Savannah's Sentinel (Mountain Mastery Book 2)

by Avery Gale

  Landon grinned. “Did you notice you didn’t hear a peep from the husbands of the two female firefighters? Hell, I’m betting they were too busy enjoying the perks to complain.”

  Taz nodded in agreement. “I told the mayor he might want to think about an all-female department.” Probably not a bad idea, considering how the whole disaster went down. “He asked that Nate and I bar Kodi from the kitchen until he can make it happen.” Taz’s laughter was contagious, and Landon began to relax.

  “I’m heading home. Give me a call when Savannah leaves here in the morning. I want to be sure I’m the one who opens the door. I’m afraid Lenore will spoil her rotten if I don’t keep the two of them apart.” His cook would have her lounging by the pool eating chocolate covered strawberries if he wasn’t careful.

  Saying his goodbyes, Landon made his way to the parking lot. The hair on the back of his neck stood up, and he glanced around the darkened lot, but didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. Just as he shifted the small sports car into gear, Landon looked up and froze. One of the windows on the top floor framed the silhouette of a woman shifting from one yoga pose to another. Every detail of her graceful movement was now burned into his memory. Her perfectly rounded breasts and peaked nipples, the well-defined arms artfully positioned to aid her balance, and long legs shaped by toned muscles. His hunger for her raged out of control.

  Her movements were fluid with no wasted effort. He watched her hold poses many advanced students struggled with. He’d learned yoga when he was a teenager, a counselor at school had suggested it as a way to help him learn to control his temper. Fencing helped vent some of his physical aggression, but yoga soothed his soul.

  Swallowing back the temptation to stay where he was and enjoy the show, Landon slammed the car back into gear and tore out of the lot like the hounds of hell were on his tail. He’d double check to make sure everything was in place and remind his staff of the rules he’d put into place. Checking in with Karl and Tally would take a little longer, but it was important. Then he’d spend a couple of hours in his home gym, because exhaustion was going to be his only hope for sleeping tonight after what he’d just seen.

  Chapter Five

  Koi Green limped across the mat and swiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his arm. He’d only done two sets of katas, and he was already weaving on his feet. Rehabbing his leg was taking much longer than he’d anticipated, and he was growing more frustrated by the day. “Fucking pussy, suck it up and do it again.”

  “I’m not sure who you’re talking to, but I’m hoping it’s not me.”

  Koi spun around so fast his leg cramped, and he couldn’t hold back his grimace. The pretty brunette standing behind him smiled. It took a second for Koi to recognize her—he wasn’t sure if it was fatigue or the fact he hadn’t been expecting anyone, much less a woman from Mountain Mastery, to walk into the Prairie Winds Club gym.

  “Brinn, what a pleasant surprise.” He hoped his smile backed up his words, because his trouble radar was spinning wildly out of control.

  To her credit, she dropped her gaze and seemed genuinely humbled by his response. “I know you probably aren’t thrilled to see me. Between my horrible behavior toward Kodi and following you after we had dinner, I doubt I’m on your potential BFFs list.”

  “Potential what?” Christ, his sister used to assume he knew all the latest slang acronyms—and he never had.

  “Oh, sorry. Best friend forever. I just wanted to stop and check on you. The company I work for is starting a big project here, so I’ll be in Texas for a few months. I asked Master Nate about suspending my membership while I’m here. He talked Kyle into letting me transfer here. I appreciated their cooperation. It’s nice to be able to hang out with like-minded people.”

  Koi wasn’t convinced Brinn was as committed to the lifestyle as she claimed, but he wasn’t interested enough to argue with her. “I want to thank you for your help after the accident. If you hadn’t been curious and followed me, I probably would have died.”

  She flushed a pretty pink, and for the first time, he noticed how young she looked. The night he’d met her at the club, she’d just come from work. Her professional clothing had given her an air of sophistication that was missing today. With her hair pulled back into a high ponytail and her bright colored flip-flips, she reminded him more of a college coed than an engineering professional. Her frayed jean shorts and skin-tight tee shirt highlighted a world class set of legs and rack. But the sad fact was she didn’t flip any of his sexual switches.

