by Susan Stoker
“Both Remy and Burly know it’s part of a ruse,” he finally replied, voice a little rough. “So, you won’t have to pretend around them.”
She twisted the ring on her finger and blew out a breath. “That’s good. I hate lying.”
And she really hated that she had to lie to him.
But, it was his own fault.
“I don’t like liars, but in this case, it’s important.” He turned off the road onto a long drive with a three dots in the distance she assumed were buildings. “No one else on the ranch knows I’m protecting you, so we’ll have to play the part outside the house.”
She nodded, getting the lay of the land as he drove to the ranch. Damn, the place was big. Bursts of green from trees appeared like large sprouts of broccoli in the endless yellow straw-type pastures lining both sides of the drive.
Several fenced off sections housed grazing horses while empty pastures lined the other side. Straight ahead at the end was the large barn where presumably Remy had taken his swan dive, and behind the barn sat a huge, streamlined newer structure.
The stables.
And training center.
Damn, if the facility was as large as the above-ground structure, the place was huge.
Rook stopped the truck by a white, sprawling two-story house with a porch running along the whole front, complete with a screen door and a swing.
For a brief moment, envy pierced Tarah’s heart. The Lawes were lucky to have grown up at such a place. She and TJ had shared a small bedroom in a cramped duplex near a laundromat and liquor store and fell asleep to the lullaby of sirens practically every night. To this day, she suspected the lure of convenient booze was the reason her mother had chosen to move them to that slum section of D.C.
With a mental shake, she pushed her crappy childhood thoughts aside and focused on the man turning off the engine.
She stared at his strong profile while he surveyed each structure. “This place is huge. Maybe I can help you and your brother while I’m here.”
He tensed, then turned and narrowed his eyes.
Crap.
“I hate to be idle,” she rushed to explain, clasping her hands on her lap. “So, if there are chores or anything you can give me to do, that’d be great.”
Far easier to explore the ranch and all its facilities, above and below ground, with his permission.
“No, Tarah.” His stern gaze bored deep. “I want you to stay indoors. Do you understand?”
What she understood was how incredible her name sounded on his lips, and her body apparently agreed because it broke out in goosebumps.
“You witnessed a mob hit. That’s nothing to take lightly.”
She gave herself another mental shake and nodded. “Oh, I don’t. Believe me, Rook. I’ve been looking over my shoulder ever since.” She shuddered.
And it wasn’t fake.
His features softened, and he reached out to cup her hands. “I don’t want you to worry here. Just do what I tell you, and I’ll keep you safe.”
The feel of his warm, strong hand over hers increased her tremors as awareness spread to every damn pore in her body. Heat flooded her belly and her face, and once again, thoughts of her job began to fade.
She’d never experienced anything like this, not even with the captain she’d hooked up with during her first deployment overseas. And she’d given him her virginity.
This strange current flowing between her and Rook was unexpected and sharp.
Judging by the deepening frown in his forehead as he stared at their hands, he felt the unforeseen zing too.
This complicated things. Little did he know this wasn’t going to be the last time they worked together.
She opened her mouth to say something to break the spell, but he chose that moment to lift his gaze. Damn. Her heart leapt into her suddenly dry throat. He was potent. And she was toast if she didn’t get it together.
“Tarah.” He squeezed her hand, and she found the strength to meet his gaze.
His hot, smoldering gaze.
She sucked in a breath and swallowed. “Yes?”
“There are a few workers and people out and about, so I’m going to kiss you to keep up with our cover, okay?”
Dammit. She hadn’t even noticed them. Now she was vaguely aware of people emerging from the barn, but try as she might, Tarah couldn’t get her eyes to focus on the workers. She was too busy staring at a deliciously firm mouth drawing closer.
Warm breath hit her face as he halted a mere inch away. At first, she thought he was amping up the anticipation, but realized he was waiting for an answer.
She cleared her throat and squeaked out an, “Okay.”
