“Okay.” Uncle Henry blinked, his steady blue gaze not fooling her one bit. “I won’t.”
Nikolai limped down the uneven front path, heading for the gate in the boundary fence between his and Henry’s property. He would’ve stomped if not for his blasted knee.
A babysitter.
Hell, he didn’t need that sort of responsibility.
His foot skidded on a pile of damp grass clippings. Pain, sharp and jagged, lanced from his knee up his thigh. Nikolai glared at the green hose that spurted water into Henry’s rose garden. He sucked in a pained breath, cursed and staggered to the gate, leaning his weight against it while he rode out the discomfort.
Babysitting. Hell, Henry should know better. Incapacitated the way he was now, he was about as useful as a gun without bullets.
Nikolai tested a little weight on his knee and decided he could make his kitchen without keeling over. The gate creaked open. He should have taken that damn painkiller before he went to Henry’s. At least then, he might have an excuse for agreeing to Henry’s blackmail. But no, he’d been drug-free, clear of mind and in total control, yet he’d still managed to find himself looking after a green country girl just out of high school.
He gritted his teeth as he hobbled the last few steps to his front door. Nikolai shouldered it open and headed straight for the kitchen and the bottle of pills. Five minutes later, he dropped into his recliner chair and stared out at his overgrown garden, past the knee-high grass and the scraggy shrubs.
He watched Henry carry a suitcase from the house and toss it into the rear of the car. Summer followed with a smaller bag and a suit in a protective cover. Nikolai saw her say something, heard Henry’s booming laugh through the open window. His throat constricted with a feeling he hated to analyze as Henry swept his niece into a bone-crushing hug.
Hard to believe his friend and mentor was married after years of the single life. Nikolai snorted. That was the kicker. Henry had sworn to remain a bachelor then taken one look at Veronica and fallen hard. They’d married quietly yesterday and were off on a cruise this evening, leaving from Veronica’s apartment in the city. Hopefully, marriage would work for Henry. It sure as hell hadn’t for him.
Nikolai thrust aside bitter memories to study Summer. Average height, long brown hair in a plait, on the chubby side, and a dazzling smile that made a man look twice despite the god-awful gray sack thing she was wearing.
His charge until Henry returned. Nikolai leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes. Hopefully, once a week would work. It couldn’t be that bad.
A noise woke Summer. One moment she was dreaming of playing rugby with the All Blacks and the next her eyes sprang open, the fine hairs on her arms prickling in silent alarm. She froze, exhaling in a measured manner, while she listened.
There it was again—a muted creak. A footstep? She slid from bed, knowing she’d have to investigate or risk lying awake all night.
Whispers carried down the passage outside her room. A light flashed briefly and shut off.
“Must be in one of the bedrooms.”
The guttural whisper snapped her to action. She crept to the window. The shutter clicked as she lifted the latch—loud enough for her to freeze in place.
“I’ll check this room and the bathroom. You take the other two rooms.”
“What about the girl?”
“You heard the boss. Do whatever’s necessary to get the goods.”
“Right.”
Two of them. Healthy fear had her springing to action. She shoved the window open wide, no longer caring about attracting attention. Footsteps sounded outside her bedroom. The door handle grated as it turned, and she slithered feetfirst out the window. The sill dug into her stomach while her feet dangled two feet above Uncle Henry’s prized rose garden. Not the best position, but not as bad as getting accosted by strange men in the middle of the night. She wriggled farther over the windowsill and let go.
Rose thorns sliced at her calves, her thighs. She bit her bottom lip. Shit! That hurt. Well, that would teach her to wear a skimpy nightgown rather than the flannelette pajamas her mother had packed. She extricated herself from the grip of Tom Thumb, Uncle Henry’s favorite rosebush, and limped toward Nikolai’s house. Pique made her grimace and think in curses. Just her luck. Her first night alone, and she needed help. A great start to her bid for independence.
“She’s not here.”
Summer glanced over her shoulder and once again cursed her nightgown. The pale material stuck out like a Jersey bull in her mother’s vegetable garden.
