Protecting the Princess

by Carla Cassidy

  Although she was fully dressed in the same clothes she’d been wearing, her hair was wet and she smelled like soap, letting him know she’d used the past fifteen minutes to take a quick shower.

  “Dinner will be served in five minutes. If you aren’t at the table, you won’t eat.” He realized he sounded too abrupt, almost rude. Something about this woman set his teeth on edge. “Smokey, our cook, always has dinner ready at five-thirty,” he said in an attempt to temper his abruptness.

  “Then I’ll be in the dining area at five-thirty.” She closed the door.

  Tanner sucked in a deep breath. He’d been with the woman only a little over an hour and already his irritation level had increased tenfold.

  You’re a professional, he reminded himself as he wandered through the great room and toward the dining room. You’ve worked with difficult clients before.

  But none of those past clients had that silky blond hair. None of his past clients had lips that looked as if they needed to be kissed—badly.

  Irritation surged up inside him and he pushed those particular thoughts aside. She was obviously spoiled, self-indulgent and demanding, negative traits certainly tempered any attraction he might feel toward her.

  At five-thirty Tanner sat next to his father at the table as Smokey began to serve the evening meal. “Is the princess going to eat?” Smokey asked, his grizzly gray brows rising on his wrinkled forehead. Nobody knew Smokey’s age, which he indicated was older than dirt. The old man had been the real head of the household for years.

  “I have no idea what her plans are,” Tanner replied as he served himself a large bowl of the beef stew. He’d told her what time dinner was served. Beyond that he had no responsibility as to whether she ate or not.

  At exactly five thirty-five she entered the dining room.

  “I’m sorry if I’m late,” she said, although Tanner didn’t think she sounded sorry at all. He wondered if perhaps her choosing to be late was a subtle form of control.

  Red immediately stood and held out his hand to her. “Welcome to our home, Princess Anna. I’m Redmond West, Tanner’s father and founder of Wild West Protective Services. Most folks around these parts call me Red.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, Red. And please, just call me Anna.”

  “Anna it is,” Red replied.

  “Just Anna it has to be,” Tanner said. “The last thing we want to do is let people know we have Princess Anna Johansson staying here. From now on everyone calls her Anna.”

  “Of course,” she agreed. She smiled at Red as he held out her chair at the table.

  It was the first real smile Tanner had seen on her face and it was magnificent. As her lips curved upward in the gesture all trace of petulance was gone and a warm sparkle lit her blue eyes.

  The smile stirred Tanner on some base level that was distinctly uncomfortable and he looked down at his plate until she was settled in at the table.

  Smokey entered from the kitchen carrying a platter of cornbread. “I see you made it in time,” he said to Anna without preamble. “I hope you don’t expect me to do no fancy cooking just for you. I only know one way to cook and that’s plain, hearty food.”

  “I’m sure your cooking will be just fine,” Anna said stiffly. “Besides, I don’t expect to be here longer than a day, maybe two at the most. I can tolerate anything for that length of time.”

  Smokey snorted, slammed the platter of corn bread in front of her, then turned and disappeared back into the kitchen, which was his kingdom where he was the undisputed king.

  “Don’t let Smokey intimidate you,” Red said. “He’s all bark, but he doesn’t bite hard.”

  “Help yourself,” Tanner said, gesturing to the bowls and the stew. If she were waiting to be served, she’d have a long time to wait. “After dinner you and I need to talk.”

  She frowned, obviously not pleased at the prospect. “I can’t imagine what we have to talk about. I’ve told you what happened and why I’m here. All you have to do is keep me safe until my father arrives, and I have every confidence in your ability.”

  “Tanner likes to cross his t’s and dot his i’s,” Red said. “You might as well have a talk with him. He’s a stubborn cuss and likes things done his own way.” Red’s voice was full of affection for his eldest son.

  Anna’s gaze met Tanner’s and in those pretty eyes he saw a touch of calculation and more than a whisper of challenge. “All right, if you think it’s absolutely necessary,” she agreed.

  “You know, I worked for your father many years ago,” Red said as he passed her the butter.

  “Really?”

  “It was a long time ago, not long after your father first became king. I was in the process of building Wild West Protection Services and I’d managed to make some connections with some important people.”

  A wave of affection filled Tanner as he listened to his father talk. “Your father had planned a trip to New York, but he’d received information that one of his trusted bodyguards was a traitor.” Red’s voice was lively, his gaze fond as he eyed Anna from across the table. “King Bjorn contacted me and asked me to fly to Niflheim and accompany him on his journey. It was the biggest assignment of my career. I had to protect him not only from outside threats, but also from a potential inside threat.”

  “You must have been successful,” she said.

  Red nodded. “I managed to ferret out the traitor and keep your father safe for two weeks.”

  “That explains to me why my father sent me here,” she said. A frown appeared across her forehead. “Is it possible the rebels would guess that I’d be sent here?”

  “I’ve thought about that,” Tanner said. “I don’t think so. As Dad said, it was years ago that he worked for your father and there has been no contact between them since then. I think you’re safe here for now.”

