Secret Protector

by Ann Voss Peterson

  “That’s convenient.”

  He didn’t react. Part of selling a lie was resisting the urge to explain.

  She pushed strands of her straight, blond hair back over her shoulder. “I happen to know we just hired a bunch of extra security people over the past couple of months. We don’t need more.”

  “You’ll have to ask your brother about that.” And he had to talk to Devin before she could.

  “I will.” She narrowed her eyes. “You’re not a bodyguard of some kind, are you?”

  He’d been hoping she wouldn’t ask that precise question. The woman seemed to have pretty good lie radar. He sure hoped the acting skills he’d honed in his one-and-only grade school play performance would be enough to see him through.

  He gave her an aw-shucks grin. “Nothing so glamorous, I’m afraid. I work with locks and alarm systems.”

  “Really?” She looked at him harder, if that was possible.

  If she didn’t blink soon, he was going to start to sweat. “You don’t like locks and alarm systems?” he tossed off, hoping a little levity would help his case.

  “I thought that was Glenn Johnston’s area.”

  He’d figured a company like Kendall would already have locks and alarms covered, so he was ready with a twist. “I have a meeting with Glenn tomorrow. Your brother said he’d set it up. He wants to update to the newest technology. That’s where I come in.”

  She crooked one eyebrow. “And Glenn is going along with this idea?”

  “I haven’t met him yet, so I have no clue.”

  Her face seemed to relax, one corner of her lips turning up slightly with amusement. “Good luck with that meeting.”

  “Don’t tell me, Glenn’s a technophobe.” He gave her what he hoped was a worried expression. Hell, he was worried. He seemed to have chosen just the wrong cover story. He hoped it wouldn’t be too tough for Devin to back up.

  “He’s a little resistant to new things, that’s all. As long as Devin paves the way for you, it should be fine.” She nodded, her mood shifting from suspicious to encouraging.

  “Thanks for the heads-up on Glenn Johnston. It helps to know I should tread softly.” So far, so good. Now to angle the conversation toward the subject he really wanted to address. “In the meantime, who was that guy you were talking to?”

  She glanced at the ramp leading out of the garage, as if half expecting him to be waiting in the shadows. “I don’t know.”

  “You’ve never seen him before?”

  “Not before tonight. He was in the coffee shop I just left.” She held up a large to-go cup with the logo of a nearby coffee shop emblazoned on the side. “He followed me.”

  “Why?”

  She shook her head, looking a little lost. “I have no idea.”

  She really seemed at a loss. He fought the urge to reach out and rub his hand up and down her arm. Somehow he doubted she’d see the move as supportive coming from a guy she’d just met. “Did he say anything to you?”

  “Not much. He asked if I knew him.”

  “Knew him?”

  She gave a little shrug. “From the coffee shop, I guess.”

  “And you’re sure you’ve never seen him before tonight?”

  “I don’t remember him. But he might have been there before. It’s the closest coffee shop. I go there all the time. I like their lattes.” She held up her cup again as if showing him proof. “Thank you, by the way. He really didn’t do anything, and I’m not sure I actually needed saving, but I appreciate it anyway.”

  “Not a problem. I am joining the security crew tomorrow. Might as well get an early start on the job. Just glad I didn’t have to install an alarm right on the guy’s nose.” He feigned giving the air an awkward punch.

  She laughed, the sound tinkling off the concrete around them, frothy and fun and yet something deeper underneath.

  He’d been following her for a while now, but he’d never been face-to-face like this and he’d never before heard her laugh. He’d like to hear more of it.

  “Well, thank you. I really do appreciate you stepping in to help. There aren’t a lot of Good Samaritans around these days.” She started to angle her body away from him, suggesting it was time to go.

  He nodded and smiled. Of course, he wasn’t a Good Samaritan, although that was what he’d wanted her to believe. He was paid to stick his neck out. Even though this case hadn’t required much stretching so far. “Let me see you to your car.”

