by Maya Banks
“Miss Sinclair.”
Startled, she swung her gaze up to look at Swanny, who’d spoken her name softly.
“I think it is necessary,” he continued. “You’re already all over the news as having been involved in yesterday’s shooting. There are hundreds of crazy-ass people out there, and the likelihood of a copycat is possible. You should absolutely tighten your security for the next while at least. Wait for things to calm down. You can’t take this too lightly.”
The rest of the group looked as surprised as she was that he’d said so much. There was a firmness to his voice that told her he was absolutely serious.
“He’s right,” Raid said grimly.
She held up her hands in surrender. “I already said I would go along with it.”
“But you have to take it seriously,” Swanny said. “Which means you do what we tell you and don’t resist. Our job is to keep you safe, and we can’t do that without your full cooperation.”
She blinked but held his gaze, warmth invading her veins as he stared intently at her. This time he didn’t avert the side of his face. He looked at her almost challengingly, daring her to look away first.
“You’ll find I’m not a difficult person,” she said softly.
Swanny grimaced. “I didn’t mean to imply that you were. If I did, then I apologize.”
She shook her head. “No, no offense taken. I just want you to know that I’m not some spoiled diva who throws a tantrum if I don’t get my way. I’ll cooperate fully. I don’t want to make your jobs harder.”
“We appreciate that, Miss Sinclair,” Joe interjected.
“Please, call me Eden,” she said, sweeping the entire group with her gaze, including them all in her request.
“All right, Eden,” Swanny said.
It did funny things to her stomach to hear her name on his lips. She broke his gaze and looked to her father, sure that her cheeks were flush with color. The last thing she wanted was to be obvious. Or come across as desperate.
“When do we leave?” she asked, to cover the awkwardness.
Joe took over then, briskly telling her of the arrangements that had been made. It awed her that they could pull something together this quickly. They were, in fact, taking this very seriously, and for the first time, she felt a kernel of unease. What if they were right? What if some idiot decided to take a shot at her now that she was splashed all over the news?
“We’ll see you off and then catch a flight back home,” Raid said. “I have to be back to work, but we expect you to check in with us often and if anything happens, we want to know about it immediately.”
Eden nodded, swallowing the knot in her throat. Everyone was acting as if it were a foregone conclusion that something would happen.
CHAPTER 9
EDEN relaxed in the back of the jet, curling her feet underneath her as she leaned against the arm of the couch. The others were still up front in their seats, but she’d retreated to the back as soon as they’d taken off.
She didn’t like the fear that gripped her. That wasn’t the way she lived her life. Always fearing the worst in others. Her fame hadn’t changed her, at least she didn’t think so. Underneath the glamour was still the same girl she’d always been.
Her father and brothers kept her grounded. Even if she’d tried to become someone she wasn’t or let her fame go to her head, they would have reined her in quickly.
A noise alerted her that she was no longer alone, and she swung her gaze upward to see Swanny standing in the entryway to the lounging area. He had an inquiring look on his face as he stared at her.
“Everything okay?” he asked in a quiet voice.
She stared back, drinking in his appearance. Then she nodded and gestured to the space next to her on the couch. “Sit, please. I’d like the company.”
He hesitated and then to her disappointment, he sank into one of the armchairs catty-corner to the sofa.
“I figured you didn’t want company since you came back here right after takeoff,” he said.
She lifted one shoulder into a shrug. “It’s not that. I just don’t know any of y’all and this all came out of the blue for me. I actually don’t like being alone and in fact I rarely am. When I’m not working, I go home and stay with Dad and spend time with him and my brothers.”
“You keep pretty busy, it seems,” Swanny said. “This Aria thing is a big deal for you, isn’t it?”
She nodded. “Yeah. It’s a career high for me. It’s a huge account and I had some stiff competition. No way I’d miss it because some jerk went off his meds and started shooting at people.”
A smile quirked the corner of his mouth. She noticed that on the scarred side, his upper lip didn’t really move, resulting in sort of a half smile. It was a crooked grin she found endearing. She wondered if there had been nerve damage, resulting in the inability to move that corner of his mouth.
