by Nina Croft
“Don’t, for the love of God, call her that anywhere she can hear you.” Piers shuddered. “She’s sensitive on the subject. And she’s just going to stick close to you. If anything happens, she’ll call for backup.” He glanced at the door where the two women had disappeared, then moved closer to the bed and spoke quietly. “Between you and me, this is as much for her sake as yours. Keep her out of trouble. Her dad’s a good friend of mine, and he’s worried about her. She’s had a…sheltered upbringing.”
“Is she fae?”
“No.”
“And…?”
“I’ll let her explain. If she wants to. She’s a little…shy.”
“Yeah, I got the shy bit,” he said sarcastically. “Right about the time she broke into my bedroom.”
“Shy and impetuous.”
“How did she do that, anyway? The door was locked.”
“Shy, impetuous, and resourceful.” Piers studied Ryan for a moment. “I wouldn’t have said this if you hadn’t made the sex demon comment, but…”
“Yeah?”
“Keep your hands to yourself, okay? Not that you wouldn’t, because hell…I’m betting you’ve forgotten what to do with your dick.”
Ryan thought about being offended, but Piers was probably right. Or he had been, up until about ten minutes ago. Before that, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d been interested in sex…probably before he had come to work for the Order. Jeez, it was a wonder his dick hadn’t shriveled up and dropped off. “Why?”
“I told you, she’s the daughter of an old friend. A powerful old friend. And he’s very protective of her.”
“Is there anything you’re not telling me?” He had an unpleasant thought. “Her father’s not a demon, is he?”
“No, he’s not a demon. But Winter does tend to…attract trouble.”
“Really? Sounds like the perfect bodyguard.” Not.
Piers shrugged again. “It’s just youthful high spirits. So as I said, you’ll be looking after each other. Doing me a favor.”
Great. But really, it wasn’t as though he had anything else to do. Christmas had never been much of a big deal for him. As a kid, he’d never seen the inside of a church, so the whole religious aspect went right over his head. And there hadn’t been any money for fancy food or presents. His dad was usually not around, doing a stint in prison as often as not. His sister had done her best, but she hadn’t been much more than a kid herself. No big deal.
When he’d joined the force, he’d always volunteered for shifts over the holiday period. Let the guys with families have the holiday off. He didn’t give a shit.
And last year… Well, best not to think too much about last Christmas, except to say it had passed in a haze of pain and hunger. That was partly why everyone was taking this Christmas off, because they’d all stuck around last year to help him through—or possibly to attend his funeral if he hadn’t made it.
Apparently, it had been touch and go.
The Order had been trying to bring the werewolves on board, persuade them that revealing the truth about their existence to humans was the only way forward. A few were in favor, but most of them were stuck in their ways and didn’t want to change. Ryan had been seen as an easy target and they’d lured him to a meeting, planning to kill him as a way of stalling the negotiations. And while they hadn’t succeeded in doing him in, the negotiations had come to a standstill. Ryan had been packing silver bullets that night and had managed to fatally shoot the alpha, leaving the pack leaderless and in chaos…though he’d heard that Marissa, the old alpha’s mate, was trying to take control. That would be bad news for the Order, and even worse news for Ryan. It was one of the reasons he was keeping clear of his nephew. No way was he dragging Liam into his fucked-up mess of a life.
Roz peered around the door. “Are you done with the pep talk?” she asked. “Can we come back in yet?”
“Yeah, join the party,” Ryan muttered.
She grinned and crossed the room, leaned down, and kissed him on the cheek. “Thanks for doing this. I’ve always wanted to go to Iceland for Christmas. And Piers wouldn’t leave you alone.”
No, because he was so much safer with little Miss Midget to protect him. But he kept the words to himself. He loved seeing Roz happy. He wouldn’t do anything to spoil that.
“I’m just going to take Winter upstairs,” Piers said. “Introduce her to the guys and get her security clearance sorted out. You”—he pointed at Ryan—“put some clothes on.”
