The Bodyguard

by Adair, Cherry; Showalter, Gena; O'Clare, Lorie

  “Go there.”

  “You don’t live there.” He released the clutch, accelerating and letting the bike crawl out of the parking lot.

  “Close enough. I can walk from there.”

  They’d been through this before and he seriously doubted Jenna believed he would just let her walk into the dark alone, especially in the woods at night. Seth left the parking lot, taking it easy on the speed limit, primarily because he was enjoying the hell out of Jenna’s hot little body wrapped around his but also because he kept a shrewd eye on his surroundings, looking for anything that might suggest Tray Long was nearby.

  “Why did you chase after Tray?” she asked, her jaw rubbing Seth’s shoulder when she spoke.

  “It’s my job.”

  “Your job?”

  “I’m a bounty hunter. He skipped out on his parole officer.”

  “So someone is paying you to hunt him?”

  “Yup.”

  “Then me being seen with you could set him off and he might try capturing me again to piss you off.”

  Seth had thought of that. “It’s hard saying what that motherfucker would do. He’s not right in the head. You aren’t going to walk home alone though.”

  “He’s insane. I could smell it . . . I mean, I could tell by the look in his eye.”

  “Insanity has a smell?” Seth had never heard anyone say it like that before.

  “All emotions have a smell.”

  “Oh yeah? What do I smell like?”

  “You smell turned on,” she said quietly.

  Seth smiled. He could play her game, too. “Personally I like the way your lust smells,” he growled, giving her hands a squeeze but then tightening his grip when she tried moving them. “It’s damn near the best thing I’ve ever smelled.”

  Jenna got quiet, possibly trying to figure him out. They rode in silence until they reached the small parking lot where he’d been the night before. Seth pulled in but, instead of parking, circled it once.

  “Time to tell me where you live, sweetheart.”

  “I really can’t do that. But it’s not far. You don’t have to worry at all. I grew up in those woods and know each tree very well. I’m safer there than on any street block.”

  “Jeremy would really throw that big of a fit if he saw you with me?”

  “You have no idea.”

  Seth wasn’t sure how Jeremy would act. He stopped the bike, parking it sideways across the faded yellow line of two stalls. Jeremy was a bit different, but apparently so was his sister.

  Seth climbed off his bike just in time to catch Jenna pull off her helmet, and her dark, thick hair come tumbling over her shoulders and down her back. God, he loved all that hair. It was an incredible view that he was sure for a moment left his jaw sagging. Something moved out of the corner of his eye, though, and he looked in that direction before catching hell about how he smelled like he wanted to fuck her or something.

  Jenna stiffened and leaned forward, looking for a moment as if she’d climb his handlebars. “You saw it, too?” she whispered.

  “I don’t think we’re alone,” he told her, taking her arm as he studied the ominous dark trees around them.

  “Don’t you want to go get him?”

  “Who?” Seth asked, holding her back when she tried getting off his bike.

  “Tray,” she said, searching Seth’s face as she frowned. “I thought you said you’d get money if you caught him. He’s right over there. We can catch him,” she whispered, her tone urgent.

  “We are not going anywhere,” he growled, keeping his eye on the dark trees but not seeing anyone anywhere.

  “You don’t think I could keep up and help you catch him?” Her whispered tone rose slightly.

  “Put your helmet back on.” Seth climbed back onto his bike, furious as he guessed Tray’s game plan. “Is this the way you came when you walked to the Golden Grill?”

  “What?” She struggled behind Seth but then grabbed his waist when he took off out of the parking lot. “I don’t get you!” she snapped. “Why would you turn down a hunt?”

  “I’m not going to take him down with you by my side when he’s trying to stalk you,” Seth explained.

  “I don’t get you at all,” she complained, her arms tight around his waist and her chin once again resting on his shoulder.

