by Lori Ryan
“Zach did a lot more for Kelly than just guard her. He helped her learn self-defense, helped ease her into doing things on her own. He got her into a counseling group and helped her find a therapist she liked working with. He’ll be able to do the same thing for you. He’ll also go with you to class every day until you’re able to go alone. You won’t have to do things on your own until you’re ready.”
“I feel so stupid, Jack. I wasn’t even the one that was taken, and it was almost a year ago. I don’t know why I can’t get over it,” Jesse practically whispered the confession. She couldn’t make eye contact with Jack. It was too mortifying to have him and the rest of her family know what was going on.
“Hey, Jess. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. Hell, I had nightmares for months after Kelly came home. I still have one of Zach’s people following her, and that’s mostly for my comfort. We should have helped you a lot earlier, but I won’t let you go through this alone now. Promise.”
“What if I get to New York and I can’t get through the program? What if I freeze-up there?” Jesse had stopped crying and looking at Jack was getting easier, but she still felt nervous. She couldn’t believe Jack would do all this for her.
“If you need more time, just take it. I’ll get someone to run your bakery for you until you can do it. And, Zach will be with you every step of the way,” Jack said.
“My bakery?” Jess laughed. “It’s your bakery.”
“Nope. The whole thing’s going in your name. Get through school and you’ve got your own business to come back to,”
Jesse’s jaw hit the floor. “What do you mean? Jack, that’s crazy! You can’t do that.”
Jack shrugged, as if it were perfectly normal to give away hundreds of thousands of dollars. “Sure I can. You’re my sister. If that isn’t reason enough, consider it a belated thank you for getting Kelly back to me. We would never have found her if you hadn’t figured out that Kelly was signaling us. Chad and I were ready to dismiss Kelly’s clue completely. I owe you everything, Jess. I owe you Kelly’s life and my life. A bakery is nothing compared to what you’ve given me.”
Jess sat stunned until Jack stood and put out his hand for hers to lead her back into the house, where he announced his plan for the bakery to everyone. He skipped the part where she was going to need an armed escort just to get through classes, but Jess saw a small look pass between her mother and Jack. Suddenly, it wasn’t so hard to know that her mother and Jack knew her secret. Instantly, Jesse felt hopeful.
Chapter Four
Zach pulled his car up to the front of the large white house in Hamden, Connecticut and shut off the engine. He’d never turn down a job from Jack Sutton, but he had a feeling this was going to be one of the hardest jobs he’d ever worked. Jesse Bradley would challenge his rule never to mix business with pleasure like no woman ever had.
He’d met Jesse several times when he’d been working with Jack’s wife, Kelly. Every time he saw her, she took his breath away. Just being in the same room with her had him on edge and distracted. Not really the best state of mind for keeping someone safe. The hardest part about this job would be the challenge of coaching her and helping her get past her fears. He’d get her into professional counseling, of course, but they’d also work closely together to practice self-defense. He’d teach her how to be aware of her surroundings without being a paranoid ball of nerves. He’d help her to gradually take on a bit more independence until she was ready to stand on her own.
He’d done that with dozens of clients. Victims of violent attacks or kidnappings. Each time, a closeness was developed. It was never sexual. It was just a bond that developed when you help someone past their fears and work so closely together.
But Jesse was walking, talking sex appeal. She had hair that bordered somewhere between brown and blonde. Almost like honey. She had these big blue eyes that he wanted to get lost in. And she was tiny. So tiny he wanted to wrap her up and protect her from the world. And when she smiled at him...
Hell, who was he kidding? He was a dead man. He didn’t have any defenses when Jesse smiled at him.
Zach cut the ignition and walked up to the front door. Steeling himself, he rang the bell and stood back to wait. Then, there it was. That smile. Those eyes. He felt as if he’d been knocked out and splayed out on the front steps for everyone to see.
“Zach,” Jesse said softly and smiled that killer smile at him. The one that made him feel as if he were the only man on earth.