His gaze darkened, and her heart raced out of control. She wasn’t going to be the same after this kiss. Somehow, she knew this to her very soul. This man had a wicked power over her, and she was still trying to decide if it was good or bad when he cupped her chin and slowly lowered his mouth.
Tarah wasn’t sure what she expected. She knew it would be good. The awareness pinging between them was too strong for it to be otherwise. But, when he settled his mouth over hers, she hadn’t been prepared for the spark of heat that burned through her veins, awakening a fierce need deep inside.
One she hadn’t known she possessed.
The lazy brush of his lips was crazy good, and afraid he was going to leave it at that, Tarah reached up and cupped the back of his head to keep his mouth in place.
Perfect.
Chapter Four
‡
Tarah tasted perfect. Hot and hungry, yet soft and sweet.
What was meant to be a small show of affection for their audience had swiftly turned into big trouble for Rook. He knew kissing her would be incredible.
She made a soft sound and leaned closer as if he was too far away.
He unhooked his seatbelt and shifted near, encouraged by the way she clutched at him. The workers by the barn, his brother, and Burly smiling on the porch, all faded from his mind. Hell, his damn mind blanked. Only the soft, sexy woman trembling in his arms mattered.
Rook tilted her head and kissed her the way he liked, open-mouthed and thorough.
She moaned and ran a hand up his chest.
His heart kicked against his ribs and he lost his head a little bit. Ah hell, he’d lost it the second she’d stepped off the plane and onto the tarmac. The woman was even more beautiful in person. His attraction to the brave teacher was as strong as the connection flowing between them.
God, she stole his breath.
And turned him stupid.
What the hell was he doing? Ravaging her in his driveway in front of family and friends. He was supposed to be protecting her. Not kissing her.
He stiffened, and slowly drew back. “Sorry.” He sucked in air. “That got out of hand.”
She blinked at him, her gaze heavy-lidded and disoriented, no doubt like his. “Yeah, that was…” Her voice trailed off as she panted and continued to stare at him, confusion clouding her gaze.
“Dangerous,” he finished.
She snickered. “With a capital D.”
Rook ran a finger along her temple and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “Agreed. We’ve drawn quite an audience. You ready?”
She squared her shoulders and drew in a breath. “Yes.”
He smiled, admiring her brevity. “Then let’s go.”
Without waiting for a reply, he slipped from the truck and rushed to her side to open the door, but she beat him to it and was already shaking hands with Burly.
Dammit. He’d forgotten to lay down the law. It wasn’t her fault, he hadn’t told her she needed to always let him get any door.
“Right nice to have you here, Ms. Swanson.” The old man smiled while he shook her hand.
Even though his brother and Burly knew the truth about Tarah, Rook felt obligated to be by her side for introductions.
“Nice to meet you, Burly. Please call me Tarah.”
Rook slid his arm around her back and
drew her in closer, and told himself it wasn’t so he could feel her soft curves pressed against him. But he really did like the feel of her soft curves pressed against him. So much so he was momentarily preoccupied by a strong surge of heat spreading through his body. He hadn’t been this aware of a woman in a long time.
If ever.
“And I’m Remy, Rook’s brother.” Remy held out his hand and smiled into Tarah’s face.
“Nice to meet you, Remy.” She shook his brother’s hand and returned his smile.
Rook watched Remy to see if he was picking up on the fact that something wasn’t quite right about the woman. Maybe it was the fact she got to him. Whatever the hell sparked between them. That could possibly be what was throwing him off, and explained his misgivings.
But he wasn’t sure. Not by a long shot. And by the time he introduced her to Henry, the ranch foreman, and then Jeff, the ranch manager, Rook was completely confused.
She was sweet and charming, listening to the men, laughing at their jokes, and yet, she glanced around with a gaze too curious for his peace of mind. Of course, she was supposed to pretend to be his fiancée. That could explain it. Plus, she did have the mob after her, so he couldn’t blame her for taking in her surroundings, even going so far as to note security cameras, which he watched her do. She wasn’t obvious. No. He’d only noticed because she did it with a quick sweep of her gaze, similar to how he cased a scene.