“She must be here.”
She changed direction, heading to the rear of Nikolai’s house. She stepped onto the verandah and almost fell through a broken board. Damn and blast.
“The window’s open. Check the garden.” The intruders’ voices carried on the night air.
An open window beckoned, the sheer net curtains fluttering in the soft breeze. The voices moved closer, and panicked, Summer dived through the opening.
Something tackled her, sending her flying. She landed on her back in the middle of a mattress. The air hissed from her lungs as someone pinned her in place.
“Don’t move,” a harsh voice gritted next to her ear. A hand moved down her arm and across her chest, freezing when it came into contact with her breast. This time, the succinct curse didn’t raise so much as an eyebrow. The body pressing her into the bed moved, but not enough for her to draw a good lungful of air. A bedside lamp switched on, and she blinked at the bright light.
“You.” Nikolai glared down at her. “What the devil are you doing in my bedroom?”
She swallowed. His hand was warm, and she felt her nipple hardening under his touch. Humiliation at her body’s betrayal made her tense even as she savored the spike of sensation.
“Um…would you mind taking your hand off my breast?” The way her nipple was cozying into his palm—talk about a newsflash. Nikolai this close was unnerving, especially since he was the enemy. She refused to imagine how good it would feel if he rearranged their bodies a fraction. Nope, she wasn’t going there.
The furrow between his brows deepened. “Isn’t that what you’re here for?”
The innuendo made her stiffen even more. “Someone’s broken into Uncle Henry’s house.”
“Why didn’t you say so?” To Summer’s intense relief, he released her. “Have you rung the police?”
“No. I…” Summer’s voice trailed off as she took in the broad expanse of his naked chest. Oops, naked all over. Her gaze jumped northward, but the vision of masculinity remained seared to her retinas. He looked so much better without clothes.
Nikolai rolled his eyes with the same masculine impatience her brothers exhibited whenever they thought her behavior stupid. “Never mind. Get in bed and stay warm. I’ll take care of things.”
He yanked on a pair of jeans and limped from the room before she could tell him what she thought of his verbal pat on the head. The rumble of his voice from the other room told her he was ringing the cops. No way was she staying in his bed and missing out on the excitement. She sprang off the mattress. This was more adventure than she’d ever imagined, and it was only her second day in Auckland.
Summer crept down the passage, feeling her way cautiously through the dark and unfamiliar house.
“I told you to stay in bed.”
She jerked as his warm breath tickled her ear. Oh, boy. Who’d have thought an ear was an erogenous zone? She bit her bottom lip, frowned then grinned as a brainwave struck. “I heard a noise outside the window.”
Luckily, it was dark since she couldn’t lie to save herself. And her body was broadcasting lustful messages a blind man could decipher. Full participation in this adventure would distract her, help her gain a semblance of control—she hoped.
“All right. Stay with me.” He slid through the darkness with the ease of a soldier on night maneuvers.
She blundered after him and kicked a table leg. The clatter and her squeak of pain mad
e him curse. Huh, another new one to save for later—wait until the next time her brothers tried to tell her how to live her life. Her brilliance would stun them into silence.
“Can’t you be quiet?”
“I can’t see.”
Another muttered curse. “Here.” He seized her hand. “Hold on to me and keep up.”
Summer felt a royal salute coming on until he attached her hand to the waistband of his jeans. When she touched warm skin, every militant urge stalled. Her fingers curled over the body-warmed denim, her senses reeling, her body humming—from toe-tips to the top of her head. Bits in between tingled and plunged and swooped like a high-speed lift traveling to the ground floor. Oh, boy.
He opened the front door and slid outside. She stumbled after him, her mind engaged on sensation, the way her silk nightgown caressed her curves, rather than the need to reconnoiter.
He stopped without warning. Summer plowed into his back and her nose jabbed his shoulder blade. A whoosh of air escaped her parted lips.
His hands snaked out, steadying and preventing her from falling. “Mind the step. I haven’t got ’round to fixing it yet.”
