Latvis Security Services

by Lexie Ray

  A raised hand caught her attention, and her stomach dropped slightly when she saw who it was. Cheyanne, for reasons Gwen didn’t even try to understand, had chosen to surround herself with the men who had brought the flowers, including her ex-lover, who she had spent all afternoon raving that she didn’t want to see. And she had gone out of her way to dress up for the occasion.

  Gwen heaved a sigh and started toward them. Even making her way through the crowd, it was easy to feel their attention upon her. Especially Jamie. His eyes drifted down to her exposed legs more than once, and she had to fight the urge to pull at her hem again.

  He looked dazzling in a suit. Clean cut and polished. The man could make a fortune selling his looks to the highest bidder. Personally, Gwen didn’t go for pretty boys. They needed too much maintenance and were far too insecure in their masculinity. But she couldn’t deny that with Jamie’s looks, that boy should never be let out of a bedroom. And that didn’t really help her feel any less awkward.

  Although, her height did help her feel slightly less embarrassed. It was easy to feel in control when the man trying to intimidate you barely passed your shoulder.

  “Gwen, I believe you met Willow’s workers this morning,” Cheyanne was quick to introduce, ignoring Dwayne’s mention that they actually worked for Mads. “This is Gwen. She’s part of my husband’s security detail.”

  “While I have no reservations on Gwen’s talents, I do have to wonder why the mayor of such a small populace would be in need of security.” Mads was obviously feeling a lot better. He looked crisp, clean, and seemed to radiate a calm, alpha vibe. Only the bags under his eyes gave anything away.

  “One can never be too safe. He is a very important man.”

  Mads nodded thoughtfully and took a glass off Gwen’s tray. “And yet she seems to spend the majority of her time following you.”

  Cheyanne managed to keep her smile. “I am the mayor’s wife.”

  “Ah, of course. I underestimated the threat of kidnapping which your position naturally comes with.”

  While each word left Mads’ mouth earnestly and with reverence, his body language spoke words of dismissal. He even ended the sentence by taking a sip of champagne while drawing his eyes to the opposite end of the room. For all his sophistication, it seemed like Mads was the king at throwing shade, and he was hurling it with some damn fine accuracy. Cheyanne’s face flushed a brilliant red as her eyes narrowed.

  “Yes, it does seem a little unnecessary, but Arthur insisted. For the safety of our children. Having Gwen here eases his mind, and I would do anything for my dear husband.”

  “Noble.” Mads turned his attention solely to Gwen. She hadn’t been ready to be the focus and hoped that she hadn’t been caught rolling her eyes. “My apologies. I have yet to be informed of your last name.”

  “Dahl.” Gwen’s free hand twitched to pull at her skirt.

  “Ms. Dahl,” Mads smiled. “May I inquire as to how long you were in the service?”

  “Close to four years. Can I ask how you know that I ever was?”

  “The way you hold your shoulders, the flow of your stride, and your regulation haircut,” he rattled off before continuing. “Did you enjoy your time?”

  “Why do you ask?” Cheyanne cut in. “It’s ancient history. I’m sure the poor girl would rather forget the whole ordeal. Leaving town while gloating that she was going to conquer the world, only to return a few measly years later. I’m sure she’s embarrassed enough without having to relive it.”

  Mads slid his eyes to Cheyanne, but otherwise keep his attention focused on Gwen.

  “Of course. I mean no disrespect. I simply find myself with a great urge to understand you.”

  “That happen to you a lot?” Gwen asked.

  “Only when faced with extraordinary people.” There wasn’t a hint of flirtation in Mads’ words. Instead, he sounded almost focused. Like a wolf that had just picked up a scent it liked.

  Gwen’s brow furrowed as she tried to make sense of the man, but his expression gave nothing away. Still, he served as a brilliant distraction. Jamie’s eyes hadn’t left her. She could feel the weight of them as they drifted over her. What the hell he was looking for, she had no idea. But he was certainly dedicated in the search. It was grinding on her nerves.

