Savior Bear

by Raines, Harmony

  Exactly. Rob looked out of the cab window; they’d reached her apartment building. “Thanks.” Rob paid the driver and got out of the cab, carefully lifting Madison into his arms and carrying her to the door.

  One problem. He needed her code to get in the front door. “Madison,” he whispered in her ear. She stirred but didn’t wake up. “Madison.” He spoke her name aloud, his breath caressing her cheek.

  “Where are we?” she asked, lifting her head off his chest. “Oh.” Stunned, she wriggled in his arms.

  “Hey, it’s okay. You were asleep. I didn’t want to wake you, but I don’t have the code for the door.” Rob moved around, changing the angle of his body so she could reach the keypad without him needing to put her down.

  “I can walk,” she told him as she keyed in the code and the door buzzed open.

  “I know.” But he didn’t stop and put her down. He liked holding her in his arms and it meant she was safe, no one would tear her from his grasp.

  “But I appreciate you carrying me.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and snuggled closer.

  “Don’t go back to sleep just yet, I need you to open the door of your apartment.” He managed to press the elevator button by bending his knees and reaching forward. As he straightened up, he looked down at Madison’s beautiful face. A smile crept across his lips. Despite everything, as he stood there with his mate in his arms, he was content.

  Yes, there would be obstacles. The death of Colm was not going to be magically erased and he still needed to convince Madison he was the person she was supposed to spend the rest of her life with. But if he took this moment as one snapshot in time…he was happy.

  The elevator pinged and he stepped inside, maneuvering himself once more to press the button to take them to her floor. As he watched the numbers climb, he leaned down and whispered Madison’s name in her ear.

  “Hey, I need your key to open the door.” He watched her eyelids flutter open and she tensed in his arms and looked around.

  “Okay.” She wriggled out of his arms and stood on wobbly legs like a newborn lamb. Innocent and sweet, excited at what the world around had to offer. That was the women he saw before him. All thoughts of her parents and being kidnapped wiped away as a dream world still held her half in its grasp.

  “We’re nearly home.” As he spoke, the elevator doors pinged open.

  She wiped her hand over her face and breathed deeply. “I fell asleep in the cab?” Madison shuffled forward unsteadily as the long skirt of her dress tried to snare her ankles. But she lifted the fabric and pushed it out of the way with one foot.

  “You did.” He stepped out of the elevator and looked up and down the corridor. “All clear.”

  “Thanks,” she croaked. “I need a glass or two of water.” She followed him out of the elevator and along the corridor. Despite the late hour, Rob was still wide awake. After one glass of champagne, he’d switched to water, and later coffee. It was his job to see everything and be ready for every eventuality.

  Like finding your mate, his bear chuckled.

  That had been unexpected. When he’d arrived from the airport earlier today, he’d walked into the lobby as a single man. As he passed through the outside door, held open by a pretty young woman who didn’t realize he didn’t live here, he’d been hit by a strange sensation. It was as if some invisible force had hit him in the solar plexus.

  Smack. Just like that. The mating bond told him his mate was here in the building. He’d been drawn to Madison as if she was reeling him in. Running up the stairs, he’d known what floor she was on. What he hadn’t expected was to burst into the corridor to find she was the one he was here to protect.

  If he’d ever doubted fate, that doubt disappeared instantly. She was the one and he was here to save her.

  Until she saved herself.

  Madison was tough, strong and resilient, and yet there was a softness to her, a need to be loved.

  She’d wanted for nothing her whole life, except love. And love was the one thing he could give her. Rob had an endless supply.

  “I’m going to get this makeup off and then go to bed.” Madison stumbled toward the bathroom, kicking her shoes off as she walked.

  “Do you need a hand getting out of your dress?” Rob asked, a hopeful tinge to his voice.

  “I can manage.” She paused at the bathroom door and looked over her shoulder. “But thanks for the offer.” Madison took a step inside the bathroom but then swung around and headed back toward him.