  The rest of the meal consisted of good food and long, uncomfortable silences that nobody seemed inclined to fill. Tanner found himself casting surreptitious glances at her, noticing that while she ate most of the vegetables in the stew she didn’t eat a lot of the beef.

  He also couldn’t help but notice she had the softest looking skin he’d ever seen, that her eyes were the blue of a cloudless Oklahoma sky and she had charming dimples that flashed occasionally in her cheeks.

  He also saw that she had the hands of a woman who’d never worked a day in her life, soft hands with sculptured nails painted a pearly pink.

  She’d made it clear she didn’t want to have any sort of discussion with him, but Tanner was a thorough man and this was perhaps the biggest assignment of his career.

  Whether she was under his protection for an hour or a week, he wouldn’t be satisfied until he’d delved into the issues that had brought her here and had a profile of the group of men who apparently wanted her dead.

  The meal had been horribly uncomfortable for Anna. The men had been quiet and she’d been aware that she was completely out of her element.

  Throughout the tense meal, she’d found herself casting sly glances at Tanner. She found his face intriguing with its lean lines and firm square jaw. There seemed to be nothing soft about him. He was all broad shoulders and lean muscle and cold eyes.

  Every moment she spent in his company only made her sorry she’d come to him in the first place. If circumstances were different there was no way she’d be here in the company of a rude cook and an arrogant cowboy bodyguard. The only one who had shown her any respect, any consideration at all, was Tanner’s father.

  The fear that had gripped her in those moments at the airport in California had long passed. She felt completely safe here. She didn’t feel quite as safe after dinner as she followed Tanner into the study.

  She had no idea what he thought they needed to talk about. She was beyond tired having slept little in the past three days. The meal had only served to deepen her exhaustion.

  He closed the door behind them, then turned to face her and gestured her toward the chair in front of the desk.
She didn’t sit. As long as he was standing, she would stand.

  She looked around the room with interest, noticing that one wall was covered with pictures. She walked closer, recognizing photos of both Red and Tanner. There were five more pictures, four men and one woman. “Are these the agents that work for you?” she asked.

  “Yes and no. They are agents, but they’re also my brothers and my sister.” He moved to stand next to her and pointed to each photo. “My sister is Meredith and my brothers are Zack, Clay, Joshua and Dalton.”

  She could smell him, that scent of sunshine and male. She also thought she could feel his body heat radiating out to envelope her.

  She focused her concentration on the photos and away from him. They were a handsome family, all of them dark-haired and with the same piercing green eyes that Tanner possessed. As much as she hated to admit it, she found Tanner the most attractive of them all. “You’re the eldest?” she guessed.

  He nodded. “Joshua is the youngest. He’s twenty-five and I’m the oldest at thirty-five. The others are scattered in between.”

  “And your mother?”

  “Is dead,” he said flatly. “Now, can we get started?” He stepped away from her and to his desk.

  She wanted to tell him she was sorry about his mother. She wondered when she had died, how old had Tanner been when she’d passed away.

  Anna had lost her mother when she’d been twelve and her death had left a hole in her heart and a deep abiding loneliness that had never mended.

  However the expression on Tanner’s face seemed to forbid any kind of sympathy, so she swallowed whatever she might have said.

  She didn’t sit, but remained standing and looked at the rest of the photos that decorated the wall. “These other places, they’re also offices for your business?”

  “Satellite offices,” he replied. “Wild West Protective Services has recently opened offices in San Diego and Miami. We’re hoping to open an office soon in New York.” There was an undeniable ring of pride in his voice.

  “How did you get started in this?”

  “My father started the business years ago when he was a young man.”

  “And what kind of clients do you have?”

  “All kinds of people from all walks of life, although much of our business comes from high-profile people—politicians, dignitaries, athletes, even a rock star or two.”

  It was obvious Wild West Protective Services wasn’t the rinky-dink operation she’d thought when she’d first burst through the doors of the office. “Why in Cotter Creek?”

  “Dad originally began in Hollywood. He was in Special Forces, and when he left the service he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do, so he went to Hollywood and began working as a stuntman. It didn’t take long for him to realize there was a growing need for protection for some of the stars. He began the business there, but when he decided it was time to start a family he moved the business and his new wife out here to Cotter Creek.” His eyes flashed darkly. “I’ve answered enough of your questions. Now it’s time for you to answer some of mine.”

  She sighed and nodded, fighting off an overwhelming weariness. “What do you need to know?”

  He sat behind the desk and pulled a notepad from a drawer, then focused his gaze on her.

  He was a handsome devil, she thought. His gaze held no hint of any real friendliness and she held his stare boldly and wondered what he’d look like if he smiled.

  Would a smile crinkle those fine lines next to his eyes? Would a smile ease the harshness of his features into something even more handsome? She decided she didn’t care. She just wanted to get this over with and retreat to the privacy of her room.

  “Who are the rebels who took over the palace?” he asked.

  She blinked in surprise. “I don’t know…just rebels…men who obviously want my father out of power.”

  “Did they belong to a specific political group? Are they part of an organization of some kind?”

