by Elle James
“Two of my guys have spotted him.” Bull pressed his lips to her temple.
Layla closed her eyes and leaned into him. “Your guys are following us?”
He nodded, “Yes. As soon as I knew we were going to the orphanage, I reported to my team the location. They sent two guys as backup.”
“That’s good to know. I didn’t even know your team was in the country.” Layla’s lips twisted. “Why am I always the last to know? First you, then your team…”
“It’s all on a need-to-know basis.” He winked.
Her lips firmed into a straight line. “So, who’s following us?”
“I don’t know, but we need to move a little faster.” He pressed his hand to the small of her back and urged her to pick up the pace.
“Would it help if we ducked into one of the shops?” she asked.
He shook his head. “It would help more if we put some distance between us, and then catch a cab back to the embassy.”
“If we have one person following us, how do we know that we don’t have more than one?” She nodded toward the crowded streets ahead. “There are a lot of people out here.”
His body tensed. With so many people on the streets, it was inevitable they’d bump into a few. He hoped they didn’t bump into anyone with a weapon. “We don’t know how many are following us, therefore, it would be a good idea to find that cab.”
“But that would slow us down as well.” Layla nodded toward the people ahead of her. “It looks like some kind of gathering. Maybe we could lose ourselves in the crowd, and then duck out and find a cab.”
His cellphone vibrated again.
Mac: We’re now up to three people interested in you two.
Mac: We’re moving in. Head for the crowd. We’ve got your back.
Because she was wearing high-heeled sandals, Layla couldn’t move as fast as Bull. He took that into account but encouraged her to walk as fast as she could. The sooner they merged into the crowd, the sooner they could get lost in it. They’d have to get deep into the throng before they could get lost. Because she was wearing the pale blue dress, she would be easy to spot until then.
The crowd thickened, and many were chanting.
“What are they saying?” Bull asked.
She glanced up at her eyes widening. “They’re protesting the president. It’s an anti-government demonstration. This might not be the crowd to get lost in.”
“We don’t have much choice right now.” Bull grabbed her hand and pulled her behind him, weaving between people who shouted and raised their fists.
Some carried signs, others carried rocks or bricks in their hands. The chanting grew louder, and the crowd thickened until Bull and Layla were pushed along with them.
Bull held tightly to Layla’s hand, afraid that she would be torn away from him if he didn’t. A shout ahead made him look over the top of the heads of the others in front of him. Women and men screamed and yelled.
A phalanx of Turkish military pushed toward the throng of anti-government demonstrators, carrying shields. People around Bull and Layla hurled their rocks and bricks at the shields.
Bull had to get Layla out of there quickly before the Turkish military decided to open fire on the crowd. The problem was that the crowd that had surged forward was now being pushed back, making it nearly impossible for Bull and Layla to move any direction. He pulled her into the circle of his arms and kept her as close as he could to keep her from being crushed. Just when he thought that they wouldn’t make it out of there, someone grabbed his arm.
“Come on, we’re getting you out of here,” Mac said.
Between Mac, Dawg and Bull, they shoved and pushed their way to the edge of the crowd and escaped down a side street, moving quickly to get as far away from the demonstration as they could before the Turkish police took matters into their own hands. They ran, and Layla kept up with them, even in her high heels. When they had gotten far enough away that the crowd had thinned, they slowed to a walk.
Mac dropped back, making sure that their tail hadn’t found them.
Dawg moved forward.
Ahead of them, Dawg waved down a cab and had the door open and ready for when Bull and Layla reached it. Layla got in and slid all the way across. Bull got in after and made room for Dawg and Mac.
Dawg shook his head. “You guys go on without us. Mac and I will catch another cab back to the hotel.”
The cab moved slowly through the crowded streets until the crowds thinned even more and the driver was able to increase their speed to faster than a slow jog.
Only then did Bull relax, just a little. “Okay, in hindsight that might not have been a good idea to get lost in the crowd.”
Layla leaned back against the seat and laughed. “That might be an understatement. Thank you for getting me out of there. And please, tell your guys thanks for helping. That was pretty intense,” she said.
He nodded and reached for her hand. She held on to his for the rest of the journey back to the embassy. He hadn’t liked that she’d been in danger. Not only from the men tailing her but also from being crushed in a crowd or trampled by the Turkish military.
When they arrived at the embassy, they passed through the screening at the gate and entered the building. Layla’s father met them in the lobby. He grabbed Layla’s hands and held them.
“Why didn’t you ride back in the van? When it came back without you, I was so worried.” He glared at Bull.
“It’s okay, Daddy. We walked for a short distance, and then caught a cab to get the rest of the way back.” She smiled reassuringly at her father. “It was such a pretty day, and I wanted to do some window shopping.”
Her father held both of her hands in his. “But there was a riot downtown. I heard it on the news, and when you didn’t come back, I was so worried.”
She squeezed his hands. “But you see I’m okay.”
He hugged her to him. “Maybe I should send you back to the States.”
Layla raised her eyebrows. “Just because I didn’t take the van back to the embassy?”
