Her Protector

by Nina Quinn

  I turned to leave and Emily padded barefoot into the room. I’d never found pink toenails so fascinating in my life. As far as I knew, I didn’t have a single fetish. But, there I was staring at her toes like an idiot. She wiggled them and that was my cue to move my eyes in a northerly direction. Where they got hung up on her curvy hips and softly rounded belly. When they landed on her large full breasts, my cargo pants did little to restrain my enthusiasm.

  Emily’s face turned a matching shade of pink when she noticed the bulge in my pants, and she said, “I’m sorry to turn in so early, but my nerves are shot and I’m exhausted.”

  “Don’t apologize. I’ll be working in the loft for a little while, then I’ll be downstairs. Let me know if there’s anything you need.” I couldn’t help myself. I reached out and tucked a strand of silky blonde hair behind her ear. I leaned in and placed a chaste kiss on her forehead because I simply had to touch her. Taste some part of her. Breathe in the scent of her shampoo. Vanilla almond. “I’ll keep you safe. I promise.”

  Emily’s crystal blue eyes welled with moisture. “Thank you, Archer. In the morning, I’ll tell you what you’re up against.”

  I nodded and walked out of the room. I settled in at my desk in the loft and fired up my laptop. It was time to research her asshat ex and see for myself just how badass he was. However bad he was, it didn’t matter. I was a trained killer with twenty years on the job.

  “Bring it on motherfucker,” I mumbled to myself.

  Chapter Five

  Emily

  I stripped Katie down to her shirt and covered her. She slept through the entire process. I envied her ability to sleep through just about anything. As tired as I was, I knew I’d get next to none tonight.

  I unpacked an oversized t-shirt I used as a nightgown and decided to check out the bathroom. I’d found that sometimes a hot bath relaxed me enough to get a few hours of sound sleep.

  That and a bottle of wine. I didn’t have a bottle of wine, but I damn sure did have three boxes of thin mints. I grabbed one.

  The bathroom was huge. It had a double sink vanity, a shower, and a separate tub. I wanted to weep with joy when I saw the tub. It was a deep whirlpool one with wide ledges that held more plants. High up near the ceiling a soffit ran around most of the room with yet more plants. I had to learn Archer’s secrets. I was going to have half-dead-Henry thriving again if it was the last thing I did.

  But right now, I was going to spend the next hour in that glorious tub with my thin mints.

  After thirty minutes, my skin started to prune. I was about to get out when a soft knock sounded on the bathroom door. I’d left the door partially open so I could hear Katie if she woke.

  “Emily, you didn’t drown in there did you?” Archer asked. I snatched a washcloth to cover myself with. Which was ridiculous because there was no way on earth the eight-inch square cloth would cover my 40D’s. “Can we talk for a few minutes when you’re finished? I have some things I’d like to ask you. I didn’t want to ask any questions earlier in front of Katie.”

  I wasn’t going to lie to myself. A part of me was disappointed Archer didn’t walk right in a ravish me. I’d seen that bulge in his pants earlier in the evening. The man was impressive in more ways than one.

  “Of course. Just give me a minute.” I pulled the plug on the tub. I heard Archer mutter something that sounded like blue balls are going to kill me.

  I giggled. Had he really just said that? I was beyond flattered that Archer seemed to find me attractive. Not all men were fans of curvy women. Fewer still were tall, dark, and dangerous. Archer wasn’t a guy I wanted as an enemy and I was beyond thrilled he was the guy protecting Katie and me.

  I dried off, dressed in my super-sized T-shirt, and brushed my teeth to eradicate any thin mint evidence. I checked on Katie and then went to find Archer.

  He sat at a sleek glass desk in the loft area. He’d opened the sliding glass door to the second-floor balcony and a gentle breeze fluttered the curtains.

  I didn’t know if it was the cool air or the man behind the desk that caused the tiny hairs on my arms and neck to tingle.

  Honestly, that wasn’t the only tingling going on.

