The Protector

by Cristin Harber

  He feigned cluelessness. “Nothing.”

  “Give me a break,” Hagan laughed. “I talked with her on the plane—”

  Chance lifted his hand. “Don’t tell me.”

  Liam shrugged. “Chelsea thought—”

  “Chelsea? Why does your wife have anything to say?” His skin felt too tight. Not only had his teammates made assumptions about his time with Jane, they were discussing outside the team.

  Liam punched Chance’s arm and chuckled. “Aw, shucks, Midas. If I didn’t know better, bro, I’d say you had a little crush on your hands.”

  Chance wasn’t willing to touch the accusation. “Screw off, guys. Liam, if you want the assignment, it’s yours. No skin off my nose.”

  Liam grinned. “Hell no. Chelsea would skin my ass if you didn’t spend time with your girl.”

  “She’s not my—”

  Hagan sighed. “Chance and Jane would have cute kids.”

  “Very,” Liam concurred, with equal wry. “Will they invite the Thanes to the nuptials?”

  “Good question.” Hagan barely kept a straight face.

  Chance growled.

  Hagan folded over with laughter and slapped his leg. “What an image.”

  “Another happy couple.” Liam contained his laughter. “I was getting sick of being the only family man around here.” But then he broke and cracked up.

  Chance shoved his hands into his pockets. “Hardy, har, har, dicks.”

  Hagan and Liam only howled louder. Chance searched for a reasonable excuse to hightail away from the conversation without looking like he couldn’t handle their ribbing. In truth, he couldn’t. Didn’t that just grate his nuts.

  “All right, all right.” Hagan, perhaps sensing Chance’s growing agitation, settled down and then slapped him on the back. “We’re just giving you hell.”

  Maybe Chance deserved a little razzing from Liam. Chance had outed his friend’s quiet relationship in the name of security. Chelsea’s life had been in danger, but Liam went on to marry her. It worked out in the end. But Hagan didn’t have a reason to bust Chance in the balls. He pointed at Hagan. “When your time comes…”

  “Wait.” Liam arched his eyebrows with renewed interest. “Are you saying your time has come?”

  “Hell.” Chance glowered and waved them away without success. It didn’t work, so he turned for the stairwell.

  “Midas,” Hagan called.

  Chance turned but kept walking backward. “What?”

  Hagan lifted his chin, still jovial but far more subdued. “She’s a good girl.”

  He stopped. “Yeah, I know that.”

  “Whatever happens when you see Jane…” Hagan tilted his head with a humorless grin. “Don’t overthink it.”

  “I never overthink.”

  “And,” Liam said. “Never underestimate a woman who walked out of hell and smiled the next day.”

  Chance could picture Jane’s smile while she had been in hell. But, he’d keep that to himself. “Who knew you two were such oracles of wisdom?”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

  Teddy was gone and in good hands. Aunt Courtney had surprised Jane with a request for one-on-one time with her nephew. Courtney tried to do that as often as she could. It amounted to every month or so, when she spent time at her beautiful Kalorama home in Washington, DC. This time, her weekend itinerary included the National Zoo and Teddy’s choice of Smithsonians.

  Dax and Gigi were gone before they knew of Aunt Courtney’s unscheduled visit. They had left early in the morning, under the cover of darkness, on a romantic getaway to a spa in the Shenandoah Mountains, something that wasn’t that unusual for them. Though the secretive part was odd. No matter. The schedule changes meant Jane had free time.

  She grabbed a paperback romance novel and went out on the porch of the pool house, ready to fall back into her favorite re-read, a second chance love story between a GI Joe type and a therapist.

  She picked a spot under an umbrella that was close to the pool but out of the sun’s baking rays. Jane put her ice water and cell phone on a side table and curled onto a lounge chair. “Where was I?” She opened the book and enjoyed the soft breezes as she paged to the chapter where GI Joe tossed the therapist over his shoulder and hauled ass from a shootout. “She’s gonna give you hell for that.” Talking to the characters had to be one of Jane’s favorite reasons not to use a bookmark. When she flipped through pages, not knowing where she’d stop, she’d get a few extra seconds to relive what she’d already read.

