The Protective Groom: Billionaire Marriage Brokers

by Lucy McConnell

  “Whoa.” Noah was thrown off by the sincerity in Jackson’s voice. He had no idea Jackson had all that going on.

  “Yeah—so pardon me if I don’t make a point of saying hello to Harley.”

  “Okay. Okay. I get it.” Noah relaxed his stance, willing to test Jackson, see if he could push him to reveal his true feelings. “Ya know, Harley can help—with the business stuff.”

  Jackson took two lemonades off a tray and handed one to Noah. He frowned into his drink. “She could. Honestly, though? I’d rather have help with Xavier.”

  There was a longing in Jackson’s eyes, one Noah had seen countless times when parents dropped their kids off at camp, and the kid ran to meet their friends without so much as a hug or a kiss goodbye. They wished for the days when their child ran into their arms after school or couldn’t wait to show them the picture they drew in kindergarten. Jackson’s response was too honest to ignore.

  “You got it.” Noah set his glass down with a thump and made his way back to Harley, ignoring Jackson’s curses behind him. “Where’s Molly?” he asked.

  “She had a call from overseas and disappeared. I think her grandpa may have died.”

  “That’s too bad.” No matter how uncomfortable he felt around Molly, he didn’t wish bad things upon her. She seemed like a sweet girl, just a little awkward.

  Noah took advantage of a break in socializing to ask Harley about Jackson’s aloofness.

  Harley’s eyes went soft. “He had it rough growing up. Dad married Jackson’s mom when Jackson was five. She never talked about his birth father, and the secret of his identity died when she did. Dad was in the Air Force, and Jackson was raised by nannies, shipped off to boarding schools, and even stayed with Sebastian’s family for a while. When Daddy remarried and then the rest of us came along … it must have been hard.”

  “How did he treat you growing up?”

  “Like I didn’t exist. Which I don’t blame him for.” She watched Jackson talking with a large group of people, all hanging on his every word. “I know it’s hard on him to have me around the office. Sydney, Wyatt, and I got the childhood he was cheated out of.”

  “He can’t blame his childhood for everything. At some point he has to own where he is in life.”

  “I know. I felt bad for his wife. She really tried to make it work, but I’m not sure he understood how to let her in. He tries with Xavier, though. At least there’s that.”

  Noah’s heart lit up with a desire to hold Harley close and protect her from all the evil in the world. Here she was, being shoved aside by a family member, and she expressed concern for him. “You’re kind of an amazing woman, Harley Baker.”

  Harley gave him a saucy wink. “That’s Mrs. Baker to you.”

  Noah shoved his hands in his pockets and kicked the grass in an effort at control. Thankfully, they were interrupted by the call to lunch, and he was caught up in once again searching the area for possible threats.

  Lunch was served on a grassy knoll under a white tent. Below them, the targets were laid out like pieces to a game, allowing tournament spectators the safety of the high ground.

  Servers in black pants and shirts delivered plates and filled cups with accuracy and speed. The food was excellent, though a tad heavy on the vinegar.

  Jackson called his son over. Scowling, Xavier took the open seat next to Noah, as far away from his dad as possible. Noah had his hand hooked on the back of Harley’s chair. It was as close to touching her as he dared to get. If yesterday’s kisses had taught him anything, it was that Harley wasn’t like a craving for Vanilla Coke. With caffeine, the craving subsided by at least half with that first sip. Not so with Harley’s lips. Tasting her had only increased the need. As long as he didn’t pop the top with Harley by touching or kissing her, he’d be able to keep himself in control. One little slip was all it would take.

  Harley seemed to be fine keeping a distance. She was all poise, shiny hair, and serenity today. He’d seen that glint in her eyes yesterday and was afraid she would work a little of her feminine ways and have him slobbering all over himself. Either she was waiting for him to make the next move, or she didn’t feel what he’d felt when they kissed. The first idea increased his respect for Harley a hundredfold and made him want to pursue her in every way. The second option, the one where she didn’t feel for him what he felt for her—love? Could he love her already?—had him wiping his palms on his khakis.

