HER BODYGUARD

by Michelle Jerott

  He smiled. "I never would've guessed."

  "Hey, I'm serious," she said, but smiled at his teasing. "In my line of work, you either get hired into a big name designer stable, or you strike out on your own. Most people who strike out on their own don't make it. That's why I set my sights on a very specific target market and started out small with local, privately owned boutiques, specialty shops, things like that. But I did well, and word-of-mouth started spreading, and now my designs are carried by the big department store and bridal chains. Rather than diversify, I'm thinking I should expand what I'm already doing. What do you think?"

  She waited, nervous – and a little embarrassed at how hesitant she'd sounded to her own ears. She should've spoken up on her own behalf ages ago and dug her heels in with Jared, who could be quite persuasive when he wanted.

  "Makes sense to me. If you're building momentum, capitalize on it. Changing direction might not be the best thing for you right now. In a couple of years you can reassess. I think you're right, and if somebody's trying to tell you differently, stick to your instincts."

  Lili nodded, regarding him thoughtfully. "I will, thanks."

  Their meal arrived, putting an end to further conversation. She cleaned her plate, and even ordered dessert – apple pie, with French vanilla ice cream. She hadn't realized she was so hungry.

  Matt packed away half a baked chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, and a roll. He declined dessert, but she did persuade him to eat a bite of pie and ice cream off her spoon.

  Laughing, she tried to aim the heaping spoonful of pie into his mouth, and finally leaned across the table and slid her hand under his chin to hold him where she wanted him – and their gazes locked.

  An unexpectedly intimate gesture, possessive, as if she had every right to touch this man, as if they shared a bond as close and private as that young couple with the children.

  Lili put the spoon aside and, not caring what anybody thought, leaned over and kissed him, tasting apple and vanilla and cinnamon. She sat back down and licked her lips, still tasting him.

  He looked mildly alarmed – but then, he'd looked like that for most of the day. He didn't think their attraction would last – but she wasn't so sure. What she felt for Matt had deepened, going way beyond that initial physical attraction. In only a few days, she'd begun to feel such a part of this man that she could read his thoughts and emotions from silences, from a tone of voice, a gesture.

  He sensed it as well; he had to. Maybe he didn't realize the full extent of her feelings for him yet, but if she had anything to do about it, he'd soon see that they had a lot more to offer each other than just sex.

  After the waitress brought the check, Lili made a quick stop in the restroom and then headed back to the car. Matt was already waiting for her, sitting on the hood. All over again, she was struck by his lean strength, his dark good looks – and how his gaze followed her. Always.

  Being the center of attention of a man like this was empowering in a way she couldn't precisely identify … but very much liked.

  Matt drove back onto the highway, and between the warm sun, her full stomach, and the flat ribbon of road surrounded by trees, she couldn't seem to keep her eyes open.

  "Quit fighting it. Close your eyes and sleep," Matt said, his tone amused.

  "You don't mind?"

  "Not at all. I like watching you sleep."

  Again, their gazes held, then he returned his attention to the road. With a small sigh, Lili reclined her seat and settled back, feeling completely safe, knowing that Matt was watching over her.

  Lulled by the hum of the road beneath the tires, the gentle swaying of the car, Lili must've dozed off, because the next thing she knew, Matt was shaking her shoulder.

  "Wake up, Lil. We're here."

  Here.

  She opened her eyes, blinking against the late afternoon sun, and stared at a weather-beaten sign: CONROY COVE RESORT … WORLD'S BEST BASS FISHING.

  She faced Matt, who was again watching her over the top of his sunglasses, in need of a shave and looking incredibly sexy. "Well, what are we waiting for?" she asked. "Let's go find Willis Conroy."

  Fourteen

  "Hold on." Matt grabbed Lili's arm as she made to leave the car. "Before we go in, we need to decide what to call each other. So far, I'm just the 'unidentified security escort,' but you've been named."

  "So we use fake names."