  She flicked her eyes back to his, her expression carrying a hint of question but not the suspicion that had been there earlier. “That’s not necessary.”

  “Yes, it is. I need to know you’re safe. I couldn’t live with myself if I just walked away and something happened to you.”

  She raised her chin as if she’d figured him out. “Because I’m the new boss’s sister and an executive at Kendall?”

  “No. I suppose that’s a good reason, but it’s not my primary one.” Of course, technically protecting the boss’s sister was his reason for being here, but the words felt good on his tongue.

  She tilted her head to the side and arched her eyebrows as if waiting for him to come clean.

  “Let’s just say I’ll be thinking about you all night. I don’t want those thoughts to be laced with worry.” It sounded like a line, and as soon as he’d said it he’d wanted it back. The ironic thing was it was one of the first honest things he’d said to her.

  She smiled.

  Despite the greenish flicker of the parking structure’s fluorescent lights, he picked up a little more color in the apples of her cheeks. Encouraging. “So will you let me see you to your car?”

  “I guess it wouldn’t hurt.” She looked down at the keys in her hand then returned her gaze to his. “But I’m having trouble with my keys. You’re a Kendall employee. Security, even. Do you have yours?”

  He could feel his grin from the inside out. “Testing me, huh?”

  “Does that seem paranoid?”

  “It seems smart.” And luckily Devin had given him keys to the parking garage weeks ago. He pulled them out and made a show of unlocking the door. He held it open for her to pass through.

  She shot him the kind of smile that had him thinking all sorts of things, none particularly protective. “Thank you.” If he wasn’t mistaken, there was a flirty lilt to her tone.

  This job was getting a whole lot more interesting.

  They walked side by side through the structure, the wide-open space feeling more intimate than it had a right to. He found himself thinking about leaning close, trying to detect a whisper of her scent over the odor of concrete and old exhaust. Of all the lies he’d told her tonight, the fact that he was attracted to her wasn’t one. Ever since he’d started following her, he hadn’t been able to help thinking of her—day and night—and not in a typical bodyguard sort of way. But none of those thoughts compared with being face-to-face.

  Of course, he’d never intended to actually meet her. And now that he had, he found himself with a problem. For weeks he’d kept an eye on her without her noticing he was there. But after tonight, he had the feeling she’d notice, no matter how good his surveillance skills were. If he wanted to continue to perform as her bodyguard without her knowledge, he had to find some kind of reason to hang around.

  And it seemed one had just landed in his lap. He just had to play it right.

  A cherry-red sports car sat at the far end of the structure. Natalie pointed her remote at the car and the driver’s door opened with a chirp. Hand on the door handle, she offered him a smile. “Thank you.”

  “Like I said, it’s not a problem.”

  “Still, I appreciate your concern.”

  “Do you appreciate it enough…” He looked away. “No. Sorry. I think I’m flirting with overstepping my bounds.”

  “What were you going to say?” She looked straight at him with clear green eyes, as if she really wanted to know.

  Just the response he was after. “You won’t hold it
against me?”

  “After you saved me from the notorious coffee shop mugger? How could I?”

  “Okay, I was just going to ask if you’d like to meet for lunch tomorrow.”

  Her smile grew to a full-fledged grin. “I think I could fit it in.”

  “OH, JOLIE, YOU’RE NOT going to wear that, are you?” Natalie tried to sound serious, but the look on Jolie’s face made her bubbly good mood even better. She let loose with a smile, despite best intentions.

  Jolie shot her a dry look. “It looks fabulous, doesn’t it?”

  Natalie skimmed her eyes over the one-shoulder peacock silk number. Jolie’s red hair, creamy skin and green eyes looked unbelievable with the silk’s rich color, and the dress itself looked like something straight off the red carpet. Natalie couldn’t lie. Her friend and future sister-in-law looked breathtaking. “Devin is going to want to marry you on the spot.”

  Jolie laughed and held up a hand. “If he does, he’s out of luck. You have to see Rachel’s bridal gown.”

