by Iris Abbott
Finally, all five women walked over to the cash register. Justin couldn’t help the sigh of relief that escaped. A cozy boutique crammed with frilly lace and sequined gowns wasn’t exactly his idea of an ideal hangout. He started toward the register, but Scarlet held him back.
“Wait, don’t come any closer,” she ordered. “Rose’s dress is a surprise. You can’t see it until the night of the ball.”
Justin arched a brow. “Why does it matter whether I see the dress now or at the ball?”
Scarlet shrugged. “That dress is a sexy work of fashion art. I do believe Rose is trying to catch your eye.”
Justin frowned. “What makes you think that?”
“Men,” Scarlet huffed. “Who else would she be trying to impress. You’re the only man she knows in Enigma. And trust me no one buys a dress like that unless they’re trying to catch the eye of a man.”
“Maybe she just likes to dress up,” Justin told his sister-in-law. “She’s a wealthy woman with strong ties to a major corporation. She probably attends a lot of cocktail parties.” Still, Justin’s heart skipped a beat, and his chest puffed out a little bit.
“I don’t think so,” Scarlet told him. “She seems quite comfortable in the jeans and sweater she’s wearing. Remember, she spends a lot of time out in the field chasing animals. No, I think she wants to impress you.” She gave a giddy laugh and rubbed her hands together. She flounced off to join the other women and pay for her own purchase.
Justin let her go without trying to debate her statements. Scarlet might not be wolf, but she was as stubborn as any full-blooded wolf shifter. She was good at figuring people out too.
He went back to his post by the front door and continued to eye the store. Several more minutes and giggles passed before the women joined him and the other guards at the door. Not a moment too soon either. Justin and his wolf were ready to get out of that store!
Justin looked at how happy Rose was and decided on the spot that his uncomfortable afternoon in the dress boutique was worth it after all. Rose started out the day shy, and she looked uncomfortable around the other women. That changed after about thirty minutes or so of shopping. She stopped looking toward Justin and the door every five minutes and started enjoying herself. Justin was thankful that the women were able to occupy Rose’s mind and distract her from the fact that someone wanted her dead.
Justin motioned for Rose to join him. He waited until everyone else was outside before speaking. “Did you find what you were looking for?”
Rose gave him an enthusiastic nod. “I’ve never had so much fun shopping before,” she confided. “I didn’t really have any idea what kind of dress I wanted.” She patted the large box resting inside the mauve colored shopping bag. “Everything about this dress is perfect! I can’t wait to wear it!”
“I’m glad you found something.” He gave her a lopsided grin. He was playing with fire, but he couldn’t resist. “And for the record, I can’t wait to see you to wear it either.”
Rose’s mouth dropped open, and she stared at him. She abruptly turned on her heel and headed out the door. The cumbersome box banged against the doorjamb and sent her bouncing back into Justin’s hard body.
Justin easily caught her. He reached over and tilted the package sideways. “Watch out, that box is pretty big.” Usually, he would have offered to carry it for her, but he needed his hands free in case someone waited nearby to make another attempt on her life. Safety came before courtesy always.
****
Rose mumbled a thank you under her breath and hurried to join the rest of the group gathered on the sidewalk about twenty feet away. Nice job she berated herself. Justin probably thought she was a clumsy fool. She couldn’t flirt. Rose couldn’t even go a day without embarrassing herself in front of the sexy bodyguard. She probably needed her head examined for trying to attract his attention with the seductive dress.
She started walking briskly toward Scarlet and the other women. She wanted to make sure to say goodbye and thank them for including her on their day out. The outing was fun. It beat being cooped up in the Gannon house. No matter how beautiful the home, Rose didn’t want to be forced to stay indoors for an extended period of time.
A loud pop sounded nearby. The next thing Rose knew she was face down on the sidewalk. A heavy weight held her down, and something soft and dark covered her face and upper body. It took her a few seconds to realize that Justin was the one on top of her. He used his now familiar black overcoat to shield her.