  Seth wasn’t so outraged that he wasn’t aware of her large breasts pressing against his back. They’d been a distraction coming here, but Jenna breathed harder now, obviously upset, although Seth doubted she saw the big picture. He’d call Jeremy when he reached his house and pray the man wasn’t too narrow-minded to understand why Seth took his sister home. Granted, Jenna wasn’t a girl and definitely was all woman, but some people were overly protective of their single sisters no matter how old they were. And in Jenna’s case, when it was obvious she was a bit on the wild side and had no clue when, or how, to submit to a man, it might be understandable why her brother was so much a part of her life.

  “What kind of man passes up a good hunt?” Jenna didn’t focus on the house when Seth parked and got off his bike but instead searched Seth’s face with vibrant blue eyes that almost appeared to glow in the darkness. “I would love to hear the thinking behind this ludicrous behavior.”

  Her dark hair flowed down her back, swaying to the side when she yanked off her helmet and placed it on the seat of the bike. Seth picked it up and pulled out his keys, glancing up and down his quiet street before leading the way from his driveway to his front door. He had no intentions of discussing anything with her outside when it was apparent the threat Tray had made against Jenna at the bar weren’t idle words.

  “I don’t know anything about ludicrous behavior,” Seth told her, closing the door behind them and flipping on his living room light. His gaze dropped to that tight, nicely curved ass of hers before she turned around. “But it exists. Tray Long obviously has an agenda with you in it.”

  Jenna was checking out Seth’s home, taking slow, deep breaths that filled her lungs and pressed her breasts against her shirt. The view was incredible and his body immediately reacted, blood draining from his brain and straight to his cock. Seth forced himself to focus when she gave him a shrewd look.

  “I meant your behavior. Why didn’t you go after him?”

  “Because you were with me.”

  “And you think because it appears he was lying in wait for me that I wouldn’t be able to defend myself?” The way she pressed her fists against her hips and glared at him made it clear she believed she could defend herself.

  “I’m glad we didn’t have to find out.” He wasn’t going to battle a female ego. He loved her fiery spirit, but it was unleashed. Whatever man decided to take on Jenna would need patience and some careful strategic tactics. Taking out his phone, he made sure his blinds were closed. Too bad he didn’t have time to tame this onyx-colored hair beauty.

  Jenna came up around him, grabbing his wrist and showing she did have more strength than it appeared by her small stature when she pressed down on his arm to prevent him from calling anyone.

  “What are you doing?” she asked, thick lashes fluttering over her bright blue eyes.

  “Calling Jeremy.” Seth glanced at her small hand and fingers attempting to wrap around his wrist.

  “You can’t do that,” she hissed.

  “Sweetheart. You’re in danger.”

  Jenna’s next move surprised him and threw him off guard. She moved to face him and then wrapped her arms around his neck, not hesitating once as she pressed her body against his and tilted her head to kiss him. He blinked when her soft lips pressed against his. At the same time, blood roared through his veins, creating a rushing sound in his brain that made it damn near impossible to think straight.

  She tasted good. Her lips parted and her small tongue pressed between his lips, as if she were asking for permission before deepening the kiss. It was all he could do not to growl, drop his phone, and press that soft, perfectly curved body harder agains
t his. She’d gone up on her tiptoes to reach his mouth and when she stepped back, ending the kiss as mysteriously as she started it, her hands grazed over his chest. Her cheeks were flushed, making her eyes look like beautiful sapphires. Her dark hair streamed past her shoulders. Jenna was a sensual creature, seductive and enticing. He would love time to explore every inch of her, physically as well as her mind.

  “Do you kiss any man who tells you you’re in danger?”

  “Nope.” She took a step backward, creating space between them, and touched her lips with her fingers. “But you aren’t going to call my brother, and if you do, you’ll have to explain why you kissed me after bringing me to your home.”

  Seth raised one eyebrow. “Why I kissed you?”

  She was sexy as hell with her face flushed and her lips full and moist. But damn if she’d make a liar out of him. And it was her idea. Seth moved just as quickly as she had. Clearing the distance between them, he lifted her off the ground, pressing her back against the wall with enough force she gasped. When he seared his mouth to hers, the moan that escaped her made it impossible for him not to turn hard as stone.

  Seth impaled her mouth with his tongue. Where a moment ago he was offered a sample, he now took all there was. Pressing his hips against her, letting her feel how hard she made him, he kept her pinned against the wall while dragging one hand through her thick hair and tilting her head to deepen the kiss.

