Protecting Her Read online

  I stifle a laugh. “Why are they all dances?”

  “Isn’t that sort of what sex is? A dance? You move your hips. I move—you know what? I better answer that call. Nathan might have some important news.” Without raising her head, she reaches up and pats around for her phone. I slide it under hand and resolve to ask her for a more detailed description of this dancing she’s talking about, although there’s one thing I want to clear up before I go talk to Fred.

  “How many people does this dance involve?”

  There’s a silence followed by a small, “Two?”

  “You’re not sure?”

  “No. No. I’m sure,” she reassures me. “For me, only two, but others dance in groups and I think that’s fine for them. Have you, ah, danced before?”

  “No.”

  Her head pops up. “No?”

  I think her eyes may fall out, she’s so full of shock. “No,” I repeat firmly. I clasp the doorknob, but before I leave, I turn back. “I only want one other person dancing with me. Even if I suck, I’d rather learn to get better with the same person.”

  “I don’t think you could suck at anything,” she says.

  I arch my brows. “I can think of plenty of things to suck.” I drop my gaze to her chest. She inhales sharply, and while it’s probably rude as hell, I can’t stop staring. Her tits are gorgeous--high and plump. They felt plush against my chest, and her nipples were starting to harden as I tongued her mouth. I bet her tits taste good. My tongue comes out to wet my lower lip.

  Catriona gasps and dips below the bed. “I”m going to make that phone call now,” she says in a muffled voice.

  I reach down and rearrange my cock, which is currently trying to drill a hole through my cargo pants. “Right.”

  I find Fred outside, smoking on the porch. He takes a deep drag and drops the butt to the ground, grinding it out with the heel of his boot. “Thought I saw you giving our client a tonsillectomy with your tongue, but I’m sure that was an illusion because the Gabe I know wouldn’t be messing with clients.”

  I don’t bother to deny it. “The Gabe you know hadn’t met Catriona Hennessy before.”

  Fred squints. “Does that mean Ms. Hennessy deserves a lower quality version of our protection?”

  Fred was a sharpshooter in the military. He never missed then, and he doesn’t now. “No.”

  “What are you planning to do?”

  “Find the threat.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “It means that I’m not going to be able to keep my hands off Catriona much longer, so in order to make her safe I need to remove the threat.”

  Fred considers me. “That’s either brilliant or fucking stupid.”

  “Could be both.” I leave him with that and return indoors. I need to talk to Catriona and find out all the people in her life that might want to harm her. Then I’ll review the file. Something will come up. It has to.

  “Oh, there you are,” Catriona greets me. Her hair is brushed back, and she has a white lab coat draped over her arm. Her briefcase is at her feet. “I need to go into the office. Nathan said we’ve had a breakthrough in our test results.”

  “Fine. Let me tell Fred. I want to talk to the people at the lab anyway.”

  “How come?”

  “I plan to fuck you, and since it wouldn’t be right to do so while I’m protecting you, I need to remove the threat.”

  “I never said I was going to sleep with you,” she objects.

  “You will.”

  Chapter 9

  Catriona

  “Are you okay?” Carrie asks me.

  I drop my pen down, finally finished with making my notes. Notes that took me way too long to put together. Gabe was throwing me off. My mind kept drifting back to what we had done earlier. I break myself from those thoughts, knowing they’ve cost me enough time today. “We had a breakthrough. I’m more than okay.”

  “You don’t seem excited as you normally do about these breakthroughs.”

  “I'll be excited when we nail down the serum.” I am getting close. I can feel it. I wonder if once I get it and release the information if the threat that is hanging over my head would go away. It was the only thing I can think of why someone would want to hurt me.

  I’ve spent hours trying to wrack my brain on any possible suspects but haven’t come up with anything. It has to be connected to my work. What if they don’t want to hurt me but kidnap me? Either way I think they’d want the serum complete. They just want it for themselves to sell.

