by Lane, Terri
“There’s a full bathroom in there with a walk-in closet in the bathroom. This is the only door that leads to the bathroom, so we can’t walk in on you, and we each have our own bathrooms on the opposite ends of the suite.”
“Thank you,” she said.
She looked up, marveling at the skylight, which held a soft, dusky glow from the moonlight.
“The skylight is a nice touch, but I’m surprised that you consider this room secure with it.”
“It’s not real,” he said, a smile tugging at his lips for the first time all night. “It’s on a timer and mimics the sky outside, just not quite as brightly. It’s a UV light, so you can stay in here and not suffer the effects of low sunlight, but the UV light is measured and covered accordingly so it won’t tan your skin or damage it.”
“So, it’s perfectly balanced?”
“Pretty much,” he agreed.
“Do you hide witnesses here often?”
“Only the most endangered ones.”
“That’s comforting.”
He shrugged.
“It’s a normal thing for us, and I’m sure that Trevor told you that we are the best at what we do.”
“He hinted at that,” she laughed.
He smiled, the first genuine smile she had seen. It lit up his handsome face and made his green eyes sparkle.
“You’re handsome when you smile,” she said before she thought better of it. She blushed. “I’m sorry, that was rude.”
“I didn’t mind,” he said.
They stood there for a moment, neither one moving. Then Spencer cleared his throat and broke the spell.
“You’d better get some rest. You have a long day of sitting around the house ahead of you tomorrow.”
Lara chuckled softly.
“I guess Trevor isn’t the only funny one.”
“We’re both pretty funny, I’m just not one to do anything for a laugh like my brother. Sweet dreams. If you need anything or you get scared, there’s a red button on your headboard and one by the bathtub. If you hit it, it will signal us on our cellphones.”
“Thank you,” she said.
He nodded curtly, the gruff façade slipping back into place.
“Good night, Lara,” he said, leaving the room and closing the door before she could answer.
“Good night,” she said softly to the closed door.
She turned back to the bed, pulling the covers back and dumping her backpack on the floor before slipping in between the sheets. The rich satin felt divine against her skin, and if she hadn’t had two dragons in such close proximity, she would have stripped down just to enjoy the feel of the fabric.
Snuggling into the pillow, she felt herself drifting off to sleep before she had even situated the blankets around herself the way she like. Her last thought was to wonder if the skylight would shine in her face in the morning and wake her up.
***
Lara woke up the next morning, the light from the skylight a soft glow that had her waking up so gently that it took her a moment to notice her surroundings. When she did, she sat straight up in bed, looking around the room, then groaning when she remembered where she was and why.
She got out of bed, grabbing the backpack that she’d stuffed full of clothing and staring at it when it wasn’t nearly as heavy as it had been the night before. Looking at it again, she realized that it was completely flat and empty.
Someone had been in the room and she had slept right through it. She closed her eyes, trying to keep her heart rate under control and reminding herself that she was safe here. Completely safe.
Yeah right, she thought. She might be safe from mobsters, but she was far from safe. She had a feeling these twins were trouble, even if it was the good kind of trouble.
She walked to the bathroom in her bare feet, opening the door and gasping when she saw how beautiful it was.
“This is bigger than my bedroom,” she said out loud.
“We thought you would like it,” a voice behind her said.
She jumped, spinning and clutching her chest.
“You startled me,” she said, scowling at the man standing in the doorway of the room, only a few feet behind where she stood. “How did you sneak up on me like that?”
He took a step toward her, his hips moving almost seductively even though she could tell it was unconscious. He was wearing plaid pajama pants and was shirtless, the smooth, bronzed skin pulled tight across his muscles.
Lara swallowed hard.
“You sleep like a rock,” he said, a crooked smile touching his lips.
“Where are my clothes?”
“All your things have been put away in here. I didn’t want you to unpack and have to go through all that.” His smile grew wider. “Your knife is in the nightstand drawer,” he said, winking. “You shouldn’t need it, but Spencer and I were pleasantly surprised to find that you were prepared to defend yourself.”
She blushed, feeling foolish.
“I wouldn’t know how to use it,” she admitted.
“It doesn’t matter. If you were in any real danger, you would find a way to protect yourself. At least you were thinking ahead. You would not believe the number of people who go into witness protection that are completely shell-shocked. Many of them are too frightened to move. But you,” he took a step forward, tenderly pushing one curly strand of brown hair out of her face and tucking it behind her ear. “You fought back hard, and if you had been fighting humans, you probably would have gotten away.”
He was standing too close, the heat of him radiating out and encircling her. She shuddered.
“If I’m so clever, why do I need to be protected?”
“Because you’re not dealing with one human. You’re dealing with the mob. And if it weren’t for us, you would have just blown yourself up in your car and there would be nothing to protect.”
His words shocked her, cutting her to her core. He was right, and she cursed her mind for letting her imagine the moment when she got in the car, turned the key and...