  “Are you quite attached to this town?”

  Mads’ question pulled her away from her irritation.

  “Oh, um, I like to travel, but my family’s here, so…” she ended the sentence with a shrug.

  “And you cannot relocate without them?”

  “My brother can be a handful,” she said.

  “If you are in security, why are you waitressing?”

  “I could use the extra cash.”

  “Your occupation does not cover your living expenses?”

  “What is with all the questions?” Cheyanne cut in. “One might think that you’re flirting. Rather poorly.”

  “Simply trying to understand Ms. Dahl. I apologize if I have made you uncomfortable.”

  “I’m fine,” Gwen said. “And you can call me Gwen.”

  “As you like.”

  There was still nothing flirtatious in anything Mads said, but the questions were starting to get a little too weird for Gwen. She quickly made her excuses and hurried back to serve the other guests, Jamie’s attention following her every step of the way.

  ***

  Being in the same room with Cheyanne once again had opened up some old wounds. She’d made every attempt at bringing out the natural beauty that had only grown during their separation. She was radiant. Stunning. Jamie felt like a moth being drawn to a very destructive flame, and he desperately glanced around to find some kind of distraction from the pain in his gut and the giant, glistening rock on her finger.

  What he hadn’t counted on was Gwen in a cocktail dress. If her legs were enticing when covered, they were damn-near hypnotic when exposed. And a lot of them was exposed. The hemline and high heels highlighted every curve of toned muscle. Even her tan was a taunt. It promised hours spent in shorts or swimwear, and that just opened a thousand possibilities in his mind.

  He couldn’t quite remember who had called Gwen over. There was the possibility that he had done it himself. But what he remembered in pristine detail was her walking over. That near-sinful dress glistened with every step, the soft material creeping higher. It was an excruciating tease that only got worse the closer she got. It wasn’t often that he ever had to look up to make eye contact with a woman. For Gwen in heels, he had to tilt his head up, and wasn’t that just intriguing?

  It was a novelty that he wasn’t entirely ready to part with. Especially when the option was to go back to pining about what might have been. The longer Cheyanne stayed around, parading her new life before him, the more enjoyment Jamie got out of calling Gwen over. Each time she approached with reluctance, apparently about as keen to be in Cheyanne’s presence as he was.

  The people in their group were starting to get a little tipsy with his discarded glasses by the time Jamie called her over yet again. This time when Gwen came over, however, there was a slight tremor in her step. She was curling her toes in her shoes. He winced with sympathy.

  “Are those part of the uniform?” he asked as he motioned his new glass to her stilettos.

  “Yes,” Cheyanne was quick to answer for her. “I selected the outfit myself. Although it does look rather different on her than it does on the others.”

  “They have to hurt,” Jamie said, attention still on Gwen. She looked confused, but he couldn’t quite place by what.

  “It’s manageable.”

  “And necessary, I’m afraid,” Cheyanne said. “One of the many things a woman must endure for the sake of fashion. Heels hurt, but they do give a delightful lift to a backside. A welcomed help, right, Gwen?”

  Gwen took a sobering breath. “As you say, Mrs. Heist.”

  “You wouldn’t believe how hard it was to actually find them in her size. Most brands don�
�t make women’s shoes so large. Actually, if I remember correctly, she’s got the same size feet as you, Jamie. Size thirteen men’s, right?”

  “You remember my shoe size?” Jamie asked.

  Cheyanne shrugged one delicate shoulder. “I remember a lot of useless information. I accumulated a lot of it during our time together.”

  Jamie couldn’t deny that the comment stung. Rejection was always a bitter pill to take, but to hear that you had never mattered felt like getting shot. Next to him, Gwen shifted her weight. He glanced down and watched the material of her shoes bunch as she curled her toes again.

  “Are you okay? Your break has to be coming up, right?” he asked.

  She seemed shocked by the question and shifted once more before she answered.

  “I’m fine.”

