Vanguard Security

by S. J. Bishop

  Soon, our hands were all over each other. His fingertips played along my spine, sending a shiver through my body. I wanted him to flip me over and dominate me, but he seemed to be treading water, letting me take control and playing his cards right.

  His tongue traced my bottom lip, asking for entrance. I parted them for him, feeling his tongue slither into my mouth. Our tongues tangled together in a hot and lust filled kiss. My heart was beating faster than ever.

  For a moment, I thought we would take this all a step too far. His hand was already sneaking up my thigh, squeezing the flesh. His fingers danced over the thin material of my panties. Without thinking about it, I opened my legs for him, straddling his body. I pulled at the hem of his shirt, dying to know what he was hiding underneath it.

  He pulled away from the kiss and looked into my eyes. He was about to say something when he tensed up beneath me.

  Before I knew what was going on, he wrapped his arms around me and flipped us off the hammock. I landed with a thud on top of him, the breath escaping from my lungs.

  We rolled one more time, right off the gazebo and onto the soft grass. Cruz pulled me under the wooden structure, his eyes scanning the garden.

  “What the hell has gotten into you? Have you lost your mind?” I hissed. Just when things were going good, he’d had to ruin it.

  “Shh!” He pressed his hand to my mouth, silencing me.

  I prepared myself to bite down on his hand when an ear popping bang rang out through the night. A small hole of light beamed down at us from the gazebo.

  Had someone just tried to shoot us?

  “We have to go. Now!” Cruz pulled me to my feet and took my hand. He yanked me forward, running full speed toward his bike.

  My mind was in such a jumble that I couldn’t quite figure out what was going on. One second we were making out, and the next, we were running for our lives.

  “What is going on?” I demanded, digging my feet into the ground and halting our progress.

  Cruz took one look at me before he hoisted me onto his shoulder, carrying me like a sack of potatoes. I tried to protest and squirm out of his grasp, but he held me so tightly that I had no choice but to go along for the ride.

  Bang!

  Another bullet flew in our direction, destroying a bird feeder nearby.

  I screamed. Reality hit me like a freight train. Someone really was trying to kill us. My heart froze at the thought.

  Cruz cursed under his breath, ducking into some nearby bushes. “We have to crawl to the other side, okay?” he said, already on his belly, inching forward.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Just trust me, okay?”

  With no other choice, I mimicked his movements, crawling underneath the thick brambles. A few thorns snagged at my skin, drawing small droplets of blood, but I didn’t even feel the pain. I was so tense and focused that I couldn’t process anything else.

  Once on the other side, Cruz grabbed my hand and hoisted me to my feet. “Get on my back.”

  Without question, I did what he said. Deep down, I knew that my only means of surviving was putting every ounce of my trust in this man, whether I wanted to or not.

  He broke out into a run, his body crouched, using the flowers as cover.

  The night was quiet as we ran. I looked around for our attacker, but all I saw were shadows.

  I held on tighter to Cruz.

  We reached his bike. He threw me onto the back, tossed on my helmet, and strapped it tight. He kept looking over his shoulder, looking for our assailant, but whoever it was, they were well hidden.

  Quickly, he jumped in front of me and flew into the night.

  I breathed a sigh of relief, thinking we were safe now, but when I looked behind us, there was a black car following us. “Uh… Cruz…”

  “I know. Hold on tight.”

  I did as he ordered, my body glued to his.

  He pressed the throttle as far as it would go. The exhaust pipes gave a kick of protest, but then we jerked forward, pushing through the gears until we were approaching top speeds.

  Up ahead was a red light. A few cars flew by.

  Cruz seemed to have no intention of stopping. I tensed up and closed my eyes, fearing the worst.

  Suddenly, we were airborne. My eyes widened as I saw the road about ten feet below us. My stomach lurched at the sight. The world seemed to be moving in slow motion.

  Just as quickly, it sped back up again and we crashed into the ground on the other side of the intersection. The black car was forced to wait for an opening. Cruz turned left, trying to disappear before the car could catch up to us.

  This was crazy. Cruz was going to get me killed. This shouldn’t be happening.

  What the hell had I gotten myself into?

  14

  Cruz

  Why hadn’t I noticed it sooner? Someone had been following me this entire night. I ground my teeth together in frustration. I had put Amelia’s life in danger. If she got hurt, it would be all my fault.

  I checked my mirrors, but there were no headlights in sight. Of course, it was possible they had turned off their lights and gone rogue to sneak up on me.

  Just to make sure, I pulled into a small inlet by the woods, killing the engine. All I could hear was the chirping of crickets and the rustling of leaves. I waited a few moments just to make sure, but it seemed I had lost them.

  As soon as my shoulders sagged, Amelia loosened her grip. “What the hell is going on?”

  “I’ll explain everything once I have you safe and sound inside your house.”

  “No. Tell me now.” Her features were pinched with stubbornness.

  I sighed, roughly sweeping my hair out of my line of vision. I needed to keep my guard up. So even as I spoke with Amelia, I was constantly surveying the area, searching for threats. I felt like I was back overseas, seeking out the enemy among No Man’s Land.

