My Once in a Lifetime

by Nicole Vidal

  “Where are we?”

  “We’re meeting Captain Ramirez on your sister’s beach.” That’s only partially true; it’s owned by the four houses on the street. “Since I set up the security, I know it’s safe.” We approach the lone figure on the secluded beach. “Thank you for meeting me, Captain.”

  He nods. “How are you, Norah?”

  “I’ve been better. Thanks for asking, William.”

  “After you left, we finished a cursory search of your townhouse. Do you have any idea what they were looking for?”

  “No, I don’t have hard copies at home. I have access to the office server via my laptop, but it’s encrypted, has fingerprint recognition, and an access reader. You need all three to access the secured financial data. At the office, you need your personal access ID and the file ID.”

  “Whatever they think you have is of the utmost importance to them. Could you identify them?” William asks her.

  She’s holding up well so far, but William is only concerned with tonight. I’m sure there have been other incidents that didn’t raise her level of concern but will after tonight.

  “Probably not,” Norah replies.

  “Jacob, I’ll get you the reports once I have them.” I nod as he continues, “Norah, I will need a statement from you later about today’s events. I had Officer Sanchez pack you some clothes and shoes. She did the best she could. They sliced much of your closet, but your shoe collection appears to be intact.”

  Norah smiles at his attempt at levity. Her shoe collection is sexy as hell, extensive, and pricey. They make her toned legs look a mile long.

  “I’ve taken your phone and laptop into evidence to check for bugs or tracking software. “ Captain Ramirez shares.

  “Thank you. I’ll keep you in the loop when I learn pertinent information.” I reach out and take the bag of her clothes from him.

  “You’re welcome. I appreciate that. Take care, Norah.”

  She nods. I curl my arm around her waist, guiding her back to my rental. Tucking her back into the passenger seat, I hear a soft exhale. Has no one ever taken care of her?

  As I settle into my seat, I hand her my phone, open to the room service menu of the Bluff. “Why don’t you check out the menu and order some food? Hopefully, it’ll be ready soon after we arrive.”

  She takes my phone and reviews the menu. “What do you want?”

  “A burger, fries, vanilla milkshake, and some type of dessert. I’m not picky.”

  She smirks and calls the kitchen, placing our order.

  Pulling into the lot, I park as close to the building as possible. Placing my hand on her forearm, I tell her, “I’ll get your door.”

  After grabbing her bag from the rear seat, I escort her into the hotel, and up to my suite. The closer we get to being alone, the more she’s shaking. I know it isn’t me; she just realized the gravity of the situation she finds herself in.

  Once the metal door clicks closed, I set the bag on the floor and pull her into my arms. Appropriate for a client, not at all. For Norah, necessary for my piece of mind. Initially she’s tense, but slowly she relaxes against me. Her fierce independence is attractive. Right now, I need her to trust me and lean on me to figure out who wants to harm her. I’m not sure how long I stand there holding her, but it’s perfection—her hands flat on my back, her head over my heart. Her lush breasts pressing into my chest make pulling away impossible, even if it’s the right thing to do. Room service knocking has her releasing me. I point to the bedroom, and she retreats.

  The server enters and sets up our meal. After signing the receipt, I latch the security lock and go to find Norah. She’s leaning against the counter, attempting to finger comb the knots out of her long, shiny, midnight hair. A memory of threading my fingers into her hair flashes through my mind. Focus!

  “Dinner is served.”

  She laughs and twists her hair up on top of her head before following me into the other room. I pull out her chair and hear another sigh. Who is she dating? They need lessons in being gentlemanly. Before I take the first bite of my burger, Norah is halfway done with hers.

  In an effort to slow her down, I ask, “Tell me what happened today.”

  She inhales sharply. “I probably need to start yesterday or even earlier. The longer I evaluate the last six months, the more I think everything that has gone wrong is connected.”