And then she wondered how it would feel to kiss him. To have that mouth on her skin. Betraying heat crept up her neck and she forced her thoughts back to the mundane. The curse of having fair skin was that she blushed vividly.
“I don’t want you to worry, Eden,” Swanny said, his expression growing serious once more. “We’ll make sure nothing hurts you. It’s what we do. And not to discount the importance of this mission, but we’ve faced a hell of a lot worse.”
She cocked her head to the side. “Is that what I am? A mission?”
He looked surprised by her question, and as if only just realizing that he was completely facing her, he turned his scarred cheek away from her, presenting his profile.
“Why do you do that?” she asked softly.
His brow furrowed and he turned slightly in her direction once more. “Do what?”
“Turn away from me so I won’t see your scar.”
He looked surprised at her bluntness, and he went silent for a long moment.
“It’s habit,” he admitted.
“It doesn’t bother me,” she said, eager to ease his self-consciousness around her. “And if it bothers other people, that’s their problem, not yours. If they judge you because of your scars, then they’re assholes who don’t deserve your respect or your regard.”
He laughed, startling her with the rumbling sound that welled from his chest. The lines around his eyes eased and his gaze lightened to one of amusement.
He fingered the scar absently and then dropped his hand.
“Does it still hurt you?” she asked quietly.
He shook his head. “Only the memories.”
He looked immediately chagrined, as if he regretted sharing something so personal with her. But she was delighted that he was actually talking to her. A real conversation that didn’t revolve around the job he was hired for.
“How did it happen?”
He paused a long moment, shadows chasing away the lightness in his eyes. Then he expelled a long breath and sat forward in his chair, seemingly ill at ease.
“If I’m prying too much, just tell me to mind my own business,” she said quickly. “It’s not morbid curiosity. I’d like to know more about you . . .”
She trailed off before she said something really stupid, like that she was fantasizing about his mouth on hers and tracing the lines of that scar with her own fingers. She wanted to soothe away any lingering pain, though it sounded ridiculous that she could offer him anything at all.
“On our last tour, Nathan and I and a few more from our team were captured. We had split off from Joe and his team. They got out. We didn’t. We spent months being tortured and starved before we were rescued.”
He put his fingers back to the scar. “They carved me and Nate both up, and they did this. By the time we got out and to a hospital, there was little they could do except patch it up the best they could. They said I could see a plastic surgeon, but I opted not to. It’s a reminder.”
He went silent again, a faraway look in his eyes as if he were back there in hell and not here.
She slid to the e
nd of the couch so not much space separated them. Tentatively, she reached out and put her hand on his knee, squeezing gently.
He flinched, sucking in his breath, his eyes suddenly glittering with fire. Her pulse ratcheted up several beats because she realized he wasn’t unaware of the chemistry between them.
“How is it a reminder?” she prompted gently.
“That I was a victim and I’ll never be a victim again,” he said simply.
“It’s not ugly,” she said in a sincere voice. “It’s a mark of courage. Of survival. I think you’re beautiful.”
He reared back his head, surprise flaring in his eyes. He stared at her like she’d lost her mind.
“Beautiful?” he said hoarsely. “You’re beautiful. Not me.”
She leaned in, knowing she was being bold—too bold—but she simply couldn’t resist showing him with more than words that his scar didn’t put her off in the least. She cupped his face and slid her fingers down the puckered ridges.
He flinched and tried to withdraw but she leaned farther, following him back as she continued her gentle exploration.
“I disagree,” she murmured. “I think you’re beautiful. Strong. A warrior. Your scar is a badge of honor. You forget, my father and brothers served in either the military or the police force. They have scars. They don’t bother me in the least.”
Swanny looked at a complete loss for words, but he remained frozen in place. Then he leaned slightly into the palm of her hand as if he enjoyed her touch.
“Can I kiss you?” she whispered.
Shock registered in his eyes. She knew she was being forward. Practically forcing herself on this man. But she knew he felt it too. This inexplicable pull between them. She wasn’t imagining it.
“We shouldn’t,” he began. But she hushed him by fitting her mouth to his.
He let out a low groan and she licked over his lips, pushing gently so he’d open his mouth to her advance. And then, as she’d hoped, he took control of the kiss.