  It dawned on me that maybe parading around in a T-shirt and no underwear wasn’t something I should do as a houseguest in front of a man I’d known for all of a handful of hours.

  “Is Katie sleeping?” he asked.

  “Soundly. I envy her that ability. I haven’t slept through an entire night in years.” I sat in the red chair in front of Archer’s desk. He closed the laptop he’d been working on and steepled his arms on the desk.

  I wasn’t a one-night stand kind of gal. But if I ever considered the possibility, Archer Beck would be the guy. His obsidian eyes pinned me with a look of desire I’d never seen in any man’s eyes before.

  It was intense.

  I shivered.

  Archer stood and moved to the slider. He pulled the curtain out of the way and started to close the door.

  “What the. . .” He reached down and picked up something. When he turned and held up the item he’d retrieved, I lost it.

  My breath caught and I couldn’t breathe.

  My brain issued orders to my legs to stand and run, but I couldn’t move.

  It was George. Katie’s stuffed animal I promised her we’d look for when we got home. There was only one way George had ended up on the second-floor balcony of Archer’s home.

  Randy was here and he knew exactly where Katie and I were seeking refuge.

  Archer slammed the door and locked it. He grabbed his phone, dialed, and said “Plan B” to whoever was on the other end of the line.

  I finally found my legs and ran for the bedroom where I prayed my baby girl was still sound asleep and not in the arms of a mad man.

  Archer was hot on my heels. He grabbed my arm to stop me from entering the room and pushed me behind his massive body. He grabbed the gun from his waistband and flicked on the overhead light.

  She was there.

  Thank God, she was right where I’d left her. She stirred slightly with the shock of the bright light but didn’t wake.

  “Get dressed, Emily.” Archer’s voice was dark and void of emotion. The voice of a soldier about to go into combat.

  I moved quickly, completely ignoring the fact Archer was clearing the room of any potential threat as I threw on a pair of underwear and jeans.

  He checked the bathroom, the closets, even under the damn bed. I slipped on my tennis shoes, zipped up the suitcase I hadn’t even unpacked yet, and said, “I’m ready.”

  Archer lifted Katie out of bed while I grabbed our suitcases and we headed downstairs. He grabbed a canvas duffle bag from the closet downstairs. We hustled through the house to the garage where Archer handed Katie to me. The SUV was still parked in the driveway, so it would be a mad dash to get in, secure Kate, and get moving.

  Archer’s phone chirped and he pulled it from his pocket and checked it. “Jack and Maverick have checked the perimeter. We’re good.” Archer pushed the button for the garage door and it rumbled open. He opened the backseat door for me and I got Katie in her car seat while he loaded our stuff into the rear of the SUV. I didn’t want to let go of Katie, so I stayed in the backseat and buckled up.

  Archer took a moment to speak with the others, then he got in the vehicle and got us moving. Jack drove in front of us, Maverick brought up the rear, and we wound our way out of the neighborhood.

  One car followed behind our convoy, but they turned in the opposite direction once we reached Tramway Blvd. They headed South, we headed North.

  It took a good ten minutes before the adrenaline started to drain from my blood and for my heartbeat to return to its normal rate.

  “What happens now?” I asked.

  Archer reached a hand back between the front bucket seats. I grasped it. His hand was large, warm, and strong. His touch infused me with a sense of calm I hadn’t felt since I first got the text from Randy earl
ier in the evening.

  “We’re going to Durango. I have a place just out of town. It’ll be the perfect place for us to hole up until Jack and Maverick get Randy rounded up and put in jail.”

  I don’t know what possessed me, but I leaned down and kissed the back of Archer’s hand. He squeezed mine tightly then let go and returned it to the steering wheel.

  Once we got as far as the Bernalillo US-550 exit with nobody on our tail, Jack and Maverick peeled off and got back on the highway headed South while we continued North.

  We were on our own now, just the three of us.

  Chapter Six

  Archer

  I put smooth Jazz on the radio hoping it would soothe Emily’s nerves. Halfway to Durango, I pulled into a gas station. I convinced her that with the child locks in the rear, it was okay for her to sit up front with me. That Katie would be safe in the backseat by herself.