  I set my food down. The worry that just overtook me is palpable. In my head, I know she can take care of herself, but the muscle in my chest is screaming to put her in a bubble and protect her with everything I have.

  She isn’t yours to protect.

  She is for now!

  “About seven months ago, I had a meeting with my immediate supervisor, Stanley Sterling. He indicated that the board was looking to add two partners this year. I’m one of the candidates—or I was, I guess.”

  “What do you mean?” I reach across the table and take her hand in mine.

  “You’ll understand when I finish telling the story. Stan gave me four client files to review at that meeting. Two were simple mom-and-pop businesses, one was a major retail chain in the northeast, and the biggest was the whale of them all—a multibillion-dollar conglomerate. The first three were impeccable, but the last just wasn’t adding up.”

  “Not adding up how?”

  “Balance sheets and profit/loss statements are like crack for me. If the numbers don’t balance, it’s like a puzzle I need to figure out. The company consists of six separate entities. When I started to review the file, there were small discrepancies here and there. Nothing substantial, so I went back a year. The two companies where I found discrepancies were squeaky clean, but the others had errors. It took me almost six months to find the pattern in the books.”

  “You worked on it for that long without giving up?”

  “Yes, I’m always thorough.”

  Another memory crosses my mind of her thoroughly licking my…. She’s your client right now, not your… lover, booty call, friend with benefits. I need to separate the two—now!

  “For ease of explanation, in year one, companies one through three are clean, but companies four through six had errors. In year two, it was the reverse. In year three, the same as year two. In year four, the same as year one.”

  “You brought your findings to your boss?”

  “Yes, and he took the file from me. I’m not sure if he knew about the errors or if it was a test.”

  “What do you mean ‘a test’?”

  “As I mentioned, I’m on the short list for partner this year. I thought it must be an ethics test or something. After today, I know that isn’t the case. It makes me think that my boss is into some shady stuff and it was a different kind of test—a test where I would simply ignore the discrepancies, which usually means skimming or money laundering of some kind.”

  “I’m sorry, Norah. Maybe you won’t lose your job.”

  I nod and continue. “At the end of the day yesterday, two guys were leaning on my car in the parking garage. I asked them to move, they didn’t. The tall, skinny one gave me a warning from their boss. I tried to get in my car, and the short fat one, Carlo, grabbed my forearm. I twisted out of his hold and shoved him.”

  “That’s why they drugged you. They knew you could defend yourself.”

  “Yes, I’m a black belt godan level.”

  “Impressive, is that fourth or fifth?”

  “Fifth. Anyway, I worked from home today. Near noon, I heard some abnormal noise coming from the rear of my townhouse. I peeked out the blinds and saw two unfamiliar guys. I ran back to the front, checked the dead bolts on the garage and the front door. I texted you, then ran upstairs. I planned to stash my laptop because it was logged into my office server. I didn’t make it to my office. One of them caught me on the stairs. The last thing I remember is feeling the needle in my neck and someone holding me down. You know the rest.”

  “Why didn’t you call me about yesterday?”

  “Jacob
, we aren’t a couple. We’re friends who have extraordinary sex.” Brutally honest. I feel that straight in my chest. It’s what I said I could handle.

  “What is the name of the conglomerate?”

  “The Moretti Family Brands.”

  “The Moretti Family is after you?”

  “Should that mean something to me?”

  “They’re allegedly a real-life Corleone family.”

  Her face blanches, and her hand trembles in mine. Without releasing her, I rise from my seat and move next to her. Lowering to the floor, I grip her hips and turn her to face me so I can look her straight in the eye.

  “Norah, I will protect you, even if it’s the last thing I do.”

  Her hand lifts to my jaw. “Jacob, don’t say things like that.”

  “It’s who I am. Rarely do I take assignments anymore, but I’m staying with you until you’re safe.” I lean forward, brushing my lips across hers, blurring the line even further.

  Chapter 7

  Norah

  Refraining from taking this kiss deeper requires monumental restraint. Reluctantly, I pull back.

