“What?”
“He lost Sanchuk. No one knows where he is now.”
Well, shit. That was not welcome news.
But why didn’t he tell me about any of this sooner?
Did Brody know? Jude? Were they all keeping this from me?
“What do you mean, ‘no one’?” I asked.
“None of my guys can find him. Jude’s had some guys on it, too. No one’s managed to track him down.”
My mouth opened. I wanted to say very angry things about that. I did not like the guys handling all this shit behind my back and leaving me in the dark.
But he spoke first.
“I just want to be sure I’ve got eyes on you at all times,” he said quickly, “until we know where he is and that he’s not gonna be a problem.” He looked like he wanted to take me in his arms… but he couldn’t. “Let me just concentrate on that for now.”
Fuck. I sympathized with him. I really did.
I knew he just wanted to make sure he was doing what was best for me.
“Okay,” I agreed, kind of shell-shocked by this information. I was annoyed. Frustrated. And a little frightened, honestly.
I knew I was safe.
But it still creeped me out.
I didn’t care about not knowing where Blair was. But knowing that he’d basically disappeared didn’t sit well.
What did it mean?
“Besides, if I’m your date…” Ronan’s gaze dropped, scanning my cleavage. “I’m gonna be all kinds of distracted. I’m distracted enough just watching your ass. So to speak.” His eyes met mine again.
He was flirting with me to change the subject. I knew that.
I fell for it anyway.
“Well, make sure you keep a close eye on it.” I smirked, trying to let him know I wasn’t freaked out by any of this. I didn’t want him any more worried about me than he already was.
Then I turned and sashayed away, enjoying the feeling of his eyes on my body.
As long as Ronan was watching my back… I felt pretty damn untouchable.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Ronan
I woke up in the morning to the sound of the doorbell ringing.
I was in Summer’s bed, as usual, with her naked body flung half over mine. She groaned sleepily.
I was instantly alert.
The clock on her bedside table said it was just past ten in the morning. We’d blissfully slept in. Probably needed to after the round of aggressive sex we’d had on the stairs up to her bedroom, before stumbling the rest of the way up to bed.
That was at three a.m. or something.
I slid out from under her, whispering in her ear, “Take your time, babe. I’ll see who it is.”
She mumbled something unintelligible, buried her face in a pillow and sighed.
I pulled on last night’s jeans, which were on the floor. I was still doing up my belt as I took a look out the front window at the driveway below.
A new-looking silver Mercedes was parked in the driveway, glinting in the morning sun.
I jogged down the stairs, pulling on my shirt along the way, which I found on the stairs at the scene of last night’s screwing. I buttoned it up. Then I did my best to finger-smooth my hair, and looked through the frosted glass window next to the front door.
I could make out the forms of a couple of people. One was a woman with a handbag on her arm. She was leaning in, trying to peer through the window.
I unlocked the door and opened it a few inches. A couple stood outside. Maybe early fifties. Both of them were attractive and fit. Well-dressed, salon-coiffed hair. Looked like they’d just come from a country club with a severe dress code and insultingly high annual dues.
The man swept his designer sunglasses off as I opened the door wider. Before I could speak, he said, “We’re here to see Summer,” in a gruff voice. “You can tell her her father is at the front door.”
Oh… shit.
Pale-blue eyes pretty much exactly like Summer’s swept over me with a look of bowel-quaking disapproval. He had broad shoulders, a similar stature to my own. In his younger days, he might’ve given me a run for my money.
Same thing he was thinking, I was pretty sure.
Which was when I realized he assumed he was staring down a man who’d fucked his daughter last night.
Not incorrectly.
Shit, it was way too early for this. Did I have crusties in my eyes?
Had I zipped up my fly?
“Of course,” I said, clearing the morning frog from my throat and extending my hand. “I’m Ronan Sterling, Summer’s bodyguard.”
Her father’s critical demeanor shifted, his jaw unclenching as he absorbed that information.
“Oh! How lovely to meet you.” Summer’s mom took the offered hand, and my gaze shifted to her. “I’m Joanne.” She was pretty, with whitish-blonde hair, but didn’t look much like Summer. She did look like Justice, though.
I shook her hand firmly but gently. “Good to meet you, ma’am. Please, come in.”
I stepped aside to let them in, discreetly checking my fly. Zipped, thank Christ.
Since when did parents drop in on their grown-up kids, unannounced?
Since right now, apparently.
I locked the door behind them, and Summer’s father looked me up and down, with zero subtlety. Finally, he offered his hand. “Ronan, is it?”
“That’s right, sir.”
“Gunnar Sorensen,” he introduced himself. “How long have you been working for my daughter?”
“Oh, Gun,” his wife said. “Let’s get our shoes off and pause the inquisition. I’m sure Summer will fill us in.” She smiled at me, obviously accustomed to her husband’s protectiveness of their daughter.
Honestly, I didn’t mind it.
“I’d be happy to answer any questions you have about the work I’ve been doing here,” I assured them both. I held out my hand, guiding them into the living room. Thankfully, there was no party here last night, so I didn’t need to scan for abandoned bras or rubber dicks or hash pipes.