He pulled her into his lap, deepening the kiss, sliding his tongue across hers in a gentle exploration. Her body molded to his perfectly. She leaned into him, enjoying the hard wall of muscle against her much softer body.
She was tall, nearly five-ten, but he was still a head taller than her. If they were standing her head would tuck perfectly underneath his chin and she’d only have to angle her mouth up a bit to kiss him.
She was the first to break the kiss but she wasn’t finished. Not yet. She started at the corner of his mouth where the scar began and she kissed a gentle line over the entire puckered slash that ended close to his eye.
“You are beautiful,” she whispered. “To me, you are.”
He framed her shoulders in his hands and pulled her away, regret simmering in his eyes. But there was also answering desire. He actually picked her up and deposited her back onto the sofa and then backed off, standing a distance away.
“That shouldn’t have happened,” he said hoarsely.
He dragged a hand raggedly through his hair and looked away.
“Besides the fact that my job is to protect you, you’re so far out of my league it’s not even funny. I don’t even exist on the same plane as you.”
Her eyes narrowed as she stared back at him, unwilling to give an inch.
“Don’t you think it’s me who gets to decide who’s in my league?”
“A woman like you doesn’t have to go slumming,” he said bluntly. “You could have any man you want.”
“Apparently not,” she murmured, looking pointedly at him.
He stared back at her in clear confusion. “Why me?”
She smiled ruefully. “Attraction doesn’t follow a set of rules, you know. But I know that I don’t look at the others like I look at you. I don’t feel any chemistry with them, or anyone else for that matter. Can you deny that you feel it too?”
His lips tightened and he cursed softly beneath his breath. “No, I don’t deny it, but that’s not the point. I have a job to do and I can’t do that job if I’m distracted, and babe, you’re definitely a distraction.”
She smiled, pleased with the irritation in his voice. He didn’t want to be attracted to her and he was fighting it, but he was. She’d just have to work a little harder to crack through all those barriers he was putting up.
Playing the temptress was definitely new to her. She wouldn’t have thought she had it in her to be so bold. But then she’d never met a man who made her feel this way. She wasn’t entirely sure what she was experiencing here, but she knew she wanted this man.
And yeah, she was a job, but people met and fell in love all the time. Who was to say it couldn’t be that way for her and Swanny?
Whoa. Talk about getting way ahead of herself. She was already planning their future and he was pushing her away as quickly as she was pushing toward him.
“Don’t push me away,” she said in a quiet voice. “I’m attracted to you. I don’t sleep around, though you might think so because I’m being so forward with you. I’ve just never met someone I’ve felt this kind of chemistry with. I’d be a fool not to see where it takes us.”
He looked utterly shell-shocked. He swallowed visibly and then ran a hand through his hair again.
“Jesus,” he muttered. “The world’s most beautiful woman thinks I’m beautiful and I’m telling her we can’t get involved. I either need my head examined or need to make sure my balls are still attached.”
She laughed, her lips turning up into a broad smile. “Just something to think about. We’ll be spending a lot of time together over the next while. I just want you to promise me you won’t start avoiding me. I like you. I feel comfortable with you. Much more so than with the others.”
“I don’t particularly want to get my heart broken,” he said dryly. “When you move on and the job is over, am I just supposed to forget about you and move on like nothing ever happened?”
Her brow furrowed. “Is that what you think I’ll do? Break your heart? Here I was contemplating that you’d be the one to break my heart. But we’re getting way ahead of ourselves here. I just want your promise that you won’t try to avoid me over the next several days.”
He sighed. “Okay, I promise. But I still think you’re crazy and when you come to your senses, you’re going to think you lost your mind.”
She rolled her eyes. “You can’t blame this on the situation or that I have some kind of savior complex about you. There are three other guys on your team and I feel nothing for any of them.”
“Well, thank fuck for that,” Swanny muttered.
“Will you at least come sit with me?” she asked. “We still have a long flight and I’d like your company.”
He seemed to battle with himself over the simple request, and then he gave in and slid onto the couch beside her.
“You should get some rest,” he said gruffly. “I looked over your itinerary and it’s booked solid for the next several days. I don’t know how you manage to work those kind of hours.”
