Rising swiftly, he grabbed a tee-shirt out of the drawer and tugged it on along with a ratty pair of shorts. Sliding his feet into his gym shoes, he checked his SIG and strapped it into an underarm holster. Sliding a small knife into a sheath strapped to his ankle, he stood and stretched. Quickly he swept the house again before exiting the front door. Putting in the code, he slipped out and waited for the faint acceptance of the rearming chime. Turning his face toward the second floor of darkened windows, he felt a clench in his belly. He hated to leave her, even for a few minutes but he had to do this. Normally, he used the treadmill in Joselyn's little basement home gym to get his daily five-mile run. Today, it wouldn't be enough. He needed to check the neighborhood. He convinced himself it was being diligent but he knew it was because of the way she had melted last night. He had to do something and he needed to clear his head.
Doing a couple of stretches to loosen his muscles, he jogged to the road, turned left and out into the neighborhood. With a chin lift, he acknowledged Sam in the guardhouse as he passed. The guard waved then went back to watching something on a small laptop. River frowned. He knew it was allowed by Joselyn's HOA but he didn't like it. He much rather the guards pays closer attention even if they were mostly nonessential.
Immediately, his thoughts turned toward Joselyn. She was beautiful, feisty and so strong. Until last night, he would have thought nothing could shake her but now he knew better. He couldn't get the haunted look in her eyes out of his mind. One minute she had been happy, laughing and joking with him at dinner and the next, it was all she could do to not fall to pieces. He hated seeing her that way. She had an undeniable spark which made him sometimes wonder if she truly needed him. Not that he didn't think she was in danger. No, the toxicology report on those strawberries assured him she did need help. The events last night solidified it. However, until they found her new gift, she seemed so unshakeable. The note and honey left on his truck had shattered her. He grimaced as he recalled the blood draining from her face and her body trembling as he held her against him. Last night hadn't only scared her, it had terrified her.
Rounding a corner, he disappeared into the next cul-de-sac, following the road. The neighborhood was quiet. She had chosen well in making a home here. With a few tweaks, he had made sure she was as secure as she could be. Pushing himself to go a bit faster, he noted absently how this area was not as well lit as Joselyns. He looked up to see the street lamp out. Glancing down quickly, he didn't see any glass littering the roadside so it was probably a few days old. He made a mental note to let Sam know when he returned to the main gate.
Returning his thoughts to her, he began to mentally categorize what he knew about her stalker. Other than an obvious fascination with both Joselyn and the 'The Gardener', they didn't have much to go on. Maybe he should contact her former handler in WitSec to get his spin on things. He nodded to himself. Yeah, that would be a great place to start.
Reaching the final road leading to the smaller, unmanned, secondary gate, he continued down and around. The first night here, he had run this same route, familiarizing himself with her neighborhood. The houses in this section were the newest and backed up against a high, stone privacy wall. A park spread out beyond it. Cutting across the yard of an empty house for sale, he reached the wall and pushed himself to the top. The wall itself was about a foot wide and had tall metal poles topped with lights. Looking over the edge, he noted someone would have to have a ladder to breach this barrier as the ground dropped away a good twelve feet to the manicured playground below. He glanced up the length of the wall and noticed a gate atop a set of gently curving rock steps with a digital pad for residents to use if they wanted to escape into the area. He nodded. The gate, like the other two, had bars too close together to let anything other than a small animal through. Satisfied all was as it should be, he jumped lightly from the wall and retraced his steps back.
By the time he saw the guard house again, a fine sweat covered his body. Stopping to tell Sam about the lamp, he retreated to Joselyn's house. A sense of relief washed over him as he stepped onto her drive. The run had only been about two miles but he didn't feel like leaving her again. He had needed to check the neighborhood to ensure himself everything was okay. Now he would complete his exercise on the treadmill in her house.