  Jenna gripped his neck, dragging her nails down his flesh with enough pressure to scrape the skin. The sting fed his craving for her and he growled, barely hearing the small voice in the back of his head that told him to slow down. At this rate he’d rip her clothes off her and bury himself deep inside her. They could get to know each other later. She started this and he had no problem finishing it.

  Seth hated the nagging voice that persisted in his brain, working its way through the fog of lust. Jenna kissed him with ulterior motives. Granted, she wasn’t exactly fighting him off now, but he needed to regain his thought process and maintain control of this situation.

  “Damn it,” Jenna hissed when he released her, allowing her to slide down the wall.

  “Now I’ve kissed you,” he grumbled, tasting her on his lips.

  Seth stepped backward, but her flushed face and now-tousled hair made such a hot fucking picture that he forced himself to create more distance, walking across his living room in spite of the pain in his groin. Ordering his cock to calm down wasn’t easy, but calling her brother would do the trick.

  “Seth. No!” Jenna tried jumping at him.

  He held her back with one arm, placing the call and hearing it ring in his ear. When she heard her brother pick up, Jenna retreated, almost running to the couch and planting herself there, her legs pressed together and her head in her hands.

  “Jeremy, we’ve got a situation,” Seth began.

  “Did you catch Tray Long?” Jeremy asked, his voice muffled as if he’d been sleeping.

  “Nope. But I ran into him. I also ran into Jenna.”

  “Jenna?” Jeremy demanded, his voice suddenly a lot clearer than it was a moment ago.

  Seth turned to face her and she stared at him, her expression blank.

  “Yup. I’ve met your sister.”

  There was silence on the other end and something prickled down Seth’s spine. He wouldn’t jeopardize his friendship with Jeremy, albeit a working relationship. Jeremy was a good man.

  “Tray Long tried taking her twice. I intervened both times and now have her here at my house.”

  Again silence. Seth waited it out.

  “Give me your address,” Jeremy finally said.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Jenna leaned against the counter, breathing in the smell of the coffee she’d made when she first woke up. Jeremy was in the living room, and from the sound of it so were Bruno and Haze. Not that Jeremy would have much to say to her anyway. No matter how appreciative Jeremy had been to Seth, not once commenting on the fresh scratch marks going down his neck, the moment he’d had her alone, Jeremy had chewed her ass out.

  She wasn’t sure what was worse, her brother yelling or the silent treatment. Not that he had a right to yell, or ignore her. And she shouldn’t let his temper get to her. She was twenty-three years old, a grown female, with the right to decide who she spent her time with and what she did while she was with them. Glancing toward the back door, she had half a mind to slip out, take off into town, and sniff out Seth. The way he kissed her last night went beyond trying to make a point. They had unfinished business, and she couldn’t wait to finish it.

  “I say we form a run and be done with his ass,” Haze growled, the middle-aged male suddenly upset enough that the spicy smell of his anger reached Jenna in the kitchen.

  She hadn’t been paying attention to their conversation until now, too absorbed in her own thoughts. Jenna perked up, suddenly straining to hear.

  “I’m waiting on a call. Long will be out of our hair before sundown,” Jeremy said calmly.

  “You put too much merit in that human,” Bruno snarled. “You know he followed your littermate into the bar last night, was right on her tail.”

  Jenna growled, aching to smack Bruno across the face for trying to refuel their argument. Just because she wouldn’t give Bruno the time of day didn’t mean he had a right to come howling to Jeremy if another male sniffed after her.

  “I don’t give the human credit for anything he isn’t capable of doing,” Jeremy said, surprising Jenna by ignoring Bruno’s comment about the two of them entering the bar together, which truth be told wouldn’t have happened if she hadn’t stalled so he would enter right behind her.

  She’d wanted to sniff Seth out, not the other way around. Like she would tell any of them that. Reaching as quietly as she could into the cabinet, Jenna pulled out a coffee cup and poured coffee, straining to hear what else might be said about Seth Gere.