“No, that’s not it. Things are just getting so volatile around here.” He smiled down at her. “I worry that you’ll get caught up in it.”
“Daddy, I’m a grown woman,” she said softly. “And I make my own decisions. Please don’t try to make them for me.”
He shook his head. “You’re my only family.”
“And you’re mine,” she said. “And that’s why I’m here with you.”
“As much as I love having you here with me, I’d feel better if you were safe back in the United States.”
Layla shook her head. “And I’d feel better staying right here and making sure that you’re okay.”
“Sweetheart, you can’t live your life for me. You need to have a life of your own.”
“Daddy, I’m happy with what I do. I like being here for you, and the work is interesting and rewarding.”
Her father frowned. “Maybe we should call off going to the event tonight. Especially after the demonstration today.”
“I’m sure by now the riot has been controlled.” Layla touched her father’s arm. “It’s a fundraising event for children with cancer, and all of the embassies’ ambassadors have been invited, as well as many of the Turkish government officials. We have to be there.”
“I don’t know,” he said. “There’s so much unrest.”
“We’ll be all right.” She smiled and patted his arm. “We’re going. Now, I’m going to go rest for a little while so that I’ll be fresh for the evening’s gala. I’ve been on my feet in these high heels for far too long.” She smiled at her father and gave him a hug. “We’re going to be all right.”
Her father kissed her forehead. “You look so much like your mother. Sometimes, it breaks my heart.”
“She loved you so much,” Layla said.
“And you,” her father said. “Go. Get that rest you need. I have some work to do, and then I might follow your lead and get some rest before tonight’
s event as well.”
Bull reached for Layla’s hand as they strode to the elevator. He envied the love she and her father had for each other. It made him miss his mother and father so much his chest hurt. As an only child, he’d been very close to both of them. His father had died of a heart attack when he’d been only forty-eight. His mother had passed soon after with cancer. Bull thought she’d died more from a broken heart than cancer. He’d give anything to have them back.
When they reached the room, Layla gathered a T-shirt and some shorts and headed for the shower.
Bull texted Rucker.
Bull: Mac and Dawg make it back?
Rucker: Affirmative
Bull: Fundraiser at the Grand Ankara Hotel tonight
Rucker: Already received orders to cover the event
Bull: From?
Rucker: Your boss
Rucker: The gang will all be there
Bull: Good to know
Rucker: Three inside, four outside
Bull: See ya there
Rucker: Out
Feeling a little better about going to the fundraising gala that night, Bull kicked off his shoes and relaxed on the couch, feeling instantly sleepy. He must’ve been more exhausted than he’d thought. He’d need to be on his toes that evening in order to keep Layla safe.
If somebody had been following them that day, they might attempt to get into the event that night. He refused to let anything happen to Layla. He’d hate for her father to lose another loved one. And Bull would personally hate to lose Layla. The woman was growing on him.
He closed his eyes for a moment. Before he knew it, he was asleep.
Chapter 7
Layla stood in the shower, letting the hot water rush down over her and soothe her tense muscles. As she stood naked in the water, she imagined Bull joining her. She had seen a side of him today that made her appreciate him even more. The man was good with children. He liked them, and they liked him. He’d make a good father.
She squirted liquid soap onto her hands, rubbed them together to lather up, and then ran them over her body, wishing they were Bull’s hands, not hers. The thought made her hands stop midway down her torso. He wasn’t her real fiancé. He was her bodyguard. She shouldn’t be having such sensual thoughts about the man. To him, she was an assignment.
To her, he was one hundred percent ruggedly sexy male who could kiss like nobody’s business.
Was she feeling this way because it had been a long time since she’d had a date?
She shook her head. No, it wasn’t because she hadn’t had a date. She wasn’t desperate. It was Bull. He was the reason she was feeling this way. He was tough when he had to be; he’d proven that by making it through the Delta training. He’d proven it again by getting her out of the situation last night and today. And yet, he’d been gentle and kind and caring toward the children at the orphanage, and toward her.
And that kiss last night… Why couldn’t she shake it from her mind?
Because it had felt so good. So good that she wanted to do it again. She let her hand trail over her breasts and down to the juncture of her thighs. What would it feel like to be with Bull? To feel his body naked against hers?
Heat built at her center and spread throughout her body. She slipped her hand lower, parting her folds to touch herself there. Her breath hitched, and her pulse quickened.
What if she opened the bathroom door and invited Bull to join her? Would he?
Layla moaned. Fantasizing was doing her absolutely no good.
She turned the water to the cold setting, hoping to chill the heat inside her. She rinsed off the suds and left the shower. After she dried off, she slipped her T-shirt over her head and pulled on her shorts.
When she stepped out of the bathroom, the first thing she saw was Bull with his head leaned back on the couch, his eyes closed. He was asleep, and she had all the time she needed to study him.
Bull wasn’t handsome in a movie star kind of way. Instead, he was ruggedly handsome like a cowboy who worked in the outdoors. What would he do if she went to him, straddled his hips and kissed him? The thought was so titillating, she found herself moving toward him. When she stood in front of him, his eyes opened.