  “Is there anything else I need to know?”

  Well, that’s a loaded question. If we’re talking about our personal relationship, that could take some time to hash out, and now isn’t the time to do it.

  “Not about today. I don’t know if my car trouble after girls’ night out or the flat I had last month is connected. What else do you need to ask?”

  “Where were you when you got the flat?”

  I share the details, and he moves on. “What do you recall about the guys from the parking garage?”

  “There were two. The tall one introduced himself as Sid, and the short one as Carlo. Building security arrived, and they ran off. There’s security footage and a report I was supposed to call for today. I have the card in my….” I shake my head.

  “It’s okay. I’ve worked with much less. What about today?”

  “They were different people. The two I saw in the back were both tall, wearing all black, but I didn’t stay long enough to make out their features. The one who tackled me on the stairs was stockier and had a colorful tattoo on his forearm. He likely has a broken nose from my foot.”

  That elicits a small smirk. “Serves him right. How did you know I was going to be here?”

  “Kelly told me Nicholas was meeting with you. She may have an idea about us that I didn’t dispel her from.”

  “What does that mean exactly?”

  “She knows we’ve been together, no details though.” A look I can’t decipher crosses his face. “Was it supposed to be a secret?”

  “No, not at all. I just didn’t think you and Kelly were that close. If you told me Kelsey knows, that wouldn’t surprise me.”

  “We aren’t, but she pieced it together when you were handling the issues with her stalkers. Plus, Kelly noticed how your features soften when you look at me. Kelsey knows there is a man but not who. Apparently, I’m less bitchy when I’m sexually satisfied.” I don’t think I’ve ever seen Jacob blush until this moment. Considering some of the ways he’s made my body sing, it’s surprising he’s embarrassed. It’s a devastating look. I’m screwed.

  “Will you give me all your personal information so I can have Blaine run a check on you? I want to make sure no one is actively looking for you.”

  “What do you need?”

  He answers, and I rattle off the info Jacob wants.

  “How long until someone starts to worry about missed texts or phone calls?”

  “My family and friends? A few days, probably.”

  “Once I know how exposed you are, I’ll carefully inform your family that you’re safe. Why don’t you get some rest? I need to make some calls and figure out our next move.”

  “I need to shower first. I’ll be done in a bit.”

  “Okay,” he replies, moving to the door for my bag. Normally, it would drive me crazy for a man to take care of that for me. Not him. The door opening, pulling out of chairs, and carrying things for me doesn’t bother me when he does it. It makes absolutely no sense. Then again, no man I’ve ever dated did it before.

  “Do you feel up to showering?” Jacob asks after setting my bag on the dressing bench.

  “Are you offering to help?”

  “As the man with whom you share extraordinary sex, I wouldn’t think twice about joining you. However, as the man you called to protect you, I shouldn’t. I will if you need me to.” As much as I want to scream yes and ask him to join me, it’s not the best idea ever.

  “I’m not dizzy anymore, and I feel better after eating. You’ll hear me scream if I’m not okay.”

  An unreadable expression crosses his face as he takes a seat on the bed.

  When I texted Jacob, I knew he would come. I didn’t plan on the proximity to him messing with my head—and maybe my heart too. Stepping under the scalding water, I try to calm myself further. Jacob’s reaction to the Moretti name wasn’t comforting at all. Clearly, I missed something. Nothing in my research would lead me to believe they’re like a movie mafia family. Maybe to someone who doesn’t know him at all, the crinkle wouldn’t be obvious. Truthfully, I don’t really know anything about him at all. I know his job, that’s about it. I don’t have any details on his family life, his childhood, his service to our country, or why he founded Blackthorne. Yet I know the ridges and curves of his sculpted body and the feeling of him buried inside me.