She sat down hard on the side of the tub, covering her face with her hands and fighting the tears. She had almost been killed.
She felt Trevor sit beside her, his strong arm wrapping around her and pulling her close. She wanted to fight him, but his touch felt so good, and she was so scared.
“I’m sorry,” he said, hugging her tight and just holding her. “I shouldn’t have said that.”
She shook her head.
“No, you’re right. I’m lucky to be alive and I should be thankful that you guys came when you did.” She looked at him, wishing his green eyes weren’t so green, and that his skin wasn’t so warm and inviting. “Where is Spencer,” she asked, trying to distract herself from his arm around her.
“He left a few hours ago,” Trevor said, standing up and putting a little space between them.
Lara almost laughed. It was almost as if the mention of his brother reminded Trevor that he was crossing some sort of professional line with her, and he jumped up to avoid getting caught. Maybe she wasn’t the only one having sexual thoughts.
“Where did he go?” she asked, shamelessly using the reminder of Spencer and his obvious distaste for foolery to keep Trevor at arm’s length.
“He didn’t say.”
“You look irritated.”
“It’s a twin thing. We usually do everything together, so it was a little weird for him to just up and leave with no explanation.”
“Do you really do everything together?” she asked, teasing him.
“Only the things that we enjoy the most,” he said, his voice low.
She thought she heard a suggestion in his statement, her cheeks instantly flushing with the thought of the two of them bedding a woman together. But when she looked at him, his face seemed innocent enough, and she wondered if she was just reading into things too much.
Or, it’s just wishful thinking, she admonished herself.
“Anyway, I came to tell you that breakfast is read
y, and that you can come downstairs whenever you’re ready and have breakfast. I forgot to ask you what you like, so I cooked a little of everything.”
“You cook?”
“I’m not just a pretty face,” he said, winking again.
Her heart fluttered.
He has to stop that, she thought miserably.
“Breakfast sounds great,” she said. “I think I’ll take a shower first.”
He nodded, but didn’t move. She rolled her eyes.
“Don’t tell me that I need protection in the shower, because I don’t.”
“You do,” he said, his smile mischievous, “But it’s not from the bad guys.”
Before she could ask him what he meant, he turned around and left the room, closing the bedroom door behind himself. Lara closed the bathroom door and turned the lock. Then she laughed at herself as she turned on the water and stepped into the spray. That little lock wasn’t going to keep him out, and taking a cold shower wasn’t going to calm her down either.
He needed to keep his shirt on and stop being so sexy or this was going to be a long few weeks.
***
When Lara finally made her way to the kitchen, Trevor had gotten dressed for the day and was standing in the kitchen, tight jeans and shirt hugging every inch of his body. His back was to her, and she stood there for a moment, drinking in the sight of him at the stove, dishing up her plate.
“I hope you like pancakes and fresh fruit, because that’s what’s on the menu today.”
“I love both,” she said. “Is Spencer still not back?”
“He just pulled up to the gate. It will be a few minutes before he gets here.”
“Oh, okay,” she said, not knowing what to say and mentally kicking herself for being so awkward about it.
She sat down and he set the plate in front of her, along with a glass of orange juice. She took a bite, closing her eyes and letting the buttermilk pancakes melt in her mouth.
“I’m glad you like it,” Trevor said. He picked up a remote and turned on the small television in the dining room, then sat beside her to eat.
The TV newscaster said, “A car explosion last night rocked a tiny neighborhood in a tiny suburb just outside of Fort Worth. And we’re getting word right now that as of ten minutes ago, the house associated with that car is on fire.”
Lara turned her head, mouth dropping open when she saw her house, flames licking at the windows and smoke billowing out.
“That’s my house,” she said, her voice shaking.
“I see that,” Trevor said, looking equally as shocked.
They watched in horror as the firefighters turned on the hose and the house all but exploded when the water made contact with the flames. What started out as a small fire was now raging, the entire house engulfed in an instant.
She felt Trevor’s hand reach out to grasp hers and she threaded her fingers between his unconsciously while she remained glued to the television screen. She didn’t even notice he was holding her hand until she felt his thumb rubbing the back of her hands in a comforting gesture that tugged at her broken heart as she watched her world go up in flames. She wanted to crawl into his embrace and cry, but she didn’t. If she got that close to him when she was this vulnerable, there was not telling how far a hug would go. Not that she hadn’t entertained the thought late at night when she was alone and they were so close to her in their rooms. But now was not the time to take a chance and see where a little fun would take them.
“That’s the mob right there,” Trevor said, shaking his head in anger. “They use their own special blend of chemicals they call 'firebug' to make sure that any attempt to put out the flames only makes the fire worse.”
Lara groaned, tears flowing down her face.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t talk about it like that. It’s your home.”
She shook her head.
“I’m just glad I wasn’t in it, but my dolls.” She closed her eyes, trying to stem the flow of tears. “I was already behind and I had so many that were almost done and ready to ship. And my fabric, and my-” her voice broke. “I’m ruined.”