  “You’re welcome. I wish I could explain away my behavior, but I can’t. But I want you to know I’m trying very hard to make some changes in my life.” Koi heard the door behind him slam open and the sound of boisterous voices before they suddenly fell silent. Brinn’s eyes went wide before her checks flamed scarlet, and her gaze once again dropped to the floor. “Well, I’d better get going. I…well, I just wanted to say hi and to apologize. I hope we can still be friends.”

  “I’d like that, Brinn. I don’t think anybody can ever have too many friends.” Koi meant what he’d said despite the fact he didn’t have many female friends. He had plenty of women in his past, but he rarely played with the same woman more than a few times. And it was very unusual for their paths to cross once the sexual part of their relationship ended—he made sure of it.

  “Agreed. You’ve been holding out on us, Green.” Koi glanced to his side and grinned at the expression on Parker’s face. He’d met the recently promoted Chief of Police when he first moved to one of the small cottages behind the Prairie Winds club several weeks ago. Parker might have been talking to Koi, but his eyes hadn’t left Brinn. Standing several inches over six foot, with blonde hair and blue eyes, Parker Andrews didn’t have any trouble attracting women. Koi also knew the Chief and the man standing to his left shared their women.

  Kent had introduced Koi to Dan Deal during his first week in the rehabilitation hospital. After a near fatal car accident in Montana, Koi had been transferred to a facility not far from the Prairie Winds Club. Kent and Kyle had been trying to recruit him for their team of contract operatives, and he’d been on his way to meet with them when his handler at the CIA ran him off a mountain highway.

  Koi found out later the man had been under investigation for months. The handler had been on the take for several years and wrongly assumed Koi was the one who’d turned him in. The asshole had made hundreds of thousands of dollars selling out his fellow operatives and compromising missions. Koi had been understandably angry when he first arrived in Texas, and Dan had helped him deal with those feelings. The psychologist had a successful practice locally and helped the Wests vet club members and screen potential team members. He’d become friends with both men over the past few months since they often worked out together in the gym at the same time. But neither of his new friends looked at him today—their gazes were locked on Brinn Peters.

  After introducing the three of them, Koi chuckled at how quickly the two men ushered her to the other side of the room. He couldn’t hear their conversation, but he didn’t miss them handing her their business cards before she finally made her way out of the building.

  Sweetie, you’d better think long and hard about hooking up with those two. You won’t be able to hide anything, and they won’t be fooled by any of your usual nonsense, either.

  Savannah rubbed her sweating palms down the sides of her skirt and looked back up at the biggest door she’d ever seen. The home itself was enormous and spread out over what looked like enough space to build a football field. She guessed the landscaped front yard covered five or more acres. It had taken her several minutes to make her way to the door. Savannah stood mesmerized by the fountains bubbling at the center of the circle drive.

  Sighing again, she peered up at the mammoth structure. Hopefully, he’ll give me a map. Just thinking about the man she’d be working with sent a shiver skittering up her spine. She’d tried to wheedle information from the Ledeks during b
reakfast, but all three of them remained tight-lipped. Their reluctance to tell her anything about the man who would train her for the mission added to her anxiety.

  When she’d walked into the office at the Mountain Mastery club yesterday, Savannah wondered if Landon Nixon would be her trainer. The way he’d looked down his perfect nose at her made it clear he’d rather be anywhere but in the same room with her. Savannah didn’t understand her frustrating push-pull attraction to him, but he turned on her sexual arousal buttons and spiked her frustration at the same time.

  Sucking in a deep breath, Savannah shoved all thoughts of Landon Nixon aside. Reminding herself why she was here, she sent up a silent prayer Amy would remain safe until the party her kidnappers were planning. Party. Yeah, right. A thinly veiled excuse for a sex slave auction. Reaching forward, Savannah took another deep breath and pressed the doorbell.