  She leaned back in the chair. “What difference does it make? They took over the palace and now they’re in control of the country.” She fought a shudder as she remembered the night she’d been roused from her bed and told her life was in danger.

  His mouth thinned and a muscle ticked in his jaw. “I’m not asking these questions just to be nosy. I need to know everything I can about these men. Surely you know something about the coup, something about the unrest that had to have been present before the takeover. After all, we’re talking about your homeland.”

  There was definite censure in his voice and she sat up and straightened her shoulders defensively. “Of course I knew there was unrest.”

  “But perhaps you were too busy traveling, sunbathing on yachts and clubbing until dawn to pay much attention to things back home.” His voice was low and smooth, but it shot a hot burst of anger through her.

  “What’s the matter, Mr. West—jealous? I doubt if common cowboys have many opportunities to sun on yachts or go clubbing.”

  His eyes glittered with a dangerous light and his lips curved upward in a smile that wasn’t particularly pleasant. “Trust me, Princess. I might be a cowboy, but there’s nothing common about me.”

  She sighed impatiently. “Are you always this rude to clients?” She didn’t wait for him to reply, but instead stood. “If all you intend to do is bait me, then I think I’ll call it a night.”

  “Please.” The muscle in his jaw ticked faster. “I apologize. This is important.”

  She hesitated, torn between wanting to run to her room and hide and the desire to show him she could take whatever he wanted to dish out. The latter won and she returned to the chair.

  He gave a deep sigh and raked a hand through his hair. “Let me explain something to you,” he said once she was seated. “One of the first things I do is create a profile on whomever is after my client. From the profile I try to figure out what might be the potential threat.”

  Anna sighed wearily. “I just think this is all unnecessary. I’m sure my father will be here in a day or so and there’s no possible way the rebels could know I’m here. I wasn’t even sure I’d come here when I left California. I’m sure there’s no danger for me here.”

  “We can’t know that for sure,” he countered. “We can’t know that unless I can identify the rebel forces, find out what kind of communication they have, what kind of technology they possess.”

  Again he surprised her. “I didn’t know bodyguards concerned themselves with these kinds of things,” she said slowly.

  “Maybe others don’t, but Wild West Protective Services is one of the best. Why do you think your father sent you here?”

  “To punish me,” she muttered under her breath.

  He leaned forward in his chair, ignoring her reply. “I’ll ask you again—what can you tell me about the rebel forces that took over the palace in Niflheim?”

  She frowned thoughtfully, reluctantly admitting to herself that she hadn’t paid much attention to such things. But, she certainly didn’t intend to admit it out loud to him.

  “The unrest in Niflheim wasn’t something new, but in the past couple of months it has become much more intense. There were some people who believed it was time for the monarchy to fall and a new kind of government to take its place. The rebels who took over the palace want a parliamentary kind of government.”

  “And what does your father think?”

  “I don’t know for sure. My father doesn’t confide in me about such matters.” She could tell by his narrowed eyes that her answer didn’t please him.

  “According to the news reports the country is now in the hands of these rebels. They have what they want. Why would they want you and your father dead?”

  “I don’t know for sure. Maybe they’re afraid my father will rally his supporters and attempt to reclaim the country. My father is not a man without loyal supporters. Maybe they’re afraid that they’ll never really have control unless we’re in a position to never return.”

  He
leaned forward, his gaze hard and focused. “Are these rebels organized? Is there a leader of their forces? Did you ever hear your father mention the names of these men?” The questions hit her like bullets.

  “No…I don’t know.” Why hadn’t she paid more attention to what was happening around her in Niflheim? “There was a group my father was concerned about, a radical group…but I can’t remember their name.” Exhaustion overwhelmed her and once again she stood. “I’m tired. I can’t think anymore. We’ll finish this tomorrow when I’ve rested.”

  “I certainly don’t want to push you too hard,” he said, an edge of coolness to his voice.

  “You don’t like me very much, do you?” she asked.

  His gaze shifted away from her. “It doesn’t matter whether I like you or not,” he replied.

  “If it’s any consolation to you, I don’t like you very much, either.” She exited the office, breathing easier the minute she was out of his presence.

  One thing was certain. He’d been right when he’d said that he wasn’t a common cowboy. Tanner West was far more than that. It had been obvious from the story told by the photos on the wall in the office that Wild West Protective Services wasn’t just a small family operation. It had also been obvious by the questions Tanner had wanted answered that he possessed a keen intelligence.

  Smart and handsome, and something about him put her on edge, made her feel both vulnerable and defensive. She entered the bedroom where she would be staying and walked to the window.

  Outside the sun had dipped below the horizon and darkness had begun to claim the sky. From this vantage point she could see nothing but pasture for as far as the eye could see.

  A well of loneliness filled her. It wasn’t a new emotion, but it had never been as intense as it was at this moment. She was stuck in a place she didn’t want to be with an arrogant, hateful man who obviously didn’t like her. She didn’t want to be here but was powerless to go anywhere else.

  She walked over to the bed and sat on the edge, pulling her overnight bag closer. She felt as if she’d been thrust into a horrid nightmare. As if the coup hadn’t been bad enough, she now had to contend with Tanner West until her father arrived.