Secret Protector

by Ann Voss Peterson

  “Best SEAL I ever knew. And a good friend. We grew up together right here in St. Louis.”

  “Oh, my God, I’m so sorry.”

  He turned his head to look at her for the first time since she’d asked about the blanket. “It should have been me.”

  “Oh, Gray, no.” Natalie covered his lips with her fingertips. “You can’t say that.”

  He didn’t speak, but she could see by the sadness in his eyes that no matter what she thought about his statement, he wasn’t about to change his mind.

  That didn’t mean she wasn’t going to try. “I know how you feel, but you can’t let yourself think that. You can’t go there.”

  He didn’t move. For a moment she wasn’t sure if he was listening to her or had faded off once again to that faraway place.

  She moved her hand from his mouth and smoothed it over his cheek, razor stubble prickling her fingers. She cradled his jaw beneath his ear. She didn’t know what to say to make him listen, but she knew what she could do to show him how she felt. Rising onto her tiptoes, she covered his lips with hers.

  Her kiss was tentative at first. Gentle. Sweet. She wanted more than anything for him to know she cared. That she wanted to take away his pain, even though she knew she never could. She kissed his upper lip, then his lower, each a whisper of a touch. She looked into his eyes.

  He returned her gaze. Not faraway now, his eyes delved into hers. He brought his arms up her sides and around her waist. He pulled her body against the length of his and claimed her mouth.

  This kiss was far from sweet, far from gentle. She’d never felt anything so urgent before, on the edge of control. She wanted to let loose. To taste him, feel him, have him for her own. She circled his neck with her arms and stretched tall to press the length of her body against him. Her senses melded together, the scent of his body, of his leather jacket, the cinnamon fragrance of the room. The scent of her own perfume. The roughness of stubble on his chin and solid muscle of his chest.

  Before she realized what she was doing, she found the buttons of his shirt. She fought them open with shaking fingers. She pulled his shirttail from his pants and slipped her hands inside. Her fingers skimmed over smooth skin and hard muscle. She closed her eyes and just felt.

  He hesitated, then drew back from the kiss. “We can’t do this.”

  She opened her eyes and looked into his. “It’s okay.”

  “I’m sure your brother wouldn’t agree.”

  She smiled up at Gray and shook her head. “If you hadn’t noticed before, my brothers are a little overprotective.”

  “They care about you.”

  “They do. But that doesn’t mean they know what is best for me.” Or even if they did, she didn’t care. Right now all she could think about was how much she wanted Gray. She knew she was too impulsive, too eager to give her heart, too quick to throw herself over the cliff. But that didn’t change anything. It was who she was. And no matter what Devin said and Jolie said and anyone else said, she knew Gray was different. She could feel it every moment they were together.

  She unbuttoned her blouse and let the silk slide down her arms. She wasn’t sure why she’d worn her black lace bra today. She’d thought of Gray when she’d put it on this morning. Fantasized about him seeing her in it, her breasts full, her nipples straining against the delicate fabric. The lace’s light floral pattern concealed nothing, and as the blouse fell to the floor, she felt a thrill at being so exposed.

  His gaze ran over her.

  Her skin felt electric, as if he was touching her with his hands. Her nipples hardened and pressed against the lace. She wanted more than his eyes on her; she wanted to feel his rough palms, the warm wetness of his mouth. She wanted his heat pressed against her, wrapped around her, inside her.

  She stepped toward him and reached for his hands. She placed his palms over the lace cups and molded them to her.

  He smiled. “You are something.”

  She returned the smile, feeling emboldened by his tone of voice. “I hope you mean that in a good way.”

  “I mean it in a great way.” He moved his palms against her. He lowered his head and took one nipple into his mouth. He caressed her and kissed her until she couldn’t take it anymore. If she didn’t have him now, she thought she might scream.

  Pulling away from him, she slipped the bra’s straps down her arms. She was taking a risk, but after making the leap of showing him her paintings, this felt easy. Natural. And the way he was looking at her made her feel she could do anything and Gray would be there for her anyway. She hadn’t known him long, and yet she felt as if she knew him better than anyone she’d ever dated.

