Executive Protection

by Jennifer Morey

  “Memory loss?” Lucy moved into the kitchen, finding a cup and then going to the coffeemaker. Mike was closest and lifted the pot and poured her some.

  “Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome,” Mike said like a man affected by an attractive woman.

  Thad watched while Lucy’s sympathetic gaze softened Mike like an injured bird in her palm.

  “I’m not sure I would, either, but you need help getting past something like that,” she said.

  “Maybe.” Mike’s eyes traveled briefly over her upper body before meeting her caring eyes again. He was taking too much of an interest in Lucy. Okay, so she was hot. But she was his.

  As soon as that thought came, Thad shut it down. Why was he thinking of her as his? Not in the sense that she was his girlfriend, he rationalized. He had noticed her first. And, yes, he had flirted with her, still was at times. Maybe that’s where the idea came from.

  “I know some people who work with memory loss. There are some exercises you can do to help restore it. Would you like me to give you his name? If not, I can give you some links to resources online.”

  Thad saw how Sam perked up with the mention of that.

  “I’d like the online links,” he said.

  “I’ll send them to Thad and he can pass them along.”

  “You must have really caught Kate’s attention to have her bring you here as her home care nurse,” Mike said.

  “Oh, I don’t know about that. I was her nurse at the hospital, that’s all.”

  “What made you decide to get into nursing?”

  Thad wondered if he’d have to step in. He felt like taking Lucy by the arm and escorting her out of here.

  “My father is a doctor,” she answered. “I guess I saw how happy he was every time he saved a life.”

  “Most people can’t handle the gore.”

  “That took some getting used to. But when you work with it every day, it becomes routine and clinical. It only bothers me when they die.” Blowing on the hot coffee she held, riveting each man in the room as her lips pursed, she sipped her coffee.

  “Did you just come by for breakfast?” Thad asked Mike, more of a confrontation.

  Three heads turned to look at him.

  “Uh-oh.” Sam’s mood brightened. “You’re homing in on his girl.”

  Mike smiled. “I guess this is when I tell you you’re a lucky man. She’s a great catch.”

  His good-humored response tamed Thad’s tension. Lucy’s stirred it up again.

  She put down her mug of coffee. “Hey. I’m nobody’s catch. Thad and I aren’t seeing each other.”

  “Yet,” Sam said. “One thing I know about my brother is that he needs something other than sports to keep him warm at night.”

  “Well, then, maybe there’s hope for me,” Mike carried on the banter while Thad inwardly cringed. If only he’d kept his mouth shut.

  “Lucy.” Mike took her hand and gave the top of it a peck of a kiss. “It was a pleasure.” When he straightened, he shook Thad’s hand. “Thad.”

  “Mike.”

  Mike then gave Sam a brief hug and pat on the back. “Thanks for breakfast. Let’s get together again soon.”

  “Plan on it. I’ll give you a call.”

  “I should get going, too.” Sam went to Thad and leaned in for another man-hug. “Take my advice, Thad.”

  Don’t let Lucy get away or something like that. Thad ignored him. When Sam left the kitchen, Lucy asked, “What was that all about?”

  “He’s conspiring against me,” Thad answered. And seeing Lucy all dressed and ready for the day, he wondered if he’d be conspiring against himself before long.

  “Oh.” She nodded uncomfortably. “Um...about last night...”

  He put up his hands. “Yeah. Sorry about that. It was just...”

  “Late,” she said for him.

  “Yeah...late.”

  “The root beer floats...” She was still nodding.

  “Who can resist the charm of that?” Smoking-hot charm. He could think of so many other things that would lead to that than an innocent root beer float. “Well, I better get going. I made plans to go to a hockey game with Darcy.” He backed toward the archway leading out of the kitchen and to the side entrance.

  “It’s still morning.”

  Caught, he stopped and didn’t say anything. Never had a woman had him so weak-kneed.

  “Who’s Darcy?”

  “A friend. Cop. We went to the police academy together. He’s getting past his divorce.”

  She stepped forward. “Oh. You’ll be perfect for him.”

  “Very funny.”

  She smiled and stopped close to him. “You like sports.”

  He thought her comment was more of an observation. “It’s going to be a great game.”

  “No, I mean, you really like sports.”

  “Yeah...” he hedged. What was she getting at? “Football. Basketball. Hockey.” Pretty much all of it.

  “You’re almost obsessed with it. You work and watch sports. No time for women.”

  “I wouldn’t go that far.”

  “I think sports fill the gap. What if you spent that time with me instead?”

  He didn’t even have a reply for that. What had gotten into her? That was a bold thing to say. Did she mean it?

  Was she flirting? Leading him? Did she want something to come of them? Thad had mixed feelings about that. He could see himself being with her, maybe even for a long time, indefinitely, even, but she was after a ring and strollers. He got a cold flash just thinking of it.

  She moved closer still. “Scared?”

  He frowned at her easy perception of where his thoughts had gone. She was on a mission, and he was the target. “No.” He wasn’t afraid of marriage and children, he just didn’t believe they were for him.