  “You’ll get it.” I push my notes towards her so she can add them into the computer system.

  “How did the date go? I forgot to ask.” She wiggles her eyebrows at me.

  “It didn't. I had to go to a safe house. They only let me go home to grab some things before they whisked me away to safety.” I’m not exactly sure that I would consider being holed up in a house with Gabe safe. Maybe from danger but not from any of these feelings we’re having toward one another.

  “Oh shit. Do they think the threat is that serious?”

  “I don’t know, to be honest.” I shrug one shoulder. “Either way, I’m doing it to be safe. This isn't just about me. This serum could save so many lives, and I’m close to getting it done. That’s what truly matters.” It's not that I don’t think someone else could get it done. I’m sure they could, but it would take them more time. Each day without it could cost lives. Ones that I’m not willing to spare. It’s why I’ve been working nonstop to get this done.

  “You can’t think of it like that. This is your life too.” She looks at me like I’m crazy.

  “That’s why I’m staying at the safe house. Everything is protected.” Except my body from Gabe. Heat rushes through me thinking about this morning. The way his mouth felt against mine. When he palmed my breast, I’d felt an ache for him to squeeze hard, wanting him to pull at my nipples. Those were thoughts I never had before he came into my life.

  “Your cheeks are turning red.”

  “It’s hot in here.” I turn around to face the other way, trying to get myself together.

  “It’s 68 degrees. It’s always 68 degrees because 68 is the perfect temperature. So you say.”

  “It is. If we didn't have to wear lab coats then we could bump it up to 70. More importantly, you should always keep the temperature above 64 and below 77 for a safe and well-balanced indoor temperature. You just need to find your own medium in between there.”

  “Right.” Carrie snorts a laugh. “Now that you have failed to distract me with that, do you want to tell me why you were blushing?” Damn. I turn back around to face her.

  “One of the bodyguards has made it clear he would like to sleep with me when his assignment is over.” See, that wasn't so hard. Sex is natural. There is no reason to blush about it. Still, my face warms once again because you can’t really control it.

  Carrie’s whole face lights up with excitement. “Is he hot?”

  “How hot he is would be a matter of opinion. What I think is hot and what you think is hot might be two different things.” I instantly think about his thighs and broad shoulders. I was drawn to his size.

  “Stop giving me your scientific mumbo jumbo and answer the question.”

  “He’s rugged. I’m not sure he’s what most would consider classic hot, but to me—”

  “You want to bang his brains out. Don't you?”

  I think I do. All day my mind kept drifting back to that kiss. The things he made me feel. When his mouth was on mine, my brain shut down. There wasn't all this noise anymore. It was only him and me, our bodies doing what came naturally. Both of us allowed our natural instincts to take over.

  “His kiss led me to believe that it would be enjoyable.”

  “He kissed you? You allowed him to pass on all those germs to you?” She fights another laugh. Germs were the last thing on my mind when I’d kissed Gabe.

  “I actually kissed him.” Her mouth falls open. “Yeah, I was shocked too.
It was the first time I’ve ever wanted to kiss someone so I went for it.”

  “Oh. This is serious.” The smile on her face grows bigger. “You volunteered to swap germs.” She reaches toward my forehead to pretend to check for a fever. “You feeling okay?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Relax. Don’t get lost in your head about this. Dating and sex should be fun. Isn't this what you’ve been looking for?” she points out. Is it?

  “I guess.” If I’m honest with myself I think I never thought I’d find someone I’d want to kiss, let alone do other things with. At my age I would have thought it would have happened by now.

  “Don’t you want to know what it’s like?” She gives me a wicked smile. I do.

  “He said he’s never done it either.”

  Carrie bursts into laughter. “Did he really say that?”

  “Why would I lie?”

  “Why would he is the better question.”

  “You think he’s lying?”

  “If he’s as hot as I'm thinking he is and I’m guessing older than you, then yeah. I’d bet he’s lying.”