  "Two potential problems with that." He released her and sat back. "First, if we stay here, the manager may require a driver's license before giving us a room. That's standard practice. Second, if you slip up and call me by my real name, or forget to answer to your fake one, it'll raise suspicions."

  She sighed. "I never thought of that. Okay, then we should use our real names?"

  "I didn't say that, either. These guys after you probably know who I am. If they figure out we're up here, all they have to do is call around until they find out where I'm registered."

  She looked contused, then understanding dawned. "You want me to make the decision."

  "It's your neck as well as mine."

  For a moment, she was silent, then said quietly, "Thank you."

  Matt only nodded, and waited as she worked out the details for herself.

  "Do you think we should stay here?" she asked.

  "I drove around while you were sleeping. There's not much to choose from. This place is isolated, not to mention that Conroy is here. I'd like to stay, if you're all right with that. I think we have a few days before anybody catches on to where we went."

  "But they might not catch on at all."

  Matt searched her eyes for fear, but saw only determination – and was struck by sudden, unexpected pride that Lili, always worrying about being "tough," was holding her own with no help from him.

  "It's a possibility. Not one I'd place any bets on."

  "No, but you're the paranoid one."

  Matt smiled. "I'd prefer 'prepared' over 'paranoid.'"

  "Prepared … like buying those rings so we could pretend to be married." When he nodded, she rubbed at her brows. "You have a devious mind. Okay, I say we register as Matt and Lili Hawkins. The newspapers call me 'Lilianne,' and even if there's not much difference between Lili and Lilianne, it might be enough that nobody will notice, especially if we register as husband and wife. If those goons figure out where I am, they're going to find me, no matter how hard we try to hide."

  "Exactly. It's more difficult to disappear than people think."

  "So did I do well? Was that the right answer?"

  "As right as it can be." He hesitated, studying her. "You're okay with this? Because I could turn the car around and drive you to Milwaukee, or right back to Chicago and let the police put you in a safe house."

  "I won't be safe until we find out what's up with Rose's shoes. You're doing everything you can to protect me, and the police in Chicago are doing everything possible to find these guys. It's my turn to do my part in saving my own butt. So let's go and find Conroy."

  Matt held up his hand. "One more thing. When did we get married?"

  Lili rolled her eyes. "Last Saturday, of course. It's when you walked into my life, and it's not like I'll ever forget that."

  He pulled out the rings he'd bought at Wal-Mart. He slipped on his ring first, then took her hand and slid the narrow gold band on her finger. He looked up. She was chewing on her lip, looking as uncomfortable about this ring business as he felt.

  He let go of her hand. "Let me do most of the talking. I've more experience in bluffing than you do."

  "You mean lying." She cast an arch look over her shoulder as she got out of the car and headed toward the scruffy log building with a sign marked OFFICE over the red door.

  "It's not lying if it saves our butts," he retorted, placing his hand on her back. Again, his gaze lingered on the gold band. It felt strange – in a way he wasn't too sure he wanted to pursue.

  Then they were through the door and facing a middle-aged man in
jeans and a flannel shirt, his belly hanging over his belt. He had a round-cheeked, florid face, thinning gray hair, and a friendly smile.

  "Hello! How can I help you folks today?"

  With his arm around Lili. Matt stepped up to the desk and smiled back. "We're looking for a room."

  "That's something I can help with. I'm Frank Sajcek, and I run the place."

  "We just got married last week and—"

  "Congratulations," Sajcek interrupted cheerfully. "We love newlyweds around here."

  "Thanks." Matt gave Lili a squeeze to make the story look good – and it didn't hurt to have a reason to press her breasts against him. She blushed like a bride. "For our honeymoon, we decided to go hiking and fishing, and a friend of mine said there's good fishing up this way. Do you have any rooms?"

  "Sure do. At this time of year, the main tourist rush is over. You kids want the honeymoon cabin? It has a fireplace and a whirlpool tub." The man's smile widened. "And it's a little more private from the other cabins."

  Secluded was far better than he'd expected. "We'll take it."

  "Four-fifty a week. And I need to see a driver's license and a credit card."