  “I think you are.” She put her hands on his chest, sliding them up. Her eyes were alight with mischief. This was the playful side of Lucy, the side that told stories.

  Lured into whatever had compelled her to be this way, he didn’t fight the instant warming that she’d deliberately ignited.

  “You’re afraid to trust any woman with a future. Sports are safe. You can pour all your attention into that and never risk a thing.”

  “Where is all this coming from?” That kiss?

  “Just an observation. You have trust issues.”

  He didn’t like how that came with a sting of truth.

  She reached up and traced her finger along his lower lip. “Yeah.” That finger trailed down his neck to the V of his long-sleeved shirt. Her palm flattened there, caressing him a little before going still. Then she rose up to put her mouth right beneath his. “If only someone could show you how good it could be.”

  “You mean...you?” He was hard.

  “Yeah,” she said in that sexy voice. “You should try giving someone a chance.”

  “I’d give you a chance.” But only if she could go into it casually.

  “At what?”

  “This,” he said. “Last night.” And more.

  She drew back a fraction, far less flirtatious. “But not a chance at marriage and kids.”

  He regretted the change in her. “It doesn’t mean we can’t have something special together.”

  She recoiled, stepped back as though a hot iron had just burned her. “You holding back isn’t special to me.”

  Would he hold back with her? Hold back marriage and kids, but she meant more than that. She meant the whole emotional package that came with those two terrifying obligations. When he realized apprehension had attached itself to his thoughts, he wondered if, somewhere inside of him, he’d decided that, with her, the whole emotional package was attainable. Or was it the
other way around and he felt threatened by her? Threatened that she’d lure him into marriage...

  He didn’t reassure her that he wouldn’t hold back. He couldn’t. The idea that she threatened him had him all mixed up.

  With a disgusted sigh, Lucy went around him and left the kitchen. On her way she tossed over her shoulder, “Have fun at your game.”

  * * *

  Lucy had to go into a bathroom to get ahold of herself. Why couldn’t she take a step back from Thad? And why had she tempted him that way, put herself against him, caressed him like a lover? Had she wanted to make him respond? Feeling his hardness had given her immeasurable satisfaction. It had encouraged her. Could a man respond that way, so quickly and so poignantly, without love fueling it?

  Yes.

  She’d be a fool to believe otherwise. It hadn’t been any special feelings toward her that had made him react, it had been a purely male response to a woman teasing him with the possibility of sex.

  Bracing her hands on the bathroom counter, she looked at herself in the mirror. It wasn’t like her to do things like that, much less let her emotions get to her this way so powerfully. She normally took life’s curveballs in stride, with a story or a joke to go with it. She always moved on without a scratch. Why was Thad so different?

  One kiss and she was a mess. Well, it was more than one kiss. It was more than a kiss....

  That sank her mood lower. She contemplated packing her suitcase and leaving. But she’d made a commitment, one Kate was paying her a lot of money for. She couldn’t back out now. She was stuck here in this estate until Kate was fully recovered.

  Taking a deep breath and forcing the lump in her throat to loosen, she left the bathroom and went to make sure the servants had brought Kate her breakfast.

  “There you are,” Kate greeted as she entered the master suite. There was a tray over the bed with a plate of oatmeal, fruit, yogurt and a glass of orange juice.

  She sounded stronger every day. “Sorry I’m late.”

  Kate waved a hand as she finished a bite of oatmeal. “If it wasn’t for the physical therapy, I’d be just fine.”

  “The physical therapy will make you heal faster.”

  “It doesn’t feel that way.” Kate winced as she moved her upper body in an attempt to stretch.

  “You’re supposed to be sore.” Lucy began picking up around the room, needing something to do while she waited for Kate to finish eating. She couldn’t stop analyzing what Thad had said, and what he hadn’t said. No way would he ever consent to marriage and children. He refused to entertain even the possibility. While she felt on the verge of falling truly in love with him, he remained in control. He might say he loved her, but what kind of love would it be if he denied her what she craved? He wouldn’t love her fully if he refused to give them a chance. A real chance.

  She couldn’t predict what he’d do if they kept having encounters like the one they’d had last night. Even more unsettling, she couldn’t predict her own response if they did, and didn’t think she’d be able to resist him. The burn of tears surged forth. She should have stayed in the bathroom until she was sure she had control of her emotions.

  “Lucy?”

  Realizing Kate had been talking, Lucy jerked herself to attention, wiping under her eyes to make sure no tears had escaped. “Sorry.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  What was the matter with her? Why was she all weepy over Thad? “Nothing.” It was just a kiss.

  A kiss that had knocked her world off its axis. A kiss that had shown her how strong her attraction was for Thad. Too strong.

  “All right. What’s he done?” Kate demanded.

  Lucy focused on Kate. “Who?”

  Kate did a half roll of her eyes. “Thad, of course. What’s he done now?”

  “Nothing. He’s done nothing. Really. I’m fine.”

  Kate studied her for a moment. “Don’t let all his talk about marriage never working get to you.”

  “I’m not.” Lucy felt silly now. “We don’t talk about marriage.” Well, that was a lie.

  “Thad’s attitude stinks. I warned you about that.”