  “I’m sure he’s capable of doing a lot with your sister,” Bruno sneered.

  Something crashed and Jenna jumped, biting her lip to keep from squealing when she spilled hot coffee on her hand. If it weren’t for the strong emotions reeking in the living room, they would remember she was in the house, and within earshot, and quit talking. Jenna tasted blood, and licked her lip where she’d just bit herself while grabbing a washcloth to wipe up coffee.

  “He is capable of capturing Tray Long!” Jeremy roared. “We’re going to let him do this. Long is rogue. We don’t know if he has affiliation with another pack.”

  “You must think a lot of this human,” Haze growled, his low raspy voice sounding cool and in control regardless of whatever outburst had just occurred from Bruno’s crude comment.

  “I think no more of him than he deserves,” Jeremy explained. “The human keeps a low profile, but he goes after convicts and hunts them down. His track record smells good to me. And I won’t have another pack coming forward and claiming we crossed the line punishing one of their own if Long belongs to another pack.”

  “Has he ever hunted a werewolf before?” Haze asked.

  “Not a question I would ask him,” Jeremy said, the reasons being obvious enough that no one commented. None of them would do anything to let on to the humans in the area that they were all werewolves. “I will tell you this. When he could have kept my sister at his house, he didn’t. He called and did the honorable thing.”

  “Are you insulting your own flesh and blood?” Haze asked.

  Jenna wanted to know the same damn thing. Her brother made it sound as if she would have pranced right into Seth’s bed, seducing him until he put out, if Seth hadn’t called Jeremy. She hadn’t wanted her brother called, but not because she wanted to remain alone with Seth. Jenna wanted to go home on her own, not be picked up as if she were a cub.

  “Not at all. Seth made it clear he held her against her will.”

  “And you let him live?” Bruno snarled.

  Jenna rolled her eyes as she leaned against the counter sipping her coffee.


  “He held on to her because he believed she needed protection. Tray Long was in the Golden Grill last night and he attacked Jenna. Seth came to her rescue. Seth is one of the best humans I’ve ever met. And until I know Long is in a cage, my sister will have twenty-four-hour protection—from Seth and from you two.”

  “I’ll help protect her,” Bruno barked.

  Jenna groaned. The last thing she wanted was that oversized mutt panting around her like he had a right to do so. Jeremy had enough sense not to let that happen though. Bruno’s lust toward Jenna was easy enough to sniff out.

  She ignored the males when the subject changed and they started talking about someone’s property. Pack business usually interested her, but today she was glad to let the males discuss matters and take the conversation off her. After finishing her coffee, she tested waters by stepping out back. If Jeremy had half an ear on the conversation at hand and the other half on her, he’d be outside in a minute, more than likely with the other males sniffing after her. She reclined in the wooden bench alongside their grill, her stomach growling when she got a whiff of the meat that was last cooked on it.

  Jenna stared at the mid-day blue sky, glancing at the back door more than once. When a few minutes went by and no one came to check on her, she stood, stretched, and sprinted toward the woods.

  She wanted to see Seth again—and help him take down Tray. It was flattering that this human male wanted to protect her. Jeremy’s reason’s for insisting Seth hunt Tray Long were admirable. Seth didn’t know Tray was a werewolf though. Jenna had no intention of telling him. Seth was human. He would track Tray Long a lot easier with her help. Her plan was perfect. A rogue, human-killing werewolf would be killed. She’d get more time with Seth. Jeremy would protect their pack without possible bad politics. Everyone would be happy.

  She reached the other side of the trees and headed into town. Omaha was a decent-sized city, but on the outskirts it seemed more small-town. Jenna headed down one of the main streets, narrowing her way in closer to Seth’s home. If he worked, he wouldn’t be there right now. She imagined lying in wait, sniffing out his den until he returned, then surprising him. Maybe she would sneak up behind him, take him off guard, and tackle him to the ground. Jenna didn’t have a clue whether human males liked their females to be aggressive or not, but imagining wrestling with him, feeling all of that hard-packed muscle press against her, made her stumble over a crack in the sidewalk.