  “Now,” she hissed, her arms crossed over her chest. “Or I walk home.”

  I shook my head. “You can’t.”

  “Watch me.”

  I grabbed her arms and held her tight. “It’s too dangerous. They already know you’re with me.”

  “Then explain to me why you have a goddamn hitman chasing after you. You got me into this mess. You at least owe me an explanation.”

  I paced back and forth, my fingers tensing by my side. This couldn’t be happening. Why had I been foolish enough to think that getting close would be a good idea? I should have known better.

  “Cruz.” She grabbed me by the arms, her fingers tightening like a vice. “Explanation. Now.”

  “Look. I don’t know why someone is chasing after me.” I took her by the shoulders, holding her at arm’s length. “But that’s not what matters right now. What matters is that you’ve been put in danger because of me.”

  “Wait, you don’t know?”

  “No. I haven’t even worked a proper mission yet, and as far as I know, I don’t have any enemies in London.”

  “So why is someone trying to kill you – us?”

  “I don’t know…”

  Suddenly, Amelia’s eyes widened. “Wait… what if there’s a connection between this and your sister’s death?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You don’t find it suspicious that your sister mysteriously died of a heart condition she never talked about? None of the medical records have been released. I think something happened.” There was a look of determination in her eyes. “And now they are going after you, too.”

  “What? That’s crazy. Why would they want to target us? My sister was just a normal fashion blogger. I don’t see how she would find herself on a hit list.”

  “I don’t get it either, but you have to admit that something fishy is going on.”

  I took a deep breath, trying to clear my mind. There had to be a logical explanation for all of this, but nothing seemed to add up. I wasn’t a man with many enemies. I had always kept a low profile. My promotion within VanGua
rd was the only thing that would put me on the radar, but I had yet to work a serious mission.

  “I have to get you home. It’s not safe here. Those men could return at any moment.”

  “How do you know it will be safe at my house?”

  “Because you can’t be seen at mine. If I have someone following me, then there’s probably someone posted in my neighborhood. You’ll have to stay away from me until this is all over.”

  Her expression softened as her eyes lost their luster. “Stay away? But you just got interesting.”

  “Hmm?”

  She grabbed me by the shirt and pulled me close, our faces inches apart. “I guess you can call me an adrenaline junkie. I live for dangerous situations and the need to snoop around where I don’t belong. You’re right up my alley…” Her voice took on a seductive tone as she looked up at me from under her eyelashes, the corner of her lips twitching like a snake ready to strike.

  And she did strike. Her lips collided with mine, taking my breath away. There was such a fire burning from her soul that it scorched me into a frenzy I could barely control. My hands fell to her ass, squeezing it hard. My cock sprung to life, rubbing against her thigh.

  She wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling me closer, her lips dancing against mine as if greeting an old-time partner.

  The animal inside me roared with lust. Fuck. I wanted her.

  Slowly, her hand snuck down my pants, about to grab me when I yanked away, shaking my head. “Amelia. We can’t do this. I’m not good for you. I’ll only get you hurt. You saw what happened tonight. I can’t have that happen again.”

  She grabbed my wrist, reeling me back. “I don’t care. I want you.”

  “You don’t know what you’re saying. I’ll be the death of you.”

  “I don’t care,” she repeated.

  I tried to keep her away, but she kept stepping closer, her body like a magnet that kept sticking to mine. I sighed. “Let’s just get you back home, okay?”

  She pouted slightly. “I don’t know if I can wait…”

  I responded by plopping the helmet on her head. Once it was secured, I got on my bike, waiting for her to join me. The feeling of her body against mine nearly drove me over the edge. God, how sexy could one woman be?

  Keeping her at bay would be one of the hardest things I’d ever had to do. Impossible. But it was the only way to keep her safe.

  15

  Amelia

  His kiss had left me wanting more. The adrenaline of the night had me addicted. I couldn’t let this guy run out of my life. It would be much too fun to see where things went. Besides… I think I was starting to like him…

  Seriously like him.

  I wrapped my arms around his body, resting my cheek against his back. Even though our lives had been threatened, I felt safe with him, like he would protect me from all of the evils of the world.

  The ride home was quiet and sobering.

  I replayed the kiss over and over in my mind. I’d had my fair share of boyfriends in the past, but none of them had electrified me in the same way. It was like his lips had flipped a switch inside of me, turning on a part of me I hadn’t known existed. Already, there was a fire burning between my legs.

  Cruz had cast a spell over me, and now I would never satisfy this itch until he was mine.

  And sooner or later, he would be.

  “You can park in the back if you don’t want anyone to see the motorcycle,” I said. This whole situation was like being in one of my novels. It was both terrifying and exciting, all at the same time. I never wanted it to end.

  Cruz nodded his head before he rolled the bike behind the apartment building. “Does anyone live with you?”

  “No. All of the other apartments are still for rent,” I explained.

  “Good.” This seemed to put him at ease. “Are you going to be okay by yourself tonight?”