Letting himself in, he reset the code. Quickly, he checked all the rooms, doors and windows. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Stopping at his room, he removed the knife and sheath but kept the SIG with him. Hesitating briefly at the doorway of Joselyn's room, he watched her sleep for a few minutes. He frowned as she tossed and turned, making little sounds of distress. Maybe he should wake her? He took a step into her room then stopped. He recalled too well how she felt in his arms last night - tiny, afraid, trembling. The haunting fear in her eyes tore a hole in his gut. He was in deep and he knew it. He wanted her. There he said it. He wanted her with everything in his soul. It was too easy to imagine holding her, comforting her, being with her. She would make him happy, just by letting him be a part of her world. However, there were so many reasons why he couldn't and the biggest one was crystal clear. She was his client. He shook his head and retreated from her room.
His client.
Making his way to the basement, he set the machine and stepped on. Gradually he increased the tempo until it was at a fast run. He ran as hard as he could, punishing his body for thinking about her like that. He had no right to her. He was here to watch over her and to keep some schmuck from getting his hands on her. There could be nothing more. Once she was safe, she would go back to her life and he would try to find where he fit into his own world, post SEALs. After fifteen minutes running at such a grueling pace, he hopped off. Gasping hard, he sucked in oxygen as fast as his aching lungs allowed. Snatching a towel, he wiped the sweat from his drenched face and threw it against the wall with a curse. Bending over, he braced his hands on his knees and closed his eyes. He couldn't run away from the truth. He had tried to distance himself but he was tired of fighting it.
Joselyn was his to protect.
His to care for.
His.
Chapter 8
Today was going to suck.
Joselyn checked her reflection in the mirror and sighed wearily. The little bit of sleep she'd gotten had been full of menacing dreams and outright nightmares. Her face told the story. Dark circles sat heavily under her eyes and there were worry lines showing between her carefully arched brows. She searched through her makeup until she found a tube of concealer and applied it liberally to the area until the darkness lightened to a manageable level. A few drops of eye wash and she was ready to go.
She checked her forest green sweater and dark wash jeans in the mirror. A smile flittered across her face. Paired with her favorite boots, she gave off an air of approachable perfection. She wanted her fans to be unafraid of talking to her. Pulling her hair back with a black and green headband, she checked herself again and nodded. "Ready or not, here I go," she muttered as she reminded herself book signings were a favorite part of this new career.
Grabbing bags full of swag she would give out, she made her way downstairs. River was waiting by the door. His eyes widened and he gave her one of those slow grins that heated her. "Wow. You look great."
She blushed. "Thank you." Her eyes slid over his body and she had to admit to herself that River looked pretty awesome himself. Wearing an eye matching blue dress shirt, sleeves rolled to mid-arm, and dark slacks, he pulled off the casual look perfectly. His ever-present gun sat prominently on his right hip in what he called, 'a quick release holster.' Normally she was not a gun enthusiast but on him, it looked dangerous but capable. She dragged her sight from his hips upward to his face. He had shaved this morning, leaving the ghost of a beard and his deep black hair was just a little shaggy. Not for the first time, she wondered about his hair length. She had always assumed military men wore their hair 'high and tight' but River's brushed his collar. Shaking herself, she cleared her throat. She cou
ld gather wool over her sexy bodyguard some other time. "I'm ready. The books should be waiting there and I have the gifts here."
He took two steps and gently pulled the bags from her hands. "I'll get this," he murmured.
She let him pull them from her fingers but he didn't move. Instead, he stared at her, his eyes slowly taking in her features. She swallowed under the heat of his perusal until she couldn't keep his gaze any longer. She wanted to reach out and touch his face, to cup his cheek in her palm and feel the rough scruff of his jaw. She wanted to touch her lips to his and see if he tasted as exotic as she thought. She wanted to feel his arms around her again and to get lost in his quiet strength. She wanted so much and none of it was for her. He had made it abundantly clear. She forced herself to turn and walk toward the door. It wouldn't do any good for her to wish and want when she couldn't have what she needed.
