by Lietha Wards
Sexy beast? Oh, she was not telling Ryan that. In fact she’d love to leave him home so that woman didn’t get her nails into him, but she already knew he wouldn’t go for that at all. Still, she should probably warn him, but she didn’t get the chance.
At dinner Porsha announced their outing to her father with more excitement that Katya thought warranted.
“That’s an excellent idea!” Peter agreed. “Maybe you can find a dress for Saturday’s event.”
“Shopping?” Ryan asked softly.
“I was caught in a moment of weakness,” she answered in a whisper.
“Apparently.” His eyes went to the other woman who gave him a flirtatious glance. God, she’s going to be a handful. He’d been ignoring the subtle hints the woman was throwing his way, but they’d been getting bolder. Now she looked as though she wanted to crawl across the table and hump his leg. Jesus. Women like that don’t know when to stop or how to take no as an answer. Oh, he could handle her well enough, but it would make his work twice as hard to keep focused and protect Katya. “I’m fucked.” He said under his breath. Katya was in the middle of taking a drink and she started coughing. Apparently she’d heard him.
“Are you all right dear?” Peter asked.
“Wrong tube,” she coughed twice more and spared Ryan a quick glance. She was certain she heard him correctly. He looked very amused when he met her gaze. Obviously she did. And, it was also apparent that he did notice Porsha’s flirtations, and now he would probably have to deal with them. She felt herself smile. This may be quite the trip after all.
“For a big strong bodyguard, I find it funny that you are acting afraid of a young woman,” she said once they were back in their rooms.
“She’s been throwing hints my way all week about getting me in bed. I’ll be busy fending her off, and not one hundred percent focused on you.”
Oh, she never thought of that. For some reason she didn’t like that idea of him in bed with another woman. Still, having him off balance was funny. She turned and faced him smiling. Then she patted him on his thick chest in a placating gesture. “I’m sure you’ll figure out a way. Something tells me you’ve had your share of fending off promiscuous women.” She went into her room. This may be the only time he seemed frustrated and she was going to enjoy it.
He pressed his mouth into a thin line and watched her receding back. That smart mouth again. He shook his head and pulled off his shirt while heading to the bathroom to shower. He bet she is as saucy as hell when there’s not an overshadow of tragedy in her life. He smiled. He liked this side of her. He wondered if she was that fiery in bed. “Sweet Jesus, Ryan.” He said out loud scolding himself. It was hard not to think of her that way though. She was his type; classy, beautiful, smart, and believe it or not, stubborn as hell. He was always attracted to strong woman, and Katya Nickolov was probably as perfect as it came to what he wanted.
That night he was ready and waiting for her when she came into his room. Without a word, he lifted the sheet and she got in next to him.
She tucked her head under his chin and closed her eyes. Her lashes were wet, but she wasn’t weeping this time. She was angry at herself that the night terrors affected her so much and that she had to seek out his company to help dispel them. She felt weak and this wasn’t like her at all. She wasn’t forward in this way and in fact quite shy intimately, but there was something about this man that made her feel safe and he’d hardly have to say a word to draw those feelings out of her. He seemed to understand that. She felt his arms around her drawing her close. His body was warmer than hers, and hard. His chest hair tickled her nose, but she didn’t care. She knew this wasn’t normal at all, but it seemed to be an unspoken secret between them and he accepted that it worked for her. She will still make time for the psychiatrist, but wasn’t going to say a word, except sit there. She missed today though, because she was off shooting guns. She fell asleep smiling.
Again, the next morning she awoke alone. She sat up and stretched feeling completely rested. Just then the door opened and he walked in. He was out running. His shirt had a vee of sweat down the front, and he had on grey cut-offs and running shoes. He must’ve really pushed himself because he’d barely broken a sweat with her and she was practically dying. “You should have woken me. I would have gone.”