  His breathing quickened, and color flushed his cheeks as his arousal grew. He wanted her, more so in this moment than any other time in the whole evening. It didn’t matter that she was barefoot, or that her makeup had smudged around her eyes, or that her jet-black hair was a mess around her shoulders where she’d laid her head on his chest in the cab.

  “I just wanted to say thank you for this evening, too. It was great to have such an attentive partner.” She gave a small smile, her eyes a little out of focus as she placed her hands on his shoulders. “I’m still a little drunk, so I’m going to say this now and then deny all knowledge of recalling it tomorrow.”

  “I’m intrigued.” He placed his hands on her waist and pulled her closer.

  “You are the sweetest man I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. And if I believed in love at first sight, I’d want it to be you.” She wobbled as she tried to step away from him, but he held her close.

  “Don’t you believe in love at first sight?” He gazed down into her eyes, willing her to take the first step to admit there was something between them, something neither of them could explain.

  “I want to.” She sighed against him. “But life has taught me true love is a thing of fairy tales.”

  “Then believe in fairy tales.”

  “It’s not that easy.”

  “It is if you want it to be.” He pushed her away, holding her by the shoulders,

  “Being with you, it makes me want that, it makes me want to believe. But my whole life…I don’t know what real love is. So how do I know if that’s what I feel for you?” She pulled away from him, anguish on her face. “And you’re my bodyguard. How can this be real?”

  “You don’t think it’s real because I’m just the hired help?” Rob asked. Madison didn’t seem to be the type of person who judged people by their social status.

  “No, not because you’re the hired help.” She turned back toward him. “My mom has spent my whole life trying to control me.”

  His expression cleared. “And you think the coincidence of Evan attempting to kidnap you, and me talking about love at first sight is too much.” Tears pricked her eyes as she nodded, and he closed the space between them. Reaching out, he stroked her cheek. “Now I understand.”

  She gave him a sad, lopsided grin. “It’s hard for me to let go. It’s hard for me to take a leap of faith. I always expected to meet someone, spend a year dating them, while my feelings grew. I never expected thunderbolts and lightning.”

  “Thunderbolts and lightning, huh?” He stroked his thumb over her lips, and she shivered in his arms. “You should sleep. I’m not going anywhere. If you want a year to allow your feelings to grow, you’ve got it. I’m not going anywhere.”

  Madison nodded and turned away, going to the bathroom, only to return five minutes later wearing cute kitten pajamas with her face stripped of makeup. She still looked beautiful.

  Rob got up from the chair in the corner of her room, where he’d been waiting for her. “Goodnight, Madison.”

  “Night.” She stood for a moment, just looking at him. “I trust you.”

  “Does that mean you don’t think I’m a spy from your mom?” he asked.

  She nodded and sidestepped him, crawling into her bed and pulling the covers over her. “Please don’t make a fool of me.”

  “Never.” He took one last look at her and then left the room, switching off the light and pulling the door closed behind him.

  Chapter Eleven – Madison
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  Love at first sight. Was there such a thing? Madison had never believed it to be true. Instead, she always figured it was a thing of make-believe.

  Relationships were something two people worked at and grew into as they learned about each other and what made them tick.

  Rob might just prove Madison wrong.

  And that prospect excited her. True love might possibly turn Madison’s life on its head.

  She stretched as the early morning sun streamed in through the window. Thankfully she didn’t have a hangover, although some parts of last night were a little hazy.

  “Urgh.” What had she said to Rob before she went to bed? Something about trusting him and if she did believe in love at first sight…

  Madison put her hands over her face and buried her head in the pillows as the worst thing about last night hit her. She’d accused Rob of being in cahoots with her mom. And Evan, too.

  Well, the part about Evan would explain why he was here after all this time trying to kidnap her. And hadn’t Rob turned up at just the right time to save her from Evan?

