by Hart, Lea
“If you had a man in your life, it might have deterred someone from choosing you. It would be more hassle, and they may have chosen another victim. I’m going to act as your boyfriend and see what we come up with.”
“Don’t you think you should ask me first and see if I agree?”
“No, this is a sound strategy and we’re going to use it.”
“As long as you take my opinion into account.” She put her hands on her hips and stared him down.
He realized this wasn’t a woman who was going to be easy to manage. No one had probably ever been successful. “Let’s try it, and if we don’t get any results, we’ll try something else.”
“All right, I will go along with it - for now.”
“If we’re lucky, it’ll shake the trees a little and get back to whoever is stalking you. It may eventually make our job easier.” While it was all true, Max just wanted to stick close to her and this was a great excuse. He realized he didn’t want anyone else spending time with her. He was going to be the only one.
“You just made that up.”
“I did not.” He was completely willing to lie to her to get her to go along with his idea.
“You kissed me five seconds ago. I think there’s more going on.” She studied him for a moment and tried to determine what he was up to. She realized he was going to confess to nothing. “I guess we can pretend to be together and see if anyone takes the bait.”
Max didn’t feel like he was going to be pretending, but kept that to himself. “Let’s go and see what we come up with.”
CHAPTER TWO
She sat in Max’s comfortable black SUV and noticed how relaxed he appeared. They were on the freeway heading into La Jolla where the corporate offices were located. The weather was still hot and the Santa Ana winds had started blowing earlier in the day. When it was this dry and windy people started to act crazier than usual.
He looked over and grabbed her hand and held it. “How are you doing?”
“I’m doing ok…. considering what’s going on. Why are you holding my hand?”
“I like holding your hand…. I’m attracted to you. I’ve decided that I’m not going to fight it. I don’t feel like playing games or acting like I don’t care. In fact, I’m going to lean into it and see where it goes. I’m 38 years old and I understand how rare it is to have a woman like you show up in my life.” Taking her hand, he lifted it to his mouth, kissed it very gently and winked at her.
Rory said nothing in response. What could she say? Giving him a small smile she looked out the window and let her mind float away. It was too much to process - stalker, quitting her job and a man who just announced he was leaning in. Her mind landed in the shoe department at Niemen Marcus. It was her happy place and she was going to think about that instead. Her hand felt wonderful in his, warm, surrounded by hard male flesh, somehow safe. She had spent the last twenty eight years being self-sufficient. This was the moment she felt like leaning into this very attractive, capable man and letting him handle it for a while.
As he drove, he looked over and noticed she was physically there, but her mind was a million miles away. Maybe he should’ve kept his intentions to himself. “How are you doing sweetheart? Are you still with me?”
She kept her face pointed towards the window and her eyes closed. “I’m visiting my happy place, so my head doesn’t explode. Let me know when we get to the office.”
He squeezed her hand and followed instructions. At least she didn’t pull her hand away. They soon pulled off the freeway and made their way to the office. He parked the car, leaned over and kissed her cheek. “We’re here - let’s get you to your office.”
She slowly opened her eyes and smiled. “OK…. show time, let’s get this over with.” They made their way into the building. She spoke with the security guard and got Max a pass.
As they stepped into the elevators, he put his arm around her and whispered in her ear. “I’m your 24 hour protection until we catch this guy; I go where you go.” He kissed her cheek and felt her shiver under his grasp. It felt as though she crossed his heart in the second that it took her to let out a breath. He watched her mouth open and close like a fish and nothing came out. He shrugged his shoulders and tightened his hold a little… in reassurance. This was how it was going to be between them and they were going to have to get used to it.
They stepped out of the elevator and she felt him go on high alert. He had instantly morphed into the soldier he’d been. She’d been standing next to him thinking he was big when the air around him became supercharged, and he grew even bigger. She could feel it in the way he held on to her even though his face was very relaxed. All the sudden he returned to being a Spec Ops soldier with 160 degree situational awareness. His grasp was firm, but gentle, and she felt that he would spring into action without her even being aware of it.
They came up to a group of four offices - she turned into the first one and flipped on the lights and set her stuff down. She looked at him as he motioned for her not to say anything. He pulled out a device and started sweeping the office for bugs. She noticed him pick up a picture from her desk, he scanned it and indicated it had a bug. He continued and found a mini camera in a plant that was sitting on her desk, which he took it out and crushed under his shoe. He did a final sweep and didn’t find anything else. “I like your office, baby. Are you going to give me the full tour now?”
“Let me introduce you around.” As she grabbed his hand on the way out of the office, he noticed is was clammy. This was not going to be easy for her, and he wanted to make sure that he did everything he could to take care of it as quickly as he could. As she led him down the hall, he leaned into her and kissed her cheek. “Follow my lead, it’s going to be fine.” She nodded her head in agreement and squeezed his hand.
She introduced him to her assistant and two other department heads and then knocked on the last office and walked in. “Jackson, do you have a couple of minutes? I want to introduce you to Max.”