He sat down and unlaced his runners. “You needed the sleep.” And he needed to work her out of his head. She had a rough night and his heart went out to her. She was relentless, and actually cried out a few times. He knew she wasn’t trying to come on to him by joining him last night or the night before. She was genuinely tortured by her memories. “Your future step mother accosted me in the stairwell. She wants to leave after you get up.”
She scrunched her face. “Don’t make jokes about that. She’s almost the same age as my sister.” An ache moved through her at the mention of her sibling. “What do you mean by ‘accosted’? Did she touch you?”
He sat erect and smirked. “What do you mean by ‘touched’. Does that include rubbing?”
“Ryan!”
“Swapping of body fluids?”
“Oh my God! You’re just rude!”
He cocked his head and lifted a single brow in amusement. “No, she didn’t.”
She narrowed her gaze, not believing him.
“I promise.” He knew he only had to say one word to Porsha and have her in his bed, but he rather liked his testicles where they were. It wasn’t as if Peter had affection for her, but its another control issue. He owned her and no one touched his stuff. Porsha probably had no idea how dangerous her boyfriend was or she wouldn’t be flirting so openly with him. Regardless, she wasn’t his type.
She breathed a sigh of relief. “Anyway, I would have liked to have gone jogging. I need the exercise Ryan.”
He stood up and pulled his t-shirt over his head. “You have nothing to worry about. You’re in great shape.” He said as he walked into his bathroom with his shirt balled in his hand.
Her mouth fell open. First, for the complement, and second, his body could melt frozen butter on a cold day. She’d not seen it in the daylight, only felt it at night and that didn’t do it justice. He didn’t have a six pack, he had a twelve pack! He had tattoos on his upper biceps and across his back. She’d glimpsed the ones on his arms before, but his back was covered with them. Somehow it made him more masculine, if that was even remotely possible. This man was the Weber’s definition of masculine. He was perfectly proportioned, in stature and brawn. Ryan’s back was equally impressive—muscular. He had a pair of cutoff sweatpants that hung low on his hips, showing that sexy dip in his lower back before it disappeared under the drawstring waistband.
She was literally sitting in his bed with her mouth hanging open. Thankfully he didn’t turn around and see that, because there was no way she could recover from that type of embarrassment.
She noticed a few distinct scars on his body. Her father had ones similar to those. He told her it was from falling off a motorcycle in his teens. Now she knew that was just another lie. They were injuries all right, but most likely from fighting someone, or hurting someone.
After the bathroom door closed she found her will to move and scooted out of his bed and into her room. That just wasn’t right in so many ways. That man was a walking seduction. She already knew it would take nothing for her to let him do whatever he wanted to her. She wasn’t brave enough to take that first step toward him. Also, he probably wasn’t remotely attracted to her despite what he’d said the day before. He was being kind because she practically put him on the spot. He’d had opportunities when she crawled in bed with him, but seemed completely numb to her presence. You’re a job. His voice rang out in her mind. She paused on that thought. She’d never been with a man before, and maybe he sensed that from her and didn’t expect her to throw herself at him like Porsha.
Porsha.
She would definitely speak to her if she saw her do anything remotely inappropriate with Ryan. She shut
her eyes. This wasn’t working. She was not one of those women that fell for her bodyguard because she’d had them all her life. Well, nothing to what Ryan was; handsome, sexy, and fully capable of rescuing her from a terrorist plot, but still. She needed to refocus and get back to healing.
She changed into a short yellow print skirt and white ruffled tank top. She went into the bathroom and brushed her hair, and put on some makeup.
When she finished, she went through the door into his room. He was back in a suit; light grey with a white shirt, but no tie this time. He was shoving guns into his holsters that were strapped around his shoulders.
“Are you worried?”
He lifted his foot on the bed and slid a small gun into holster strapped to his calf. “I’m preparing for anything Katya.”
There was the professional again; flat and unaffected.
“Go get something to eat.” He turned away retrieving something off his bedside table.
She nodded and walked by him. He turned and gripped her wrist. She looked down at the contact then at him in surprise.