“Who’s ruined?” Spencer said, walking into the room and looking at the television screen. “Whoa, that’s a big fire.”
“That’s my house,” Lara said miserably.
Spencer looked shocked.
“There’s no way,” he said.
“We watched it blow up on live television,” Trevor said. “It’s her house. It looks like the firebug chemical.”
“I lost everything,” Lara said, her voice breaking.
“Not everything,” Spencer said.
“A backpack full of clothes doesn’t make me feel better,” she said, unable to keep the annoyance out of her voice. “I had new fabric, and dolls I was working on and I just can’t believe that everything is gone. That’s all I care about; making my dolls. I can’t believe all that's gone.” She looked at Spencer, then frowned. “Why are you smiling?”
“Because I was gone all morning gathering up all you doll making stuff and it’s all in the back of the truck.”
“All of it?” she asked, her heart soaring but too afraid to believe it was true.
“Every last needle and thread in your craft room, and I packed up all your clothes and grabbed a few other things that I thought you might miss over the next few weeks or so.”
Lara stood, launching herself into his arms and hugging him tight. She sobbed against his chest, tears of joy and relief. His arms went around her and he held her tight, his body rigid. She laughed, knowing that he was probably uncomfortable with so much emotion and not caring. This angry dragon had saved her world, and just in time. She was going to hug him whether he liked it or not.
He rubbed her back, lingering a little with his hand just above her ass, leaning down and looking into her eyes.
“Maybe we should unload your stuff and get you set up in the sitting room. It’s got the best windows for light and you can spend your free time doing something you love.”
He stepped out of her arms, holding her so he could look in her eyes.
“I did a bug and tracker sweep of your entire house, so everything is clean. I’m glad I left when I did. If I had waited any longer-”
“But you didn’t,” Lara said. “And I’m so grateful.”
“I’m glad,” he said, smiling. “I know we got off to a rough start, but I just want to see you smile. I know you’re scared and anything I can do to make you feel better makes me feel better.”
“That’s perfect. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Now, let’s get this stuff unloaded and out of my truck. I have farm chores to do, and those horses aren’t going to feed themselves.”
***
Lara sat in the sunlight that streamed through the large window. Propped up in the window seat, she watched Trevor working the horses in the arena that was across the field while she stitched the latest doll. She heard the back door open and close, but she didn’t get up to hide or see who it was. Spencer had seen her in the window and made his way to her when he saw her motioning to him. His hips swayed loosely as he walked, drawing her eye to the jeans that clung to his body as he left Trevor to finish whatever they were doing. Trevor didn’t miss a beat, picking up and continuing what Spencer was doing.
That’s how life had been that past month, with one twin taking care of her while the other took care of the farm. Since their job was to protect her, and Lara’s job was to sew to her heart’s content and ride a horse when she got tired of that, the three of them were enjoying a leisurely existence.
But Lara knew that the twins’ relaxed demeanor didn’t mean that they were lax in their job. She had watched them both, checking the perimeter at odd intervals, sometimes on horseback, sometimes in dragon form. They ran a diagnostic on the alarm system every night, and had even installed motion-activated trail cameras in several places along the fence line to make sure that no one climbed the six-foot cement wall that surrounded the en
tire area except for the river that ran along the edge of the property. The river’s edge was guarded by several underground motion detectors.
So far, the only thing those cameras had shared was that there was a minor bobcat and possum problem on the ranch.
Spencer came into the room, his gruff demeanor a little softer than it had been before.
“Yes?” he said when she didn’t move from where she sat.
“You told me to tell you when I had ten boxes to go out. Well, there are ten and I need more mailing boxes.”
He arched an eyebrow.
“You’re fast.”
“I don’t have anything else to do, and since you guys do all the cooking and cleaning, I really just have lots of time on my hands. It’s been like a vacation.”
“But you’re working,” he said, lopsided grin tugging at her heart.
Spencer didn’t smile as easily and readily as Trevor, but his smiles were somehow sweeter. Something about them being so rare made her love his smiles that much more, and she went out of her way at times to coax a smile out of him.
“This isn’t work,” she said. “Working at a cardboard plant was hard work. I make more money now. I control how much I work and I get paid what I’m worth. It’s the best, and I’m so glad I realized this dream at twenty-six. It’s almost like I retired early.”
“You know, if you’re bored, you can always help with farm chores.”
“Your horses are big and intimidating. I like riding, but I get a little freaked out when they pin me to a wall and rub their heads on me.”
“They love you.”
“It’s a rough love,” she said, laughing. “I’m not sure I like my love that rough.”
He smiled, chuckling under his breath.
She threw a pillow at him, hitting him in the chest. He only laughed harder, shaking his head.
“You say the most amusing things and you don’t even realize it.”
“I know,” she admitted, her cheeks turning pink. “It’s nice that you guys don’t tease me about it constantly,” she said sarcastically.
“Who’s teasing?” he said, his eyes smoldering as they locked with hers.