He hoped she didn’t notice he was practically holding his breath for fear of breathing in the smell that always seemed to surround her. Sugar and cinnamon. As if she’d been baking all day. She used to bring muffins and pastries to the house for Kelly, and she always shared with him. He’d had to increase his workout just to make up for all her treats he could never resist.
Zach cleared his throat and tried for casual. “Hey, Jesse. How’ve you been?”
***
I forgot. In all my worry about this trip and going to school and being out in the world again, I plain freaking forgot the effect Zach Harris has on me.
Jesse stepped back into the house. Partly to let Zach in, and partly out of self-preservation. When Zach was in the room, she became a bubbly, babbling idiot.
Here, taste this pastry, Zach. Oh, did you see the pie I baked, Zach? Look at these cookies, Zach. Have some.
It was as if she couldn't control what came out of her mouth around him. And she seemed to have this uncontrollable urge to feed him sweets. She knew what that was. It was her own personal form of sexual frustration. The more the attraction and frustration, the sweeter the goodies. The last time she’d seen Zach Harris several months ago, she’d made him tarts with a flourless chocolate filling and homemade raspberry sauce. Sure, she’d brought them over under the guise of letting Kelly try a new recipe, but she knew the truth. They were sex tarts for Zach.
Zach wasn’t what you would typically expect in a bodyguard. He was just shy of six feet tall with dark blond hair that was a little long and shaggy. Unruly, some might call it. To Jesse, it was nothing but hot. It made her want to run her fingers through the wayward curls and try to tame them. He had deep-brown eyes and tanned skin. He was strong and lean and muscled from top to bottom, but he wasn’t huge. His strength was...unassuming. You’d look at him, and you’d never guess he could level a man twice his size without breaking a sweat.
Jesse saw it happen one day. When Kelly was rescued, they kept most of the newspapers and tabloids away from her, but one paparazzo got by. He jumped out in front of Kelly and Jesse when they were walking into the house, and Zach flattened the guy with what seemed like a flick of his wrist. It was literally the coolest thing Jess had ever seen. That day, she’d felt safe.
Jesse pulled herself out of her thoughts when she realized Zach had asked her something. “Um…what?”
Zach smiled that gorgeous, easy, bone-melting smile. “I asked how you’ve been. Although, I guess I know the answer to that. Jack told me you’ve been having some trouble. I wish I’d have known about it sooner; I would’ve come.”
Jesse blinked at Zach.
Come? For me?
Suddenly, Jesse’s cheeks were burning as the double meaning of those words sank in.
Oh, God. Get it together, Jess. That’s not what he meant. Oh, no! Now I’m picturing him naked!
Jess backed up until the back of her knees hit the couch, and she sank down into it. She was struggling to come up with some answer. Something to say to the quizzical look Zach was now giving her, when Kelly and Jack came into the room.
“Zach!” Kelly threw her arms around Zach and hugged him tight, and Jesse knew the answering grin on his face was genuine.
Jack shook hands with Zach, and Jesse and Kelly’s mom came from the kitchen to welcome the man who would now be guarding a second of her daughters. Zach was beginning to look a bit overwhelmed by all the hugs and attention. Jesse was used to seeing that look on peoples’ faces when they were i
n her parents’ home. Her whole family was loud and demonstrative and loved to welcome people as one of their clan. And the man who was going to help her daughter was getting a double dose of love from Mamma Bradley at the moment.
Jess was just trying to recover and get her wits about her. They had a two-hour drive ahead of them. Enough time for Jesse to put her foot in her mouth and humiliate the crap out of herself with steamy, inappropriate fantasies about the guy who was assigned to take care of her. Her babysitter.
Great. I’m lusting after my babysitter.
Through the whole lunch her mother had laid out on the back patio before she and Zach took off for New York, Jess kept her mind busy thinking of ideas for new recipes.
Devil’s food cupcakes with a cream cheese frosting center. Cream cheese frosting with chocolate shavings.
Buttermilk pie with a pecan walnut crust.
