“It’s a surprise,” Garrett said. “You wouldn’t let me hide you in a safe house, so this is second best. We’re in a bulletproof SUV—that’s tracker free, I might add. I had the vehicle checked. It wouldn’t do to have anyone follow us.”
“But where are we going?”
“I’ve arranged for a weekend away in Bel Air.” Garrett was getting a kick out of her reaction. “Let’s just say that a certain billionaire, a hedge fund manager who is grateful to Stealth, offered his place for the weekend.”
“So we can just take off and party all weekend? What about my stalker, shooter, or whatever he is?”
“Couldn’t be better.” Garrett grinned at her. “This home has the Stealth seal of approval. The billionaire, who prefers not to be named, has this place locked down tighter than Fort Knox. The walls of the building go deep into the ground to make them earthquake proof. And the bedroom is its own panic room. Once the doors shut, not a soul can get in.”
Marlene’s mouth was open and her eyes were big.
Garrett crossed his ankle over the opposite knee, feeling pretty relaxed. “Need I go on?”
“I think you’ve made your point.” Marlene wrinkled her nose. “How did you know whether I had plans or not?”
“Did you have plans for the weekend?”
“Only to be with you, it seems. But you could have asked.”
“This is much more fun. Besides, if I’d asked, you could have said no.”
“And this way I have no choice?”
“Exactly,” Garrett said. “But I don’t think you’ll complain too much when you see this place. It has pools, a theater, a gourmet kitchen, and much more.”
“So we’re cooking?”
“I didn’t say that. I made sure the cook left provisions for us. All we have to do is heat and eat,” Garrett said. “I prefer not to have any service staff around. If you’re recognized, that could be trouble.”
Marlene shook her head. “What about Samuel?”
“What about him? I sent him home. Anyone watching will see the limo go to your place, as usual. The back seat is blacked out, so no one can tell whether you’re in the car or not.” Garrett was rather pleased with himself. “All weekend, anyone stalking you can stare at your mansion, wondering when you’ll emerge.”
Marlene raised an eyebrow. “How long have you been planning this?”
“It was fairly spur of the moment. I heard about the availability and didn’t hesitate. The owner is out of the country. I’m not at liberty to share the details of our employment with him. But let’s just say that he wishes to show his appreciation for the safety of his wife and children.”
Marlene appeared to relax. It had to be good to know she’d be out of harm’s way for an entire weekend. “You see, if you’d let me take you to a safe house, you wouldn’t have to worry about the maniac pursuing you.”
Marlene tilted her head. “Um, don’t get carried away. The answer on that is still no. I’m not hiding. I have a movie to finish, remember?”
“How could I forget? Well, a weekend away will do you a world of good.” Garrett was in control now, which was just how he liked it.
They could see out the windows, although no one could see in. The SUV rolled up a long hill, winding along the driveway. Then it went into a tunnel that took them to the garage. The grounds were secured with motion detectors, and guards were stationed out of sight, in case they were needed.
Garrett opened the door for Marlene and they walked through a breezeway to a steel-reinforced elevator. It opened onto the main floor, and when they stepped out, even Garrett was impressed. He’d seen photos of the place, but they didn’t compare to the real thing.
Marlene walked around, then went over to look out the windows. The architecture was modern, and the home had a geometric design structure. The stark white walls contrasted with the blue furniture and the chrome tables. The exterior walls were windows that started at the floor and disappeared into the ceiling. Low music played in the background, a nice touch.
“I had James pack some of your things, so they are in the master suite.”
“That was thoughtful of you.” Marlene kicked off her shoes and walked barefoot over the polished wood floor, looking sexy as hell. “Is there any wine around here?”
“There’s an entire cellar full of it, and you can have anything you want.” Garrett observed her reaction, glad that he’d come up with this plan. Marlene glided toward him, appearing calm. Hiding out was a good stress reliever.
Garrett saw past Marlene’s regal posture, her movie star personality, and caught a glimpse of the real woman. He liked what he saw. “Right this way,” he said, and she took his arm.