  “Don’t be so shy, Gwen,” Cheyanne laughed. “You’ll have to forgive her, Jamie. Girls like Gwen aren’t used to the attention of attractive men.”

  Gwen stiffened, but kept her expression stoic. When she spoke again, it was with a tone that every soldier knew well. It was the inherit tone every subordinate had when their superior was being a jackass. Each man in the group smirked upon hearing it.

  “As you say, Mrs. Heist. Excuse me, I have other people to serve.”

  “Of course, dear.”

  And just like that, she was off again. Jamie told himself it was for science – to test a theory – as he looked over her assets. With her well-worked muscles, there was no way she needed the heels.

  Chapter Five

  It was a bit past one in the morning by the time everything was set into place. Gwen shrugged into her jacket and stifled a yawn. The staff housing was set further back into the property, a short but enjoyable walk. She hadn’t counted on the snow getting to the level it had during the night. While she’d be able to make it in her heels with no problem, the cold was going to unforgiving.

  The house was silent and dark. The guests and other staff had all made their way home, and the sounds of the night were encroaching into the stillness. Shadows ghosted over the windows as the falling snow drifted past the security lights. It was peaceful, and her favorite part of the day. The night air welcomed her with a cold embrace, and she released a contented sigh as she turned to lock the front door behind her.

  Snowflakes brushed against her cheeks as images of Jamie played in her head. Embarrassment lingered under her skin, but the more that she thought about him, the less she cared. He was something pretty to look at. A guilty indulgence. An empty vessel that allowed her to play out some fantasies. And there was nothing wrong with that.

  The skin on her neck prickled as the feeling of being watched settled into the pit of her stomach. She whirled around, her right hand snapping down to her hip.

  “Easy, Gwen. It’s just me.” Jamie smiled as he held his hands high in surrender.

  She huffed a sigh and resisted the urge to hit that smirk off of his face. “What do you want?”

  “Wait, do you have your Taser on you?”

  She fixed him with a sharp glare.

  His smile grew. “Where are you keeping it?”

  “Jamie, I’m tired. I’m going to bed. You do whatever it is that you’re doing.”

  “I was actually waiting for you.”

  Gwen paused at the top of the short staircase. “Why?”

  With his hands still in the air, he tilted his head to indicate the fur-lined moccasins that he was carrying. “I thought you might like these for the walk home.”

  “You came all this way to offer me slippers?”

  “Moccasins,” he corrected. “And I was going on a walk anyway. Can I put my hands down now?”

  A part of her wanted to say no just to see how long he would keep them up for, but she ended up nodding. Slowly, he lowered his arms, his smile never fading.

  “Do you want them? They’re clean, I promise.”

  As much as she wanted to push past him and just head home, the lure of a warm pair of flats was too much. Besides, there were still some things she hadn’t learned to do in heels. Storming off over ice was hard. Gwen was still suspicious as she agreed and moved to sit down on the stone balcony that framed the porch.

  It felt like a slab of ice against her bare skin and reminded her just how high up her dress rode. If he didn’t move away from in front of her, her long legs would make it impossible for her to change her shoes without flashing Jamie.

  “Would you mind?” she asked, gesturing to get him to step aside without having to mention her underwear.

  “Not at all.” His smile turned warm as he knelt down before her.

  She pulled her feet back so fast that she almost toppled off the low balcony. It didn’t stop him from gently reaching for her leg, but it did make his movement slower. Warmth flushed through Gwen as Jamie slid his fingers around her ankle. His hands were a comforting warmth against her cool skin and a lot rougher than she would have guessed.

  Her heart refused to listen to her head and began to throb like a jackhammer, especially when he looked up at her from under his lashes and smiled. The soft light made his hair shine and played across his skin the way snow glistened on falling tinsel. He looked perfect, straight out of a picture book, a fantasy that couldn’t exist. It brought back a flood of memories when she experienced moments like this. All of them had ended up being twisted pranks at her expense.