  And she wanted to know him every way she could.

  She arched her back and unhooked her bra, letting her breasts spill free. She threw the bra to the side then slipped off her trousers. Wearing only a thong, she climbed up on Gray’s bed.

  Moonlight streamed through the bank of windows and bathed her skin in its blue glow. She stretched out on the bed and turned to Gray, wanting to feel him beside her. He hadn’t moved, not one muscle but his eyes. Those sexy eyes. They reached out to her, hunger plain on his face, and right then she felt like she was the sexiest and strongest and most secure woman on the planet.

  GRAY COULD HARDLY BELIEVE he was there, watching Natalie climb on his bed, the moonlight caressing her body, her breasts. He shouldn’t be doing this, shouldn’t be taking advantage of her this way. She didn’t know who he was, not really. Didn’t know her brother had hired him as her bodyguard. She deserved to know.

  But how could he walk away from a dream?

  His fingers found his belt and unbuckled it. He might regret this later, but now he couldn’t think that far ahead. He wouldn’t let himself.

  He had just stripped his pants and was about to divest himself of his briefs when he noticed it. A spot of red. It skipped over the bed and skimmed Natalie’s flat belly and centered right above her perfect left breast.

  Realization clicked into place. What he was seeing. What it meant. His breath froze in his chest.

  Oh, God, no.

  He sprang onto the bed. He felt like he was moving too slow, too awkwardly. He grabbed Natalie’s ankle, his fingers closing around her smooth skin, holding her tight. He yanked her toward him with all his strength.

  Her mouth rounded into an O. A shocked cry escaped her lips. She slid over the comforter, away from the window, out from under that deadly red beam.

  When she reached the edge of the bed, he bent down and scooped her into his arms. He had no time to lose. He shifted his weight, wanting to dash clear, knowing he could never move quickly enough.

  The window exploded. Glass rained across the bed.

  Natalie screamed.

  Gray clamped her tight to his chest and ran.

  Chapter Eight

  A second shot smashed through the glass and hit the bed. The next pinged off the floor a few feet away.

  Adrenaline pounded through Gray’s body, sharpening detail, making everything feel as if it was moving in slow motion. Especially him.

  He had to move faster. He had to reach cover. He had to ensure Natalie’s safety.

  He reached the master bath and dashed inside. His feet slapped cold tile. He slipped and went down to a knee. The force shuddered up his bad leg, but he hardly noticed.

  “Natalie. Please say you’re okay. You have to be okay.” He brushed his fingers over the silk of her hair. His hand trembled.

  “I’m okay. I’m okay.” Her voice sounded as shaky as he felt, but it was the sweetest sound he’d ever heard.

  “Thank God.” He pulled in breath after shuddering breath. For someone who had seen combat, he felt like he’d just gotten out of basic. He was a shaking, out-of-control mess. They were out of the line of fire. His next step had to be getting control of himself.

  He concentrated on slowing his breathing. He laid Natalie gently on the bathroom rug.

  She sat cross-legged and braced herself wi
th her hands. She was nearly naked, but she didn’t move to cover herself. She simply stared at him with wild eyes. “What was that?”

  He scanned her body, looking for injuries. “Are you hit?”

  “Hit? You mean, shot? Someone was shooting at us?”

  “Yes. Are you hurt?” The flesh that had been so sexy just moments before now seemed incredibly fragile to him, precious. He’d never forgive himself if she was hurt.

  “I’m okay. How would somebody be shooting?”

  He continued to look her over. He couldn’t see any blood, but he needed to make sure. A lot of glass had been flying. As frightened as she was, she could be cut and not even notice.

  “Oh, my God, you’re hurt.” Natalie pointed out a trail of blood on his arm, not much more than a scratch. “It’s nothing.”

  She pulled her legs up and huddled forward, as if she’d recovered from the shock enough to feel the need to cover her bare breasts. “Now what do we do? My phone is out in my bag. We need to call the police.”