During her study of him, she swore something had changed between last night and now. She wasn't' sure exactly what it was but it confused her. When she went to bed last night, broken and frightened, he had been so distant. Now? She shook her head. He seemed softer somehow. No, not soft exactly. Maybe the appropriate word would be accessible. She sighed. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw him studying her with an unreadable expression. There was heat there and something almost tender in the way he watched her. Knowing there was a stalker out there waiting for her, she should feel afraid; instead, she felt precious and important. Even cared for.
Pushing it from her mind she fixed a bright smile on her face. "You ready? I hate to be late and we don't know what the traffic will be like."
He drew in a breath and let it go. "Joselyn, I really don't like you going to this."
She laughed. "I know. You've told me this for the past four hours. Book signings are important and I can't blow it off. You talked to the security guard at the bookstore and you'll be right there glaring at anyone who gets close to me. I'll be fine." She rested her palm on his arm but pulled away when tingles shot through her arm from the brief contact.
If he felt the shock, he didn't let on. Instead, he motioned her ahead and followed her. She watched as he locked the door and listened for the chirp signaling the alarm was armed. Together, they went to his truck. She slid into the passenger side as he piled the bags in the back seat. Within minutes, they were on their way through the suburbs of New Orleans. He flipped the radio on and she couldn't help but smile as he hummed along with the song on the radio, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel. Moments like this she could almost pretend they were two ordinary people, out together on a date without a care in the world. Relaxing against the leather seat, she watched him. Rugged, handsome and protective - all were perfect adjectives to describe him. Suddenly, he looked over at her and flashed her a beautiful smile. Her heart hitched in her chest as she answered his smile with one of her own. When he was at ease and comfortable, he was so darn gorgeous he took her breath away. Reaching over, she dared to touch his leg. He tensed but relaxed. Yes, for a moment, they could pretend they were normal. After the craziness of her life lately, normal sounded pretty great to her. The moment ended when he pulled into the parking lot of the giant bookstore. As soon as the truck stopped, the ease lifted and the Frost Giant was back. She understood the reasoning but she mourned the loss.
For the next two hours, she signed books, talked to her fans and took copious amounts of pictures with them. Throughout it all, River stood behind her, arms crossed and a permanent scowl on his face. Glancing over her shoulder she saw him scan the crowded room and she knew he wasn't happy. She shrugged. He would have to get over it.
"Ms. Chambers, is he a model for the next book cover? He looks exactly how I imagined John Michaels to be. Deidre's boyfriend is so hot and yummy!"
Joselyn was taking a drink of water and almost choked. Coughing she wiped her watering eyes and shook her head. "No, he's not a cover model." She grinned mischievously. "He's hot enough to be one though isn't he?" She winked at the forty-something woman who sighed dreamily as she gazed at him. With a chuckle, Joselyn signed the book and handed it back to her. Behind her, River snorted.
The line snaking through the store and out the door slowly dwindled to nothing. Finally, she was able to stretch her back. Now she could take a few minutes and confirm a few emails, including one sent by the store owner for another signing in a few weeks. Opening her purse, she searched for her cell phone and growled. Where was it?
"You okay?" River asked her low.
"I can't find my cell phone. "
He frowned. "Where was the last place you had it?"
She thought for a moment. "Last night at the restaurant. We were trying to remember who starred in that movie and I looked it up." She dug through her purse again. "Great, just great. I have my notes, all my contacts. Oh God, the pictures of my dad." She started to panic and rifled through her purse again.
"Maybe you took it out and put it on the charger?"
She shook her head. "No, I left my purse on the table by the door. I didn't touch it until we left to come here. I haven't even opened my purse until now. It was still zipped. "
He squeezed her shoulder. "Calm down. I'll go check in the truck. You probably dropped it. Stay here, I'll be right back."
He jogged out the door.
Joselyn placed her purse back on the floor under the table and smiled at the next person in line. "Hi. How would you like this?"
