by Meg Maguire
Les’s chest puffed with pride and he ran a hand over his bald head, which had turned decidedly pink.
Any minute now Judd fully expected all three men to jump up, start dancing in circles around her and break into “Whistle While You Work.” But she wasn’t Snow White, they weren’t dwarves and he sure as hell wasn’t Prince Charming, though he had been accused of being the Prince of Darkness a time or two.
“Ms. Montgomery, I’m Judd Anderson, your security specialist. I’m here to escort you to your permanent location while you await the trial. Please collect your things. We need to go.”
There, Judd thought. Firm but polite, the equivalent of Move your ass, please.
She stilled and finally, very slowly, looked up at him. Though he was too well-trained to betray an inkling of unease, the force of that droll green gaze when it met his was nothing short of...cataclysmic. Like a tsunami meeting a hurricane, an earthquake in the middle of a tornado, planets colliding in space. He felt like he’d been sucked into the resulting vacuum, powerless as a whole new galaxy formed around him...and he was staring directly at its princess.
Predictably, his cell phone vibrated from his front pocket—Jeb, no doubt, because there was no way in hell he wasn’t picking up on that little emotional anomaly. He didn’t know when he’d ever been so affected, when he’d ever simply looked into a pair of eyes—admittedly, very pretty ones—and felt the earth move. An inexplicable coil of heat spiraled into his loins, curling around his dick, and his fingers twitched with the urge to touch her, to run the pad of his thumb over her bottom lip.
“I understand that you’ve recently left the military,” she said, her tone conciliatory, as though she were speaking to a sullen teenager, “and adjusting your demeanor to your new civilian life might be a bit of a struggle. But your transition would be a lot smoother if you were to remember that you’re no longer at liberty to issue orders and no one you speak to is obliged to follow them.” The barest hint of irritation flashed in her gaze. “Most particularly me,” she added.
Clark, Les and Roy all chuckled, then quickly turned their amusement into fake coughs when she shot them another one of those mysterious glances that somehow, to his utter astonishment, turned the three into awkward ball-less wonders.
Evidently she figured she was going to be able to do the same thing with him, Judd thought, feeling his jaw involuntarily clench. Perfect. Now all of him was hard. But if she thought she was going to be able to dress him down and wrap him around her little finger as easily as she had these hapless fools, then she’d better think again.
Oh, hell, no.
Better to disabuse her of that notion toute suite.
He smiled at her, twisted his lips just enough to be patronizing. “Since we both speak English and understand the language, communication, obviously, isn’t an issue. This is more of a comprehension problem. I apologize,” he said with a small nod. “Where I stated the facts, you heard an order. In future, I’ll make sure you understand the difference.”
He straightened, going into Obedience or Death mode, and looked at each of the men in turn. “Les, check the perimeter. Roy, call your lookouts for an update. Clark, sweep the street. There were twelve vehicles and a motorcycle when I arrived. One minivan, six sedans, two trucks, three SUVs and a Harley Davidson. If there’s a change in any status quo, I want to know it. Move.”
They all scattered and bolted into action. Satisfied, Judd turned to look at her. “Those were orders,” he explained patiently, in the same condescending tone she’d used. “They followed them because it’s their job, just like it’s my job to keep you safe. Any directive I issue is for your protection, Ms. Montgomery, not for my amusement or due to my lack of understanding the difference between military and civilian cultures. I’m not obliged to say please or ask nicely and, so we’re clear, I don’t work for you. I work for Ranger Security. Ranger Security works for the client, Ed Johnson, who hired the company to protect you at all costs.” He lifted a brow. “With me so far?”
Her lips curled into a smile that more resembled a snarl and her entire body seemed to vibrate with anger. For whatever reason, Judd got the impression that he’d just awakened a dormant volcano. Perversely, he looked forward to the eruption. “Oh, I think I can grasp the concept. You’re in charge.”
He nodded and grinned at her, enjoying this much more than he should have. “See?” he said, rocking back on his heels. “Not too difficult. Now get your things,” he repeated. “We need to leave.”
Her eyes narrowed fractionally. “Right.”
Imagining he could see the steam billowing from the top of her head, she turned abruptly on her heel and left the room.
He released a pent-up breath, one he didn’t even realize he’d been holding. Four days, he thought as a blaze of heat kindled in his loins, the memory of her mouth making his own water.
Four days. Alone. With her.
God help him.
ISBN-13: 9781460338032
ALL OR NOTHING
Copyright © 2013 by Meg Maguire
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