They all trooped out, Winter at the rear. She hesitated at the door, cast a look over her shoulder, and blew him a kiss.
His dick twitched.
Yup, he was definitely in trouble.
Chapter Five
Holy moly, that man is hot.
Winter had spent at least an hour staring at the rise and fall of his naked chest. It was a beautiful chest, broad and muscular with a sprinkling of silky black hair. Just the sight had filled her mind with all sorts of illicit thoughts. A few times, her fingers had crept out, seemingly with a will of their own, meaning to tug down the sheet to get a look at the rest of him. She’d resisted, but only just.
She wasn’t that pervy, but it had been a close thing.
His face lacked the perfection of most of the vampires she knew, though that would change with age. He had dark messy hair, a crooked nose, and high cheekbones. She’d spent an inordinate amount of time trying to guess what color his eyes were.
But now she knew. Green and brown and gold all mixed together. When he’d looked at her, little tingles had shot through her body.
It made her realize how long it had been since she’d actually had sex. She suspected that was something to do with her father—he scared most men off. But the truth was, she hadn’t met anyone who interested her in a long time.
John Ryan interested her.
She was supposed to keep close. Maybe she should keep very close. She’d seen him looking at her, so she didn’t think he’d be hard to persuade. More tingles.
“Are you paying attention?” Piers asked.
She jumped and tried to remember what he’d been telling her. “Yes, boss.”
He shook his head. “Don’t make me regret this.”
“I won’t.”
“First sleigh back.”
“I’ll be good. I’ll protect him with my life.”
“Don’t you dare die. Your father would never forgive me. Just stick close to Ryan. If anything happens, call for help. Graham will be around, and there’s a skeleton staff on duty. Someone will come.”
She patted his arm. “Don’t worry. We’ll be fine.”
He shuddered. “I must have been crazy. Why did I ever think this was a good idea?” He gave her a long suspicious look. “And one more thing. Ryan is an unknown quantity—we do not want him placed in situations where he might lose control. No undue excitement.”
Had Piers somehow seen into her thoughts? Her plans for getting up close with Ryan? She hoped not. “No undue excitement. Got it.” What constituted “undue” exactly? Better not to ask. If they didn’t get into specifics, then she wouldn’t be going against direct orders. “Go,” she said. “I’ve got this covered. Have a good time. And don’t worry about us.” She almost pushed him out the door. But at last he was gone, and she rubbed her hands together then headed back downstairs. She couldn’t believe how well this was going. Now it was time to get working on the plan. She tapped lightly on the door to Ryan’s apartment and entered without waiting for a reply.
She found him leaning against the counter in the kitchen, sipping on a bottle of blood. He’d gotten dressed, which was disappointing, in faded jeans which hugged his lean hips, and a white T-shirt which hugged his broad shoulders. She sighed.
“I’ve been thinking,” he said as she came in. “Perhaps we should just”—he gave a shrug—“pretend about the bodyguard thing. You can have a nice break and see the city instead. Piers doesn’t have to know.”
He wanted to get rid
of her. That sort of hurt. She’d bet if she was blond with blue eyes and big breasts, he probably would have been quite happy to keep her around.
Standing up as tall as she could, she put her shoulders back and stiffened her spine. “I can’t do that. I’ve been employed by the Order to make sure you’re safe, and I mean to fulfill my duties.”
He pushed himself up from the counter, then took a step toward her. A little shiver prickled over her skin. As he stared down at her, she realized how much taller he was than her. More than a foot, she’d guess.
“I don’t mean to be rude, honey, but how do you plan to do that? I mean, what are you going to do if I’m attacked by a pack of werewolves? Big motherfuckers.”
She pulled her phone out of her pocket and waved it in front of his face. “I’ll call for help.” And then she’d kick some serious werewolf hairy ass. While she might be small, she wasn’t totally helpless—she had a few talents inherited from her mom, who’d apparently had a wicked way with ice. She almost hoped she would get the chance to use them.
“Great.”