They entered a big corner office and a tall blond man sat behind the desk with contracts in front of him. He pushed his chair back and stood up, “Hello Rory. I didn’t realize that you were back in town.”
She looked the man in the eye and stood slightly behind Max. “I returned last Friday from Europe. I will send you a copy of my report by the end of the week.”
She held tightly to Max’s hand and probably didn’t realize what she was doing. What the hell had this guy done to her? He’d seen her face the world head on up until this moment. He was damn glad she’d decided to hold onto him and let him protect her.
He stepped forward and shook the man’s hand, “I’m Max Bishop, Rory’s boyfriend.” He could see a look of shock pass quickly over Jackson’s face before he replaced it with a fake smile. Max looked at him the same way he looked at any opponent, calmly and with complete confidence. He saw Jackson pale a little under his tan - men usually recognized the alpha in the pack. He wasn’t surprised to see him catch on so quickly. He stood back, smiled at the guy and wrapped his big arm around Rory. “I wanted to see where Rory worked and meet some of the people that she spends her day with.” He waited and didn’t say a thing. Balls is in your court, asshole. Let’s see what you’re going to do.
“Rory, I didn’t realize you’re seeing someone. Where did you two meet?”
“I met Max through my friend Birdie. She’s recently engaged to Mark Frazier, a Lt. Cmdr. on Team One. He and Max used to work together. Max retired from the teams a couple of years ago and has a security firm in downtown San Diego.”
She wrapped her arm around his waist, “I met him and knew. It’s not every day a man like Max comes into your life. Anyway, I wanted him to see where I work.” She slipped out of his embrace and took his hand, “We won’t keep you. I’ll follow up with you later in the week.”
“Thanks, I look forward to seeing your notes. Max, how long were you a SEAL?
“He let out a laugh, “Once a SEAL - always a SEAL. I
was on the teams for fifteen years and have been retired for two years. Did you ever serve?” He knew damn well this guy had never served anyone but himself. It was his way of establishing the difference between them. He could tell the guy had an attachment or fascination with Rory. This was a game of chess and they were moving their pieces around with each sentence.
“No, I never served. I’ve been working for my father since I graduated college. I have learned the business from the ground up and I look forward to taking the company to the next level someday.”
Max nodded as if he agreed with the guy. When in fact he thought he was a pompous ass with too much interest in Rory. “Well, we’d better let you get back to work. Are you ready sweetheart?”
“Yes, let me introduce you to some of my friends.” She waved and walked out with Max and headed down the hall.
Males above all, are animals. Herd animals with a keen instinct for the alpha male and when to keep out of his way. She just had the pleasure of seeing it in real life and not on some nature show. “So, is that what they call an old fashioned pissing contest?”
He squeezed her waist, “Pretty much. Guess who won?”
“I never really understood how men could establish the alpha in the pack so quickly. Women don’t have that - we just look at each other shoes.”
They continued the tour, and by the time they were done Max had about five people he was interested in looking at further. He had her write down the names of the people he was going to give Frank to investigate. “Thanks for the tour - do you have time to walk me downstairs?” She nodded and he grabbed her hand as they walked out of the building. He wanted to give her a couple of instructions without cameras.
They faced each other in front of the building, “I will be here in a couple of hours to pick you up. Wait in your office and I will come up and get you. Don’t say anything in there that you don’t want to be recorded.” He wrapped her up and kissed her hard, he slicked his tongue along her bottom lip and then sucked it lightly into his mouth. He heard a small sound come from her throat and remembered they were in public. He wanted to put on a show for whoever was looking out the window, but he might have taken it too far. He gently released her and leaned his head against hers, “I guess I like kissing you.”
She looked up glassy eyed and tried to focus, “I think I felt that kiss everywhere.” He kissed her gently on the forehead and kept her wrapped up in his arms for a moment longer. He finally released her and let her walk back into the building. She made her way towards the entrance and back up to her office. Her mind was twirling like a tilt a whirl. A thought didn’t stay in her head for more than a second.
She sat in her office and tried to get her mind to focus. Ultimately, she got very little work done and was happy when she got the call from Security that Max was on his way up. When he walked in, she wanted to bury herself in his arms. She looked at him standing in her doorway and admired how attractive he looked. “I’m ready to be done with this day.”
He took her bag, “Let’s go. I’m ready to get you home.” They walked out of the office hand in hand. Jackson stood in his doorway and watched them walk to the elevator and shook his head.
He turned around and walked back to his desk and made a phone call. This was going to complicate his plans and he didn’t like complications at all. Of all the men to choose from - Rory had to go and choose a SEAL as a boyfriend. He hoped that her new relationship was not going to make his life any more difficult than it already was.
CHAPTER THREE
They walked up to the door of her little house and several of Max’s team were still there. “I’m going to change and then I’ll start dinner.” Rory greeted the men as she made her way back to her bedroom. Closing the door, she flopped on her bed and let out a sigh of relief. Her life typically was very quiet and routine, she worked hard keep it that way. She wondered if it would be possible to return to that old life. The day’s trifecta of stalker, job change, and a man declaring he was leaning in was about to make her head blow up. I need a large glass of wine and a little reality television. She heard a knock on the door, “If you don’t have a glass of wine in your hand, please go away.”
