“I’m not about to hold you responsible for my life when you’ve only been here for ten minutes. I’ll be gone for three hours at most. You’ll hardly notice my absence.”
“Trust me, I will,” he assured her darkly, standing straighter to brace himself on both feet in the doorframe, as if he had every intention of blocking her from leaving. “You’ll never leave this house without a full escort. I’ll determine the meaning of the word ‘full,’ by the way. The minute you signed that contract, Devon, you became my responsibility, and I take my responsibilities very seriously.”
“As any good leader must do. I understand that. However, this is an important meeting and I won’t cancel.”
“Then I have no choice but to change my clothes and accompany you. Flores will attend also. I need the others here for now, but in the future you’ll have anywhere from two to four of us near you at all times when away from the house.” He reached up to touch the nearly invisible patch of pink under his ear. “Flores. I need you dressed and prepped VIP, ASAP, copy?”
“Give me ten, Leader,” she responded.
“Gordon.”
“Leader?”
“Go over the limo with a comb, ASAP.”
“Copy that.”
“Will my team be lodging in the east wing?” Liam asked Devon. “I assumed that since that wing is the farthest from your private quarters, you’d prefer it. I’ll want a west wing room, however. I’ll sleep better if I’m within shouting distance of you.”
“You have the run of the house, Mr. Nash. I gave you my exclusions. All else is open to you and your personnel, including the recreation facilities and the training room. I’m certain you will enjoy them.”
“It’s Liam,” he said, disliking her use of the formality for some reason. “That’s kind of you, but we have facilities at the NHK compound, and after this initial week, I will be the only one living here 24/7.”
“Then I invite you to use whatever would make you feel at home, Liam.”
It was quite an invitation, being made in that dress with that purring, throaty pitch of voice she had. Not to mention that certain way she stood, hands roaming her belly, hips or thighs in minute, absently erotic movements. The double entendre in her invitation couldn’t be a mistake of his mind. He ignored the physiological responses of his throbbing body and decided to set her straight right off the bat. He glanced around and then entered the room so he could close the door.
“I hope I’m not overstepping myself, Devon,” he began as politely as he could manage. “I just want to make sure you understood that this is a business arrangement. I keep business and pleasure absolutely separate. Do you understand?” He gave her a meaningful look, hoping she’d get it and that would be the end of her innuendo.
“I see,” she mused with one of those mysteriously compelling smiles. “And you think I don’t adhere to that same ethic, Liam?”
Abruptly put on the spot, Liam cleared his throat. “It’s just that there seems to be this … sometimes I get the feeling that …”
“That there is a connection between us so arousing and disconcerting it’s like sucking on a lightning bolt?” she provided helpfully.
“I …” Liam leaned back against the door, as if something had deflated him halfway. “Yeah. That’s an accurate description,” he admitted with a low laugh.
“You needn’t worry,” she reassured him. “I am quite capable of maintaining boundaries. Did you think I would throw myself at you? Make a nuisance of myself?” She stepped forward and reached for her purse. “I find you to be a very vital and attractive man, Liam Nash, but you’re … not quite my type.”
That had just become a damn shame, Liam thought as his libido began to careen off its axis. When she had stepped forward, her gown had shifted, and Liam had rapidly realized it was entirely transparent. What the hell was it with this woman and her fabrics? Didn’t she own anything that was more than a micron thick? Liam swallowed hard as his eyes drifted over the shadowed curves of her breasts and their pronounced, jutting nipples; followed the span of her belly to her navel; then lower, only to find the silk had been tauntingly thickened with a thin crescent of embroidery that stretched from one hip to another, dipping dangerously low against bare and beautifully feminine places. He knew she was naked beneath because there was no such embroidery along her side and he saw no sign of panties. It made him wonder if there was any modesty to the rear of the gown.