  “PS4 or Xbox One?” Noah asked Xavier.

  Xavier eyed him up. “What do you know about it?”

  “Personally, I’d take the Xbox One. The online features and ability to download a game more than once far outweigh the PS4’s gaming graphics.”

  Xavier threw his hands in the air. “Finally, someone in this family who speaks English.”

  John, Julia, and Harley laughed before jumping into their own conversation about the reasons the PS4 outsold the Xbox during the last holiday season that morphed into marketing to teen audiences versus marketing to their parents.

  Jackson poked at his food as Noah and Xavier broke down Ryse: Son of Rome. “The graphic are sick,” Xavier gushed.

  “Could you believe the improvement in the shadows?”

  “I know. Before it was like this black spot on the screen and totally impeded the visibility, but now they’re real shadows. Whoever upgraded that deserves a freaking medal.”

  “Do you want to meet him?” asked Jackson.

  Both Noah and Xavier stared openmouthed. “You know the guy?” Xavier asked dubiously.

  “I could set something up.” Jackson shrugged as if it was no big deal and he could care less, but Noah could see him watching Xavier out of the corner of his eye.

  “Can I bring a friend?”

  Jackson frowned. He’d probably been hoping for some father-and-son bonding time, and with one question he’d been reduced to chauffeur. To his credit, he didn’t say no. “Sure, bring whomever you want.”

  “Sweet.” Xavier pulled his phone out of his pocket and started texting.

  Noah hoped the outing went well for the two of them.

  Harley leaned his direction, though not close enough for them to touch. “Where did you learn to speak teen boy?”

  “Camp Buckeye.”

  “Where?”

  Noah suddenly realized how much he hadn’t told Harley. A hundred funny camp stories came to mind, and he couldn’t settle on one fast enough.

  “Will the archers please take the field?” asked a man in a white button-up shirt and bright-green vest.

  Noah stood.

  “Wait.” Harley’s hand was on his arm and Noah sucked in, the skin-on-skin contact sharpening his senses to everything Harley. “You’re competing?” she asked.

  “Yeah, I—”

  Noah was interrupted by a slap on the back. He turned to find Sebastian staring at Harley. “Would you like to make the competition a little more interesting?”

  “How so?” asked Noah. He stepped closer to Harley, forcing Sebastian to take a step back.

  “Winner gets a kiss from the lovely lady.”

  Harley’s smile froze. The thought of this fish-lipped half cousin getting anywhere near her made Noah want to pick up the table and smash it on his head.

  “Cool!” said Xavier. “You can totally take him.” He smacked Noah on the back.

  “It’s settled, then.” Sebastian smiled like a shark about to strike.

  Noah held up his hand. “Not quite. I believe the lady has the final say.”

  A demure smile appeared on Harley’s pale pink lips, making Noah’s heart thud like a bass drum on steroids. “I’m game if you are.”

  I am so game. Coming back to those lips would be worth a ten-year quest. Noah worried about leaving Harley alone in the crowd of people. He’d need to make sure she was safe before he left.

  The table erupted in polite applause. Harley motioned for Noah to come closer. “You’d better win. If I have to kiss that twerp, I’m putting a snake in your be
d tonight.”

  Noah tipped his head back and laughed to cover up the images he had of Harley and beds. Sebastian sneered before leading the way down the hill.

  Noah made eye contact with John, silently transferring Harley’s safety to her dad while he was busy winning. At the last second, he saw Molly hug Harley hello—again. Good. With a friend who stuck as close as Molly, no one would get Harley alone.

  Bows, arrows, and safety gear were all provided by the event. Noah went through a series of tests to determine draw weight on his assigned bow. He took great satisfaction in pulling in twenty-five pounds more than Sebastian.