  Set to marry Natalie’s notorious bachelor cop brother, Ash, Rachel was the bride-to-be. The reason she and Jolie were here. But Jolie had a rock on her finger that was twice as big as Rachel’s and a wedding to Natalie’s brother Devin to prepare for, as well. “I can’t wait to see Rachel in her dress. I’m sure she looks gorgeous.”

  Jolie sashayed in front of the multiangle bridal shop mirror. “I want the whole wedding thing for myself, too. Including that white dress. For real, this time. No pretending.”

  Natalie nodded. As part of a plan to distract the media who had taken to following Devin’s every move, Jolie and Devin had staged a fake engagement and pretended to plan their wedding. It had been tough on Jolie, who’d been in love with her boss for a long while. But in the end, she and Devin had both realized they wanted to be married.

  For real.

  On the other hand, Natalie only had bridesmaids’ dresses in her future, and as fabulous as this one was, it didn’t compare to the white, fairy-tale gowns. But maybe…

  A shimmer warmed her chest as she thought of how wonderful Gray would look in a tuxedo, waiting for her at the altar. She let out a sigh and tried to tamp down the fantasy, tough since she’d had her wedding planned out since she was about seven. It was definitely too soon for marriage plans, but at least she had a lunch date to look forward to.

  “What are you so happy about?” Jolie stared at Natalie via her reflection.

  “It’s a great dress.”

  Jolie shot her a no-nonsense look. “That’s not a dress smile. I know you. That’s a man smile.”

  Natalie couldn’t help but laugh.

  “I knew it.” Jolie turned away from the mirror and faced Natalie directly. “So spill. I just saw you at the office and your mood wasn’t this fabulous. What happened?”

  Natalie was far more excited than she should be to tell Jolie the story of how she met Gray.

  Jolie reacted in all the right ways. She gasped at the image of Natalie being followed from the coffee shop. Her eyes widened when Natalie described the man emerging from the stairwell. And she let out a relieved breath at Gray’s well-timed rescue.

  Natalie paused for dramatic effect. “And my rescuer? He asked me out.”

  Jolie’s lips flattened into a line.

  Not the response Natalie was after. “I thought you’d be happy for me.”

  Jolie glanced away.

  “What is it? You said yourself that I needed to meet different men. And this one is…wow.”

  “I wasn’t thinking of some guy who suddenly appears in a parking garage.”

  “He works at Kendall.”

  Jolie’s frown grew deeper. “How do you know that?”

  “He said Devin hired him to be part of the security department, and he had a key to the garage.”

  “Devin hired…” Jolie pulled in a long breath and shook her head. “Going out with him doesn’t seem like a very good idea.”

  “You’re not warning me about workplace romances, are you? You, of all people?” She never would have expected this kind of response from Jolie, who had just gotten engaged to Natalie’s brother Devin…who also happened to be her boss.

  “It just doesn’t feel right, that’s all. You don’t know anything about him.”

  “I know he’s nice and good-looking and he saved me from a guy who was a little bit creepy and wore really bad shoes.”

  Jolie normally would have laughed at a comment like that, but she didn’t even crack a smile.

  “I don’t believe this. I thought you’d be happy for me.”

  “I just think you should be careful.”

  “Careful?”

  “You have to admit, you’ve picked some losers.”

  “But Gray isn’t like those other guys.” Natalie couldn’t even count the ways he was different.

  “How do you know that?”

  How did she know? “I don’t know. I just do.”

  Once again, Jolie gave her head a slow shake. “He could be something totally different than what you think. You might really start to like him only to have him turn around and leave.”

  Like all those other guys…

  Jolie hadn’t said it, but she might as well have.

  Natalie wanted to protest, but at the moment, the words were totally out of reach. If she was honest with herself, she had to admit Jolie was probably right. Her friend knew what kind of men she’d dated. She’d heard the horror stories, even witnessed some of Natalie’s epic fails.

  She tried her best to give Jolie a smile and plucked a gorgeous midnight-blue silk dress with a dramatic draped neckline from the rack. “You’re right. He can’t be as good as he seems.”