I’d found all kinds of shit in the house after Summer’s friends came by.
“I believe Summer’s still asleep,” I told them as they took a seat. “But I can go knock on her door.”
They watched me as I headed down the hall, not waiting to see what they thought of that.
When I got upstairs, I walked straight into Summer’s room and crawled over her on the bed. I licked her earlobe, then caught it in my teeth. She groaned. Her hand snaked over the sheet and up my thigh, seeking my cock. She found my balls and squeezed gently. I groaned a little myself and pressed into her hand.
She started shifting her body toward me and I whispered in her ear, “Your dad’s here.”
Summer yelped and sat up so fast she pinched my balls as she did it.
“Ouch,” I grunted, and she snatched her hand back.
“Get your junk out of my hand!” she cried, tossing the sheet off her naked body.
I chuckled, adjusting myself. She’d already gotten me half-hard. “You put your hand there yourself, sweetheart.”
She sprang out of bed in a panic. “There’s no time for that. My dad’s downstairs? Are you sure?”
“Unless you know another well-dressed couple who look just like you and your brother, and like to go around introducing themselves as Joanne and Gunnar Sorensen—”
“Mom’s here, too?”
“Yup.” My gaze trailed down her naked body as she stood there, pushing the hair out of her face and looking horrified.
Fuck, she was gorgeous.
Those goddamn curves…
“Please, please make them coffee,” she begged me, “and tell them I’ll be right down. I need to wash the sex off me!” Then she disappeared into the bathroom in a naked blur.
Well, that was interesting.
I checked myself in the mirror over the dresser, smoothing my hair a little better and making sure I was presentable. I kinda smirked to mys
elf as I headed back downstairs.
I’d never seen Summer scramble around like that, for anyone.
Summer’s parents were right where I’d left them, talking quietly. They fell silent when I walked in the room.
“Summer’s up now,” I told them, putting my security guy voice back on. “She said she’ll be down in a few minutes. Can I make you a coffee?”
“That would be lovely,” her mom said.
Her dad just watched as I made myself comfortable in the kitchen, and no doubt, he noticed how I knew where everything was.
“Are you living here?” he asked me.
“Darling,” Summer’s mom said.
“I am,” I answered. “I have the guest room up the hall.” I pointed down the hall that was on the opposite side of the house from the one that led to Summer’s bedroom, for emphasis. “The one in front, looking out on the garden.”
“Oh, isn’t that nice,” Summer’s mom said. “I always liked that room. I put in that garden with Summer when she bought the house.”
“She told me. It’s beautiful.” Yeah, so maybe I was kissing up just a bit.
Joanne smiled, elbowing her husband gently.
“You were about to tell us how long you’ve been working for our daughter,” he said, and his wife sighed.
“My husband isn’t one for small talk,” she apologized.
“That’s fine,” I said. “Neither am I.” I’d put the coffee on to brew, and joined them in the living room, taking a chair across from the couch where they sat.
And that was when I noticed the neon-green condom in a see-through packet sitting an inch from Joanne’s foot, half-tucked under the edge of the couch.
Great.
I really fucking hoped they were used to seeing shit like that in their daughter’s house, and therefore wouldn’t necessarily assume that I’d drilled her on that couch with a neon-green dick last night.
“Summer and her manager, Brody Mason, hired me to provide personal protection for her about three weeks ago,” I told them.
“Three weeks?” her mom said, sitting forward. Which meant, presumably, they’d had no idea.
Until now.
Summer still hadn’t told them about… any of it?
I’d stopped asking about that, but she’d told me she was planning to tell her bother and he’d tell them. For whatever reason, she really didn’t seem to want to tell them herself.
“I spoke with my son last night,” Gunnar informed me. “He mentioned that Summer had some sort of issue here, that someone had tried to break into her house. I called her last night but she didn’t get back to me. So naturally, Joanne and I were on the first ferry over here this morning.”
“We live in Victoria,” Joanne explained.
“Summer mentioned that,” I told her. “She didn’t tell you about me yet?”
“She didn’t,” her dad supplied.
“Well, I don’t think your daughter likes asking for help.” I figured if they knew her at all, they knew that already. “She didn’t seem to want to admit that she needed any, when Brody first suggested they hire me.”
“That sounds like my girl,” her dad said, sounding proud and annoyed at once.
“So, what happened?” her mom asked. “What’s all this about a break-in?”
“A man tried to break in here, the night before Brody decided my services were required,” I told them. I didn’t see a reason not to. “He called me when it happened and I responded. The police had already come and gone and arrested the suspect. He was released the next day, and we requested a restraining order. It’s been put in place now, for a year.”
“A year?” Joanne said. “That’s all?” She looked at her husband. “A man tries to attack our daughter and all he gets is a restraining order for a year?”
“We have no evidence that he was planning to harm her,” I said, wanting to put them at ease while still sticking to the facts. “It was an attempted break-in. That’s all we know for sure. The important thing is that Summer is safe now. I’m with her around the clock, and I’ve got a team of staff to help when needed. No one’s getting near her anymore without my say so.”
I looked her father in the eye.
“And what are your credentials?” he asked me.