  On the surface, I know what Jacob’s job is—he runs a security firm. I didn’t really think about what it means to need his services. His professional services. Never thought I would be in a position to need someone to protect me. I also thought Stan was a straight-up guy. How did I miss that? As the heat of the water decreases, I step out of the shower and wrap myself in a towel. After drying off and dressing in the pajamas that Officer Sanchez packed, I move back into the bedroom. The silky pajamas won’t faze him. He knows how I sleep, either naked or in something like this. Jacob is talking to someone on the phone and typing furiously on a laptop.

  “I don’t care what time it is, get it done!” Jacob growls, ending the call. “Better?” he asks me.

  “A bit.”

  “How are you doing?” He pats the mattress next to him.

  I don’t sit. I pace back and forth along the long edge of the bed. “Honestly?”

  He nods as if lying was truly an option.

  “I’m scared, pissed, and heartbroken.”

  “Please explain.”

  “In the last two days, five men have sought me out looking to silence me. I don’t have anything that they want. I follow protocol to the letter. Every time I have a printout, I shred it. Stan took the file from me and removed it from the office server. Despite all of that and my ability to defend myself, I’m terrified. I’m pissed that I didn’t see any signs that Stan was shifty. I have worked for him for the last six years. I saw nothing that made me question his integrity. Losing my professional mentor sucks. I worked my tail off to earn partner, and despite my love of certain luxuries, I have the buy in, every single penny. The worst part is, I likely lost my partnership doing exactly what a partner in a well-established accounting firm should do.”

  “Come here.”

  There is no room for noncompliance in his words this time. I climb onto the bed and curl into his embrace.

  “The only thing I can promise is I will protect you. The rest may or may not end how you want. I’m sorry you might not get your name on the door.”

  “Thank you, Jacob.”

  “For what?”

  “For coming, for listening.”

  “I’ll always come for you. You’re welcome.”

  There he goes again saying things that make me think there is wiggle room in this no-relationship edict of his. “Can you sit with me until I fall asleep, or are you a pacer too?”

  He smiles, a real smile, one that makes that dimple in his right cheek come out in full force. The first one I’ve seen
today. I could fall for this man if I let myself.

  “Of course.” Jacob sets his laptop on the bedside table and pulls me closer, his arm around me with his fingers grazing the exposed skin of my back.

  I settle flush against his side with my head on his chest.

  “Sleep, gorgeous.”

  I nod against his rock-hard chest before closing my eyes.

  Chapter 8

  Jacob

  Normally, Norah tucked against me makes sleep come easily. The nightmares and flashbacks stay at bay. Tonight isn't normal. One of the most notorious crime families is after her for doing her job well. It's been a while since my last field assignment. Despite my job requirement to stay focused and awake, I let sleep claim me.

  My phone blares near three in the morning. “Yes.”

  “The Morettis are actively looking for Norah and put a sizable bounty on her head,” Blaine informs me.

  “Okay. I’ll get back to you.” I glance down, taking one more look at her before upending her life more.

  “Norah, we need to leave.” I draw my hand up and down her back. Enchanting, wide, hazel eyes blink open. The moment she recalls why she's with me, she bolts straight up. She throws on a pair of jeans and whips her camisole over her head, leaving her topless. It takes a beat too long before I leave the room to ignore my physical reaction to her ample breasts on display.

  After adding the laptop and a few personal items into my bag, I find her ready to go. With a second check of the room, I grab her bag and mine, eliciting another sigh from her lips.

  “You will need to explain that later.”

  She nods and follows me down the stairs. Instead of exiting through to the rear of the hotel, I walk out the side door. Hurrying around the building, I scan our surroundings and find no one of note. Interlacing my fingers with hers, I lead her across the narrow street to the beach parking lot. Questions dance in her eyes, but she says nothing. I’ll explain once we leave. She tightens her fingers in mine. I never considered how Norah would react if she were in danger. Perhaps her martial arts training is helping her remain calm. Again I check our surroundings and find our new ride. Last night Captain Ramirez delivered a new rental car for me to use. Once she’s settled in the passenger seat, I round the car and jump in.