  I shook my head, giving him great big puppy dog eyes. “I don’t know…”

  “That’s not going to work,” he said, getting up. “You can’t give me the puppy dog look when you were just telling me how exciting it was to be chased by a hitman.” He cupped my face and pulled me close. “Amelia, you have to promise me that you’ll take this seriously. This isn’t a game. This isn’t one of your novels. This is real, and I would never forgive myself if you got hurt.”

  “Then… stay with me.” I pressed my body to his. “Stay the night. Keep me safe.”

  He looked down at me, his expression faltering. I could tell that he was just as turned on as I was. All of this pent-up energy had to get out of our systems somehow.

  When he didn’t respond, I took his hand and guided him to the back door. “Um… have you seen my purse?”

  “You placed it in the storage compartment of my bike, remember?” Cruz doubled back and retrieved it, handing it to me.

  “Oh, good. I thought I had dropped it somewhere and the bad guys were about to find my ID and hunt me down.”

  “Don’t even joke about that.”

  “Jeez…” I frowned. He must be really worried about all of this.

  “Sorry. Just the thought of you in danger gets me…” He trailed off like he didn’t have the proper words to explain his feelings.

  I kissed his lips gently, hoping that would calm him down. I lingered there a moment, savoring the taste. Cruz was, hands down, the sweetest thing I had ever tasted.

  Finally, I rummaged through my bag and pulled out my key, unlocking the door. Inside, my apartment still smelled like the apple turnovers I had made for breakfast. I turned on the light, illuminating the mess I had left for myself in the kitchen. I silently cursed myself for my lack of tidiness.

  Great, now Cruz was going to think I was a slob. That’s exactly what I needed when I was trying to impress him…

  “Do you want anything to eat or drink? I think I have some beer in the fridge.”

  “No thanks,” Cruz answered, his tone serious. He undid the topmost button on his shirt. “I’ll just have a water if you have it.”

  “Are you nervous or something?”

  “No.”

  “Then why are you sweating?”

  “I’m not.”

  “Whatever you say.” I chuckled, crossing the kitchen to grab a bottle of water.

  I could sense his eyes on my body. No doubt he was watching my hips sway back and forth as I walked. I made the motion a little more pronounced, teasing him.

  When I reached the fridge, I bent over, my ass on full display. I was being naughty at this point, but I didn’t care. I loved it.

  Eventually, when I felt he had experienced enough sexual torment, I grabbed a water bottle and made my way back over to him.

  He was seated with his legs crossed, like he was trying to hide a boner. I grinned to myself. It was good to know that his body was slowly betraying him. I had no doubt that soon enough, he would find it impossible to resist me.

  “Thank you,” he said, grabbing the water. His eyes lingered on my chest for a moment before he looked away, trying to find something else to focus on. “Um… is this what you’re working on?” he asked, picking up a notebook where I had jotted down the opening scene for my Jack the Ripper novel.

  “Yes, but it’s not worth looking at.”

  “But this is excellent…” He read it quickly, his eyes scanning over my bubbly handwriting. “You’re really good at capturing the scene.”

  “It’s my job as a novelist,” I answered before I took the notebook out of his hand and sat down on his lap, my arms wrapping around his neck. “But work is the last thing on my mind right now…” I whispered seductively, my lips brushing against his. “You’ve enthralled me, Cruz. I can’t stay away.”

  His hands rested on my hips, and for a second, I thought he was going to give in to his desires, but he just shook his head, pulling away.

  It seemed that he would be a harder nut to crack than I’d thought.

  16

  Cruz

  Pushing away Amel
ia was like holding my breath and refusing to breathe. It was starting to become painful. But I knew I had to do this to keep her safe. If she became attached, there was no telling what would happen to her. But I didn’t know how much more of this I could take. I couldn’t keep refusing her. It would drive me insane.

  “Well, I should probably change into some pajamas. Why don’t you make yourself at home?”

  I watched her disappear into the bathroom. The sight of her sexy body swaying back and forth was enough to make my cock come alive. It struggled against the tight confines of my pants, trying to break free. I focused my thoughts on something disgusting, trying to get it to die down, but it was persistent.

  Things were only made worse when Amelia emerged from the bathroom wearing a skimpy silk nightie and some short shorts. This woman was going to kill me.

  “Are you going to stay out here all night, or do you want to join me in the bedroom?” She winked, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

  A part of me felt like she was only flirting with me because she wanted something from me. Another idea for a novel, maybe.

  But the sight of her perky nipples poking through the thin material of her top was the breaking point for me. I just couldn’t control these urges any further.

  In an instant, I was across the room, pinning her to the wall. Our bodies locked together. Hips with hips. Chest to chest. Her breath mingled with mine for a moment before I kissed her with a deep, carnal passion. My lips ravished hers, desperate for every inch of her. My hands started to roam her body, mapping out her every curve, committing them to memory.

  Her tongue snuck into my mouth as she pulled on my hair.

  I growled in response, incredibly turned on. I had never felt this way before. It was like there was a beast inside of me that needed to be unleashed. I grabbed her leg and slung it around my waist. I rammed her into the wall, causing her to gasp, the kiss breaking. I took the opportunity to lean my head down and suckle on the side of her neck. Her skin tasted even sweeter there. My lips cut a trail from her ear down to her collarbone, nibbling on her flesh.