Once they had the wine and glasses in hand, they found a comfortable sitting room with plush sofas. There was another wall of windows, and a white stone fireplace set at an angle. Garrett found the music controls and changed to something jazzier.
Then Garrett settled in a chair across from her. He opened the bottle of wine, and poured some for each of them. “I didn’t think you ever drank.”
“I don’t, but I’ll make an exception. I’m not anticipating having to wrestle an intruder to the ground.” Garrett lifted his glass, then clinked it against Marlene’s. “Here’s to staying out of sight.”
“I must say I approve. This is a great way to throw off my attacker.”
“Buckner can look forward to a long, boring weekend,” Garrett said, and took a sip of wine. The silky liquid slid down his throat, and he took another sip. “This is delicious.”
“I thought you’d like it.” Marlene had found some snacks in the kitchen, so they had cheese and nuts with their wine. “A girl could get spoiled this way.”
Garrett laughed. “You are spoiled.” He wished to spoil her even more.
While they drank and nibbled, Garrett enjoyed looking at Marlene. She was so beautiful, and he was content to look. She gazed back, her expression inviting, and his body responded. He hadn’t brought her away to seduce her, only to care for her.
If Marlene kept looking at him that way, he might give in to the urge to hold her. And that would lead to more, guaranteed. So Garrett shifted the focus. “So what happened when you talked to Nicholas? What was that all about?”
Marlene glanced away. “What do you mean?”
Garrett looked into her lovely green eyes. “I saw your face. What did he say to you?”
“You would notice. It’s not anything you need to hear about.”
Marlene was strong, independent, and she was used to handling problems on her own. But she didn’t have to, not as long as Garrett was there.
“You can share it with me,” Garrett said. “I won’t think you’re weak. You’ve had to face a lot in life, yet you continue on. That’s all anyone can ask.” He paused. “It’s all right to lean on someone. You don’t have to do it all alone.”
Marlene looked into his eyes, and hope flickered in her expression. “It’s too much. You wouldn’t understand.”
Garrett held her gaze. “Try me.”
Marlene hesitated, leaving him unsure if she’d tell him. Then she took a breath and set her glass on the table. “You say I’m strong, and I feel like you have me on some sort of pedestal. But I’m not as pure as you believe,” Marlene said.
Garrett couldn’t imagine what she was keeping from him. But whatever it was, it couldn’t rival the secrets he had. “I don’t expect you to be perfect,” he said. “I’m certainly not.”
“I feel tremendous guilt,” Marlene said. “I support charities, and I’m in a movie playing an emotionally wounded lover…left behind when her husband dies. But I have serious doubts about the nature of my role, thoughts I don’t share.”
Garrett’s heart wrenched at watching her agonize, when he couldn’t do a thing about it.
“I feel even worse with you as a central part of my life. You’re the last person I should share this with.”
“Why is that?”
“Because
you’re a hero, a soldier—your life is the military. You’re all that I admire, just like my own father and brother. But…” Marlene’s eyes met his. “I’ve lost my way. I’m torn. I don’t see the sense in it all anymore.”
Garrett was reminded of all that he’d seen, all that he’d done. It was more than she needed to hear, and most of it he couldn’t share anyway. But he did understand the strange sadness he saw in her eyes. He felt it too, deep in his heart.
“I’m horrified by the losses, and this movie I’m in drives that point home for me.” The pleading look in Marlene’s eyes got to him. “I’m conflicted, and unable to find the right emotion for my character.”
Garrett thought of the men he’d killed in battle. Many were fathers, brothers, husbands. But they had been the enemy. That was war; that was the cost.
A tear rolled down Marlene’s cheek. “I’m sorry. I really am. I shouldn’t feel this way. But it all seems so pointless.” She rubbed the tears away. “I know the necessity for war. We have to protect our country. But there’s a flip side, one that has personally affected me. Battles leave orphans and widows in its wake…sisters without brothers.”
Garrett felt her pain. “Like you?”
“Yes, like me, and so many others.” Marlene looked into his eyes.
Tears rolled down her cheeks, and Garrett opened his arms to her. “Come here, sweetheart.” She came to him and folded into his embrace. He wasn’t sure what to say, so all he could do was hold her. Her sobs came steadily until his shirt was soaked, and still he held her.
