Ruined: (McIntyre Security Bodyguard Series - Book 6)

by April Wilson

  Shane grins as his brow furrows. “Are you asking me for dating advice?”

  “Don’t sound so shocked. Yes. I need some advice. I’ve never done this before.”

  “Just do things for him. Make him feel special.”

  “Such as?”

  Shane laughs. “Really? Do I have to spell it out?”

  “Yes, please, because I’m clueless.”

  He shakes his head. “Ask him out to dinner. Make reservations somewhere nice. Wear a jacket, dress up. Open doors for him. How about Tavern on Rush? Take him there for a nice steak dinner and some wine. Do it tonight. I’ll get you a table, and I’ll arrange for someone to drive you. Take the Mercedes. Go all out.”

  “That’s it?”

  He laughs at me again. “It’s not that hard, Cooper. Just plan things for the two of you to do together. If the weather’s decent, you could take him for a walk along the lake—that’s romantic. Beth loves it when we do that. Or take him to the park. When I plan stuff like that for Beth, she looks at me like I’m some kind of god. Take him shopping at his favorite store. Take him to a pub to listen to music, or to a concert. They just want to know that we’re thinking of them…thinking about what they might like to do. They want us to make them feel special. It’s not that hard. And honestly, if you just make an effort, he’ll be happy.”

  “Tonight’s Saturday. I guess that would be as good a night as any to take him out to dinner.”

  “It would be perfect. Just let me arrange for a driver and security. Under the circumstances, I think it would be prudent if you had someone watching your back so you can relax and concentrate on Sam. I’ll call Killian, see if he’s available.”

  “Killian Deveraux? Hell, are you trying to make me look bad?”

  Shane laughs. “Relax. Sam doesn’t have eyes for anyone but you.”

  “Yeah, but Killian? He’s too damn pretty. He would turn anyone’s head.”

  “Trust me. You don’t have to worry. Also, ask Beth for some ideas. She knows Sam well. She knows what he likes.”

  “I will. Thanks.” I rise from my chair. “I’ll go put in half a day at the shooting range, then I’ll come back to spell you for the afternoon.”

  Chapter 21

  Sam

  When I awake, the bedroom is lit with morning sunshine streaming through the sheer curtains. I stretch, moaning loudly. Cooper’s already up, but that’s no surprise. Looks like he let me sleep in today.

  I just lie here for a few minutes, enjoying the residual echoes of pleasure coursing through me. When I tighten my ass, I feel a slight twinge—a pleasant reminder of the mind-blowing sex we had last night. He puts all my past lovers to shame. Compared to him, they were just a bunch of fumbling high school and college boys who didn’t have a clue what they were doing, not with their own bodies or with mine. The first time Cooper and I had sex, he absolutely blew my mind, and I’ve never been the same since. Now, just the thought of bottoming for him makes me weak in the knees. He’s such a force of nature, so strong, so overwhelming, and yet he always makes it good for me. When I’m with him, the rest of the world falls away and I’m in this special place only he can bring me. He brings out this sexually submissive side I never knew I had. And he makes me like it. Crave it, even.

  After cleaning up and dressing, I go looking for my sexy top. But instead of finding him in the kitchen, I find Beth heating up a covered plate in the microwave. She’s wearing a pair of light blue fleece pants and a matching maternity top, her hair up in a messy pony tail. I’m pretty sure she just rolled out of bed herself. “What’s for breakfast, princess?”

  “Cooper left for the shooting range early this morning, but he left breakfast plates for us to heat up.” She shows me her plate. “There’s one for you too.”

  “He’s gone?” I feel a swift pang of disappointment that he didn’t say good-bye before he left.

  “Yeah.” She sounds apologetic. “But he left a note for you.” She picks up a hand-written note that’s lying on the breakfast bar and hands it to me.

  Sam – You were sleeping so soundly I didn’t want to wake you. Breakfast is in the fridge. Work on physical training & keep Beth company. Shane’s working at home this morning. I’ll be home @ 12:30.

  “Shane’s still here?” I’m surprised. He’s usually at the office by the crack of dawn.

  Beth nods as she takes a bite of scrambled eggs. “Apparently, we’re being babysat. Shane has the morning shift while Cooper’s at the shooting range, and then they’ll switch after lunch. Cooper will be home all afternoon while Shane goes to the office.” Beth laughs.

  “What?” I say, laughing too, just because she’s laughing.

  “We’re such a modern family, aren’t we? It’s like we have two dads.”

  “Yeah, I guess we are.” I heat up my breakfast plate and join her at the breakfast counter. When I sit down on the wooden seat, I feel a tender echo of discomfort deep inside and make a small sound of protest, shifting in my seat.

  Beth gives me a too-innocent smile. “Something the matter?”

  “No.” I try hard to keep a straight face, because I know what she’s thinking. And she’d be right.