  Footsteps sounded on the other side of the door followed by the loud clicking of the locks disengaging. Time slowed to a crawl as the heavy door opened. Savannah didn’t realize she’d dropped her gaze until the first thing that came into view was a pair of bare feet topped by the frayed hem of well-worn jeans. She’d never considered men’s feet particularly sexy, but his were long and sun-kissed tan, making her think of hours spent walking on the beach soaking up the sun and listening as relentless waves splashed over the shifting sand.

  Her eyes slowly traveled north, noting the tears outlined by soft tufts where the threads unraveled naturally after repeated laundering. The man in front of her had long, slender legs leading to an impressive erection pressing against his zipper. She licked her lips before she could censor the movement. His narrow waist showcased tanned, deliciously bare skin exposed even more than would ordinarily be visible because he’d left the top snap of his jeans open to highlight a golden arrow of hair pointing south. Large hands bracketed his waist, and Savannah felt her face heat when she thought about them touching her intimately.

  A well-defined six-pack attested to enough time in the gym to keep himself physically fit. And muscled biceps curved into broad shoulders. Her visual perusal paused at the base of his neck while she took a bracing breath. There was something familiar about his posture, and she closed her eyes and sent up a silent prayer that her instincts were misleading her. Surely the Universe wouldn’t be that heartless.

  “Princess, open your eyes and look at me.” Landon Nixon’s voice wrapped itself around her so tightly Savannah’s breath hitched. The words had been softly spoken, but an underlying thread of steel ran through them, ensuring she recognized them as the command they’d been. Lifting her lashes, she was shocked to find him standing much closer than he’d been a few seconds ago. His ability to move silently didn’t surprise her, but she was humbled to realize she hadn’t sensed his approach.

  Tilting her head back to meet his gaze, Savannah started to shake her head and step away, but his frown stopped her. “Your safe word is red. Use it and we’re done. You go back to the pansy-assed missions the Agency sends your way, and your niece gets sold to some depraved piece of shit who’ll use her until there’s nothing left.” He shifted to cross his arms over his chest. Standing this close, she could feel the heat from his body radiating against her skin.

  “This will never work. You hate me.” Even she could hear the note of disillusionment in her voice, so there was little chance he’d missed it. The admission made her stomach flip over, but it didn’t matter since she didn’t stand any chance of walking away from this encounter with her dignity intact.

  Something akin to surprise flashed in his eyes for a heartbeat before it was gone. For the first time, she saw a chip in his cool façade. She’d surprised him, and he obviously didn’t enjoy the feeling. “I don’t hate you.” Stepping back, he motioned her inside, and she took a reluctant step forward before her feet glued themselves to the floor of his polished stone porch. “It’s true that I’m not sure you’ll be able to submit convincingly enough to pull off this mission. But I don’t hate you.”

  Savannah’s heart sank. If she backed out, she might well be signing Amy’s death warrant. She would let down every single member of her family and would likely never again see the woman she loved like a sister. Every minute she stood out here whining about Landon hating her was wasted. Chewing on her bottom lip, Savannah studied his expression and worked to push aside her personal issues with the man assigned to train her.

  Suck it up, Savannah. Learn what you need to and leave everything personal outside this door.

  Landon stood perfectly still while Savannah fought an internal battle he already knew she couldn’t win. Her hot gaze moving from his feet upward had tested his control, and he hadn’t even gotten her inside the damned house yet. This whole operation had disaster written all over it. No matter how badly he wanted to sink his aching cock into her, Savannah North was a weakness he couldn’t afford.

  He weathered her visual caress without growling at her and considered it no small feat. She got to him in a big way. Fucking hell, the next three weeks were going to be torture. Two weeks of training followed by a week in Costa Rica would probably drive him out of his mind—unless he strangled her first. As soon as he’d ordered her to open her eyes and look at him, Landon had seen her body language switch from heated sexual awareness to ice cold denial. Hell, he’d almost been able to hear the bricks slapping together as she built the wall around her. Not this time, Princess. You won’t be able hide anything from me when we’re through.