  Four-fifty was reasonable, and shouldn't put too big a dent in his cash until he could get more. Matt hauled out his wallet and held it up, driver's license visible – and casually watched for any sign of recognition.

  "All the way from Chicago, eh?"

  Matt nodded, but didn't answer, not wanting to encourage conversation.

  His lack of response didn't hinder Sajcek, though. "We get a lot of people from Chicago. Weekend refugees from the urban jungle, we call 'em. Without you flatlanders, I'd do a lot less business … and no offense by the flatlander remark," Sajcek added, grinning. "We love you Illinois people. I've got people in Illinois myself, and I'll tell you…"

  Sajcek rattled on. The check-in didn't take long, and while Matt answered questions and fielded the ones he didn't want to answer, Lili slipped away and wandered toward the spacious lobby. To one side was a dining area with a large serving table toward the back. A lone man sat at a table, reading a newspaper and drinking coffee. Overstuffed sofas and chairs filled the other part of the room – along with a large TV, currently blaring the news.

  Matt spotted the old man, sitting in a red plaid chair across from the TV, at almost the same time Lili did.

  Shit!

  "I'll need your signature right here, Mr. Hawkins," Sajcek said, forcing Matt's attention away from Lili.

  He didn't really think she'd do anything stupid – like ask if he was Willis Conroy and if he knew Joey Mancuso – but having her over there, alone, made him nervous as hell. Quickly, he scrawled his signature, half listening to Sajcek's directions to the cabin.

  Lili stopped beside the old man, and he looked up.

  A shock of white hair and bushy white brows topped a face creased with age – the man easily looked ninety, and then some. Thin, frail … nobody would know from looking at him now that he'd been a killer, or the kind of man who'd double-cross a partner.

  "If you need anything," Sajcek said, "all you have to—"

  "Thanks. I've got it," Matt interrupted, with a quick nod at the man to keep up a polite appearance, and walked toward Lili. The old man saw him coming and he went stiff.

  "What's your name, little gal?" the old man asked, but he was intently watching Matt.

  Lili glanced at Matt, then smiled and said, "Lili Hawkins."

  "Nice to meet you." The old man paused. "Lili, huh? Now that's a pretty name. Old-fashioned. You don't hear many names like that these days."

  Matt met the old man's gaze, letting nothing of his unease show. Paranoia or not, his instincts for self-preservation made him wonder if there was something more to the man's words.

  Lili didn't bat an eyelash as she flashed her warmest, widest smile. "I was named for my grandmother. And it's nice to meet you, too, Mr.—?"

  "Conroy. Willis Conroy. My niece and her husband own the place. Hope you don't mind that I don't get up. The joints ain't what they used to be."

  "Oh, that's quite all right," Lili said, and Matt could tell she was trying not to stare. Or, at least, trying not to be too obvious about it.

  "We have to get going," Matt said, seizing his chance to draw Lili away. With his hand at her back, he gave her a slight push. She frowned at him.

  A grin cut across the wrinkles of Conroy's face, then he gave an exaggerated wink. "Can't wait to get her alone, eh?"

  Lili blushed. Matt smiled tightly, then propelled her out the door and down the walk to the car.

  "What the hell were you doing?" he demanded through clenched teeth as he opened her door and helped her into her seat.

  "What do you think? My God … Willis Conroy," she said softly. "He doesn't look very dangerous now, but I'd say his mind is still pretty sharp."

  That had been Matt's impression as well, after he'd calmed down enough to catalog details. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't walk off like that again, please. I'm still your bodyguard."

  Matt started the car and set off down the narrow dirt road. Several minutes later, he pulled up before a little log cabin set apart from the others, nestled up against the woods. Not the easiest place to secure, but with any luck, he and Lili would be out of here in a few days.

  "Is this it?" Lili asked. When he nodded, she added, "It's kinda cute."

  He thought it looked small. "I don't care if it's cute or not. All I want is to lie down, on a bed, for an hour."

  "A bed sounds like paradise about now. And so does that tub. My butt's been numb for hours."