Without asking permission, she snuggled into his side and looped her arm across his midsection. He went still, his entire body vibrating with tension, but he didn’t pull away.
Finally he carefully curled his arm around her waist, anchoring her to his side. She let out a blissful sigh and laid her cheek on his chest, tucking her head right below his chin.
“I’ll rest better with you here,” she said.
He toyed with a strand of her hair with his fingers before dropping them and resting his hand back on her hip.
His body heat soaked into her, making her feel warm and contented. She yawned broadly and closed her eyes, snuggling a little deeper into his embrace.
“You make me feel safe,” she murmured.
“You are safe with me, Eden.”
It was a vow, one spoken in solemn tones.
“I know,” she whispered as her eyelids fluttered closed.
CHAPTER 10
WHEN they landed in Paris, Eden was hustled off t
he plane and into an armored Mercedes sedan. She barely had time to blink over the image before she was inside the backseat, flanked by Swanny and Skylar. Edge rode up front with the driver, and Nathan and Joe rode in another car that led the two-car procession to the hotel where Eden would stay.
She had only today to get her bearings and rest up because the following morning the shoot would kick off and her schedule was packed full, culminating in a formal launch party held by Aria at the end of the shoot.
They drove to the back entrance of the upscale hotel and Swanny issued a soft order for her to stay until he and the others were in position. When she finally ducked out, the five KGI members formed a tight boundary around her and hurried her inside.
Joe went up to the desk to handle the registration, and it occurred to Eden that she wasn’t sure of the sleeping arrangements. She was used to having her own suite and her own space. She didn’t even share quarters with Micah or David.
Having to share space with anyone would interfere in her plans to get Swanny into her bed. She mentally rolled her eyes and shook her head. She should be more concerned with her safety, but instead her thoughts were consumed with how to seduce Swanny and whether they would have the privacy she wanted.
When Joe returned, they began the trek up the stairs and when they reached her floor, she hesitated and turned to look at Joe, since he was holding the key cards.
“What are the arrangements?” she asked. “I mean, who’s sleeping where?”
“Skylar will share a two-bedroom suite with you. The rest of us will take the other two bedrooms on either side of your suite.”
Eden hesitated, unsure of how to put this without sounding either bitchy or just plain obvious.
“I’d rather not share a room with anyone,” she said quietly. “It’s just that I have so much stuff and I don’t want to inconvenience anyone . . .”
She trailed off, knowing she sounded lame.
Joe’s eyebrows furrowed and he exchanged quick glances with his teammates. Obviously they hadn’t anticipated her resistance to someone sharing quarters with her.
“It’s a two-bedroom suite, right?” she asked quickly, gathering her courage. Her face was flaming, she knew, but she just had to be more assertive and blunt.
Joe nodded.
“Then I want Swanny to stay in the other room with me,” she blurted.
Skylar suppressed a quick smile, but she sent Eden a knowing look, and oddly enough Eden could swear she saw encouragement and camaraderie in Skylar’s eyes.
“Edge and I can bunk together,” Skylar spoke up. “Not like we aren’t used to living together. That way you and Nathan can share the other room,” she said to Joe.
Swanny looked a little poleaxed, and she supposed she couldn’t blame him since no one had exactly consulted him in the decision making.
“I’d feel more comfortable with him,” Eden said, refusing to give in to the embarrassment crowding her chest.
“Swanny?” Joe asked, looking in his teammate’s direction.
Eden refused to look at the others, not wanting to see their expressions. She stared at Swanny, pleading with her eyes for him not to refuse her. She hadn’t lied. She really did feel more comfortable with him.
“That’s fine,” Swanny finally said. “Her being alone isn’t an option.”
Eden sagged in relief.
Joe handed her a key card and then another to Swanny. “We’ll be on either side of you, Eden, and it needs to be clear that you aren’t to leave this room without one of us. For any reason. Where you go, we go. Period.”
“Got it,” she said, taking the key from him.
She pushed into her suite, Swanny following behind. Her luggage had been sent ahead and was waiting in the living room. Swanny’s eyebrows went up.
“That’s a hell of a lot of stuff for just a few days.”
She grimaced. “Part and parcel of the business. One whole suitcase is nothing but hair and skin care stuff.”