His wife looked annoyed with his bluntness, but she also looked like she wanted the answer to that question, so she didn’t interject.
“I run a security firm, Sentinel Security Group.” I dug a couple of business cards out of my wallet and handed one to each of them. “We’ve been providing elite bodyguard services, along with event security for Summer’s industry, for over thirty years. I’ve been with Sentinel for almost twenty years, and I took the company over from my uncle last year. I’ve worked for Brody many times over the years…”
Summer strode into the room and I faded off. She wore a loose, billowy silk jumper, midnight-blue, with her hair in a loose bun on top of her head and a little makeup on. Fresh-faced and lovely.
“Mom!” She threw out her arms as her parents got to their feet to greet her.
I stood up, too.
“Summer, sweetie.” Her mom took her in a tight hug, then released her.
“Hi, Daddy,” she said, giving her dad a hug. He gave her a tight squeeze, then kissed her on the forehead.
“Princess,” he said. “You didn’t tell us about the bodyguard.”
“Or the break-in,” her mom scolded gently.
“It wasn’t a break-in,” Summer said firmly. “He tried to break in, but he failed. The police came. They brought a dog unit. It was fucking amazing.” She headed into the kitchen, pulling out coffee mugs.
Joanne pressed a hand to her chest. “Summer. My goodness. Why didn’t you tell us about all this?”
“The dog caught him,” Summer said lightly but matter-of-factly. “The police arrested him. Brody came and Ronan came.” She laid out sugar and cream on the bar with the mugs, then pressed her hands flat on the bar, staring her parents down. “I’ve got security now. As you can see.” She nodded at me, and her parents looked at me again. “Ronan’s extremely good at his job. He’s a mixed martial arts trainer. He takes no shit, even from me, and he keeps me safe. You do not need to worry about me.”
Gunnar made a disagreeable sound in his throat, and Joanne elbowed him again. Then she drifted over to the bar and sat down across from Summer. “Sweetie. How could we not worry?”
“Simple. You just don’t. There’s no need. Would you guys like some homemade scones? Carissa brought them yesterday, and you know I don’t do empty calories.” She went to the cupboard to get plates.
“Sure, baby,” her mom said. “Let me help.” She got up to help Summer, needlessly, with putting scones out on the bar and pouring coffee.
I stayed where I was, standing in the living room a few feet from her father. I slipped my hands in my pockets, trying to do the invisible-security-guy routine, as Summer’s mom fussed over her in the kitchen and her dad kept eying me.
I wondered if they always called her “princess” and “sweetie,” or if this was a post-attempted-break-in outpouring of love and parental guilt.
I wondered at which point I should leave them to some privacy.
“Really, Mom,” Summer said. “Stop fussing. I’m completely safe.”
On that note, her dad turned to me and said, “And what, exactly, are you doing to keep my daughter safe?”
Summer met my eyes. And for once, she didn’t have a sassy quip to offer. She just bit her lip and raised her eyebrows at me.
That look seemed to say Please help, or Don’t fuck this up.
I wasn’t sure which.
“Why don’t I show you, sir?” I offered, nodding toward the front door.
Gunnar glanced at his daughter, who smiled a little. Then he made a little grudging noise of agreement in the back of his throat and went to put his shoes on.
Summer mouthed Thank you at me.
I nodded and led her dad out the front door.
I took my time showing Summer’s father around the exterior of the house. I figured Summer and her mom would appreciate the alone time for girl talk. And her dad, despite the polished loafers and baby-blue argyle dress socks, definitely seemed like the hands-on type. The I’ll-believe-it-when-I-see-it-with-my-own-damn-eyes type.
So I took him around and personally showed him the alarm system. The new locks on the doors and the high-security keys. The new motion sensor lights I’d had installed around the yard.
Along the way, I fielded a barrage of questions about my experience, my company, my business partners, my employees, my special skills training, and even the neighborhood where I grew up. Summer’s father seemed particularly interested in knowing about my father, and at that point I steered the conversation toward my uncle, who was way more impressive both on paper and in real life.
In the side yard, Gunnar came to a stop next to the fence. He put his hand on the new post I’d put in. I hadn’t had a chance to stain it to match the others yet.
“What happened here?” he said gruffly.
“There was a rotten fence post there.”
He eyed me. “I know there was a rotten fence post.”
“I replaced it.”
He examined the post, checking out my work. “You did this yourself?”
“I did. Bodyguard duty can be… a little dry,” I explained. “Especially when your daughter’s locked in her studio for hours at a time. I like to keep busy.”
He bent down to inspect the fence some more. Then he straightened, eying me again. He slipped his hands in his pockets and gazed up at the house.
“This attempted break-in,” he said. “Was that the whole story you gave my wife and I inside? Or was there more to it?”
“Like what?” I asked.
He gave me a narrow look that told me he could smell bullshit a mile away. “Is my daughter keeping anything else from me?”
“I think she really meant it when she said she wants you not to worry about her,” I said. Out of respect for Summer, I wanted to honor her privacy.
But I also respected a man’s need to know his daughter was safe. And having to ask me for answers was probably frustrating as shit.
Sweet Temptation: A Players Rockstar Romance (Players, Book 3) Page 34