He slowly opened the door and saw her lying on her bed with her arm thrown over her face. “What kind of wine do you want and I will get it for you?”
She remained inert, “There’s a bottle in the fridge and the glasses are in the cupboard. Help yourself to whatever you want and don’t forget to offer something to the guys as well.”
He admired her lying in bed and wondered how long it was going to take before he got an invitation to join her. He had a feeling it was going to take longer than he wanted. “Yes sweetheart, I’ll be right back.” He saw the beginning of a smile and figured at least he was headed in the right direction.
He walked back to the kitchen and spoke with Derick about the system. “How many weak spots do we have and can we do anything about it?” He went over to the fridge and got out the bottle of wine and looked for a glass.
“This is an old house with all of the inherent problems. It’s as secure as any typical home can be. Depending on what we find out about the guy, you may have to move her to your condo. I’m guessing that’s not going to be a hardship for you. I heard you were kissing her in your office.”
“Hold that thought. I’m going to take this to Rory and I will be back.” He headed back, knocked gently and opened the door. He saw that she was trying to unzip her dress. He set the wine down and went up to her, “Allow me.” He ran his hands up her back and slowly unzipped the dress, as it started to fall away he was treated to a view of her beautiful back. He placed a gentle kiss on her neck and rested his hand on her shoulder. Leaning in, he dragged his mouth along her neck and placed a small kiss right behind her ear. He let his mouth rest against her ear as he whispered, “I brought your wine and the guys are almost done.” He felt her tremble under his mouth and realized if he didn’t get out of there quickly he was going to be in trouble. It hadn’t taken much for all of the blood to disappear from his brain and leave him light headed. He let her go reluctantly and straightened up as much as he was able. “I need to talk to Derick.” Turning around he got the hell out of there before he did something he shouldn’t. This woman was going to test every ounce of control that he had developed over the years.
She turned around as the door closed and let out a long breath. She was glad he made a quick escape. He was the sort of man who might prove to be fatal - she could fall into him and not even realize it. She changed into her yoga pants and tee shirt, put her hair up and made her way to the kitchen. She saw Max close the door and lock it as she entered the living room. “The guys are not staying for dinner?”
He turned around and felt his breath catch as he saw her walk into the kitchen. He liked this version of her as much as the dressed up one. Whatever she had on should be something she wore every day. Those black stretch pants were like magic; they showed him every single one of her sexy curves. “I didn’t invite them.”
“Why not? I was planning on making plenty for everyone!”
“I was thinking, I could go pick up dinner. You’ve had a long day and I want you to relax.” He was glad he hadn’t invited them to stay. The guys did not need to see her in those pants with her hair up. He should be the only one who could see her this way. He realized it was a crazy thought, but he was all right with that. He went around the counter and took her hands, “Let me take care of you a little bit. Order what you want and I’ll go and pick it up.”
They stood facing one another, she realized being so close to him that he was the real deal. He didn’t flaunt his maleness, it just was. His strength didn’t just come from his muscles, but from his will and intelligence. She placed her hand on his chest, his male pheromones had her heart racing and her desire increasing. It made her want to kiss him…. all over. Bad hormones… not time to wake up. She had a feeling if they started, it might be very difficult to stop. Kissing that is….only kiss
ing. “How does Chinese sound? There’s a place that’s not far from here.”
“Perfect, call in the order and I will go and get it.”
***
She got out plates, set the table, wiped off her counters and cleaned out her junk drawer. She heard a key in the door and felt a moment of panic - only her sisters had keys to her house. Max came in and she let out a big breath. “You scared me. No one has the key except my sisters.”
He set the bags on the counter, “We put in all new locks and a security system. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.” He came over and dropped a kiss on her mouth and then a second one. “Let’s eat and I will explain what we installed.”
She nodded and went to get serving spoons. “What would you like to drink?”
“A beer if you have it.”
She pulled one out, refilled her glass and brought everything over to the table. “Thank you for going to get the food and for everything you’ve done today. Please send me all of the bills and I will take care of it right away.” She started opening the cartons and served him big portions of everything and then filled her plate and started eating.
He looked at her and watched her eat. “We’re not charging you for this. Are you crazy?”
“In this scenario, I’m not the crazy one. I have to pay for this, otherwise I’ll find someone else to take care of it.”
“No!”
“Does that really ever work? Do you think if you say no, it makes it true? I thought you were retired from the military. Is there some extended rule that allows you to say no and it works like magic?”
“Yes! When I say no, it always works.”
“Wake up and smell reality - saying no hardly ever works, unless you’re a dictator or in the military. You need a new system.”
He was stunned, no one ever spoke to him this way. “I’m not going to charge you for this. If a woman is in trouble our services are free. We don’t advertise it, but we’ve taken care of a lot of women in trouble. Our company is very successful and this is how I choose to do business. It’s true of all of our offices. I let each one make the decision on what they feel is appropriate.” He picked up his fork and started eating again.