“Here.” He pressed something cold and hard into her hand.
She inhaled sharply in wonder. It was a small gun, lightweight, and pink in color of all things. It was perfect! She slowly turned it over in her hand and immediately checked the safety. It was on.
“Good girl.” He said when he saw what she was doing. “It’s a 9 mm. It’s called a Nighthawk Lady Hawk. It’s made from lightweight metal and the grip is made smaller for women.”
She smiled up at him thrilled with the meaningful gift.
“You like it?”
It was beautiful. She nearly cried. “Yes. I love it, and it’ll fit in my purse.” She stuffed it in there elated that he got her something.
“It’s loaded Katya, so remember the rules.”
“I’ll never forget them.”
He handed her a slip of paper. “Your permit. It’s all legal.”
She saw the signature...it was hers! “How—”
“—Don’t ask. I won’t tell you.” He smirked.
She gaped at him, and then, at the permit again. This man was a complete mystery. “Okay.” How on earth did he procure a permit for her to carry a firearm? Oh, this man was full of surprises!
“Good. Now don’t take it with you, put it in your room for now. I don’t want you walking around town with it. I’ll take you to the gravel pit again soon so you can get comfortable with it. Then you can take it with you.”
She fished it back out. “Okay then.” She went back to her room and put it in the drawer of her bedside table. She stared at it a moment and slid her fingers over the grip, caressing it, before sliding the door closed slowly. She lifted her hand and wiped the tears that started to well up in her eyes. He may not realize it, but this little gift meant a lot to her. Oh, she’d gotten things in the past but they weren’t as thoughtful as this. Her father just bought things for her because they were expected not something she really wanted or needed. As far back as she could remember, she never got anything that had such thought put into it. She got really expensive things, but truth of it is, she would have been happy with something simple, less costly.
When she came back he was standing there waiting.
“Thanks Ryan.” She didn’t even ask him how the heck he got it without any of her father’s men knowing. She had already figured out that he had a way of doing things that went undetected by others. Maybe he met up with someone on his jog. Maybe it was Jackson. Regardless, it was something he’d done for her, and she loved it.
“You’re welcome.” He nodded toward the door. “Go eat.”
“I will.” She smiled wider. “I do love it.” She left with a light bounce in her step.
Porsha was a nightmare. She clung to Ryan the whole morning, and had her hands constantly on him. Kat was fuming. She’d probably touched him more times in the first hour than Katya did since he was hired for her. What was worse, Ivan was told to come along as Porsha’s protection. Only you wouldn’t know it by the way he insisted on helping her, or the way Porsha stayed near Ryan. She was also wearing the tightest dress possible without splitting the seams. It was blue to match her eyes, and she was practically spilling out of the top of it. It didn’t help Katya’s jealousy seeing that the woman had an incredible figure. Knowing how her father preferred them, it shouldn’t be a surprise, but it never bothered her before. She grew up around his girlfriends.
Now it did.
Ryan belonged to her.
In the car, Porsha made sure she sat directly next to him. It was so close she was almost on his lap. She also made sure her purse took up the rest of the room near her so Kat had to sit elsewhere.
Ryan never said a word even when she talked non-stop. He actually looked as though he was interested in what she had to say. Then here she was sitting across from him with Ivan staring at her, almost begging her for attention with his eyes. It was actually beginning to unnerve her. She hated him so much. She folded her arms across her chest and stared out the window.
Now she knew this had nothing to do with girl-time. Porsha wanted time with Ryan. Well, she shouldn’t have been so naïve. Of course it was and Porsha was the type of woman to manipulate to get what she wanted. It was all she knew.
After the car came to a stop along the curb, Katya slapped Ivan’s hand when he went to help her out of the car. “Miss Nickolov, your father—“
“My father hired security for me.” She stated angrily. “I don’t want you near me.” She got out on her own, turned and marched off. She was actually tempted to use her new gun on him, but she didn’t have it with her. How many people did Ivan kill on her father’s orders? How many families were destroyed by him?