An older model car drove by, and Justin cursed. He slid off her and sat down on the sidewalk. He pulled Rose into his lap and cradled her in his embrace. The others in the group formed a tightknit circle to shield them from curious onlookers.
“What happened?” Rose gave him a dazed look.
“A car backfired, and I thought the sound was a gun being fired. My instincts took over, and I shoved you on the sidewalk to protect you.” He turned over her palms and scrutinized the scraped up skin. “Looks like you’re going to have more scrapes and bruises to go with the ones from yesterday. I’m sorry about that.” He brought one palm to his mouth and kissed the abused skin.
Rose closed her eyes. A shiver ran down the entire length of her body. The sensation of his warm mouth and breath on the sensitive and cool skin of her palm was downright breathtaking. She wanted to savor every second. That is until a few throats were cleared, and she remembered they weren’t alone.
He abruptly sat her aside and jumped up from the cold cement. “Time to end this outing,” he said to no one in particular. He stalked to the parking lot and waited for everyone else to follow.
Rose watched Justin stalk off without a backward glance, and suddenly she wasn’t having all that much fun anymore. “Well, what a way to end the day,” she joked. She looked at the other four women. “Thank you for including me.” She remembered to be polite when all she wanted to do was bury her head in her hands and wait for everyone to disappear.
Scarlet held out a hand to help Rose up. The women said their goodbyes, and Rose and Scarlet headed toward Justin and his SUV. Rose dragged her feet and walked as slow as she could. She was in no hurry to face Justin again.
“Don’t worry about Justin,” Scarlet advised.
Rose shrugged. “We’ve hit the sidewalk twice in two days. He probably regrets taking the job already.” She looked at the crumpled dress box she still held. “Maybe I should return the dress,” she muttered to herself, but just loud enough for Scarlet to hear. “I don’t need to embarrass myself any further.”
“Don’t you dare,” Scarlet insisted. “The only thing Justin regrets is the fact that your life is in danger. He’s definitely interested in you,” Scarlet added and then winked. “I have a sixth sense when it comes to things like this, trust me. That man wants you. He’s not fighting you, he’s fighting himself.”
Rose arched an eyebrow at her new friend. “Maybe, but what makes you think Justin is interested in plain old me?” Rose knew she shouldn’t ask, but she actually held her breath waiting to hear Scarlet’s response.
“Because he looks at you the way Mitch looks at me. I’ve known Justin for over a year. I’ve never seen him look at another woman the way he looks at you, especially when he thinks no one else is paying attention.” With that telling comment, Scarlet flounced off to the SUV with a suddenly thoughtful and dreamy Rose trailing behind.
FIVE
Condensation crystalized in the air almost as soon as Rose exhaled. It was a cold one in Acadia. At least she was bundled up with several layers of clothing between her and the frigid weather. She tightened her grip on Justin’s waist and laid the side of her face against his back. She rode behind him on the snowmobile and was enjoying it way more than she should.
Justin expertly maneuvered the snowmobile through ruts in the path that were filled with mud and fluffy snowdrifts alike. He really knew what he was doing. Rose had to force herself to concentrate on the park instead of admiring Justin and his skills. Af
ter all, becoming familiar with the park was the whole reason for their outing. It didn’t escape her notice that she’d never had this much trouble concentrating on work before.
They checked in at the winter headquarters first thing that morning. Rose introduced herself and Justin to the two park rangers on duty. The men expected her arrival, and one of them offered to act as her guide for the duration of her research. That got him a snarled no thank you from Justin and a sweet smile and a thanks but no thanks from Rose.
Now after two hours of riding around and through the park, Rose had a good feel for not only the layout of the park but the terrain as well. Justin slowed his speed and stopped the snowmobile behind the trailer attached to the tow hitch of his SUV. Rose gingerly hopped off the back and moved to the side out of Justin’s way. She watched him load the machine until sudden inspiration struck.
