by Dru Parkes
Especially now that I was home and there was every chance my life would be controlled and monitored again.
“Okay,” I said, pulling up the bodice of my dress to cover my breasts and slipping on the shoulder straps. “How long do you think you’ll be?”
He reached down, cupped my still bare pussy with his big hand. “I’ll get the meeting over with in record time, knowing that this is waiting for me.”
It could have been a little more romantic, but that wasn’t what this was about, was it? “What would you like ordered from room service?”
Still with his hand between my legs, he leaned down to kiss me. I really liked the way he kissed. It was determined and bordered on rough, but there was an inherent tenderness about it. I wondered if that applied to him as a person.
“I’ve got a feeling I’ll like anything you decide on. Why don’t you get some extra whipped cream to go along with dessert?”
My core clenched at the thought of what he intended to do with that extra helping, and then my mouth watered at the thought of what I could do.
“Okay,” I said again. “Just make sure you don’t forget that visit to the men’s room.”
He gave a feral grin. “Believe me, princess. That visit is indelibly carved on my brain.”
He released me, zipped himself up, then buttoned his navy shirt. “Don’t go anywhere. And don’t start without me.”
I stroked my hands down his shirt and tidied his jacket. “What if I get hungry while you’re gone?” I looked up at him from beneath my eyelashes. “A girl doesn’t like to be kept waiting too long.”
He brought his hand to my mouth and slid his thumb along my lower lip. “Record time, remember? I’ll be back before you know it, so you’d better be naked and spread out on those sheets.”
I bit down gently on his thumb, hoping I looked suitably temptress-like as I looked up at him. “Are you going to give me my panties back?”
“Why?” His chest expanded as he took in a breath. “It’s not like you’ll be needing them.” He took my chin between his thumb and forefinger, leaned in. “Like I said, naked and spread out on those sheets.”
The thrill that zipped through me was like nothing I’d ever experienced. I couldn’t have chosen a sexier, more dangerous man to have this little adventure with and as he let himself out of the room, I congratulated myself on my awesome choice.
Already missing his impressive presence, I picked up my purse and wandered further into the room. His suitcase was open on the stand, only half unpacked. He obviously wasn’t planning on staying long, maybe even just this one night.
I snooped in the closet and found a pair of jeans and a clean black shirt, plus a leather jacket. On the floor of the closet was a pair of battered leather boots.
I dropped my clutch onto the bed, noting the book on the side table. Intrigued, I went over and picked it up, surprised to find the latest military blockbuster novel. Although, perhaps I shouldn’t have been surprised, I thought as I turned the book to read the back cover, because this man had an edge to him that made it completely feasible he would go for the hardcore subjects like the ones I’d heard were represented in this story.
I put down the book, then went into the bathroom. His wash bag was on the shelf, his shaving gear lined up alongside it. It gave me the impression that he was a man who liked to be ready to go. The kind who could be out the door in an instant.
I wondered if the book and his ability to travel light indicated he might be ex-military himself. It wouldn’t be surprising. He certainly looked the part. He wore his dark hair short; he had the build of someone who worked out, probably not because of vanity but because his life depended on it, and he had that edge that said he never took any crap from anyone.
As I went back into the bedroom, I wished that some of that edge could rub off on me. That I could be the kind of person that never took any crap from anyone. Especially from my father.
I loved him, that went without saying. But he was just so controlling. I knew it came from a place of love, of protection. But it was suffocating at times.
I wished with all my heart that I could stand up to him. That I could make him see that his need to control my life was driving me away.
But I wanted to make him happy. He’d never really recovered from the loss of my mother and older sister, and I supposed his heavy sense of protection came from not wanting to lose me. It didn’t help that he was currently involved in a government deal which involved highly sensitive and secret negotiation, but it wasn’t like he’d never done those kinds of deals before.
I really needed to find a way to get him to listen to me. To realize that I wasn’t my sister, and that I didn’t have her abilities. Louise had been the one who really wanted to go into the business, and from a young age my father had groomed her for it. When we lost her, I took over the mantle, accepting that I wanted to make my father happy and fill the gap the loss of my family had left in his life. But deep down I wasn’t a businesswoman, and I never wanted to be.
Since I didn’t want to ruin this night with my stranger, I pushed those thoughts aside and picked up the room service menu. My gaze went straight to the desserts, and I bit my lip as I remembered the look he’d given me when he’d told me to order additional cream.
Taking the menu with me, I sat on the bed and looked over at that book again.
Something niggled, but I couldn’t quite grab hold of what it was. I put down the menu and picked up the book turning it to the back cover. The author’s bio said he was ex-special forces, and that certain parts of the books were based on his own experiences there.
The niggle intensified.
My stranger hadn’t wanted to tell me what his business was when I’d asked him earlier in the bar. Except that it was boring. But there was no way he was the type who would accept anything boring. Which meant there were specific reasons he didn’t want to tell me what he did for a living.
Then there was the way he looked. Big, masculine, edgy, innately confident.