  Wow, if she hadn’t fought Evan off the first time, would Rob have been waiting in the wings to rescue her?

  Madison sat up in bed. This was paranoia overload. Wasn’t it?

  She got out of bed and after a quick visit to the bathroom, where she made sure she looked at least halfway presentable in her pajamas, she went out to the kitchen to make coffee.

  Rob was already there, looking perfect in jeans and a T-shirt. “Coffee?” He got up from the breakfast bar where he’d been drinking coffee and watching the news on TV.

  “Yes, please.” Madison brushed her hair back from her face. “I owe you an apology.”

  “You do?” Rob poured her a cup of hot coffee and offered it to her.

  “I do.” She nursed the cup in her hands, not knowing where to start. “First for falling asleep on you. Thanks for carrying me up here.”

  “My pleasure.” Did he have to look so amazing as he watched her? She felt like an ugly duckling this morning.

  “And then for accusing you of all the things I accused you of.” She felt kind of sheepish giving a blanket apology, but she wasn’t sure she could remember everything she said and certainly didn’t want to repeat them.

  “That’s okay. Between the champagne and nearly being kidnapped twice, I think you deserve a break.” He sat back down on the stool and drank his own coffee. “Do you still think I’m working for your mom?”

  Madison blushed, heat skimming her cheeks as she surveyed him. “It’s easier to believe that than for me to believe in love at first sight.”

  His eyes widened. “Argh, now I see it. You figured if you sabotaged our fledgling relationship then you wouldn’t have to deal with the feelings you have for me.”

  “So you’re a shrink, too?” Madison chuckled. “You have me pretty much figured out.”

  “Okay, look, I’m here to protect you…” He put his hand up to stop her from protesting. “I know you don’t think you need me. But you do.” He grinned. “You need me in your life. So since your mom has paid for me to protect you for a couple of weeks, why don’t you let me do my job and see where this goes.”

  She folded her arms and frowned. “So you will be getting paid by my mom to date me?”

  “Yes, I suppose I will.” He drained his coffee cup. “So what do we have on our itinerary today?”

  She stood watching him and thinking over what he’d said. If this really was love, or even if there was the remotest possibility it might turn into love, didn’t they owe it to each other to pursue it? “Okay.”

  “Okay?” He crossed the kitchen and stood in front of her. “I figured I’d have a fight on my hands trying to persuade you to give us a go. Even though you did tell me if you fell in love, you’d like it to be with me.”

  Madison groaned. “Don’t remind me.”

  “Oh, I’m going to remind you every day for the rest of our lives.” He gave her a lopsided smile. “Because we are going to be together for the rest of our lives.”

  Madison shook her head. “I need to get ready. I have a meeting at eleven.” She had arranged to meet Maurice and look over the photos from the shoot. At least she wasn’t expected to look her best this morning, no amount of makeup would hide the bags under her eyes.

  That wasn’t true, she’d worked with some amazing makeup artists who somehow managed to transform Madison and many other women into beauty queens, with their various potions, lotions, and brushes.

  “I’ll make you some breakfast,” Rob offered.

  Her stomach churned at the thought. “Before I eat, I need another cup of coffee. Maybe we could grab something on the way.”

  “Sure. I’m at your disposal.” Rob tried not to make that sentence sound too dirty, but Madison could not help conjuring up images of him at her disposal on her bed. She must still be half drunk. That was her excuse and she was sticking to it.

  With that she scurried out of the room and hit the shower. But even when she turned the water temperature down to cool, it did nothing for her raging desire for Rob. It was as if she could sense him even through the walls of her apartment.

  “Ready?” Rob stood in the kitchen as she emerged from her room, dressed and ready to face the day. He’d changed into his suit and had the tux back in its cover and draped over his arm. “I figured we should return this today. Unless you have more parties I need to attend.”

  “No, no more parties.” She took a quick look at her reflection in the mirror and then turned around and headed for the door. If they were going to grab a coffee and something to eat on the way, then they had to get moving or risk being late. And as much as Maurice seemed to love Madison, he hated tardiness.