  Fighting down the anxieties of the child she had been, Gwen set her jaw. “Why are you doing this?”

  Jamie slipped her shoe off, carefully placing it to the side as his thumb made circles around her aching ankle.

  “I was once sent to…actually, I can’t tell you where,” he said. “Anyway, I was taken by…people that weren’t too happy with me, and by the time my team found me, they had broken every bone in both of my feet. Needless to say, the hike out wasn’t the best time I ever had.”

  With one more swipe of his thumb, he slipped Gwen’s foot into the soothing warmth of the moccasin. The fur was heaven against her swollen skin.

  “Wounds like that,” Jamie said, as he gently coaxed the shoe into place, “they heal, but they’re never quite the same. It made me appreciate the importance of proper shoes.”

  Instead of letting Gwen place her foot back on the ground, he rested it against his thighs and made quick work of her other shoe. With both her feet engulfed in the exquisite comfort of the moccasins, he looked up at her with a sly smirk.

  “A perfect fit, Cinderella.”

  Gwen pulled her feet back. It was hard to know if he was making fun of her or not, and the unanswered question left her with an uneasy twist in her stomach. Jamie rose swiftly to his feet, her abandoned heels in one hand, his other hand outstretched to help her up. She eyed his fingers but didn’t move.

  “Are you always so paranoid?” he asked.

  As if to prove him wrong, she took his hand and let him pull her to her feet. Even without the shoes, she was still taller than him. Just by an inch or so, but still enough to be noticeable. And he noticed it. But his smile never wavered. If anything, he looked impressed.

  “We’re headed in the same direction,” he said. “Do you want to walk together?”

  “Why are you being so nice to me?”

  “There’s that paranoia again.”

  He let go of her hand and jogged down the steps. At the base, he paused and gestured with his head for her to catch up. Reluctantly, she followed.

  “Is this about Cheyanne?”

  “Actually, would it be possible to not talk about her? I’m sure we can find another topic.”

  The gravel pathway crunched under their feet, the chill of the gathering snow pressing against Gwen’s legs. Side by side, they slowly followed the thin trail that wove through the property. The further they got from the house, the deeper the snow became, until the pathway was just a deep groove in the soft powder.

  “Do you normally walk around in the dark at one in the morning?”

  “On occasion. I figure I should
take advantage of the open space before I’m sent back to the city.” He tilted his head back to exhale a fogged breath into the air. “I’ve been holding out for the first snowfall. Looks like you guys get a whole heap this high up.”

  “We always do.”

  “You’re lucky. Although, I am going to miss my daily swims.”

  “Then swim.”

  “There’s a good indoor pool around here?”

  Gwen shoved her hands into the pockets of her jacket. “No. But the lake doesn’t freeze over for a month or so yet.”

  “Polar bear swim?” he chuckled. “Haven’t done those since Basic Training.”

  “Army?”

  “Navy,” he said.

  “Submariner?”

  He turned to her, opening his own jacket as he tried to spread his hands wide, but still keeping them safely tucked into the warmth of his pockets.

  “SEAL.”

  Her brow furrowed. “Navy SEAL?”

  “Should I be insulted that you sound so surprised?”

  “You don’t have the appearance of a man who would spend a lot of time in the field.”

  “You should see me naked,” he smirked.

  Gwen ducked her head to try and hide her blush in the shadows. “I meant your haircut. Your manicure.”

  “Attention to detail,” Jamie reminded her. “If you can’t even pay attention to your own body, how can anyone trust you to keep a bullet out of theirs? Or something like that. The drill instructor yelled about it a lot.”

  “Fair enough.”

  “What about you?”

  “Do I have scars?”

  “No,” he laughed. “That’s something that will be far more fun to discover on my own. I was asking if you like to swim.”

  “I don’t mind.”

  “Well, you obviously do something to stay fit. You don’t get muscle tone like that by accident.” His eyes fixed on her legs as he spoke, a smile twisting his lips.