  I’d spent the first hour checking my rearview and I knew without a doubt, nobody had followed us. My first guess was that Randy had used Emily’s cell phone to track her. Jack had the phone now, and if that were the case, Randy was in for a hell of a surprise if he showed up on Jack’s doorstep looking for my girls. What I didn’t yet understand was why Randy’s phone showed him in Miami. But, that was for Jack to figure out. He was the tech guy.

  He’d be lucky if he only ended up with a busted kneecap and a few broken ribs before the guys called in Albuquerque’s boys in blue to haul Randy’s ass to jail. He’d end up back in Boston for those bench warrants. I was hoping we’d be able to add a few more charges to his wrap sheet, but that remained to be seen.

  I pumped the gas, grabbed myself a hot coffee, and we got back on the road. It would be after one o’clock before we arrived at the cabin. And while I was feeling good about not having a tail, hypervigilance was my middle name for the next two hours.

  Finally, Emily pushed her seat back and closed her eyes. I took advantage of the situation and stared at her the few times we hit a stop sign or a street light that had turned red.

  She slept, but she was far from relaxed. Tiny creases in her forehead formed a frown. Her lips were pursed and every now and then a muscle in her jaw would jump when she clenched her teeth.

  I wanted her to sleep peacefully. Without care, without worry about her safety or Katie’s. I was going to give her that if it was the last thing I ever did.

  I wanted her to smile and laugh and be at ease. I decided that would be my mission over the next few days.

  I headed West just before entering the town of Durango. Another fifteen minutes of winding right turns brought us to our destination.

  Nestled in the woods, the house I’d inherited from my folks welcomed us. The motion sensor lights turned on when I pulled into the driveway. It stood two-stories with blue clapboard siding, a wrap-around porch, and the earthy scent of seclusion was a balm to my soul. I needed to get up here more often.

  Emily stirred. “Are we here?” she asked. Her voice was husky with sleep. And sexy as hell.

  “Home sweet home,” I replied.

  I watched a smile break across her face. “It’s beautiful. When you said cabin I was expecting no electricity, an outhouse, and a one-room shack.”

  “Nope. This place has all the bells and whistles. Let’s get everything in the house and grab a few hours of sleep.” I got out of the vehicle and grabbed their luggage and mine from the hatch. Emily got Katie.

  There were two bedrooms downstairs. Neither of which was ideal in terms of keeping the girls safe. I led Emily up a narrow staircase to the second floor. I had a couple of pinball machines set up in what had been my mother’s sitting room. I’d have to get a stool for Katie to stand on and show her how they were played.

  The bedroom was large, with a small sofa off to one side, and French doors that opened onto a small balcony. The balcony faced East, so it was always a treat to sit out there with a mug of coffee and watch the sunrise. I checked to make sure the doors were locked and set the alarm with the push of a button.

  “Bathroom is through there.” I pointed in the general direction while I set down their luggage.

  Emily threw back the covers on the bed and settled Katie in for the rest of the night. Emily looked exhausted. I’d give her time to get changed and get into bed. Then I’d be back and catching a few winks on the small sofa in the room that was at least two feet too short for me.

  Whatever. Until we had a handle on exactly where her ex was, I wasn’t letting my girls out of my sight.

  Chapter Seven

  Emily

  I woke up with Katie snuggled up next to me. Her breaths little puffs of air that tickled my neck. I glanced at my watch and saw it was six-fifteen. My internal alarm clock always ensured I was up early. This morning, I badly needed coffee.

  I slipped out of bed without rousing Katie. I froze when I noticed Archer on the couch. A full two feet of his more than six-foot frame hung off the arm of the sofa. An afghan covered him. Part of him anyway. Shame on me, but I couldn’t help but notice the man had huge feet.

  I knew there were a handful of studies that completely disproved any correlation between a man’s foot size and his dangly bits. But I couldn’t help but wonder if I’d just stumbled onto an anomaly.