  Jane skipped a few more pages and found a good place to start reading again. “Here we go.” She let the words surround her—until her cell phone buzzed. It was a number she didn’t recognize, and she silenced it. “Not today, Satan.”

  Answering unfamiliar numbers meant chatting with a gossip blogger or celebrity journalist who wanted the dirt on the Thane family and weren’t afraid to pay for it. The last time she answered, someone had offered her five thousand dollars for Dax’s calendar. Tempting, but she would never dish.

  Jane read a few pages and then checked her phone. No voicemail. Of course the caller wouldn’t record their bribe.

  A moment later, it rang again. Same number.

  So much for having an unlisted number. It was going to be one of those days. What did they want? What would they offer? How often would they call until Jane picked up the phone and lost her temper.

  She groaned, already imagining how the headline would read: “Insane Thane Nanny Loses Her Mind.” Of course, every gossip-covering website would have the audio file accessible for the world to hear her rage.

  The notion of acting like the insane Thane nanny was almost amusing, or maybe she just liked how it rhymed. Either way, Jane snickered and declined the call again, turning back to her book. If this tough-guy hero didn’t fall to his knees and beg his smart, sassy lady for forgiveness, Jane wasn’t sure she’d take their happily ever after seriously. Though she knew what would happen, having read this book a few dozen times. Did that make her a literary sadist? Her brow scrunched, but she returned to the familiar chapter.

  Jane couldn’t turn the page fast enough, sparing a momentary glance at her phone. No message. As always.

  She started a new chapter when the phone rang again—unknown number. They might call all day. She decided to answer and have a little fun. Jane answered with her best game-show host voice, “Hello, caller, you’re on the air!”

  After a pause, a low voice that she’d heard in both her nightmares and dreams said one word. “Jane.”

  She couldn’t breathe. The phone nearly dropped from her hand. “Chance?”

  “How’s your day off?” His voice was sure and steady.

  This was another dream. Or a nightmare? Sometimes they seemed the same after she woke up. “What?”

  “What are you doing on your day off?”

  Dumbstruck, she blinked. “How do you know I have the day off?”

  He chuckled. “I have my ways.”

  “Uh…” Her breath shook, and she tried to hide her reaction. The simple act of breathing sounded as though her gasps danced in her chest. “How did you get this number?”

  His quiet laughter continued. “I have my sources.”

  “You have ways and sources,” she managed.

  “And you have a few days off.”

  Her sense jumped to full hyper-alert status. What was happening? Then her stomach plummeted. There was only one way to know she was alone. “Did you make friends with the paparazzi?”

  “Ha. No. Come outside.”

  “I am outside.” She sat up straighter, looking around, though she wasn’t sure what she was looking for. Chance, staring at her through binoculars, from the canopy of a tree? The estate was huge and bordered by a big metal fence. Not to mention… he wasn’t in the United States. He didn’t work on this side of the world. He’d made that very, very clear. “I can’t see you.”

  “Let’s fix that problem.” His carefree laughter sent shivers down
her neck. “Show yourself, or, I’m coming in.”

  Jane fumbled to make sense of their phone call. “Where are you?”

  “Waiting for you.”

  Shivers cascaded over her skin. Jane didn’t have the words. She realized that her mouth hung slack and slapped it closed. Her fingers strangled her cell phone, and she pulled it from her ear and stared at the screen. The tips of her fingernails gripped the screen to the point that they were white.

  She stood and sprinted to the front of the house. There he was. Chance leaned against a big, black, badass truck. His clothes were casual. Dark jeans and a light cotton T-shirt that stretched across his chest. And his smile? It made her knees weak.

  “You’re slow,” he said, a teasing lilt to his voice. “How long does it take you to get out of that house?”

  “I was in the backyard.”

  His long strides closed their distance. Her breath shook and, eyes locked, her head tilted back to keep his gaze. He stopped, towering over her. “Nice to see you again, MP.”