Damn, he was beginning to think that kiss went to his head. It wasn’t screwed on straight now. But his brain wasn’t too muddled to note a prickling sensation biting the back of his neck. He stiffened.
Someone was watching them.
Tarah’s back tensed against his arm. She must’ve sensed it too. He swept his gaze around the area, but came up empty.
Maybe it was Remy, trying to get a gauge on the teacher. It didn’t matter. He needed to get her indoors. Now.
Bringing the conversation to an end, he said a quick goodbye to the workers, then set his hand at the small of his fiancée’s back and ushered her toward the house. He’d feel a hell of a lot better when she wasn’t out in the open.
As they stepped inside the house and closed the door, the prickling sensation disappeared. A measure of relief flowed through him, and he had to admit he was a little surprised when Tarah didn’t question him about their fast-paced hustle indoors. In fact, she appeared relieved too. Her neck and shoulders were no longer stiff.
He was about to question her on what had set her on alert when Remy and Burly came down the stairs.
“We put your bags in the guestroom, Ms. Swanson,” Burly announced, stepping into the foyer. “It’s the second door to your right down the hall.”
“Thank you.” She smiled.
“That is where you wanted them, right, Rook?” His smartass brother cocked his head. “They weren’t supposed to go in your room, were they? You two aren’t really engaged.”
“Right.” He glowered at the idiot. “The guestroom is fine.”
He turned to the woman to apologize for his brother’s bad behavior when movement in the middle of the living room caught her attention.
She gasped, and the pure delight softening her face stole his breath. “They’re adorable,” she gushed, dropping to her knees in front of the kittens playing with a shoelace they’d confiscated from some poor unsuspecting shoe.
Probably his.
“Yeah, and almost got me killed.” Remy huffed as he strode to the couch and sat down.
Tarah gasped in dismay. “How? Were they the reason you were on the ladder when you fell?”
Remy’s gaze crashed into his. Rook shrugged. He saw no harm in telling the woman about the fall. It wasn’t a secret.
Burly stepped close. “Yes, they were up on the barn roof and Remy climbed up there to get them when someone knock—”
“Burly,” his brother cut the old man off.
But it was too late. Tarah’s gazed bounced between them.
Her eyes widened. “You mean someone deliberately pushed the ladder?”
“Not only that, they put the kittens up there.” The old man’s loose lips struck again. “Heck, they had to have brought the three of the little buggers to the ranch. We certainly didn’t.”
“Three?” She glanced at the two hellions playing tug of war with the shoelace, then back to his brother.
“One fell off.” Remy held her gaze. “He didn’t make it. That’s what alerted me to their presence.”
Tarah’s face bunched. She scooped up the kittens and cradled them close. “You two were very lucky,” she said, rubbing her face against their fur.
The raw emotion in Tarah’s voice matched her over-bright gaze, and the strength of her compassion hit Rook with an invisible blow to his solar plexus. Compassionate women were sexy. And this one was damn sexy.
Too sexy for his own good.
Rook had never felt this strong of a pull before. It was as if it were concentrated, overpowering. He walked to the armchair and sat down. He needed a moment to regain control, and his brother’s curious looks weren’t helping.
“What a minute.” Her gaze turned inquisitive. “If you fell, how did the kittens get down?”
“They fell with me.” His brother tugged his shirt aside to reveal deep gouges. “They had a good grip. It was all I could do not to land on them.”
“Wow.” Her brows arched. “So your shoulder took the brunt.”
Remy cocked his head. “Something like that. I don’t quite remember. I hit my head and passed out for minute.”
Tarah gasped again. “You poor, brave man. You’re a hero.”
The light in his brother’s eyes disappeared. He closed up tight. “Not hardly.”
Burly stepped in. “Tarah, would you like something to drink? Water? Iced tea? Lemonade?”