Ryan followed closely behind with Porsha hanging off his arm.
Ivan relented and flanked Porsha’s other side.
That’s the way it was the whole outing. Kat leading and the three behind, from boutique to boutique; chin out, back straight and with strength in her graceful walk. Ryan thought she was incredible. He was certain this was her true self; stubborn, elegant, and sexy. It only needed anger to have it come out. You’d never know that she’d experienced a trauma a short few weeks ago. Look at her now marching ahead of them independently with the material of her skirt tightening over her bottom with every tenacious step. Jesus, he felt as though he needed a cigarette, and he didn’t smoke.
Neither man spoke to one another the whole morning. Although there were challenging stares exchanged. Ryan already knew the man was as jealous as hell when it came to Katya. He was dreaming. He was twice her age for one thing, and, a complete idiot. She was too classy for him. Yet, he thought because he worked for a thug like Peter Nickolov that it inflated him; made him smarter and powerful. Well, he would have the rug pulled out from under him when Ryan took down Nickolov’s empire.
Ivan paid for the items at each boutique they stopped in with a credit card. Ryan was collecting the bags when Ivan finally said something.
“You can’t have her,” he mumbled while signing the bill.
Ryan never said anything as he considered the older man. His expression remained passive and he stayed silent until Ivan finally lifted his head to meet his eyes due to the lack of response. Once Ryan let him see the coolness in his own eyes he answered him. “Neither can you.” He turned with an armload of packages and walked toward the women. He didn’t need to be told who ‘her’ was. Kat looked incredible today, especially when she was really really pissed off. Oh, he knew she was. You’d have to be blind not to. She was shooting daggers at all three of them for the last two hours. He knew he’d get the wrath later for the attention Porsha was showering him with, but he rather liked her angry. She was as sexy as hell.
Katya tried things on, but refused to buy anything. She would not let her father pay for anything for her anymore. She had a small inheritance from her mother that she got when she turned twenty-one, and that’s what she used to pay for her final year at university
.
When she finally received her degree, she would disappear. She wanted as far away from him and his organization as possible.
Porsha chatted nonstop while they waited by the doors of the boutique. Katya was tired and hungry and her ears were ringing from Porsha’s constant yapping. She tried blocking her out by looking somewhere else in the shop. She saw the men exchange words, but couldn’t hear them over Porsha’s nattering in her ear. Finally, she’d had it and held up her hand cutting her off. “Porsha, I know you get lonely being in that big house by yourself, and my father has this incredible habit of ignoring women under the same roof as him, but Mr. Casey is not your plaything.”
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me. Now, I don’t mind being your friend, because I know what my father is like, but keep your hands to yourself. Got it?”
Porsha’s mouth fell open.
“Keep them off Ryan. You’ve been petting him like a homeless puppy for the last hour.” Porsha was actually speechless, and from the blush entering her cheeks, embarrassed. Katya almost smiled. It was the first quiet she got since they started out that morning.
“Kat! Get down!”
She turned toward Ryan at the sound of his sharp voice. He dropped all of the parcels and lunged at her, just as the familiar sounds of gunshots rang out.
Pop! Pop! Pop!
Glass exploded around them as he slammed her to the floor. She yelped in pain. He was heavy. The salesladies were screaming and trying to get out of the way of the spray of glass and bullets.
“Stay down!” he breathed in Kat’s ear. He drew his gun and rolled to his knees to see above the sill of the broken window. She tried to get up and he shoved her back down roughly. She whimpered in pain. There were shards of glass poking her through her clothing. “I said stay down! Ivan?”
“Behind you.”
Ryan nodded but didn’t turn around. He scanned the street as people were still running around. They didn’t know what from, but gunshots in a rich shopping district can cause panic any day. He’d seen the familiar black sedan cruising slowly by, and then the window rolled down. He knew what would follow. Thankfully he reacted in time. Right now she was covered in broken glass, but she was alive.