When Marlene calmed, they didn’t discuss it further. Garrett poured her another glass of wine, limiting himself to one. Despite what he’d said, he didn’t intend to be open to attack, even one that had a low probability of occurring. He was glad Marlene had shared her feelings; it was good to be trusted.
Garrett wanted to make her happy, even though he was the wrong guy to do it. Yet he sensed that something between them had changed. Marlene had opened up to him, dropped her tough-girl façade. She had a heart; she was a good person. He felt close to her.
*****
As Garrett comforted her, barriers melted away. There had been safety in the forbidden nature of their relationship. But with his strong arms around her, and tenderness in his eyes, Marlene found it impossible to resist him.
Garrett was her protector, her hero, and he’d stolen her heart, despite her best efforts to make sure that didn’t happen. Alone in the quiet fortress on top of a hill, out of harm’s way, Marlene was temporarily away from the harshness of life.
Marlene leaned against his rock-hard body and breathed in his masculine scent. Garrett was the only real thing, an anchor in a treacherous sea. He was controlling, yet caring—everything she wanted. Nothing else seemed to matter except their connection, the vibrant feeling that existed with him near.
When Garrett dug his hand in her hair, Marlene’s breath caught. She looked up into his eyes, the intensity of his gaze making her weak. His sky-blue eyes filled with lust, a hunger that she longed to satisfy. It flashed through her mind that having sex would put him in a bad light.
It violated his rules of employment. But Garrett didn’t seem concerned. Instead, he took charge. Marlene trusted him; any barrier between them had crumbled. She could reach out for him and he wouldn’t refuse her.
The lure of feeling his warm skin, touching his soft lips, consumed her. Marlene wasn’t asking for forever, just for one night—a night alone with Garrett to show him how she felt. No one had to know what they shared. Marlene would cherish the intimate moments with him, remember them long after. That would have to be enough.
Garrett touched his lips to hers, and electricity shot through her. Marlene trembled and a whimper escaped her lips. She dragged her fingernails over his scalp, through his silky hair, thrilling to the sensation. Then Garrett pressed deeper into the kiss, parting her lips with his tongue and delving into her mouth.
His tongue lashed against hers, and she moaned softly. Garrett tasted so good, all man with a hint of red wine. He kissed her with abandon, unleashing her desire. Marlene let her hands roam over his solid form, feeling the muscle underneath his clothes.
She wanted more; she wanted it all. Garrett was sexual in a way that unraveled her. His control and confidence weakened any resistance she clung to. To be taken by him was like a dream come true.
Garrett kissed her lips, her forehead, her cheeks, and her eyelids. He adored her with his mouth, his hot breath grazing her skin and making her tingle with excitement. He licked around the curve of her ear, then nibbled on the lobe, driving her crazy.
Heat flooded her belly, and she tensed in the most delicious way. Garrett’s hands roved over her body, loving each curve, knowing her intimately. Then he reached under her shirt to cup her breasts. “So lovely.” His words escaped in one breath just before he kissed her again, harder this time.
Marlene drank in his kisses, craving more. She put her hands on his strong shoulders, holding him close, as he pressed his mouth to hers. Then she couldn’t wait anymore, and he seemed to know. Garrett scooped her into his arms and carried her to the bedroom.
She nuzzled her face against his neck, kissing the tender skin there. The room was lit in a blue cast, illuminating a bed on a polished wood platform. She glimpsed toward the foot of the bed to see an aquarium that filled the entire wall. A soft blue glow backlit the exotic fish, swimming behind the glass.
Garrett lowered her until her bare feet touched the carpet. He held her face in his palms and looked into her eyes. “I want you,” he whispered. His gaze pierced into her, and Marlene’s skin tingled.
In a raspy voice, Marlene said, “Don’t make me wait any longer.”
Fire blazed in Garrett’s eyes, and he traced her lips with his thumb. “I’m yours, sweetheart.” He grabbed the hem of her shirt and pulled it off over her head. Then he leaned down and stroked his tongue over the mounds of her breasts.