  “I can’t believe you’re here.”

  He lifted a shoulder. “Surprise.”

  Jane pushed her flyaway hair behind her ear and wanted to hug him. Instead, she crossed her arms, suddenly very aware of her appearance. She’d healed significantly since he last saw her, but as Gigi Thane had pointed out, Jane wasn’t a pretty sight.

  “Damn, Jane. You’re so beautiful.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

  Chance cringed, kicking himself for leading with a cheesy, expected one-liner. His words were true enough, but that wasn’t what should’ve come out of his mouth. He could’ve picked from a laundry list of her non-superficial qualities. Yet, one look at Jane, and his world tilted to the side, wiping away his uncertainty and aggravation.

  He no longer cared that his transatlantic journey had been the equivalent of a red-eye ride in a cargo plane. Nor did he give a flying monkey shit that the high-maintenance Thanes canceled their scheduled meeting via a text message from someone named Lark.

  As a matter of fact, right then, he wanted to find Lark and say thanks. Lark had given Chance two things: the Thanes’s home address and Jane’s cell phone number.

  The combination was enough to mask the bitter taste of exhaustion and aggravation. Too bad he couldn’t think of anything better to say than the equivalent of You, Jane. Me, Tarzan.

  ***

  All of the blood in Jane’s body rushed to her head. “Ha, ha,” she tittered, self-consciously then twisted away. “Welcome back to America.”

  “Thanks.” Amusement danced in his beautiful eyes. “How have you been?”

  She pressed her palm against the small of her neck and could feel her pulse jumping like it raced hurdles. “What are you doing here?”

  He tilted his head as though weighing her reactions. “You don’t know?”

  Jane glanced around the yard as though any minute a television reporter and camera crew would jump out of the bushes. “I must’ve missed the security memo.”

  His brows knitted. “The Thanes do security memos?”

  “No,” she quickly amended. “Only joking. They don’t do anything with security unless it creates headlines—” She stopped before saying too much. At least, according to her nondisclosure agreement.

  “I was supposed to meet with them, but they cancelled on me.”

  “You flew across an ocean, and they cancelled?” Though she wasn’t the least bit surprised.

  “I should’ve called.”

  Her? Them? Jane wasn’t sure what he referred to, and she fumbled for what to say next. “Do you have time to hang out for a little bit?”

  Again, there was that expression she couldn’t read. If she had to guess, she’d say there was humor mixed with the slightest hint of skepticism.

  “I’m going to be here for a bit.”

  “Oh.” Why? He didn’t like the Thanes. Or, rather, he detested them. “I’m the only one here. Teddy’s with his aunt, and Gigi gave the staff time off while they were gone.”

  “Just you and me.” Chance pursed his lips together. “How about that timing?”

  Butterflies fluttered in her stomach. She should invite him in—but where? To the main house? Her cottage? “I was reading by the pool.”

  Chance tossed his truck keys in the air and caught them in the same hand, then shoved them into his pocket. “Lead the way.”

  Okay. That was easy enough. Jane guided them to the backyard. They walked down the slate rock path and passed through the gate. Their arms brushed, and her body flamed. During their daytrip in the souks, she could semi-ignore her reaction to him. But after their elevator kiss and his surprise arrival, Jane’s nerves hit a fever pitch.

  He saw where she’d been reading under the poolside umbrella and took charge. He shifted their dynamic, guiding her to her lounge chair. She appreciated the subtle ways he took charge, especially when it was just the two of them.

  Chance pulled a patio chair under the umbrella. She chose a patio chair also and reached for her sweating water glass. The ice cubes had nearly melted. Jane took a sip, watching out of the corner of her eye as he relaxed. “Are you on some kind of top-secret mission?”

  He laughed. “Why do you think that?”

  “Because, you’ve been…” She pinched her thumb and pointer finger together. “The slightest bit vague.”

  His laughter rumbled in his chest. “If I were in the neighborhood on a classified job, do you think I’d swing by here?”