Triple chocolate cheesecake with caramel ribbon on top. No, wait. Dulce de Leches cheesecake with caramel ribbon on top. Oh hell, I’ll make them both.
Chapter Five
Zach pulled up to the front of the hotel and turned the keys over to the valet. Their bags were whisked away to be brought to their suite, so Jesse entered the lobby with nothing more than Zach by her side and her purse in her hands. She clutched the purse in front of her as if it could shield her from the new surroundings.
Zach placed his hand on her shoulder and steered her to the front desk where the manager met them to welcome them to the hotel. Apparently, when you’re friends with the hotel’s owner, and you’ve been given the penthouse to use for six months, you get a very warm welcome from the management.
Jesse felt better the minute they were handed key fobs for the elevator and stairwell access points. The elevator wouldn’t allow access to their floor without the key fob and the stairwells on their floor only opened from the inside unless you had a key fob. Either she or Zach would need to let any visitors in.
“Mr. Sutton asked that we stock the penthouse kitchen for you in case Ms. Bradley wants to cook or bake. It’s got everything we thought you might need, but you can always call down if you find you’re missing something. And, of course, room service is available to you at any time as well,” explained the manager.
“Thank you,” murmured Jesse. She wasn’t used to people waiting on her like this. Between having Zach drive her around and the hotel staff kowtowing to her every need, Jesse felt more and more like a fish out of water with every passing minute.
But then Zach’s hand was on her shoulder again, warm and strong, and she began to feel more grounded. It struck Jesse as a very nonsexual touch. She guessed it was meant to be platonic. Simply to guide but not be intimate the way a hand on her back might be. It didn’t work. Zach was sex incarnate, so even the most utilitarian of touches seemed highly-charged coming from him.
They walked to the elevator together and got on. Sure enough, the elevator wouldn’t register that they had pushed the penthouse button until Zach swiped his fob over the sensor pad.
“We should probably drop your car off when we visit home some weekend. Maybe in a couple of weeks? We won’t have so much luggage then so we can just take the train back,” Jesse said. She wondered if Zach knew she was trying to fill the space with something other than drooling all over him in her head. It was getting hard to function with all the fantasies she had going on up there. Most of them involved his hands on every part of her body. Followed by his mouth. His tongue. A grazing of teeth.
So, yup, talking about the car seemed like the best strategy.
“It might be nice for us to have it. In case you end up being too uncomfortable on the subway in the beginning. We don’t know how you’re going to react to any of this stuff,” Zach said.
Jesse frowned. “I hadn’t thought about the subway.”
The idea that she might be too freaked out by taking mass transit to school or appointments with her counselor, even with Zach with her, was depressing. That’s when Jesse made a decision.
“Uh uh. No way in hell I’m letting this cripple me that much. I’ll put my big girl panties on. We’re riding the damn subway.” Jesse saw Zach’s grin as she moved off the elevator, but then she stopped short. The elevator opened straight into the penthouse suite. It was utterly stunning.
“Holy monkey butts. This place is amazing.” Jesse stood with Zach beside her taking it all in. He looked completely unimpressed, but he was probably used to escorting dignitaries and famous people into hotel rooms like this.
For Jesse, the experience was totally new. The top-floor suite was opulence personified. Floor-to-ceiling windows looked out onto the brightly-lit cityscape below them, sparkling and shining. The lighting in the suite was subdued, with tan overtones that highlighted the soft, inviting furniture. The kitchen was small but modern, calling to Jesse. Everywhere she looked, granite or marble surfaces gleamed; wood was polished to an impeccable shine, and pillows were fluffed to the max.
Zach walked around Jesse and crossed to the room on the right, opening the door. He quickly scanned the room, checked the bathroom and closet.
“This one’s yours, Jesse.” Zach stepped back out of the room and let Jesse step in.
“Holy—”
“Monkey butts?” Zach asked with a smile.
Jess laughed. “I’m trying not to swear so much.”
Zach crossed to the left side of the suite, and opened the door on another room that Jesse assumed was his room.