Liam’s eyes darted back to her face, where that smile was still in place, but he instantly realized it was forced and that her face was flushed. He shifted his gaze lower and saw her pulse beating rapidly in her throat. Then he went lower again so he could reconcile what he’d just seen with something he already knew. The thrust of those pretty, dark nipples was there because she was excited. By him. Even though she claimed he was not her type.
Liam was moving before he even realized his intentions. He reached for the hand on her purse and circled her wrist, using it to pull her closer. Her heels tapped out two steps as she was compelled forward, until she bumped into him like a car in a carnival ride. They were chest to chest now, as Liam’s hand slid into the small of her back, his broad palm spreading open. He could hear her breathing increasing in tempo. He could feel the tips of her breasts rubbing against him. He could also feel the pressure of her warm, taut belly along the shaft of his rigid cock.
“You come that willingly? You know almost nothing about me,” he managed to rough out. “You walk into my arms, with your body so exposed …”
“I know what I feel. And I know what you feel. For the moment, that is enough.”
“And everything we just said about working boundaries?” he asked hoarsely as her body snuggled tighter against him with just one little shift in the bend of her knee. He groaned deeply, the feeling so much like a lock fitted with the perfect key. Because he was such a big man, he had always considered the experience something that would be forever outside the realm of possibility for him. He’d even thought people were overrating the sensation. But he was now faced with the evidence of how shockingly wrong he’d been. It shook him considerably, how incredible it felt to have her locked to the length of his body so perfectly. It was eerie, how she seemed made to fit him. His mind leapt ahead, wondering hotly in what other ways she might make a perfect fit for him.
The raw sexuality of the thought stabbed through him and Liam suddenly released Devon, stepping back so unexpectedly that she swayed for balance a moment. She caught herself by laying a hand on the security control console.
And then she laughed at him. But it was so bemused and kindly a sound that he felt no embarrassment.
“Liam,” she said, his name so inviting on her lips that he regretted letting her be so personal one moment, and then wouldn’t have it any other way the next. “Why don’t we just relax as best we can around one another and acknowledge that it will be a challenge to maintain the boundaries we would normally impose on ourselves? I don’t want to feel that I’ve broken my word if there should be,” she raised a palm, gently waving two fingers to indicate their close proximity, “lapses.”
“I disagree,” he snapped. “There will be no more lapses.”
Devon watched him turn sharply on his heel and leave the room, probably expending a mighty effort not to slam the door behind him. She exhaled as if she hadn’t breathed in ages, sagging against the top of the control desk. Lord, but that man had some powerful sex appeal. The thing was, she didn’t think he knew it.
What she did know was that a man like Liam Nash was going to need an outlet for his volatile feelings, but he was going to have to put it off until after tonight’s meeting was over.
Since he didn’t appear to be the sort of man who took well to sitting on his temper for long periods of time, he would probably be a very dangerous person to be around come the end of the night.
Why that thought gave her such a thrill was completely beyond her.
Chapter Five
Inez Flores had known Liam Nash for
three years, so she considered herself just familiar enough with him to know when something was wrong. Unfortunately, she didn’t consider herself familiar enough to ask him about it. Liam was a wonderful employer, a stellar trainer and a good man in general, but he didn’t let his companions get too close. It was an aspect of his personality that had taken some adjustment at first.
Inez had been used to cops who shared close personal relationships, who considered each other family. Like the partnership she had with Kellen. Her seven-year-old, Parker, called him Uncle Kellen. Her partner practically lived on her sofa during their off time, even though he had a gorgeous condo of his own to go home to. For all his machismo, Kellen didn’t like being alone. A large extended family and life in the military had gotten him used to being around a lot of people. Inez supposed one rambunctious boy could easily dispel that sense of loneliness.
It was likely that Liam felt he had to remain aloof in order to maintain his command, but it was more than that. Or rather, less than that. He was used to working in a team, finding a rhythm so everything ran in perfect synchronicity, but she suspected that individual personal relationships baffled him. Even his relationship with Colin, his own brother, seemed distant. Oh, no one doubted that Liam would walk through the burning fires of hell for his brother, but he was no closer to Colin than to anyone else under his command.