The realization hit me hard.
He was ex-military.
And I knew exactly why he was here.
Chapter Three
Liam
The man I’d come to see sat opposite me on the large leather couch in the hotel’s penthouse suite. Despite the cloak-and-dagger approach to this meeting, I’d recognized him immediately.
Douglas Patterson had gotten straight to the point.
“I know of you, and I know of your security business. According to an acquaintance of mine, Faulkner Security are the best, and it’s only the best that will do for what I want.”
I sipped his rather fine scotch and sat back against the plush matching leather couch, my eyes meeting his shrewd gaze. “That’s good to hear, although I’m hardly surprised. We are the best.”
He smiled. “Cocky, too. But since your reputation seems to suggest that’s justified, I’ll let it go.”
As he sat back, watching me, I ran what I knew about Patterson through my memory banks. Big-shot tycoon, whose fingers had dipped into many pies over the years and up to now he’d always come out squeaky clean. Widower, single parent to a young daughter. The rumor mill had it that he was working on a project for the government.
As if he knew what I was thinking, Patterson smiled. “I’m sure you’re aware that I’m currently involved in negotiations with the government regarding a joint project.”
I pursed my mouth, nodded. “I keep my ear to the ground.”
“Of course. But perhaps you’re not aware that there are certain factions who would prefer that deal doesn’t go through.”
I shrugged. “I’d imagine that was par for the course.”
“Indeed.” His sharp eyes didn’t leave mine. “Normally, I wouldn’t give too much mind to those factions, but this time it’s different.”
“How so?”
He leaned forward and placed his drink on the table in front of him. “I’ve received a credible warning that my da
ughter might be used in an effort to convince me to withdraw from this project.”
“You’ve received a kidnap threat?”
“Not as such, but one of my people picked up some chatter on the dark web as to her being a possible means by which I could be persuaded.”
I looked over at the connecting door, where two men had disappeared through when I’d arrived. “You’ve got people watching her?”
He picked up his drink again. “That’s where you come in. I want you to protect her until the deal is signed. If things continue to progress smoothly, that should be within the next week.”
I wasn’t entirely sure what he expected me to do with a freaking kid for the next seven days, but I’d work something out. I looked toward the connecting door again. “Where is she now?”
“Here in the hotel.” He reached into his pocket for his cell. “You’ll want to meet her.”
As he waited for the call to connect, I started to think strategy. As assignments went, it was pretty basic. Not much strategic planning required, at least not once I’d checked out the potential threat and the likely suspects who wanted the deal stopped.
“Come up to the suite, darling,” Patterson was saying. “There’s someone I want you to meet.”
While we waited for his daughter, Patterson picked up an envelope and slid it across to me. “I hope this more than meets your terms. Of course, any extra expenses as you see fit can be added to your final invoice.”
I opened the envelope, noticed that the terms were more than generous, especially for a simple babysitting job. I slipped the paper back into the envelope and nodded. “Looks about right.”
Smiling, Patterson leaned back. “You’re a man of few words, Mr. Robard. It makes a change from what I’m used to. I like you. And because I like you, I’m going to warn you that my daughter can be difficult. She will fight against being protected. What I’m trying to say is don’t let her get away with anything if you think it will compromise her in any way.”
“Rest assured I’ll do everything in my power to keep her safe. There’s no way she’ll get away with anything if I think she shouldn’t.”
“Good. That’s good. Where will you take her?”
I sipped my whisky, then shook my head. “That’s for me to know. It’s better that nobody else does. In my business there are few people I trust aside from my two partners. I’m sure you’ll understand.”
“Of course. Of course.” When a tap came at the door, one of the men from the other room appeared as if by magic. Patterson rose as I did, and the man opened the door.
I might have taken a full step back when the woman from the bar came striding in. She didn’t look at me but went straight to her father.
She was his kid? The young daughter that needed protecting?
“Darling, I want you to meet Mr. Robard. I’ve asked him to take care of you while this deal goes through.”
Still she didn’t look at me as I hovered on the far side of the coffee table. I was thankful for that, since it gave me valuable time to wrap my head around it and get myself in check.
“I’ve told you, daddy. I don’t need taking care of. I know how to look after myself.”
“Then humor me, my darling. Let me go ahead with this deal and not have to worry about you and your safety. Just do it for me, okay?”
I saw the look that passed between them. Beneath the irritation that came off her in waves, there was affection, caring, love.
“Mr. Robard has agreed to have you stay with him for now. Please don’t fight me on this.”
She sighed, then leaned in and kissed her father’s cheek. After that she turned, and I was hit with the full force of that green gaze. I had to be impressed by the fact she didn’t show one iota of recognition, at least not outwardly, and that it was only me who saw the flash of indignation.
She swallowed, then angled her chin into the air. “Mr. Robard.”
“Liam. Please. Good to meet you, Ms. Patterson.”
She glared at me. “It’s Serena.”
Serena. It suited her. I rolled it around my tongue as I held out my hand. “Serena.”