Heat rushed up her neck and into her cheeks.
Bull smiled and held out his hand.
Layla took it automatically and let him draw her closer to where she stood between his knees.
“I was just dreaming about you,” he said.
Her breath caught. “You were?”
He nodded. “I dreamed that I was kissing you.”
“And did I kiss you back?” she asked.
He nodded and tugged her arm gently until she sat in his lap. “I know this is wrong, and it’s not part of my job description,” he said, “but I just can’t resist.” He pulled her close, cupped her check in his hand and bent to take her lips with his.
She melted against him, slipped her arm around his shoulders and drew him closer. Her cool skin heated against his, and she opened, thrusting her tongue out to meet his. Kissing him was great but, oh, she wanted so much more. With her free hand, she guided his hand to her hip and slid it beneath her T-shirt.
Bull took over from there, sliding his hand across her skin and up to cup her breast. She arched her back, pressing herself into his palm and deepening their kiss at the same time.
This was where she’d wanted to be since last night’s kiss. Her desire had been more of an ache that she couldn’t put a finger on. Now, she recognized it for what it was. She wanted him to make love to her. She broke off the kiss, cupped his cheeks in her palms and stared into his eyes. “This isn’t enough.”
Bull frowned. “I don’t understand.”
“I want more,” she said.
His eyes narrowed. “We shouldn’t even be doing this.”
She smiled. “But it’s like you said…I can’t resist. And why should I?” She held up her hand with the ring on her finger, her smile broadening. “After all, we’re engaged.”
He shook his head. “Not for real.”
“It’s real enough for me,” she said.
“And when I leave?” he asked.
“I won’t expect you to call me, if that’s what you mean.”
“I’m Delta,” he said.
“I’m not asking for forever,” she said, “just this moment.” She climbed off his lap and held out her hand.
He took hers in his and let her draw him to his feet. She led him to the bed and stood in front of him as she pulled her T-shirt over her head.
He closed his eyes and moaned. “Are you sure about this?” he said. “Because once we start, I don’t know that I can stop.”
“Please,” she said, “don’t stop.”
Layla reached for the buttons on his shirt and loosened them one at a time, yanking the tail from the waistband of his trousers. Then she unbuckled his belt and pulled it free of the loops, freed the button on his waistband and dropped the zipper.
His erection sprang free into the palm of her hand, and she felt an odd sense of power. She’d done this. She’d inspired this. Lord help her, she wanted him inside her. Now.
In the next two seconds he kicked off his shoes, his trousers and his boxer shorts, while she slipped out of her gym shorts. Then they were both on the bed lying beside each other, exploring with their mouths and their hands. Every inch.
“Please,” she begged, “I need you inside me.”
He chuckled. “Not yet.”
“I don’t know if I can wait,” she said.
“Look, if I can wait, so can you. I want you to be as ready as I am when the time comes.”
“I’m ready,” she insisted.
“No, you only think you are.” And he started to prove himself right by kissing her lips, and then trailing his mouth across her chin and down the long line of her neck. He paused at the base of her throat and kissed the pulse hammering there. Then he moved lower, captured one of her breasts between his teeth and rolled the nipple
until it beaded into a hard little bud. He switched to the other and flicked his tongue across it, until she writhed and arched her back.
“Please,” she moaned.
“Soon,” he promised, and continued his downward path, leaving a trail of kisses across her ribs, angling lower until he reached that tuft of hair at the juncture of her thighs.
What he was doing to her…what she wanted him to do…
Bull parted her folds and touched his tongue to that nubbin of flesh so tightly packed with the nerves that the simple action set her entire body on fire.
Layla cried out and dug her fingers into the comforter beneath her, trying to ground herself when she was shooting to the stars.
When he touched her again, she spiraled out of control as she rocketed to the heavens. For a long, breath-stealing moment, she rode the rocket to the moon and back, her body pulsing with her release.
When she finally came back to earth, she wove her hands into his hair and tugged. He climbed up her body and kissed her full on the lips then rolled away from her and off the bed.
“Where are you going?” she asked.
“A wise man told me to always be prepared.” He reached into his shaving kit, pulled out a small packet and carried it back to the bed.
“I’m glad one of us is thinking,” she said.
He chuckled, tore open the packet and rolled it down over himself. Then he settled between her legs and kissed her again. She grabbed his buttocks and guided him to her entrance.
He paused, his engorged staff pressing her there, a portent for pleasure to come.
“Don’t tease,” Layla said, barely able to catch her breath.
He dipped into her as if testing how tight and wet she was. She was both.
And he felt so good inside her. Layla was past waiting, past testing and ready. She gripped his hips and brought him home.
He paused, buried deep in her channel.
She adjusted to his girth, reveling in how he filled her to full and then some.
Then he began to move. Slowly at first, rocking in and out of her, building his pace, increasing the intensity of his thrusts.
Layla’s breathing became ragged, her body an inferno of desire. She planted her heels on the mattress and rose to meet him.