  I felt my face flush and I made my way past Archer without waking him and made my way to the kitchen. I hoped the kitchen had a supply of coffee or I might have to throw myself a pity party.

  I found some sort of fancy blend in a mason jar by the sink and got the coffee maker fired up. I poured two cups, in case Archer wanted one, and headed back upstairs. If Katie woke in yet another strange place, she was liable to have a meltdown.

  I set the steaming mug down on the floor near Archer’s head and opened the French doors to the balcony. The shrill screech of an alarm scarred me half to death and my coffee mug went flying.

  Archer flew off the couch. The afghan fell to the floor revealing his bare chest.

  Holy hell.

  That was one magnificent chest. Broad. Ripped with muscle. An eight pack of abs that were remarkable. I’d never seen an eight pack in person before. That should really be on every gal’s bucket list.

  But what really did me in was the happy trail of dark hair from his belly button to the wonderland below the waistband of his black cargo pants.

  It suddenly felt like it was a hundred degrees in the room. If Katie hadn’t called for me, I’m not sure I would have ever stopped staring.

  Archer realized what I’d done and killed the alarm with the keyfob he produced from his pants pocket.

  “Mom. You always do that,” Katie said. She fisted her hands and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She was right. I’d managed to set off every alarm I’d ever encountered. “This doesn’t look like Archer’s house. Are we running again?”

  Well, that was the million dollar question wasn’t it? Archer answered the question for me. “No, peanut. We’re just taking time out for some fun.” Archer put on his t-shirt and explained to Katie where we were and that he had a few surprises for her. Her eyes lit up with excitement.

  He unzipped his duffle bag and produced George.

  She squealed and said, “You found him!” She bounded out of bed and ran straight for Archer. He swung her up in his arms and kissed her forehead.

  “I sure did. And wait until you see my pinball machines. I’ll teach you how to play after breakfast.” He frowned and looked at me. “No groceries in the house. How about we head into town and eat, walk around town a bit, and buy a few things on the way back?”

  Katie wasn’t the only one giddy with excitement. I nodded.

  “Great. You gals get dressed and I’ll take care of the coffee debacle and we’ll be off.” He winked at me. My heart fluttered in my chest. I was absolutely positive we were going to have a fantastic day together and I couldn’t wait to get started.

  It turns out, I was exactly right.

  The morning air was crisp and cool but warmed up to a comfortable temper
ature by early afternoon. The sun shone brightly and I soaked in the glorious warmth as we walked the streets of town.

  For most of the day I allowed myself to pretend I wasn’t running from my ex. That Archer and I were a couple and that Katie was our child. Archer held my hand most of the day. I wasn’t about to complain. When Katie was tired, he carried her on his hip and she snuggled close to him. He treated her like a princess and me like a queen. He made me feel wanted and cherished and it was a feeling I would cherish forever. I knew it was a fantasy, and I was okay with that. I was smart enough to know that when Randy landed behind bars, Archer would no longer be my protector and we would go back to our lives. There would be other clients that needed him and I would return to being a single mom raising an amazing little girl on my own.

  But for the next few days, I intended to go right on pretending the three of us were a family. I planned to enjoy every minute of it.

  It was nearing dinner time when Archer asked, “How about we pick up a few groceries and head on home? I’ll fire up the grill and we can enjoy the evening on the porch. The deer usually walk through the back corner of the property at dusk. They’re nice to watch.”

  “That sounds perfect,” I said. As much as I didn’t want today to end, there were only twenty-four hours allotted to work with.

  Chapter Eight

  Archer

  The closer we got to home, the more my gut churned. After twenty years as a Night Stalker, I’d learned to trust my instincts. They rarely if ever led me astray.

  I dug out my cell phone and dialed. “Any news?” I asked Jack.

  “Nothing. Everything good on your end?” He asked.

  “Fine so far. Just my gut.” Jack knew exactly what that meant. After serving together for the last ten years. He trusted my instincts as much as I did.