The step? Her next intake of breath was a mistake. It was full of him. Sandalwood soap and Nikolai. A very combustible combination. Who’d have thought?
In the distance, a siren sounded.
“Help is on the way.” Satisfaction oozed from his voice. “They’ve managed to get here quicker than I thought they would. The siren is a nice touch.”
Huh? She shook away her confusion to focus on the important things. “Are the intruders still in Uncle Henry’s house?”
“Can’t you hear them?”
Um, no. She couldn’t register anything except the thud of her heart. It was a wonder he didn’t pick up the rapid tattoo with him standing so close and all. Her breath stalled. Did he realize his hand had slid down to her butt? It wasn’t her most attractive feature and frankly, she possessed better places if he wanted to explore.
“Damn, they’ve heard the siren.”
Summer turned her head in the direction he was looking. Two shadowy figures sprinted across her uncle’s lawn, past the fishpond out front and disappeared around the corner of the house. Seconds later, a car engine roared.
“Smart,” Nikolai muttered. “Look, they’re going to drive back down the road as if they have every right. If they sped off, that would appear suspicious.”
A car pulled into Nikolai’s driveway. The siren stopped.
“Stay there.”
Another order. Summer considered then decided she refused to take orders. The police would want to interview her. After avoiding the hole, she stepped off the wooden deck.
Two men leapt from the car, and the three of them indulged in a complicated handshake followed by a round of shoulder clapping that would’ve flattened a normal person.
Nikolai grinned. “That was quick.”
“I was at Jake’s place,” one of the guys said.
Summer came to a screeching halt. Her eyes narrowed on the group, and she must’ve made a sound. The two strangers whirled and their faces, tight and ready for action, gave them away.
They were not policemen.
Both tall. Both muscular. Both with dark hair and military bearing, they screamed SAS mates.
“Who’s the babe?” Although the voice was soft, the words carried.
Nikolai sighed heavily. “I thought I told you to stay put?” He limped up the path and tugged her by the arm until she stood in front of him. Summer felt his body heat sear the length of her back. His arm wrapped around her as if he thought she might attempt an escape. Pressed to his body and with his arm weighing down on her breasts, she could hardly breathe. “This is Henry’s niece.”
There was a moment’s silence before one of the men whistled. “Not a babe then?”
Nikolai’s limbs tensed, his grasp tightening.
Summer struggled for freedom, and he released her the instant she wriggled. Enough. They couldn’t pretend she was invisible. She was right in front of their eyes. “Are the two mutually exclusive?” she demanded, clicking her fingers.
“Of course not, ma’am,” one of the men said.
She glared and stuck out her hand. “Summer, not ma’am.”
“Jake,” the man replied.
Interesting. His hand was as warm as Nikolai’s but didn’t produce the same tingles. A soft growl came from behind her, and Jake grinned as he liberated her hand.
The other man beside Jake claimed it almost instantly. “Louie. Pleased to meet you, Summer.” Louie’s low drawl held flirtation, and she felt an answering grin gather momentum.
“Louie.”
Startled, her gaze snapped to Nikolai. His face bore a feral warning while his tone promised reprisal. Against what she didn’t know, but Louie did and he heeded the caution.
“Shirt,” Nikolai snapped.
Jake and Louie grinned at each other. They did the silent communication thing then Jake shrugged, whipped off his cotton shirt and held it out to her. She stared in confusion. What did they want her to do with it? Wash it?
“Hell.” Nikolai grabbed the garment and thrust it against her chest. “Put it on before we drown in the drool.” A snicker drew his wrath. “What?”
“Nothing,” Jake said.
Nikolai nailed her with a glare. “We’ll go and check Henry’s house. Make sure they’ve gone.”
Summer nodded, and once they moved off, followed them.
“Stay,” Nikolai ordered.
She halted and frowned at the departing men before glancing over her shoulder. Nope, Nikolai didn’t own a dog.
And she didn’t have fur.