  Gray thrust to his feet. He grabbed his robe from a hook near the shower and gave it to her. “Put this on.”

  Remaining seated, she pulled the robe over her body and tied it snug at the waist. She wrapped her arms across her chest as if cold.

  He ran a hand down her arm. “Now you’re going to stay here. I’ll take care of this.”

  “The gunman could be still out there.”

  “I know. I’ll be careful.”

  At first she looked like she might argue, then she dropped her gaze to the floor and gave a weak nod.

  He hated to see her like this. When she was on his bed, she looked beautiful, powerful, brash. Now she seemed smaller, and the thought of that transformation being his fault dug deep.

  He never should have brought her to his apartment, to his bed. He knew why he’d done it. It was obvious, after all. After her invitation back at her cottage, he’d known what she was thinking. And instead of checking her into a hotel and standing sentry outside her door, he’d brought her here so he could sleep with her.

  He’d been self-centered and way out of line. And then what had he done? He hadn’t bothered to take a glance at the building next door. He hadn’t drawn the blinds. He’d stood there and admired how the moonlight showed off Natalie’s breasts.

  He really was as selfish as Sherry had said.

  Patting her hand a final time, he forced himself to step away and slipped out of the bathroom. He moved quickly, his breathing regular and controlled, his heartbeat steady as spring rain. Now that he was alone and didn’t have to worry about Natalie getting hit, he felt like he was back in his own skin. He’d spent years training for combat, and he was damn good at it.

  Using furniture as cover, he went for the closet first. There he slipped on a pair of sweatpants and some sneakers, grabbed a weapon from his gun safe and jammed a loaded clip into place. If the sniper was still in the neighboring building, he’d be dead before he could squeeze off another round.

  He went for his pants next and the cell phone strapped to his belt. Glass shards crunched under his rubber soles. Wind whistled through the shattered pane. He eyed the windows and followed the trajectory to the neighboring building. No figure in any of the possible windows. No movement. The guy had probably been smart enough to clear out. The gunshots had been loud. They would have been noticed. Likely the police were already on their way.

  The faint sound of sirens screamed above the howling of wind through the window, as if answering his thought.

  He shook the glass from his pants and retrieved his cell phone. Locating Natalie’s clothing, he shook out glass. She couldn’t wear them like this. He’d have to find something else for her to put on. Something that would broadcast to the world why he’d taken her back to his apartment and what they’d been doing when the bullets had started to fly. By the time this was over, he’d be lucky he had a job, but the thing he really regretted was never again seeing the confident gleam in Natalie’s eyes that she’d had lying in the middle of his bed.

  After this, he’d be lucky if she wanted to look at him at all.

  NATALIE CROSSED HER ARMS over her chest and tried to pretend that every cop in the place couldn’t see that she was braless under Gray’s oversize T-shirt. She still felt as shaky and out of breath as when the glass had shattered over her head, but now she could add a touch of nausea to the mix. At least Devin hadn’t commented when he saw her wearing Gray’s things. Neither had Ash, a miracle in itself. But she knew it wasn’t because they hadn’t noticed.

  Ash finished talking to an evidence tech and motioned Natalie into the hall. As soon as he closed the door, he wrapped her in a hug. “Thank God you’re okay.”

  She pressed her head against his shoulder and willed herself not to cry. As much as she bemoaned her family’s hovering, she always knew they cared about her. And that they would be there for her whenever she needed them.

  And that was the best feeling in the world.

  Ash ended the hug. He held her upper arms and studied her eyes. “Do you remember a guy named Timothy Walters?”

  She knew the name. She searched her memory. “He used to work for Kendall, right?”

  “He was in your department.”

  “I remember.” Her stomach felt even more unstable at the memory. A clean-cut guy with a short temper and a habit of snapping at clients. “I had to fire him.”

  Ash nodded. “Seems he was upset about it, too. Upset enough to send you threatening letters to the office and your place.”

  “I never got any letters.”