  Jolie tilted her head and offered an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry, Nat. I know you thought I’d be happy for you. I just don’t want to see you hurt again.”

  She couldn’t blame Jolie. “I know. I’ve done a good job of picking jerks over the years, haven’t I?”

  “It’s not only that. You know, things have so been…crazy. Call me paranoid, but I don’t want any of that to rub off on you.”

  She understood where her future sister-in-law’s worry was coming from. The Kendall family had faced enough danger in the past two months to make anyone a bit wary, even someone as plucky as Jolie. She and Devin had been through a lot and so had Ash and Rachel.

  She gave Jolie a smile. “You don’t have to worry about me.”

  “But I do.”

  “Well, stop it. I know things have been weird, but no one is going to want anything from me.”

  Jolie didn’t look convinced.

  “Really. Ash is a cop, Rachel a crime scene investigator and Devin is CEO of the company. Fair or not, they’re going to make enemies. And with everything we believed about the past blowing up, they’ve had a lot to deal with. But no one is going to target someone like me. I’m not part of the investigation. I was only six years old when…you know, they died.” She paused to take a breath. She didn’t normally talk about her parents’ twenty-year-old murders, not even to Jolie, and it took a second for her to compose herself and go on. “I have no power outside of the public relations department at Kendall Communications. I’m a threat to no one.”

  “I’m not so sure.”

  “I am. The biggest thing I have to fear is giving my heart to another man who’ll stomp on it and throw it away.” And in worrying about that, Jolie was right.

  “Natalie?” Her future sister-in-law’s voice was steeped in concern. “I didn’t mean—”

  “It’s okay. I know I don’t have the most reliable taste when it comes to men. But at least I do know my dresses, and this one that Rachel picked out for me is divine.” She turned the hanger of the midnight-blue dress in her hand and the skirt flowed with the movement as if dancing on air.

  Jolie tilted her head to the side and studied Natalie. From the look on her face, she wasn’t falling for the dress distraction. “You’re not going on the lunch date, are you?” />
  She didn’t want to say the word, but she knew she had to. “No, of course not. That would be stupid.”

  “I’m glad. The whole situation feels weird to me. Especially now, with all that’s been going on. I don’t think you should risk seeing a guy who conveniently shows up out of the blue like that.”

  “I didn’t say I wasn’t going to see him again.”

  The warning was back in Jolie’s eyes.

  “I don’t have his phone number, okay? I have to see him to tell him I’m not going to lunch.”

  “Natalie…”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll just find him at the office tomorrow. Nothing bad will happen to me.” She started for one of the tiny dressing stalls off the mirrored salon. “How about I try on this gorgeous dress, and we’ll go see if we can find Rachel? I want to see that gown.”

  She closed the door behind her and leaned back against it just in time to hide the stupid tears brimming in her eyes.

  Chapter Three

  The barista raised a brow, the silver hoop skewering her flesh glinting in the coffee shop’s warm lighting. “Why’re you asking about Wade? He’s harmless.”

  Gray didn’t know about that. As soon as he’d left Natalie in the parking garage, he’d walked over to the coffee shop to get some information about the man who’d been following her. “Do you know his last name?”

  She switched on the milk steamer and for a moment Gray couldn’t make out a single word over the loud whirring and slurping sound of the machine.

  Finally she set his cappuccino on the counter. “Will that be all?”

  “Wade’s last name?”

  She rolled her eyes. “I said I didn’t remember it. I’m not a damn directory.”

  “He followed a woman from this shop tonight. I want to determine if this could be a problem.”

  “Oh, her. Yeah, I saw that. He’s been watching her for a couple weeks now. Every time they’re in here together. Coffee shops are the new pickup spots, you know.”

  “You think he’s trying to ask her out?”

  She tossed him a shrug. “She often comes in after work, and he’s here. Like he’s waiting for her but can’t get up the nerve to say hello. Like I said, he’s harmless.”