the head of her country.
“Yes?”
“I’ve never felt this strongly about any other woman before, and I don’t understand the irresistible attraction I feel toward you. Right now I have an uncontrollable urge to kiss you, but I don’t think it would be ethical.”
“Well, then I’ll kiss you.”
Kira leaned in and lightly caressed his bottom lip with her tongue. Gareth pulled her to him, and his lips slid onto hers in a movement so smooth, butter would be envious. Her body heated as he took his time exploring the outer rims of her lips before seeking the inside of her mouth. His tongue teased hers and sent a fresh flood of liquid to her sex. Kira’s eyes closed as she gave herself up to the seductive inferno of their kiss. Never before had she experienced anything like this. Despite her virginal status, she’d enjoyed her share of kisses and some foreplay, but had never felt anything the magnitude of this.
He deepened the kiss, and Kira’s vision went red under her closed lids. She heard the rush of blood through Gareth’s veins—something that shouldn’t be happening. Why now? Why him? She should not be wanting to latch on to his neck and suck for dear life. She’d tanked up on her injection a few days before and shouldn’t be feeling the hunger.
Yet bloodlust coursed through her body, heart, and soul.
“God above, the woman ignites my blood like a firecracker on the Fourth of July.”
Kira shook
her head. Had Gareth spoken out loud? Impossible, his tongue was still deep inside her mouth. So why had she heard his words? A bolt of disbelief forged a river of chill up her spine. The only way she could have heard his thoughts was if he were her mate. A fated mate—something she really never believed she would have. But oh my heavens, he was the president of the United States.
No way could this happen.
Kira forced herself to release the hold her hands had on Gareth’s shoulders. She had to get out and get out now.
Gareth eased back from his kiss, allowing Kira the chance to clear her throat before she blurted out, “I have to leave, Gareth. I’ll talk to you later.”
She gave him no chance to reply or to stop her. She dissolved into mist and shot through the door like a stealth bomber taking to the air. Tomorrow, she would think of a plausible explanation for her disappearing act, but for now, she had to put as much distance as possible between her and him.
Chapter Six
Gareth dragged his body from bed when his internal clock went off. Years of military service had tagged him to always wake before sunrise. However, this morning he wished he could just go back to sleep. He’d stayed awake for hours after Kira disappeared like magic. One minute she was there. The next she was gone. Why, he didn’t know, but it was something she would be explaining to him when she came on duty tonight.
He still wasn’t clear how she’d gotten into his bedroom in the first place. His body’s response to her had put that question on the back burner, but something was off, and he’d get to the bottom of it before he kissed her again.
Ahhhhh—that kiss! Hotter than a Tennessee summer night, and filled with enough electricity it would keep the lights on for the next month without any help from the local power company. He’d swear Kira felt the same way. So why had she run? Had he done something wrong? She’d left so quickly, he wasn’t sure. He’d been out of the dating game a very long time.
Smith, Faith V. - Presidential Heat [Vampire Government Protectors] (BookStrand Publishing Romance) Page 3