  The competition was divided into a women’s class and a men’s class, with the women shooting first. There were several women in their early twenties who had impressive focus. Noah knew from experience that developing the hand-eye coordination, not to mention accounting for the erratic wind that rushed down the hill, took hours of practice. Thankfully, his early training at Camp Buckeye, and the subsequent tournaments throughout high school and college, had prepared him well. Though he hadn’t held a bow in months, he found his muscle memory was still strong.

  They were separated into smaller groups for the qualifying round. Noah took it easy, learning the bow but still shooting better than anyone in his class. His finger tab was a little tight, and he asked for a new one before moving onto the second round. While he waited for the attendant to return, he scanned the crowd at the top of the hill for Harley. She was easy to spot in her raspberry sundress and floppy hat—a picture of innocent and perfection. Noah couldn’t take his eyes off her.

  The attendant returned and tapped him on the shoulder. “Sir?”

  Noah jolted back to the tournament. He tried on the new finger tab and found it even smaller than the first. “Excuse me?” he called after the attendant. The man either didn’t hear him or didn’t want to be bothered.

  “What’s the matter, Baker?” asked Sebastian.

  Noah took in the man’s saunter and knew beyond a doubt that he’d sent over the wrong finger tab in an effort to hinder Noah’s abilities. Noah checked his smile. The joke was on Sebastian; he preferred to shoot bare fingered. He ran his thumb over his calluses. “Not a thing.”

  “We’re set at targets four and five.”

  “Perfect.” Noah approached his designated target and planted his feet in the grass, hip width apart. He took in a deep breath with his eyes closed, letting the familiar sounds of straining strings and arrows thunking into targets fill him up.

  “I’m looking forward to that kiss.” Sebastian shifted his weight and drew back the string. He let his arrow fly, and it landed right on the black line between the yellow bullseye and the red.

  Noah chuckled. “As if you’ve got a chance.”

  Sebastian stuck out his chin. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”

  “Your loss.”

  Noah knocked his arrow, and it felt strange. He removed it and stared down the shaft. It was slightly bent. Not enough to be noticeable, unless someone examined the arrow but enough to throw off his aim. Sebastian smirked, and Noah had the sinking suspicion that every arrow in his quiver would have the same defect.

  “Problem?” Sebastian examined his wrist guard.

  “Not at all.” Noah replaced the arrow in his bow, careful to lay the angle toward the left of the target, adjusted his aim, and let it go. The arrow landed an inch closer to the center than Sebastian’s had on his target.

  “Lucky shot,” Sebastian begrudgingly admitted. He took aim and this time his arrow went right landing in the center of the red.

  “It wasn’t luck.” Noah’s arrow landed right next to the first.

  “Ya know,” Sebastian drawled as he checked the feathers on his next arrow. By now, the other archers had finished, and it was clear that Noah and Sebastian were in the running for first place. “Harley isn’t the delicate flower you think she is.”

  Noah rolled his eyes. “Trust me. No one thinks Harley is a delicate flower.” Noah thought of her threat to put a snake in his bed and grinned. She was tough as nails and delicious as pie—the perfect combination.

  “What I’m saying is that she’s been around the block a few times—if you know what I mean.” Sebastian’s arrow landed in the yellow, but Noah only saw red. “I could take her off your hands—for a few nights. Help her learn to be more submissive.”

  Reaching back into his quiver, Noah stomped to Sebastian and stood toe to toe. “There’s something you should know about me.”

  He knocked not one but two arrows, turned his bow sideways, and let them fly. One arrow hit his target dead center; the other hit Sebastian’s target dead center. The crowd erupted, and Noah leaned closer so Sebastian wouldn’t miss a word. “An arrow isn’t the only thing I shoot straight. If you ever come near my wife, you’ll be hauled off in a body bag.”

  Sebastian stared at the two arrows and then back at Noah, fear curling around the edges of his eyes. Noah stepped back, shocked that he’d threatened another human being. Spinning on his heel, he pushed through the crowd, desperate to find Harley.

  The search didn’t last long. She saw him coming and threw her arms around his neck. “You were awesome.” She was laughing and happy, and Noah could only hear parts of what was going on.