  When she finally stepped into his home’s large entry, he regarded her as she studied her surroundings. Landon had been in her brother’s home, so he knew she was no stranger to beautiful residences. But her look of appreciation seemed genuine, and her smile told him he’d surprised her.

  “I’d be lying if I didn’t say I’m impressed. Your home is beautiful and not at all what I expected.”

  For the first time since he’d met her, Landon felt like his smile was genuine. “Thank you—I think.” He knew what she meant. He’d heard the same comment from friends and family since he’d remodeled his parent’s home. The outside still blended into the mountain surroundings, but the inside had been completely transformed. He’d removed most of the walls, preferring to distinguish the different areas with furnishings. He also added several water features, including a miniature lazy river that meandered through the cavernous room adding much needed moisture to the dry mountain air.

  The ceiling in the main room was three stories high, and the front wall was made entirely of glass. Morning light streamed through the windows highlighting the various trees and plants. “It looks like a botanical garden. It’s lovely.” Savannah wandered to the edge of the room, but hadn’t gone any farther. He wondered if she’d instinctively sensed she needed permission or if she was staying close to the door to make a hasty exit.

  “Thank you. I enjoy it. Montana is beautiful, but there is nothing like the rain forest to restore your soul.”

  She turned to him and smiled. “It’s an amazing refuge. Your job is very stressful, and I’m sure this helps diffuse the tension. Although…no, never mind.”

  “Tell me. There can be no secrets between us. This operation is unlike any other, Princess. If you’re holding back, trained sexual Dominants will see it. And if they get even an inkling that you’re not who or what you are supposed to be, everyone’s life is in danger.” He paused until she nodded her understanding. “Now, what were you going to say?”

  “Well, I thought maybe you were a member at the club to blow off steam. But this seems like it would be even better.” She might have been talking to him, but her eyes were wandering around the open space. He could practically hear her mind cataloging as many details as possible. Landon had watched other women do the same thing. The difference? Savannah was absorbing the aesthetics, not calculating value. He hadn’t considered the impact that difference would make—but it was huge.

  He’d never spent much time with women who were his financial equal, in part becaus
e there weren’t many available. Perhaps he should reevaluate his options. The sudden realization he was painting Savannah North with a different brush brought his thinking to a screeching halt. Pushing those thoughts aside, he recentered himself. They needed to get down to business.

  “We only have a limited time to prepare, so we need to get started.” When she didn’t return her attention to him, Landon wanted to growl in frustration. “Face me, Savannah.” His use of her given name and the sharp tone of his voice had the desired effect. She spun back to him, eyes wide in surprise.

  “When I’m speaking to you, you will look at me unless otherwise directed. I need to be able to judge your reactions, and there is a lot of truth in the old adage about the eyes being the windows to the soul.” She didn’t respond, and he reminded himself she’d had no formal training because he wasn’t going to count the books she’d claimed to have read. He’d read books that were filled with nonsense no real Dom would tolerate, so he was discounting her research until he had more information.

  “Did you read the documentation in your room last night?” Landon already knew Nate and Taz had both double checked that she’d found and read everything he’d left for her. But he wanted to hear it for himself.

  When she nodded, he raised a brow and waited. “Yes, Sir. I read everything, but I have a couple of questions.”

  “Ask now, before we go any further.” Landon had anticipated this, hell, he’d have been worried if she didn’t have any questions. The contract he’d drafted was extremely broad, and he couldn’t imagine her signing it without a few modifications.

  “I don’t want to give up my cell phone. I’ll agree to stash it while we’re training, but I don’t want to be completely cut off from the outside world for two weeks.”

  “I’ll agree to give you an hour each day to catch up on messages. In exchange, you’ll avoid all social media until we’ve returned from Costa Rica.” He raised his hand when she started to protest. “I’m not implying you would share anything that would compromise the mission, but their tracking methods are very sophisticated, and it’s not worth the risk.”