  “I don’t understand why he would though.” There wasn’t a reason for him to lie.

  “Does he know you haven't been with anyone?” I nod my head. “He might be trying to make you feel better or…” She trails off.

  “Or what?” I need all the advice I can get her.

  “He wants to be your first, so he tells you a little white lie to get in there. Some men are into the virgin thing.” I purse my lips. There is nothing I hate more than a liar.

  I’d also liked knowing he’s never done this before too. I guess the lie really did do the trick. Gah. I’m so naïve when it comes to men. I should have known. He was a jerk when I first met him.

  But if he isn't lying? There I go again wanting to believe what he told me. What has this man done to me? I’m not sure if I love it or hate it. I don’t think it matters. There is no turning back now. I’m already in deep.

  Chapter 10

  Gabe

  “Your research not going well?” I ask. Catriona’s not a chatty person, but she’s not been this quiet since I first met her. Feels like that was a decade ago and not a few days. Since leaving the lab, she’s been chilly.

  “It’s fine. We had a breakthrough.”

  “Seems like that would be a good thing.”

  “It is,” she replies tersely.

  I slide a glance in Laura’s direction. She covers a smirk under the guise of coughing. No help from that quarter. I’m clearly on my own. I never lamented my lack of experience with women before. It didn’t hamper my ability to detect threats and protect clients, but now...now I’m wondering if I had dated in the past whether I’d be better able to read this situation. Is she pissed at me? At her work? I decide I’ll ask Laura when we get to the safe house. Until then, maybe I can lure Catriona to my good side with a bribe.

  I clear my throat. “Need anything before we head out of town? Candy? Ice cream? We could make a run to the store.”

  “The store?” Laura squawks.

  Catriona turns in her seat to look at Laura in the back. “What’s wrong with a store?”

  “It’s an unsecured location with too many exits and too many people, meaning there are too many probabilities which increases your danger.”

  In the rearview mirror, I see Laura looking at me like I’m dizzy.

  “I’d go in and get whatever she needs,” I suggest, but even as the words leave my mouth I know it’s a bad idea. If I’m absent that leaves Laura at the wheel having to serve as both driver and lookout. Not great.

  “I don’t need anything,” Catriona says. She crosses her arms. “I’m not one of those people who is going to be selfish and put you guys in danger, too.”

  Maybe she’s upset about being locked up. That’d be understandable and normal. I nod to myself. That must be it.

  “Safe house it is,” I declare.

  “You don’t have to sound so happy about it,” Catriona mutters.

  “What?”

  “I’d like a chocolate shake,” Laura intervenes hastily. “Let’s go through the drive thru.”

  I don’t have the first clue what’s going on. My instincts say that there’s a threat inside the car, but I don’t know where it’s coming from. Is it Laura? I narrow my eyes in the rearview mirror. Should I replace her? But with whom?

  “Don’t even think about it, Nelson,” Laura warns.

  “What’s he thinking?” Catriona asks.

  “He wants to replace me.”

  “No way. If anyone should be replaced, it should be him.”

  “I’d like to agree, but he’s the best we’ve got.”

  “I’m right here,” I remind them.

  “We know,” they both say at the same time.

  “Make that an extra large chocolate shake and some fries,” Catriona adds.

  I do as I’m told as I’m not a complete idiot. After we get the fast food, Catriona and Laura’s moods improve. They chatter about Catriona’s work and Laura’s gun skills while I take us back to the safe house. Once there, the two enter the house. The door shuts in my face.

  I grab the handle and then stop as the realization sets in. Catriona is mad at me. For what, I’m not sure. Maybe kissing her this morning. Maybe not finishing? It’s something I did, though, and I need to figure it out myself. I’ll take watch duty but this isn’t over, not by a long shot.

  “Eat your ice cream, but this door isn’t going to keep me out forever.”