  Harley’s smile faded. She took his hand, said something to her dad, and then they were in the back of the limo and his whole body was shaking. It was happening again. He was being pulled to that darkness, that blank place where he couldn’t function. Wanting to fight the fear, he clung to Harley, gripping her arms.

  “Noah.” Harley’s voice was far away, even though he could see her right there in front of him. She rubbed her hands briskly up and down his arms. “Noah, it’s okay. We’re safe, honey.”

  She pulled him closer, and then closer again, until his forehead rested against her neck and she brushed his back. Forcing air into his lungs, Noah breathed in her deep vanilla scent and concentrated on how it was different than that night. Reminding himself through his olfactory nerves that he wasn’t in the parking lot, he wasn’t a police officer. He was a husband—Harley’s husband.

  Slowly, his awareness of his surroundings increased, and he realized the car was moving. “Where are we going?” His panic filled the back seat of the car. Was she turning him in? Was he fired? Would he have to leave?

  “Home,” came her warm reply.

  He slumped back in his seat and closed his eyes. Home. Their home. Safety—for both of them.

  “What happened down there?” Harley’s hands continued up and down Noah’s arms. Her touch had the effect of pulling the paralyzing fear out of his limbs.

  Noah could barely get the confession out. “I threatened to kill Sebastian if he came near you.”

  Harley’s hands stilled. “I want to say thank you, but I’m afraid that would be the wrong thing to say to you right now. I’m not sure what’s going on.”

  Noah leaned forward, his face in his hands and his elbows on his knees. “I don’t ever want to take a life again. And yet, when he insulted you, all I wanted to do was beat the living daylights out of him.” He shifted in his seat, worried that if he voiced his deepest fear, he’d plant the seed of it in Harley’s mind and that would be all she thought about when she neared him.

  “What’s wrong?” She brushed her fingers over his temple.

  Noah shook his head. He gulped and then blurted, “I’ve done horrible things, Harley. Monster things.”

  Harley shook her head before sliding into the seat next to him and leaning her head on his shoulder. “No one who loves you sees a monster.”

  Noah wondered if she counted herself as one of those people who loved him. He wanted so much to ask for clarification, but he held back, sure that even if she did love him now, she wouldn’t later. “They would if they knew the truth.”

  “Tell me.”

  It was time. Noah scrubbed his hands together as if he could wash them clean of the blood stains they carried from that fate
ful day. “I’d been on graves for a few weeks when the call came in—a drug bust had gone wrong and turned into a hostage situation. My partner and I flew out to the all-night drugstore, where two gunmen held seventeen people inside, three of them children.

  “The suspects would yell their demands through the sliding glass doors, and one of our guys wrote them down. They were in the process of negotiation when all the sudden one of the guys grabbed a kid and used him as a human shield, and his buddy grabbed the kid’s mom. They stormed into the parking lot, screaming at us to back off and let them out. The kid was terrified. His eyes the size of baseballs, they were so wide, and I could hear his mom whimpering, and all I could think about was, what if that was my mom and Hannah?

  “The guy with the kid was tackled by an officer as he came around the corner, and I saw the other man turn his gun on the mom, and I shot him. Dropped him right where he stood.” Noah’s hands were like ice, and he couldn’t move. The sounds happened all around him. He was there, and yet he was here, and the pressure built. “The guy on the ground started screaming—it was his brother. I’d shot his brother.”

  Noah groaned under the weight of it all and dropped into Harley’s lap. Harley sniffed. She ran her fingers through his hair over and over again.

  Eventually, Noah was able to continue. He tapped his temple. “Up here, I would make the same decision all over again. The man was going to take an innocent woman’s life, and who knows how many others if he hadn’t been stopped. I know that.”

  He pounded his chest. “But what I feel in here is a burden I can barely wake up to each day. That’s why I had to leave the force. I couldn’t add to what’s here.” He hit his chest once again.

  “Then why are you here?” Harley whispered. “How could you even get past the torment and sign up for this in the first place?”