“Lemonade would be great. Thank you, Burly.” She laughed as one of the kittens climbed to her shoulder and jumped onto the couch, and the sweet sound sent an unexpected tightening through Rook’s chest. “Aren’t you a clever girl?”
“Girl?” Rook raised a brow. “How do you know it’s a girl?”
He and Remy and Burly hadn’t a clue.
She waved a hand back and forth. “The one with the fluffy tail is the girl, and this one with rings around the tail is a boy.”
Burly returned to set a tray full of drinks on the coffee table. “Here you are.”
“Thanks,” she replied, reaching for a glass.
So did Rook, and he inadvertently brushed her knuckles. Her gaze met his and she smiled.
Son-of-a-bitch, if that didn’t kick start his heart, again.
“Tarah, are you saying you can tell that kitten in your arms is a boy by his tail?” His brother frowned, reaching for his drink.
“No.” She laughed. “I can tell by…what’s under his tail.” Color flooded her face. “His sister doesn’t have…uh…them.”
Remy grinned. “You mean a ball sac?”
“Yeah. That.” Her flush deepened.
Damn, she was adorable.
Remy’s bark of laughter startled the kittens. They took off to scramble under couch.
“Are you okay?” Rook leaned forward, assessing her body for streaks of blood. “Did he scratch you?”
“No. I’m fine. His claws didn’t break the skin.” She shook her head and sipped her drink.
Burly sat down on the arm of the couch. “You seem to know about cats, Tarah. Did you grow up with them?”
A sadness crept into her eyes, dulling their shine. “I had one once, until my mom got drunk and ran over him with her car.”
Rook’s heart squeezed. He could literally feel her underlying pain and knew there was a lot more to that statement. A very rough childhood.
The phone rang, breaking the strained silence. Remy got up to answer it as Tarah rose to her feet.
“If you don’t mind, I’d like to go up to my room and settle in.”
“Of course.” He rose too. “Burly can show you.”
Rook knew being alone with her right now would be a huge mistake. He needed to get a damn grip. The woman somehow kept knocking down the walls that had taken years to build around his heart. She was doing it at an alarming pace.
“Yes, sorry, my dear,” the old man said, leading her to the stairs. “Forgive us. We’re a bunch of dopes. I’m sure you’d like to freshen up after your flight and drive in.”
As their voices faded upstairs, Rook inhaled long and deep. It was weird. Without her presence, he found breathing was easier. Probably because his chest wasn’t so tight.
“You like her, don’t you?” Remy sidled up next to him.
Rook turned, expecting to see amusement in his brother’s dark gaze, but instead, he found a serious stare. He knew better than to try and lie when Remy had that look. “Yes. I find her interesting.”
“Like her tonsils? Is that why you were searching for them in the truck?”
Rook muttered a curse. “Henry and Jeff were in the driveway. We had to put on a show.” He walked to the window. His brother followed.
Remy pursed his lips. “Didn’t look like you two were acting.”
Because they hadn’t been.
Damn spook brother. He could spot put-ons a mile away.
“What can I say? It got a little out of hand.”
“A little? You steamed up my truck. Damn, the minute you two kissed it was as if someone had tossed water into a frying pan of grease.”
Great analogy. And accurate. That’s exactly what he’d felt like. Heat and hunger had burst through him at breakneck speed. The only reason they’d been in Remy’s truck was because his had been toasted the day before. No sense in getting a rental while waiting on the insurance claim, just so it, too, could become a piece of mangle yard art.
“I hope you know what you’re doing, Rook.” Remy sighed. “Do I need to remind you what happened the last time you got involved with someone you protected?”
“No.” It wasn’t something Rook would ever forget. “But this isn’t like that. Tarah is just a job.”
“So was Catherine.”
“Catherine was part of a rescue, not protection.” His SEAL team had been assigned to rescue a congressman’s daughter and her two friends who’d all been grabbed while on vacation and forced into a Columbian sex ring.