Marlene shuddered and tipped her head back. Then he undid her lacy bra and it slid to the floor, leaving her exposed. Garrett cupped her breasts and took one nipple in his mouth, while he fingered the other with his thumb. The feel of his wet mouth on her made her come unglued.
Garrett licked across her nipples, then kissed her lips. Marlene reached under his shirt and put her palms against his hard chest. Her nipples peaked harder, and warmth filled her. Garrett removed the shirt and she stared at his sculpted form. Then she stroked her palms down his chest and over the ridges of his abdomen.
Their lips met, passion exploding with a fury. Garrett shed the rest of his clothes without releasing her from the kiss. Then he peeled off her pants and underwear. He stilled for a moment as his gaze roamed over her naked form, a caress of its own.
“You’re gorgeous.” Garrett’s eyes glistened with need, and his arousal was evident.
Marlene looked at him in all his masculine glory, awestruck with his form. Garrett was solid muscle, as if carved from stone. Taut skin stretched over the dips and valleys of the striations, and a trail of hair went from his low belly downward.
The sight of him hard and ready for her made her breathless. Marlene reached out and wrapped her hand around his erection. He was so hot, and his skin was like velvet over steel. Garrett groaned when she stroked him, squeezing and unwilling to let him go.
Garrett spoke in a guttural voice, and she loved the sound of it. “You’re going to have to stop that, sweetheart, or I won’t last.”
Then he put his hands on her waist and lifted her to the bed. Marlene sat on the edge and Garrett parted her thighs. He knelt in front of her and kissed her sex, then licked her as if she was a goddess. She thrust her fingers into his hair, and Garrett flicked his tongue over her most sensitive spot.
Marlene cried out. It had been too long, and she wanted him so badly. “Yes, sweetheart, I want your pleasure.” Then he swirled his tongue just so, and sucked alternately, until she released against his hot lips. Waves of pleasure coursed through her
, and when they subsided, she fell back against the mattress.
Garrett hovered over her, his hands on the bed beside her head, and kissed her sweetly. The taste of her cream on his lips was a turn-on, and she wanted more. Marlene wrapped her legs around his waist to pull him closer. With his arms around her, Garrett lifted her fully onto the bed, with her head on a pillow.
Then he reached into a side drawer and retrieved a condom. His sexy smile warmed her heart. “Full-service accommodations,” he said, then rolled the sleeve over his thick erection. Straddling her, Garrett kissed her deeply, and she reached between them to feel his heat.
Marlene gazed into his handsome face, watching his eyes fill with emotion as he dipped into her. “Oh, God,” she gasped. “You feel so good.” She arched her back to take him deeper.
Garrett dipped inside, filling her and igniting her need. She clenched over him, holding on, wanting his pleasure as much as her own. With a shove, Garrett went deep, and Marlene’s breath was ragged as he stroked her. She wanted the moment to last and last, yet craved the pinnacle of sensation.
The slow, sexy loving exploded into wild abandon. Garrett thrust hard, still looking into her eyes. And Marlene reached behind to cup his round, firm ass and let her hands drift over the backs of his muscular thighs. When she raked her fingernails down his back, he grabbed her wrists.
Holding her hands over her head, Garrett ravished her with kisses, his hot mouth on her jaw and then her neck. She panted harder, moaning at his touch. Then she tightened under him and felt him swell inside her. The gleam in his eyes told her all she needed to know.
Garrett’s body stiffened then stilled. Marlene felt him pulse once inside her, and she whined shrilly as her orgasm surged. Then Garrett moved again, with hard, fast thrusts, releasing into her with a deep, feral groan. The scent of sex drugged her, and calm satisfaction engulfed her. Marlene wrapped her legs around Garrett’s thighs. Entwined that way, they clung to each other, still breathing hard. And Marlene closed her eyes, floating in pleasure.
Chapter 17
Garrett must have drifted to sleep. He woke up with Marlene in his arms. She had one leg draped over his thigh and her face was buried against his neck. She stirred, and he wanted her again. They’d made love through the night, but he’d been unable to get enough of her.
Cold Peril_Military Romantic Suspense Page 16