  “Really, Kate, I don’t know your son that well.”

  “Stop cleaning. The staff will do that.”

  Lucy stilled and faced her.

  “I’ve been meaning to talk to you and Thad about something. I was going to wait until I recovered a bit more, but now is as good of a time as any.” She waved her over.

  Lucy went to sit on the chair beside the bed.

  “We have a house in Carova Beach,” Kate began. “When I’m better I plan to go there for a visit. But usually I send someone there to get the house ready. With the assassination attempt, I have to be careful with who I choose.”

  Uh-oh. Lucy had a bad feeling about this. She shifted in her seat.

  “I was going to ask Thad to go, and I’d like you to go with him.”

  “But I’m here to take care of you.”

  “And you are. You can go when I’m back on my feet.”

  “I really don’t see why I should go along.”

  “Thad told me about that man who waited for you after you were finished working,” she said. “I don’t think, and I’m sure Thad would agree, that you should be alone right now.”

  “What about you?”

  “Thad also told me about his concern over one of my security agents. The window was left unlocked. It could have been an innocent mistake, but it could have been more. I need someone I can trust to secure the beach house for my visit.”

  Lucy understood that. But going to a remote beach house with Thad wasn’t in her best interest right now.

  “I’m concerned for your safety, and mine,” Kate said. “And Thad could use some time with you, to see what a real woman could do for him. It might even change his mind about love.” Kate smiled with well-intended deviousness.

  Her motive was purely as a matchmaker and nothing less. Lucy could not ignore that.

  “Why do you think I’m any good for Thad?” she asked. “I mean, I know I deserve a good man. I’m not insecure and I have a lot to offer. But Thad isn’t interested in the same things I am.” Not when it came to love.

  “Having a family?” Kate asked derisively.

  “Yes.” Didn’t she see? It would be futile for Lucy to carry on any kind of relationship with him. Especially when her feelings were already so deep.

  “That’s precisely why you’re perfect for him.” Kate scrutinized her again, and Lucy felt exposed. Thad’s mother understood what had her so down. “Come here.” Kate reached her hand toward her.

  Lucy stood and went to her, and Kate took her hand.

  “Thad doesn’t know it yet, but you’re right about marriage and he’s wrong. You can teach him that, and if the two of you fall in love, everyone benefits.”

  And if only one of them fell in love, what then? “Are you sure you’re not trying to arrange a marriage for us?”

  Kate let go of her hand. “Lucy, my dear, I wouldn’t push the two of you if I wasn’t sure of the way he feels about you. Thad has never been in love before. When he falls in love, he’s going to realize that marriage and love go hand in hand, and children are the celebration of them both.”

  Lucy stared at her while the possibility of Thad being a viable suitor for her mushroomed. Could he be just like one of the men she’d choose on her online dating site, one who shared her desires for the future?

  What would happen if Kate was wrong? What if Thad stuck to his beliefs? Where would that leave her? If she dove into this headfirst and really went after him, she might very well end up with a broken heart.

  “I’m sorry,” she said with the shake of her head. “I’m not the one for him. If he ever falls in love—” which she did not believe he
would “—it will have to be with someone else.”

  Kate’s face fell with disappointment. “I understand. It was worth a try.”

  “Are you finished?” Lucy indicated her breakfast, eager to get things back to business.

  “Yes.”

  “Then let’s get you up and walking.” As Lucy lifted the tray off the bed and set it aside, Kate’s proposition plagued her.

  Or was it temptation?

  Chapter 8

  For about an hour now, Thad had watched the office building across the street from the hotel where his mother had held her fund-raiser. Traffic crawled and people clogged the sidewalks. No federal agents lurked. No one noticed him, either. Thad put down the newspaper he’d used to disguise his true purpose and stood from the café patio table. Dropping a tip on the table, he lifted a briefcase and headed for the street.

  Waiting for traffic to pass, he crossed and entered the building. Inside, there was no one in the lobby. There was no security desk. No security at all. No wonder the shooter had chosen this as his position to try and kill Kate Winston. Taking the elevator to the thirteenth floor, he walked down the hall. A door ahead had an X of yellow police tape blocking entrance. There was no one guarding the door. He passed a darkened office space, visible through windows on each side of double doors. Across from it was another vacant space.

  A man exited the office at the end of the hall. Across from that was the yellow taped door. That was the only occupied office on this floor. There was a janitor’s cart parked along the wall but no sign of the janitor.

  Thad slowed his pace until the man reached the elevators. At an enclave of the public restrooms, Thad ducked behind the wall and waited. The man disappeared and the hall fell quiet again.

  Putting his briefcase down, Thad crouched and retrieved a lock pick. The door was aged and not sophisticated. Another plus for the gunman. It took him a few minutes to maneuver the lock pick, but at last it slid the bolt open. Thad turned the knob and entered, stepping over the tape and bending to fit through the opening. He looked in the hall to make sure he wasn’t seen.

  Closing the door again, he faced the open space of the vacant office. There were four enclosed offices on each side and six cement support columns between. Facing the street was a wall of windows. Thad went over to them.