“You’ll be right there?” Jesse asked.
Shiiiii--- Sheboygany hoober boobers.
She wasn’t sure if her concern was how close he’d be in case of an emergency or how tempting it would be to have him so close. She had a feeling she’d be baking up a storm to try to get rid of all the pent-up sexual frustration the next six months were likely to cause.
I’ll be the most practiced pastry chef in the world by the time we check out of this hotel.
“Do you need anything to eat, Jesse? I can call room service,” Zach said from where he stood quietly across the room. He seemed to watch her intently, and she wondered if he were waiting for her to fall apart.
Jess shook her head. “No. I’m just gonna go to sleep, I think. If that’s okay, I mean.”
She knew she wasn’t going to sleep. She just didn’t think she could stand being in the same room with him for one more minute. The confines of the car had been enough. Jesse wanted some downtime. Time to herself to unwind and to try and get her body to stop the slow sizzle it had been doing since Zach Harris walked back into her world this afternoon.
“No problem, Jesse. I’ll see you in the morning then,” Zach said.
He checked the locks on the door and then slipped into his own room as Jesse turned to hers.
***
Zach blinked back the sleep from his eyes when he heard a quiet knock on his door. He’d fallen asleep sitting up in bed watching a movie that wasn’t particularly good when it came out in theaters. It wasn’t any better on TV.
He looked up in time to see Jesse slip into his room. She was clad in nothing but a sheer pink nightie that only reached the tops of her thighs. It left little to the imagination. Zach couldn’t seem to find his tongue as she walked toward him, all innocence and lace.
He watched, stunned, as Jesse reached for the hem of the nightie and pulled it up, uncovering a world of treasure – all for him. The gorgeous creamy skin of her thighs; the little valleys between her hip and her stomach that he knew would be sensitive to his touch, making her squirm and moan under him.
The soft, hot mound of curls covered only by a small pink scrap of fabric, so flimsy he could easily tear it off with his bare hands. Too shocked to question why she was here and what she was doing, Zach growled and lunged to reach for her. He reached out to pull her hot little body down onto his now very hard lap.
Zach sat up with a start when the sweet lacy concoction he’d dreamed up evaporated in his arms. He was left with nothing but the empty feeling where Jesse h
ad just seemed to be. That and an erection he could pound nails with. Groaning, he lay back on the bed.
What the hell was I thinking? I can’t get through six months of this.
But then Zach heard something else. It wasn’t an intruder. He’d rigged an alarm on the door to the penthouse, and that hadn't gone off. Plus, he knew these sounds. These were the sounds of someone checking. Monitoring with a hypervigilance wrought from anxiety and fear.
The soft clicks as Jesse checked closets, locked and relocked doors, tore at Zach’s heart. He stood and joined her in the living room. She turned when she heard him, and he watched the embarrassment wash over her face. He knew the source. She hadn’t wanted him to know what she was doing. Zach put out his hand and took her smaller one in his.
“Come on, sweetheart.” He almost winced as the endearment left his lips, but he kept a straight face for her. She wouldn’t know he had never called another client sweetheart. That he’d never crossed such a line in his professional life before.
Get it together, Zach.
“Let’s get you to bed.” Zach led Jesse into her bedroom and pulled back the covers. He tucked the blankets in around her and then turned the light off in her bathroom. She lay in bed, watching him with wide eyes. He checked her closet. Checked under her bed, because he knew she needed that for now. Then he grabbed the comforter she had tossed on the floor. He stretched out as much as he could on the armchair in the corner of her room and pulled the cover up then turned out the lamp next to him.
“Good night, Jesse.”
The room was silent for several minutes, and Zach began to think she’d fallen asleep. Then he heard a soft whisper come from her bed.
“Thank you, Zach.”
Fuck me.
“Go to bed, baby girl.”
Zach was tempted to bang his head against the back of the chair, but that sure as hell wouldn’t look professional.
Fuck, fuck, fuck me.