“Anyway, that’s not likely to happen in the city. So don’t worry your little self. You just go about your business, and I’ll follow at a discreet distance. You won’t even know I’m around.”
He cast her a look of disbelief. “In that outfit, somehow, I doubt it.” He ran a hand through his hair, frustration in every line of his body. “I need to get out of here.”
She nodded. “That’s because of the wolf inside you.”
He went still. “The wolf?”
“Piers told me. But it’s obvious anyway. I can see him pacing behind your eyes. He wants out and you’re not letting him. Wolves hate to be trapped.”
He studied her, his head cocked to one side. “You know a lot about wolves, do you?”
“A bit. Real ones, though, werewolves, not so much. They’re just like big dogs really.” Ha—her father’s two companions, Freki and Geri, would no doubt have something to say about that. She grinned and reached into her bag, pulling out a dog lead. “But don’t worry, I come prepared. If it even looks like you’re shifting, I’ll get you straight on the lead. I wouldn’t want you chasing any cats.”
Shock flashed across his face. “You’re kidding, right?”
“Yeah.” She shoved the lead back into her bag.
He snorted. “Are you sure you’re not a demon?”
She raised a brow, then tugged at a strand of bright red hair. “Really? Do I look like a demon to you?” Time to get some information. “What are your plans over the holidays? Do you have family?” Would he mention Liam?
He gave a shrug. “None that I plan on seeing.”
“But you do have someone?”
“I have a nephew.” Did she detect a note of longing in his voice? Or was that just wishful thinking? “He lives up north. I’m his guardian actually, but I haven’t seen him since…” He snarled, showing the tips of his sharp white fangs. “It seemed for the best.”
“That’s sad.” She supposed what he was saying made a sort of logical sense. But there was nothing logical about family. Hers was big; she had a whole hoard of half-brothers and sisters. She was the youngest by a long way, and most of them thought that meant she needed looking after. But while she sometimes got frustrated with them, her dad especially, she couldn’t ever imagine being without them. All alone in the world.
Somehow, she had to make Ryan change his mind.
“I bet he misses you.”
He shrugged. “I was never the best of uncles anyway. Even before my change in circumstances, he hardly knew me.”
“But you’re all he’s got.”
“Yeah, poor kid. He’s better off without me. The only good thing I can do for my nephew is stay the fuck away.”
That didn’t sound promising. She had to find some way to change his mind. Ryan obviously had serious issues. And she suspected they went back to before he was turned into a vampire. She was wildly curious, but she’d give him some time before she probed a bit more. A few minutes at least. Lull him into a false sense of security.
She watched as he picked up a shoulder holster from the sofa and buckled it on, checking the pistol—a silver Desert Storm—before slotting it back. He covered it with a battered leather jacket from the back of a chair. The jacket was tight across the shoulders, making her think it was probably from his pre-vamp days. Vampires tended to muscle up quite a bit, and grow a few inches, though she was guessing Ryan had been pretty big, even before the change.
“Where are we going?” she asked as they headed to the elevator.
“I don’t know. Just out.” As the elevator doors closed, he glanced at her, his gaze passing over her slowly, lingering—or was that more wishful thinking on her part?—on the thrust of her breasts beneath the thin T-shirt. Just one look, and her nipples hardened. What would happen if he actually touched her? She arched her back, thrusting them out just a little. She had good breasts, big compared to the size of the rest of her. A lot of men had commented on how nice her breasts were. Then she remembered Piers’ words—she wasn’t supposed to get Ryan excited. At least, not this early on in the job. She’d have to build up to it. She hunched her shoulders and shot him a quick glance. His eyes were still on her breasts, but then he blinked and looked up into her face. “You need a coat.”
“I don’t feel the cold.”
“All the same, you need a coat. Otherwise, you’re going to stand out like a…girl in a T-shirt and mini-skirt in December. Aren’t bodyguards supposed to blend in?”
He had a point, but… “I don’t have a coat.”