  “So what does a working day look like for you?” Rob asked as he escorted her to the elevator.

  “Nothing is typical. I have meetings with photographers, my management team, and magazines and journals. I also have to go for clothes fittings if I have a big appointment, just to make sure I show the clothes off to their best. There’s a lot riding on this new line of clothing for Holly and Jones.” She winced. “A lot riding on it relative to peace on earth and the end to world hunger.”

  “It’s still important to you and lots of other people,” Rob told her. “Don’t sell yourself short.”

  “You know, whenever I think about what I do, I hear my mom’s critical voice in my head.” They stepped into the elevator. “I thought I’d grown out of it, but this thing with Evan has brought it all back to me.”

  Her bottom lip trembled, but she refused to cry. Instead, she pressed the button to call the elevator and stood back with Rob at her shoulder. She could feel the heat from his body and sense the tension in his muscles. Maybe she should cancel her day and just go back to bed.

  With Rob.

  No, no, no. That wouldn’t do anything to resolve her feelings for him, it would simply complicate things further. And her life didn’t need to get more complicated. Not right now.

  She glanced sideways at him and caught him glancing sideways at her.

  “If there was anything I could say, I’d say it. But all I can do is convince you of my feelings by being here for you.” The elevator doors opened, and he waited for her to get in first. “While you are at work, I’ll keep to my role as your bodyguard and nothing more. I don’t want to make this difficult for you or complicate your work life.”

  “Thank you.” She turned to face him. “In return, I am willing to date you in our free time.” Her cheeks flushed pink. “If that is really what you want. I’m not trying to force myself on you.”

  “Force away.” He winked and pressed the button to take them to the ground floor.

  “Are you flirting with me, Rob? While on duty?” Madison teased.

  The elevator doors pinged open and he stepped out into the lobby first. “No, Miss Singer, I was just agreeing with you.”

  She gave a quizzical smile. “Please, don’t call me Miss Singer. It reminds
me too much of my mother.”

  “Very well, as you wish.” There was something flirty, even in the way he spoke, but she liked it. He made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside, whether it was carrying her up the stairs to her apartment or opening a door to check if there was danger on the other side.

  “I’ll drive this morning.” He cupped his hand under her elbow and guided her across the street to the rental, a black SUV. “I’m highly skilled with fine-tuned machines.”

  She stifled a cough. “I bet you are. All that bodyguard training.”

  “I’ve had advanced driver training.” Rob took the keys out of his pocket and pressed the button to unlock the car. “Whatever trouble comes our way, I can get us out of it.”

  “I am certain you can.” He opened the door for her, and she slid into the passenger seat, his arm still on her elbow.

  “Buckle up, Madison. I intend to keep you safe.” His breath caressed her bare neck and sent shivers down her spine.

  Madison sighed, and despite his promise of professional behavior, his eyes were drawn to the rise and fall of her breasts. She leaned forward as she buckled her seatbelt and said, “Eyes on the road, Rob.”

  His eyes flashed with humor and he released her, going around to his side of the car and getting in. In moments the engine hummed idly, while he checked the mirrors and drove out into the traffic.

  “Do you have the address?” He pressed a button and fed the address she gave him into the GPS. “Okay. Ten minutes, even with traffic.” He watched the road and the people on the sidewalk. “What kind of music do you like?”

  “Music?” She thought for a moment. “I like the ’80s, I think I was born in the wrong era. It’s what Joe, my mom’s bodyguard, used to play when he picked me up from school.” She relaxed into the seat, recalling their journeys backward and forward to the expensive boarding school Madison hated.

  Only the journeys made it worthwhile. Madison often looked forward to going back to the hated school, simply because it meant she could spend time alone with Joe.

  “You liked him?” She swung her head around and locked eyes with Rob. “You liked Joe?”