  She grins. “I just thought maybe your bum is a little sore, that’s all.”

  I wad up my napkin and throw it at her just as Shane comes in to the kitchen to grab a refill of coffee. “Why are you throwing things at my wife?” he says, giving me a level stare.

  “Because your pretty little wife has an evil streak.”

  Shane laughs. “She does, eh?”

  “You’d better believe she does.”

  “Good morning, sweetheart,” he says, leaning over the counter to kiss Beth’s forehead just as she bites into her buttered toast. “Did you sleep well?”

  “Mmm-hmm,” she says, chewing.

  “Good morning, Sam,” he says, not wanting to leave me out of the conversation. “I trust you slept well?”

  Beth giggles, and it’s my turn to glare at her.

  Shane gives us both considering looks. He points at Beth. “You, behave yourself.” Then he points at me. “You, strength training. I want you back to work ASAP.”

  I salute the big boss. “Yes, sir.”

  * * *

  After breakfast, while Beth runs off to get dressed, I change into my workout gear and head to the fitness room. Of course Shane has a fully-outfitted fitness room in the penthouse—this place is not lacking any amenities of creature comforts. After a thorough warm up, I drop down onto the mat to crank out a ridiculous number of push-ups. My goal is 80 push-ups in two minutes. That’s ten push-ups every fifteen seconds. Damn. I think Shane’s trying to kill his employees. When I gripe about how grueling the physical requirements are, he reminds me that it’s less than what the SEALs are expected to do. That just stirs my Army pride and makes me want to show the Navy dweebs what-for.

  I’m on my third rep of push-ups when Beth comes breezing in, looking chic in a black tunic maternity dress, gray leggings, and black ankle boots. “Can I help?” she says.

  I stop mid-push-up and roll to my back, drawing up my feet so I can work on sit-ups instead. “Sure. You can sit on my feet.”

  She stares at me as if I just said something obscene. “I said feet, Beth. Sit on my feet. Jeez, get your mind out of the gutter.”

  “I do not—oh, never mind!” She sits on my running shoes and wraps herself around my shins to hold on while I start.

  “How’s your leg?” she says.

  “Better. Occasionally it aches, but not all the time. I’m definitely on the mend.”

  I hand her my phone. Give me two minutes on the stopwatch. When she signals for me to start, I crank out as many sit-ups as I can before the timer goes off. “Seventy-two! I’m getting closer.”

  After a few more tries, Beth scoots off my feet and I stand, shaking out my legs and stretching. “I need to try running.” Unfortunately, there’s not a running track in the penthouse.

  “There’s a running t
rack downstairs in the fitness center. Shane runs down there all the time.”

  “You wanna come with me?”

  “Sure,” she says. “I can’t really run, but I can walk. I could certainly use the exercise.”

  She’s already dressed comfortably enough to walk on the track in the fitness center—she just needs to exchange her boots for sneakers. After she makes a quick stop in the ladies’ room, we meet up outside Shane’s office door, which is wide open. He stops what he’s doing and looks at us quizzically.

  Beth leans into the open doorway, smiling. “We’re going down to the fitness center to use the track.”

  “To run?” Shane says, looking at her skeptically.

  She points at me. “He’s going to run. I’m going to walk. I need the exercise.”

  Shane hits a couple of keys on his laptop, then closes the lid. “Give me a minute to change, and I’ll go with you. A run sounds good.”

  * * *

  When Shane comes out of their suite dressed in a pair of black running shorts and a form-fitting black T-shirt that outlines every freaking muscle in his torso, Beth gives him the once-over and whistles. “My man looks good,” she says, winking at me.

  I laugh, as Shane rolls his eyes. “All right, let’s go.”

  We take the private elevator down to the fitness center, which is rather crowded as it’s a Saturday. We cross through the floor filled with weight machines, treadmills, and elliptical machines to the entrance of the running track, which runs the perimeter of the large center, right along the windows, offering a great view of Lake Shore Drive and beyond that, Lake Michigan.

  We all three sit on the carpeted floor just outside the track and stretch for a few minutes.

  “Don’t overdo it, sweetheart,” Shane says to Beth as he stretches his calf muscles. “The last thing you need is a pulled muscle. Just take it easy, all right?”

  “I know,” she says, leaning into a stretch.

  Shane stands when he’s done, and he offers Beth his hand, helping her to her feet. I follow them out onto the track.

  The track is four lanes wide, with the two inner lanes reserved for walkers, while the two outer lanes are designated for the runners. We all three walk the first two laps together, with Shane walking beside her and me behind them. Then, when it’s time for us to break off, Shane plants a kiss on her cheek before he moves into the runners’ lane and takes off at a nice clip. I watch his clean, easy gait as he quickly puts some distance between us.

  “Don’t overdo it, okay?” Beth says, when I move up beside her. “You have nothing to prove.”