Inez sat at the restaurant table across from Liam, dressed in one of the designer dresses she was allotted every year so that in situations like this she could blend in unremarkably. Technically, she and Liam had been out on about a hundred dates over the last three years; just like this, sitting as though they were a normal couple instead of heavily armed and alert bodyguards. She watched exits and distant persons; he watched the principal and those near her.
Frankly, after learning exactly who was after Devon Candler, and that they had what Liam termed ‘a powerful motivation’ to obliterate her, Inez would have felt more comfortable with more backup. Kellen had been left in charge of the house in Liam’s absence, and she felt naked without him. Not that she wouldn’t trust her life to Liam in a heartbeat. Because she would. However, she had a connection with Kellen that couldn’t be duplicated.
But for the moment she was dependent on Liam, and Colin was their only backup as he waited outside under the guise of their limo driver. As a cop she’d faced down a rare Morphate or two and it had been a terrifying experience. She’d once emptied two 9mm clips into one, and that had only slowed the perp down long enough for them to make an arrest as quickly as they could. By the time they got the Morphate back to the station he’d already been conscious and healing.
Inez’s dress was black and fell to just above her knees. It was conservative around the neckline and sleeves because she had to wear her new NHK armored vest under it. She loved the new vest. It was so light and perfectly fitted to her to accommodate her busty proportions. Most armor smashed her boobs down and that was a bitch to handle for eight- to ten-hour shifts. Veronica Klein was a genius, and anyone who said different was a jackass. Liam was brilliant in her book as well. He’d had a strong hand in the ergonomics of the design; like the part about tailoring it to fit the individual. That thoughtfulness inspired devotion and loyalty from one’s troops, so it really perturbed her to see Liam out of sorts, knowing she couldn’t do anything about it.
If Liam had heard her describe him as ‘out of sorts,’ he would have found the description woefully insufficient. He sat facing Devon, who was only two tables away from them. He could see her, as well as her smarmy date, quite clearly. He had to admit, the man was a classic. Tall, dark, handsome, and positively oozing charm. He was also constantly finding reasons to touch Devon. On her hand over the table, rubbing her back as he seated her, or touching her neck and face in an obvious flirtation whenever they got up to dance.
Whenever they danced, Liam pulled Inez into his arms and joined them so he could keep closer watch. The dress Devon was almost wearing caught a great deal of attention, so it was very difficult to sort out carnal interest from potential threat. An attacker’s intent was always in his eyes first as he tracked and mentally pinned down his victim. Just about everything in the room with a penis was tracking and mentally pinning Devon Candler down as her luscious body slid with grace under the gossamer silk. She wasn’t the only woman dressed in the risqué diaphanous fashion, but Liam was convinced she could have drawn the same attention in sackcloth with her knockout build and the way she exuded pure sex.
At least she seemed to be taking their protective presence in stride. She hardly ever looked in his or Inez’s direction. What Liam wanted to know was, what had been so damned important about this dinner? She’d called it a meeting, but it looked more like a seduction. Was this clown what she considered her ‘type’? Liam couldn’t imagine how. Sure, he had looks, charisma, and the ability to sit prettily in what he imagined was her social circle, but that was outside appearances only. There was too much going on beneath all that perfect peach skin for Devon Candler to be satisfied with such artifice. In fact, the more he watched the couple, the more he could see she was wearing out her escort’s façade, testing his social skills to the fullest. He began to make little errors, and Liam watched those pale green eyes of hers make quick note of each and every one before becoming perfectly inscrutable. Their conversation was making her date increasingly uncomfortable or nervous. Liam hadn’t decided which one it was yet.