The elevator opened into a large area with marble floors and lots of huge potted plants. Graham sat behind a counter across from the smoky glass doors that led out onto the street. She followed Ryan, admiring his ass in the faded denim, the long legs, broad shoulders…and imagined him naked. She was turning into a total lech.
“Have you got a coat Winter can borrow?” Ryan asked as they came to a halt in front of Graham.
“Let me look.”
He slipped through the door behind the counter and came back a minute later. “There’s this. Someone must have left it behind. Piers, I think.” He held up a black leather coat.
“Cool,” she murmured. She breathed in the familiar scent of centuries-old vampire. Yup. Piers. “I’m sure Uncle Piers won’t mind.”
“Uncle Piers?” Ryan said, his tone conveying his disbelief.
She giggled. “Not a real uncle. But he and my dad are pretty tight. I’ve known Piers since I was a little girl.”
Ryan frowned. “Your dad has some weird friends. Who is he exactly?”
She shrugged, not ready to get into that conversation. “Oh, no one important. He’s just been around for a while.” She slid her arms into the coat and sighed. This wasn’t going to work. Her hands were hidden in the sleeves, and a good six inches of the coat trailed on the ground. She sniffed. She really hated being smaller than everyone else.
Ryan’s lips twitched. As did Graham’s. Yeah, she was so damn funny.
“Winter is my new bodyguard.” Ryan managed to keep an almost straight face.
“I know,” Graham said. “Piers told me.”
Ryan stripped off his jacket and held it out to her. She slipped out of the coat and they swapped. The jacket smelled of Ryan, a unique blend of the cool musky aroma of vampire and the hot feral scent of werewolf, and she breathed in deeply as she put it on. It was still too big, but she could work with it. Rolling up the sleeves, she glanced across as Ryan shrugged into the leather coat. She let out a wolf-whistle. He looked way past cool and totally badass. Underneath the jacket, her nipples peaked again. She had such appalling taste for bad men. It was one more reason why her dad was so worried about her out in the big, wide world. But she could look after herself.
And Ryan.
She shoved her hands into her pockets. “Okay, I’m suitably disguised. Let the baby—oops, again—bodyguarding begin.”
Ryan tossed her a narrow-eyed look, but then gave a nod to Graham, turned around, and headed out the door and onto the street. Winter hesitated in the doorway. He hadn’t said where he was going, but she allowed him to get about ten feet ahead and then followed.
It was just after ten in the evening. The SA International building was situated in the middle of the business district, and the streets were still busy. Lots of people wandered around in Christmas party gear, in various degrees of inebriation. One man halted in front of her and waved a bunch of mistletoe over her head.
“How about a kiss, darling?”
She smiled serenely. “How about an icicle shoved up your nose.”
When he appeared a little reluctant to move on, shaking his goddamn mistletoe over her head, she blew into his face, turning the air to ice. He flinched and stepped back, as though not sure what had happened. Then he hurried after his drunken friends.
She looked around for Ryan and found he had halted up ahead and was watching her, a frown on his face. She waggled her fingers in what she hoped was a surreptitious manner and waved him to go on.
Who was bodyguarding who here?
“Go,” she mouthed.
He turned reluctantly and walked on, moving with a grace he probably wasn’t even aware of. The people parted in front of him, as though they could sense that he was different, not one of them. Every few minutes, he’d glance back over his shoulder to check that she was still there. How was she supposed to be unobtrusive when he kept staring at her?
The next time he did it, she glared, then pulled the lead from her bag and dangled it from her fingers in a threatening manner. He grinned and carried on walking, seemingly aimlessly. She trailed him for about an hour. He didn’t stop, he didn’t look in any of the shop windows. Just kept on walking.
They passed Saint Paul’s Cathedral. A group of carolers were singing “Away in a Manger,” and she paused—she loved that song. Someone waved a bucket under her nose, collecting for the homeless. Only she didn’t have any money. None at all. She hurried and caught up with Ryan, then tugged on his sleeve. He whirled around, reaching under his new coat for his gun. Then he realized it was her and went totally still.