  She swung out of the car after he parked, and Matt eyed her flannel-clad back and bottom, and her black hair hanging long and straight, swaying from side to side as she climbed the stairs.

  I could do something to get your blood pumping…

  Letting out his breath, he pushed the thought away. He stepped out of the car and followed her to the cabin door, unlocked it, and pushed it open.

  He'd have to talk with her about this bed business. Just yesterday, he'd have grabbed the chance to roll in the sheets with Lili Kavanaugh. Now he wasn't sure pushing for further intimacy was a good idea.

  God, he wanted her, and badly – but when he'd given her the silent go-ahead Saturday night, it had been with the expectation that whatever happened would be for a night only, and she'd be on her way home, safe, the next day.

  And all that had changed.

  I care for you, Matt. A lot…

  He cared for her, too, and the last thing he wanted was to hurt her. She wasn't looking at this with her head, and wanted to believe a New York designer could fall in love with a bodyguard from Chicago, complete with some kind of damn fairy tale ending. But he knew better.

  "Look," Lili exclaimed after she switched on the lights. "This cabin is absolutely adorable."

  It seemed the sort of place a woman would get excited about. It was small but open, and decorated with a backwoods theme right down to the rough-hewn tables and dark plaid furniture. No sofa, just a love seat and two chairs. The exposed beams of the walls and ceiling, and the polished hardwood floor added to the homey look. A fieldstone fireplace dominated one wall, with a round braided rug in front of it. Detailed botanical and wildlife prints crowded the walls, and the table lamps appeared to be birch logs, topped by leatherlike lampshades with whip-stitched edges.

  Off the main room was a short hall leading to a tiny galley kitchen on the right – plain pine cupboards, with what looked like ceramic antler drawer knobs, and a small farm table surrounded by spindle-back chairs – and what he figured was the bedroom and bathroom to the left.

  Lili disappeared inside the bedroom, and Matt heard squeals of feminine delight. It made him smile, despite his steadily increasing tension.

  "Hey, Lil," he called. "I'm going to bring in our bags from the car."

  "Okay," she hollered back, over the unmistakable sound of squeaking bedsprings, followed by a loud sigh of contentment. "Oh, Matt,
this is heaven. The bed is huge! And it's so soft…"

  Matt briefly squeezed his eyes shut, trying to hold back the image of Lili in that bed, soft and bare and waiting for him, arms open. Failing that, he went out to the car and retrieved the bags. He made his way back to the bedroom, and found Lili flopped back on the bed crosswise, her feet dangling off the floor, arms spread wide, and her hair spilling across a colorful quilt and over the side of the bed.

  And what a bed it was.

  "You weren't kidding when you said it was big," he said, staring.

  The headboard looked like a purloined piece of church architecture, and the mattress sat high off the floor. Dried flower wreaths decorated the wooden walls, and delicate lace curtains covered the window overlooking Little Moccasin Lake. The quilt was the focal point of the room, and a fake bearskin rug covered the plank flooring.

  Cozy. Intimate. The sort of bedroom that encouraged a couple to daily inside, no matter how good the fishing or how pretty the scenery outside.

  Lili patted the bed beside her. "Dump those bags and come here."

  Too tempted to pass on her offer, Matt dropped the Wal-Mart bags and fell back onto the bed, making it bounce and creak. He closed his eyes and groaned. "God, this feels good."

  "Mmmm, that it does."

  For several minutes he stared up at the ceiling beams, enjoying the enveloping softness of the bed, the secluded quiet of the room. If it hadn't been for that taut physical awareness of Lili so close to him, and on a bed, he might have drifted off to sleep.

  As it was, his entire body had gone tense from head to toe, and he was aware of her heat beside him, her scent, and the soft, even sound of her breathing.

  "You can have the bed. I'll sleep on the love seat," he said abruptly. Although he didn't look at her, he could feel her sudden stillness.

  "Why?"

  Rolling over to his side, he said, "What happened between you and me on Saturday … neither of us expected anything to go beyond the night."

  "What difference does that make?"