She crept down the footpath after the three men, careful where she placed her bare feet. Her body ached in interesting places, but no way was she missing a single bit of this adventure.
Chapter Three
The woman would drive a sane man to drink if she didn’t entice him into bed first. How the hell had he ever thought her unremarkable? Jake and Louie hadn’t missed a trick. He was the one slow on the uptake, which made this babysitting assignment a trickier proposition than his original suppositions. Especially, when he had the urge to run his hands over her breasts and down her body in a one-on-one investigation.
His cock twitched in agreement. He cast a furtive glance over his shoulder and cursed. Jake and Louie stilled.
“Problem?” Louie demanded in an undertone.
Nikolai sighed. “Nothing. You two go ahead. I’ll handle it.”
Jake glanced back, the ever-present humor turning up into a flagrant grin. “The babe?”
“Henry’s niece,” he gritted out. The plan was to look after the girl, not get down and dirty as his cock was so busily ordering. He was a babysitter.
Louie smirked. “Whatever.”
They slid away, blending into the darkness without another word while he backtracked to deal with Summer Williams.
“I’m not in the SAS so I don’t have to follow orders.” She folded her arms across her chest, and Nikolai couldn’t help but notice her spectacular curves. The girl obviously ate well—no lettuce leaves for her. She’d look great decked out as a fifties movie star, but naked— Whoa!
“Button up the shirt,” he ordered, averting his gaze and mentally ordering his body to cool it. Henry’s niece was way out of his league. Too young. Too naïve. And probably a virgin to boot. “You’ll catch a cold.”
“I’m not in the army. I’m not part of your unit.” Her blue eyes shot heavy artillery fire.
“Who said I’m SAS?”
“Uncle Henry.”
Nikolai glided closer, right into her personal space, intimidation on his mind. He sucked in a deep breath while striving for calm. Mistake. Her delicate feminine scent teased him, distracted him.
Flowers.
Woman.
Bad move.
The boys were right. He was thinking babe. He struggled with concentration, resisting the urge to shuffle
in the manner of a raw recruit. Damn, his jeans were starting to feel like a suit of armor. Think cold showers.
“Henry wouldn’t tell you that.” Shit, if he carried on like this for much longer she’d notice his body’s reaction. In a desperate act of self-preservation, Nikolai pictured the gruff, no-nonsense Henry. It didn’t help. He took a hurried step away from temptation.
“My brothers are SAS. I can spot a military man from a hundred feet away.”
She sounded so ferocious she piqued his curiosity. He might be SAS, but he wasn’t contagious. “What’s wrong with the army? Henry’s military.”
“Don’t you mean what’s right with them? Military men are bossy, opinionated, macho, pigheaded, think their way is the sole way, shoot first and ask questions later, scare away boyfriends— Did I mention bossy? All for my own good, of course.”
Nikolai watched her impassioned face and couldn’t prevent a laugh. “Why don’t you save the character assassination for your brothers and Henry? Remember me? The man you ran to for help.” Since she’d made her opinion clear, he’d keep out of her way, apart from the promised weekly check for Henry.
Yeah, he could do that. Better for both of them that way. Besides, Henry wouldn’t appreciate the thoughts running through his head. Hell, any guy who dared to think of his niece like this—if he had one. His jaw flexed. That included Jake and Louie.
Hell, especially Jake and Louie.
She planted her hands on her hips, dragging his reluctant gaze to her curvy body. “The two men are gone. I want to see the damage then go to bed. I have a busy day tomorrow.”
Disappointment surged through him as quick as machine gun fire. He’d liked the look of her in his bed. The feel of her…hell! Preservation kicked in big time. The girl was young—too young. How many times did he have to tell himself before the facts sank into his thick head? Besides, he’d failed with Laura. He’d lost both her and their baby.
No point making the same mistake twice.
He was committed to his job, and that didn’t leave room for anything else. Once this bum knee mended, he’d be back in the thick of the latest war brewing.
Field Stripped: 15 Steamy Military Romances Page 85