Rose wandered to the side of headquarters drawn there by the flowing mound of a deep snowdrift. She bent down and scooped up a giant pile of the fluffy snow. She closed her gloves around the partially frozen precipitation and tightly packed it into a ball. Then with a smile full of mayhem, she began stalking her target.
Justin finished loading the snowmobile and turned to find Rose. Bam! The cold ball of snow exploded right in his face. Rose couldn’t help herself. Her mirth-filled laughter filled the air around them. He glared at her, and she laughed harder.
“I got you good, Justin.” Rose laughed so hard she wheezed.
He slowly wiped the cold, wet, white mess from his face. “Think that’s funny, do you? You better watch out you’re gonna get it now!” Justin marched toward her.
Rose saw him coming, but she was almost bent over double she was laughing so hard. He closed in on her. She sobered up and put some effort into trying to get away from him. Rose actually managed to take about three steps before steel arms wrapped around her waist. Before she knew what was happening her feet dangled in the air as Justin swung her round and round.
She squealed. “Don’t you dare throw me into the snow,” she warned. “Or you’ll be sorry, Justin Gannon.” Of course, she was still laughing, and the threat came out as anything but a dire warning.
By that time, Justin was laughing too. He carried Rose over to the passenger side of the SUV and slowly dropped her to the ground. The light laughter coming from Rose became chocked and then stopped altogether.
Their gazes met and held.
Rose stared into the black eyes that watched her and stilled. Several layers separated her heated flesh from his. Sliding down the hard plane of his body was still an erotic experience despite the hindrance of clothes. She couldn’t look away. The only thing that mattered to her was Justin and the way he made her feel. The bite of the cold weather and the surrounding background noise were blocked out of her mind.
She thought Justin was as entranced as she was. She closed her eyes and slowly leaned toward him. She waited with bated breath for the feel of Justin’s warm lips against hers. And then it happened! It was a light touch at first, just a flutter of breath, and a brush of lips so feathery and swift that it reminded Rose of a hummingbird.
The hungry lips came back, more insistent this time. Rose wrapped both arms around Justin’s neck and pressed her body into his. A soft moan escaped but was quickly swallowed by Justin’s mouth. It was only a kiss, but Rose’s body tingled all over.
She was flushed from the heat they created. She would probably have to roll in the snow to cool off when they finally parted. Maybe she could pretend she was making a snow angel.
Justin cupped Rose’s bottom with both hands and pressed her body closer to his. He leaned in to deepen the kiss, but a twig snapped behind him, and he sprang away from Rose so fast she lost balance and would have fallen if the SUV hadn’t been behind her, keeping her upright.
Justin growled, causing her eyes to grow wide. He spun toward the noise. In the process, he put himself between Rose and whoever interrupted their kiss. He went from impassioned lover to intent protector in half a second flat. He crouched, ready to spring. Another growl broke the tense silence.
Rose abruptly snapped out of the fog of passion. She sensed that Justin was hanging on by a thread. The growl was a good clue that he was close to snapping. The rigid tenseness of his body only reiterated the thought. His demeanor was that of a wild animal.
Rose suddenly understood why he was so good at his job. She laid a gentle hand on his shoulder in the hopes of soothing him. “Justin, it’s one of the park rangers. I’m starting to get cold, maybe we should call it a day.”
Justin didn’t respond. He continued to stare down the stranger in front of them.
The park ranger froze, not moving a muscle. “Easy there now. I heard the two of you return and thought I’d see how your explorations went.” He slowly held up both hands and took a cautious step backward.
“I didn’t mean to interrupt anything.” He took another slow step backward toward the entrance to headquarters. He looked from Justin to Rose. “Don’t forget you need to check out before you leave the park on each visit. That way we know to look for you if anything goes wrong while you’re out there.”