  “Uncle Craig didn’t want you to see them. Neither did Devin.”

  Now her uncle was throwing in with her brothers, too? She pulled in a deep breath. Not that she could say she would have welcomed the letters. Firing the man had been stressful enough. “So what does that mean? I fired him a couple of years ago.”

  “Yes, but I want to talk to him anyway. Sometimes the resentments build up only to explode much later. Our family has been in the news. Something like that could have set him off.”

  She nodded. It didn’t make a lot of sense to her, but she had read stories in the paper and seen plenty of dramas on television where just such circumstances led to murderous sprees. But even though she knew it was possible, the thought that she would be in the middle of circumstances like that seemed unreal.

  “There’s another possible trigger, too,” Ash continued. “I talked to his wife. She just split with him the day before your cottage was vandalized.”

  A shiver fanned up her spine. “So he split up with his wife, and he blames me in some strange way?”

  “I don’t know. We have an APB out on him. We’ll find him, and we’ll find the truth.” He gave her another quick hug. “Don’t worry.”

  She’d been nearly shot and might be the target of a sick mind holding resentments. What was to worry about?

  She offered Ash her best confident smile. “I’ll be fine.”

  The fact that Ash was on the case and making progress should make her feel better. But her hands still shook, and her knees still felt like they’d buckle at any moment. Even hovered over by her brothers and standing in an apartment crawling with cops, she didn’t feel safe. “Where is Gray?”

  “In the kitchen with Devin. I don’t know if you want to go in there, though.”

  “Why not?”

  “You know how Devin gets when it comes to protecting family.”

  Great, so her older brother hadn’t said a word to her about being in Gray’s bedroom when the shooting started, because he was saving it all for Gray. She eyed Ash. “Yeah, I know how he gets, as if you’re any better.”

  Ash shrugged. “Devin gets first crack at him. I’m next. Gray is just lucky Thad isn’t here. Then he’d have to explain himself three times.”

  “Ash, I don’t need my brothers to be breathing down the neck of every guy I date. I can make my own decisions.”

  He gave her a raised-brow look that answered for him
.

  Arguing was no use. She turned away from Ash and started for the kitchen.

  “Good luck, Natalie,” Ash called after her.

  Natalie stopped outside the arched entrance to the kitchen and listened for a second. It didn’t take more than that for Devin’s voice to reach her.

  “I told you to take her somewhere safe, not take her to bed.” Her oldest brother was in full-on protective mode, as Ash had warned. She hadn’t heard him so angry in a long while.

  “My building is security locked and has a doorman. It’s the safest place I know,” Gray said. “I didn’t intend for the rest to happen.”

  Devin scoffed. “So while Ash and I were busy checking the cottage and mansion grounds, you thought you’d take advantage.”

  Buzzing rose in Natalie’s ears. She’d been with Gray since they left the Kendall offices. When had he talked to Devin? Her breath caught in her throat. There had been those moments after she’d asked him to stay and before he’d invited her to his place. Had Gray spent that time calling her brother? Why on earth would he do that?

  “It wasn’t like that.”

  No, it wasn’t. If anyone was taking advantage and pushing for sex, it had been her. And she didn’t feel a bit sorry about it.

  She’d wanted to make love with Gray. She’d more than wanted it; she’d done her best to make it happen. And despite the gunshots, she wanted it to happen again. She finally found a guy who was different. Who she really liked and who seemed to like her in return. Maybe enough for it to lead somewhere. And now her brother’s overprotective bullying—

  “Devin, it won’t happen again.”

  A leaden weight settled into Natalie’s stomach.

  “You’re damn right it’s not going to happen again. Because as soon as I arrange for a replacement tomorrow, you’re fired.”

  Natalie gasped out loud. She couldn’t believe what she’d just heard. She whirled around the doorjamb and glared at her brother, her fists balled by her sides. “How dare you, Devin? You can’t fire him. He deserves to have a private life, too. You might be able to lay down the rules at the office, but you can’t dictate what employees do on their own time.”