She signed the book along with the next two before River returned. "I looked all through the truck; it's not there so I called the restaurant. They checked around and even had someone run out to the parking lot. I'm sorry."
She sighed and forced a smile. "It's okay. It was an old one anyway and past time to upgrade. I just hope it backed up recently."
He looked a little upset but gave a quick chin drop. "It's ten to three now. You're almost done. I'll feel better once we are out of here."
"Okay," she whispered before she greeted the next person. Taking the proffered novel, she smiled at the owner and hastily scribbled on the title page.
Suddenly, from behind, she heard a quick intake of breath which made the tiny hairs on her arms rise. Joselyn glanced over her shoulder and saw River tense, his eyes narrowed to the right. Following his gaze, she saw a slight man dressed in black with a hoodie pulled low over his brow and wearing dark sunglasses. He was staring at her and she felt chills race down her back. "River," she murmured softly with a tiny hitch in her voice.
"I see him," he replied and took off at a brisk stride.
She sat still, pen in one hand and book opened to the title page in the other. She held her breath as River reached the man and spun him around, pushing him against a wall and spilling a display of DIY books. Joselyn sprang to her feet and covered her mouth with both hands. Was this her stalker? Hurrying over, she stood close by as the entire store silenced and people gawked at the intense scene unfolding.
"Who are you and what do you want with my woman, I mean Joselyn... er... Ms. Kendrik. Why are you here bothering Ms. Kendrik?"
Joselyn's eyebrows disappeared in her hairline as a flock of butterflies took up residence in her belly. He had said, "my woman" before catching himself. "What do you mean?" she asked in a confused tone.
He flinched and shot her a look over his shoulder. With the hint of a shake, he conveyed to her his desire to not talk about it. She would acquiesce. For now. He gave her a grateful wink and turned his attention to the man shoved against the wall.
A funny kind of warmth spread through her body and the butterflies became hummingbirds. He'd called her his woman. She felt almost giddy at the words. To some, it may seem chauvinistic but she didn't care. He had claimed her, albeit unconsciously. Maybe he did feel the same way as her after all. She wanted to shout and twirl in circles. His woman. She knew there was probably a stupid grin on her face but she just couldn't bring herself to care. He'd called her his and no matter what, nothing could take that from her now.
Her attention strayed back t
o them as Maddox shook the man again. "Answer me. Why are you watching Joselyn?"
Around them, people were whispering and more than a few cell phones were out and recording. She groaned. This had YouTube written all over it.
The man swallowed and struggled. "Please, let me go," he whined.
The security guard pushed his way through the crowd and tried to pull River off the smaller one. He would have had more luck pulling a train off a track. "Hey now, don't be harassing the customers," he warned.
River ignored him. "I asked you who you are and why you are staring at Joselyn."
A tiny sound left his lips like a squeak. "I'm a huge fan. I... I... I was trying to get the nerve to ask for her autograph."
The words sounded strange. Almost high pitched. River must have come to the same conclusion. He pulled the hood down and knocked the sunglasses off his face.
It wasn't a man but rather a woman. Slight in stature with short mousey brown hair and big green eyes, she was even shorter than Joselyn and couldn't be more than nineteen or twenty. Realizing his mistake, River let her go with a muttered curse and an apology. Retrieving her warped sunglasses from the floor, he handed them back to her. She rubbed her arm and glared at him. Snatching the glasses from his hand, she thrust them into her pocket.
"Oh gracious, I'm so sorry." Joselyn advanced but River held her back. She glared at him. "She's a fan. You can't be manhandling them." Pushing past him, she placed a hand on the woman's shoulder. "Are you okay?"
The woman nodded then her mouth made a perfect "O". "You're... you're... Oh, my Gosh. I can't believe." The girl gushed. "I've read your books and all the short stories. I've friended you on Facebook and Instagram and I follow you on Twitter. You are the most amazing person ever."
Special Forces: Operation Alpha: Protecting Joselyn (Kindle Worlds) Page 6