  Jane rolled her eyes. “Well, of course not.”

  “Then you’d be wrong.”

  Her insides turned to molten mush, and the memory of their time in Abu Dhabi flooded back. Was she supposed to ignore their kiss? Wouldn’t he have called if he wanted to see her again when he was dropping by a different continent? “I hope you didn’t stop by after they cancelled out of misplaced…” Remorse? Disgust? “Guilt.”

  His eyebrow crooked. Chance’s lips parted as though he might respond, but instead, ran a hand over his chin and leaned back. “Why would I feel guilty?”

  Come on! He was the Adonis-like man who’d kissed the leper woman. She didn’t know why, but guilt should’ve covered it. A sheen of sweat dampened the back of her neck. “I don’t know.”

  Chance reached for her book. “What are you reading?” He held up the saucy book cover with a quick bark of laughter.

  Jane snatched the book. “Don’t make any judgmental comments!”

  He grabbed the paperback back. “Is it judgmental to assume that I’ll cast judgment?”

  Her eyes narrowed. “Don’t be cute.”

  “Oh, I’m not.” He flipped through a few pages. “I’m curious.” Chance stopped. His eyes drifted across the page until his amusement sobered, and he turned the page. “Huh—”

  Self-preservation kicked in. “Give me that.” Jane stole the book away but kept her finger on the page that he’d been on. After he left, she’d check the page he’d read. Jane crossed her fingers that the chapter focused on gunfights instead of getting it on.

  “I always wondered what was in those books.” He gestured playfully. “Now I know.”

  “No.” She shook her head. “You didn’t.”

  “I did.” He crossed his hand over his heart. “Very interesting.”

  Her curiosity bulldozed over her trepidation. So much for waiting until he left. Jane quickly opened the page.

  “Give me my hands back, Colby.” She screwed her legs tight on his thighs. Her hair splayed out on the bed, wild in every direction.

  “Not a chance, doll.”

  “That’s not fair.”

  “Mia, honey, if you find yourself in a fair fight, you didn’t plan your mission correctly.”

  Her jaw fell open. Taken out of context, those few lines could give Chance the wrong impression. Jane buried the book in her lap. “All right. So—”

  “Colby’s right.” The corner of Chance’s lips coyly turned up. “Ya know…”

  No. Jane didn
’t know a thing. Her brain spun, not letting her articulate an appropriate response while her womanly parts jumped to life, begging Jane to ask him to tell her more.

  The corners of his eyes crinkled. He was loving this!

  Jane swallowed hard, reaching for any sarcastic lifeline she could find. “I’m glad his military lesson was what had caught your attention.”

  “Actually.” He rolled hours’ worth of provocative play into that single word. “It was the way she said one thing but wanted another.”

  Chance didn’t look away. Jane couldn’t breathe. She knew Mia all too well, wanting what she couldn’t have. Their reasons were different. But in that moment, they were the same. Chance was beautiful. She was not. Chance lived on the other side of the world. Yet, here he was. Their time together had been so confusing. But that kiss… She’d never forget it—or understand why—just like she still didn’t understand the reason he was in front of her.

  “You’re not here to read my books,” she whispered.

  “No. I’m here for work but, really…” Eternity lingered. He didn’t smile. Didn’t blink. Then he simply said, “I couldn’t stay away from you.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

  Wise men talk when they have something to say.

  Fools talk because they have to say something.

  Chance wondered who said that? Maybe Plato. Maybe his grandma. Either way, he wasn’t sure if it were wise or foolish to be so blunt with Jane.

  She jumped from her chair and tossed the book aside. “We should go inside.”

  Jane didn’t wait for him to agree. She turned and left him in her tracks. Nothing he’d said or done had gone according to his plan. He glanced at the book one more time, still very interested, and followed her up a set of stairs that led onto a deck.

  She left a sliding glass door ajar, and he stepped into a bright, white kitchen. The vaulted ceilings and stainless-steel appliances made the room cold. His hotel kitchenette had more character and could fit in the space occupied by the kitchen island.