Rose nodded. “Thanks, John. We’re done here for the day. Thanks for all of your help. We’ll be seeing you in a couple of days.”
The park ranger mumbled something under his breath and quickly disappeared inside the building.
Rose gave Justin a light smack on the shoulder. “Cut it out, Justin. You don’t have to be so intimidating. You scared that poor man half to death.” She had to bite her lip to keep from smiling. Justin was quick to act. And he made her feel safe, cherished even.
****
Justin grunted. “He shouldn’t have snuck up on us like that.”
He silently berated himself for being distracted. If the park ranger meant them harm, one or even both of them could be dead right now. He had to get a grip. The attraction he shared with Rose was earthshattering, but if he wasn’t careful, it could also be life-threatening.
He stalked around to the driver’s side and slid in behind the wheel. He immediately started the engine and turned the heater on full blast. He wasn’t really cold, but he knew Rose would be. He waited for her to get in and buckle her seat belt. She settled, but he still didn’t put the gearshift in drive. He clenched and unclenched the wheel so hard his knuckles turned white.
Finally, he turned to Rose. “That can not happen again!” he snapped. “If that were the person trying to kill you, we’d both be dead. Not acceptable,” he growled.
“I plan to keep my lips and my hands to myself from now on,” he warned. “And I suggest you do the same! Our lives depend on it!” He lifted his hands and slammed them back down against the steering wheel to emphasize his point.
Rose’s eyes widened. She nodded and turned away from him to look out the window. She actually seemed to withdraw into herself and looked even more fragile than she before.
Justin muttered a curse under his breath. He couldn’t seem to get anything right with the lady. “I’m not angry at you, Rose. I’m mad at the person who wants to hurt you, and I’m livid at myself for letting down my guard. It would shatter me if something happened to you, and not just because I’m your bodyguard.”
He wanted to reach out and touch her, but he didn’t dare. Look at what a simple kiss turned into just moments before. “I think there could be something special between us, but it’s going to have to wait until the person who tried to kill you is caught. We can’t afford to let our guard down. The price could be steeper than either one of us is willing to pay.”
Rose’s body slumped against the door. She still didn’t look Justin in the eyes. “I know,” was all she said.
Justin gave her one last look then he put the gearshift in drive and headed home. She could be upset with him all she wanted as long as she was alive to feel.
****
The light tap echoed down the hallway. Justin waited, but there was no response. He knocked on Rose’s bedroom d
oor again, louder this time. Still no answer. He shoved open the door and looked around.
Rose’s scent wafted through the guest room, but she was nowhere in sight. Her laptop was open on the bed, and Justin resisted the urge to see what she was working on. He already had spyware installed on the borrowed computer that would alert him to any activity that might be dangerous to the pack or paranormal community at large.
So where was she? There was no way anyone breached the house’s security system. Several pack members who also worked for Gannon Security routinely patrolled the perimeter of the property. They would have notified him if anything was out of place. He didn’t think Rose would disregard his warnings and wander off on her own.
He closed the door and dashed down the stairs. Before he could reach the bottom, a startled shriek pierced the relative quiet of the Gannon home. Justin instantly recognized Rose’s voice. He jumped down the last three steps and hit the hardwood floor at a run. The noise came from the direction of the home gym. Justin raced that way as fast as his muscled legs would go.
He slowed only when he was a few feet away. His haste turned to stealth. He couldn’t barge into an unknown situation. He pulled back the wolf inside him even though it fought to be let out. He silently stalked to the partially opened door and peeped around the doorjamb.
What he saw made his blood boil and his wolf growl. One of the guards who should be out patrolling the grounds was standing over a prone and shaking Rose. Her thick hair covered her face, but Justin was sure she was crying. Other people were in the room too, but they didn’t even register to Justin. He rushed toward the pack member and had him on the floor with his elbow jammed against the man’s throat before anyone else knew what was happening. A menacing growl slipped past his curled lips, and the man under him visibly trembled.