The barricade behind her exotic eyes was also a hint of an anomaly. Even after so short an acquaintance, he had come to understand that she allowed her emotions to play easily. At least, she did when she was behind the walls of her home. Was it just this man, or was it the exterior environment? He wished he’d had time to prepare for this ‘meeting.’ Time to get to know her better psychologically so he could read any signals of distress she might send purposely or inadvertently. He would have researched this guy down to his jockey shorts and made certain he wasn’t a threat to Devon.
Liam narrowed his eyes when she pulled her hand away from her companion for the second time in as many minutes, but before she could clear her water glass, her escort grabbed her by the wrist and jerked her forward slightly, rocking the liquid in the glasses as he shook the table.
“Kienan, you will release me and discontinue making a spectacle of us this instant,” Devon hissed softly.
“I won’t be dictated to in this manner, Devona,” he jeered over the table.
“I make no dictates, only requests and arguments of logic, which you fail to see because you can’t get past your masculine ego! Why must this be about your pursuit of something you’ll never have, Kienan? Is this the only reason you’ve come here tonight?” she demanded.
“But of course not,” he backtracked quickly, smiling with charm as he ran his fingernails over the inside of her captive wrist. “Nevertheless, you can’t deny the attraction between us. You reek of sexual desire, Devona. I can smell that juicy little—”
“Excuse me.” A throat cleared from far above their seated positions, cutting off what promised to be a truly crude remark. Kienan would never know how lucky he was that Liam had interrupted it. “I was wondering if you’d mind lending me your partner for a dance?”
Nash didn’t wait for an answer before gently drawing up her free hand and pulling Devon to her feet. Kienan persisted in his grasp for an indecisive moment, but Liam’s quelling, patient stare made her escort laugh and let go. He leaned back in his chair and waved his hand in dismissal.
Liam placed a hand on her back, feeling silk and the warmth of her skin against his fingertips and palm once more, just as he had done so briefly in the security room. He led her to the floor, his eyes flowing easily over everyone surrounding them, over her abandoned date, and then to Inez, who was making her way over to Kienan to fill Devon’s empty seat. He strategically kept Devon’s back to the small intervention that would occur, drawing her closer until she lightly brushed the length of his body with hers.
“You loo
k quite handsome in silk,” she complimented him, reaching to slide one lapel of his jacket between her fingers. “You have an excellent tailor. Most don’t know the best way to fit a man of your proportions.”
He knew she was right and he laughed shortly to reflect his surprise. “Not many people would realize that. Know many large men?”
“No,” she said simply. She didn’t elaborate and it made him smile with genuine humor, sarcasm deleted.
“Are you well?” he asked. “He had quite a grip on you.” He reached up and slid her hand down to his chest from his shoulder, rubbing warm, calloused fingers over the reddened skin of her wrist.
“I’m fine, thank you. There was no need to rescue me.” She smiled as she looked up at him. “But I’m glad you did. It was a better way of defusing the situation than what was about to happen.”
“Are you saying you would have been so unladylike in public? In a place like this?” He cast his eyes around the opulent restaurant. He was grinning though.
“You tease me about my manners?” She sniffed. “Although I must say you may have the right to. Your manners have been flawless all evening toward your escort, even though it’s a guise. And you dance very well.”
“Now,” he confided meaningfully.
“Are you saying you weren’t the best of dance students?” she teased.
“Up until I realized dancing meant I could have a legitimate reason for holding beautiful, unattainable women close,” he admitted.
She laughed aloud and Liam watched over her shoulder as heads turned to look at her. She was oblivious to her effect on the room. “What do you mean ‘unattainable’? There isn’t a woman on earth who would deny a man who looks this sexy in a tuxedo.”
“I’ve had my share of rejections, I assure you.”
“Then again, women can be foolish, capricious creatures,” she said dismissively, smiling when he chuckled. She tilted her head and studied him for a moment as he turned her into the light steps of the dance. “I must say, I’m amazed by your lack of awareness about how much sexual magnetism you have.”
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