  I walk the perimeter of the property, checking all our cameras and our sensors. Everything is in working order until I get to the southwest corner. There I find a small depression in the earth. It’s faint, but it’s definitely not made by any animal.

  I pull out my phone and radio it in.

  “Should I call Fred in?”

  “No, but relay the information to him. Let’s get the trainees here to guard the perimeter. They’re green, but they’re bodies.”

  “What should I tell Catriona?”

  I hesitate. My first instinct is to say nothing, but she said she wasn’t the type to put people in danger, so it might be best that she knows what’s going on. “I’ll come and talk to her myself.”

  “Okay, boss. I won’t let her out of my sight until you arrive.”

  After I hang up, I call the office. They promise to send out a team of four to do the perimeter work. Laura and I will maintain the interior with Laura switching out with Fred.

  When I arrive at the house, I find the two of them sitting in the den. Other than the panic room on the second floor, this is the safest room in the house. There are no windows and only one door. Catriona is bent over her computer while Laura lounges near the door. She snaps to attention when I approach.

  “I’m going to get some water,” she says. “Want anything, Cat?”

  Cat? My scientist waves her hand. “No, I’m good.”

  I cross the room and hunker down beside Catriona. “What’s with Cat?”

  She flicks a thick lock of hair over her shoulder. “Catriona is a mouthful, don’t you think?”

  “It’s a beautiful name.” I want to call her Cat. Seems unfair that Laura gets to call her by a nickname and I can’t. I’m the one who had my tongue down her throat. “So do I get to call you Cat?”

  “If you want,” she says as if it doesn’t matter.

  “I want.”

  “What do you call your other women?”

  “What other women? My mom?”

  Cat shoves her laptop away and glares at me. “Your mom? Really?”

  Confused, I scratch the side of my face. “I don’t have any other women. I told you that this morning. Maybe if I had other women, I’d have a better understanding of what I did to piss you off.”

  Cat’s pretty mouth flattens. “You don’t have to lie to me. It’s fine if you’ve had other women. It’s the lying that makes me mad.”

  “I’m not lying, though.”


  “It’s completely unnecessary,” she continues as if I haven’t said a word. “I’m a grown up. I know that it’s natural for humans to have relations with others. It’s why we have sex organs. They’re meant to fit together and—“

  I haul her into my lap and kiss her. I didn’t come in here to do that. I came in to tell her about the threat, maybe apologize for something I must’ve done but don’t know what, ask her more about her work. I wasn’t supposed to maul her until after the threat had been extinguished, but I can’t listen to her talk about sex with anyone if it’s not going to be me. She might not be the jealous type, but just hearing her talk about someone else drives me insane. She’s mine. Mine. Mine. Mine!

  Chapter 11

  Catriona

  His mouth moves against mine, and I melt into him, wrapping myself around him. I kiss him back, missing his taste from this morning. His hands tangle in my hair as I rock myself against him.

  I gasp when his hard cock lines up with my sex, hitting my clit each time I move my hips up and down. The feeling isn’t like anything I’ve ever felt before. How does he do this to me? There is something about this man that pulls me in.

  “Take what you want,” he says before kissing me again. My nails dig into his shoulders as I rock against him fast. His warm hand slips under my shirt, cupping my breast though my bra. It’s another reason to hate bras. I want to feel him against my skin. My body begs to have his warm touch.

  He gives the bra a yank, and my breast spills out the top. I moan, turned on by his aggressiveness and his need to get his hands on me.

  “Gabe.” I moan his name. His mouth moves to my neck, licking and sucking while I keep rocking against him. I’m incredibly wet. I know this is the reaction you’re supposed to have, but it feels like more than it should be.

  My whole body throbs for release. I drop my head back, enjoying the feel of him. I’ve never been this close to someone. I never wanted to before now.

  “Come for me,” he says before he nips my neck. The small unexpected pain pushes me over. I start to cry out, but his mouth covers mine in a deep kiss as I slowly come down.