I held tight to her hand for perhaps a moment too long, remembering how less than an hour before I’d slid my fingers into her wet pussy, just before her steady grip had fastened around my cock. Her heated gaze told me she remembered it, too.
She took in a breath. “This really isn’t necessary. My father is overreacting.”
“He’s informed me what’s going on, and I happen to agree with his need to have you safe while this deal goes down.”
She flashed me a look, one that made me glad we had an audience right then and she couldn’t really let rip. I had a feeling I’d come out of it more than a little scathed. “I really don’t care what you think. I’m a grown woman, I can make my own decisions.”
“Not when your safety is at risk.”
She pursed her lips, making me wonder if she was going to let rip anyway. Then she narrowed her eyes, a challenging look in their depths. “And where are you proposing you look after me?” She waited a beat. “Your hotel room?”
Shit.
I slid my hands into my trouser pockets, my fingers wrapping around delicate silk.
Fuck. Her panties.
I yanked my hands out and fisted them at my sides, hoping to hell her father wasn’t picking up any vibe between us. “Where I take you is for me to know.”
“Since it’s my life, it’s for me to know, too.”
“And you will. When we get there.”
I turned to her father. “We’ll leave first thing. You can check us both out after we’ve gone. And don’t tell anyone else.”
Patterson nodded.
“It’s best there’s no contact between you and your daughter while this deal goes down. I’ll be turning off the GPS on her phone.”
“Excuse me? You’ll be doing no such thing. This is all too ridiculous for words. There’s no threat, it’s just scare-mongering. And don’t you dare tell my father what you’re doing as if it doesn’t concern me.”
While I could sympathize to a degree, she needed to accept it was a done deal. “We’re not playing games here.”
She folded her arms, making my thoughts turn to the incredible breasts beneath the bodice of her dress and how they’d tasted as I tongued them. “That works both ways. I’m not playing games, either.”
Fuck. Now I was thinking about the games we’d already played. Thinking not only about those breasts, but how she’d felt as I’d slipped my fingers inside her, how she’d tasted when I’d gone down on her.
I took a breath, willing my cock to settle, willing my blood to cool.
How the fuck was I supposed to spend up close and personal time with her and not want to feel her, smell her, taste her again?
“Why don’t you spend the evening with your father?” I suggested, knowing that I needed some thinking time, some alone time to get my head around all this. I knew she’d have plenty to say to me later, and I wanted to be prepared to offset her annoyance. “And be ready to leave at six tomorrow morning.”
“I’ll make sure my daughter is ready, Mr. Robard,” Patterson said, coming over to shake my hand. “I can’t thank you enough for this. I know Serena is safe with you and that she’s in excellent hands.”
I wasn’t sure he realized the implication of his words. But I took my leave and headed back to my room.
It was strategy time.
Serena
My head pounded with what had just happened. What cruel twist of fate had thrown me into the path of a man who had made all my senses reel, who had made my body come alive, and made me want to try things in the bedroom that I’d only ever before dreamed about?
And here he was.
My bodyguard.
Not that I bloody well needed a bodyguard. My father had completely overreacted. There was no concrete proof that I was in any danger at all.
My father was doing a business deal with the government over
some land to be used for development. There were no state secrets involved. No drugs, guns, or anything else remotely contentious. Why would anyone want to use me to stop him? It was all too stupid to contemplate.
And it was too disappointing to contemplate that I wasn’t going to get to finish what we’d started in Liam’s hotel room.
Liam.
The name suited him.
I’d been right that he was ex-military. Had called it that he was the one who would be my protector for the next week. At least I’d had time to get my head in gear, to make sure that when we were formally introduced, I wouldn’t give anything away.
But while I’d had the opportunity to batten down my reaction when we met in my father’s hotel suite, it hadn’t prepared me to forget what we’d done together.
When we’d shaken hands, the contact had made my body tremble, probably because I’d remembered how that same hand had felt cupping my breast, his thumb teasing my nipple, his fingers driving deep into my pussy.
When he’d told me that we weren’t playing games, that he was taking me somewhere that only he would know the location of, and that he was going to turn off my GPS tracking, beneath the sheer outrage I felt at having him call the shots it was all I could do not to remember how his lips had felt covering my pussy.
I was insane to be torturing myself with memories of how he’d made me feel, but as I got ready to have dinner with my father before being whisked off to heaven knew where with a man who would essentially control my life for the next week, I knew I was still in danger of being unable to resist him.
But I would. Who wanted a man like that? Someone who thought his word was law. Someone who expected everyone to jump to his tune. Not me.
I just had to remember that he wasn’t the man I’d thought him to be when we’d met at the bar. That would be enough to make sure I kept him at arm’s length going forward.
It was going to be a really long week.
Chapter Four
Serena
“Aren’t you going to blindfold me, or something?”
Liam spared me a glance as we drove off the freeway and onto country roads that seemed to stretch for miles. We’d been travelling for the best part of two hours and every time I’d asked him where we were heading, he’d given me the same answer.