  I give her a thumbs’ up, then take off after Shane, hoping I don’t make a complete fool of myself. This is the first time I’ve tried to do any serious running since breaking my leg.

  I catch up to Shane easily enough, but I don’t think he’s putting much effort into it yet. We run one full lap around the track, side by side, passing Beth twice. She’s got her ear buds in and is listening to music, completely oblivious to us or anyone else around her as she strolls leisurely along, apparently in no hurry.

  “Doing okay?” Shane says, as I manage to keep pace with him.

  “Yeah.” I’m already a little breathless, which just underscores how out-of-shape I am after three months of decreased physical activity. “No problem.”

  The third time we pass Beth on the track, Shane reaches out and smacks her lightly on her ass. She jumps, squealing, then laughs when we pass her.

  After half a dozen laps, my leg starts aching, and I have to slow down a bit. Shane slows down as well, keeping pace with me. “You don’t have to babysit me, you know,” I tell him.

  He shrugs. “I don’t mind.”

  The next time we pass by Beth, Shane checks on how she’s doing, and she gives him a thumbs’-up.

  “He’s really trying, you know,” Shane tells me two laps later.

  “What? Who?”

  “Cooper. He’s really trying.”

  I feel myself blushing, remembering him reaching for my hand at dinner last night, and the sex we had last night after my little emotional melt down. “Yeah, he is.”

  “This is all pretty new for him, you know. He’s never dated anyone before you.”

  I smile. “I know.”

  Shane gives me a satisfied nod. “Just give him a chance.”

  Now that I’m a little more warmed up, Shane and I pick up speed until we’re running at a pretty good clip, buzzing right past Beth. Halfway around the track again, I glance over at Beth and see she has acquired some company. Some guy who looks to be in his forties is walking with her, talking her ear off. I glance at Shane, not surprised to see his gaze locked on Beth and her new friend. When the guy pats her on the back, she shrugs away from him and starts scanning the track, presumably looking for Shane. This guy encroaching in her personal space has got to be setting off her anxiety something awful.

  Shane immediately kicks into overdrive, leaving me far behind.

  I watch, more than a little amused, as Shane catches up with Beth and this fool who’s blatantly hitting on her, effortlessly inserting himself between them. He puts his arm around Beth, clearly marking his territory. The guy has the balls to scowl at Shane. Beth leans into Shane, clearly looking relieved.

  I cut across the center of the track to intersect the three of them, putting myself right in the guy’s startled face. “Get the fuck away from our girl, asshole, or I’ll break your god-damn arm.”

  It’s all I can do not to laugh in the guy’s face when he blanches, turning white as a ghost. Eyeing both me and Shane warily, he mumbles an apology and rushes ahead, trying to put as much space between us and himself as he can.

  When I catch a glimpse of Shane’s expression, I don’t blame the guy one bit. Shane can be a scary son-of-a-bitch when he wants to.

  Chapter 22

  Sam

  “That guy had some nerve,” I say, as we head back upstairs in the elevator.

  Beth’s standing between me and Shane, and Shane’s got his arm around her, holding her close.

  She still looks a little shell-shocked. “He came out of nowhere. I was just walking, and then there he was.”

  “What did he say to you?” I say.

  She frowns. “He asked me if come here often—what a lame pick-up line.”

  “Don’t worry, sweetheart,” Shane says, leaning over and kissing the top of her head. “Sam put the fear of God into him. I think he got the message loud and clear.”

  When we arrive upstairs, we find Cooper in the kitchen, grabbing a cold drink from the fridge. “Hey, there you are,” he says to us. “I wondered where you’d all gone.”

  “Downstairs to the fitness center,” Shane says.

  “Until Beth got hit on by this older guy,” I say.

  Cooper grins at me. “Hey, watch it. Don’t disparage the older guys.” Then he sobers, looking at Beth as he meets her halfway, holding her at arm’s length to get a good look at her. “Are you okay, honey?” he

  She nods, if a little bit reluctantly. “I’m okay. He just made me nervous.”

  “I’ve got to grab a shower before I head to the office,” Shane says. He kisses Beth’s temple and rubs her back. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

  She nods.

  “All right then. You guys have fun.”

  “Wait, I’m coming with you,” Beth says, following Shane to their suite.

  Cooper walks into the kitchen and opens the fridge door to see what we have on hand. “You hungry?” he says.

  “Yeah. I only ran a mile, but I worked up an appetite.”

  He pulls out a package of deli meat. “How about a turkey bacon melt?”

  “Sounds great.”

  I take a seat at the counter as he pulls out a pan and gets busy cooking. Once he’s got the bacon frying in the pan, he pulls two bottles of water out of the fridge and hands me one. “How’s your leg after that run?”

  “Not too bad.” I reach down and rub my left thigh. “It aches
a little.”

  “Want some pain killers?”

  “Nah. I’ll tough it out.”

  He nods, then looks away, seeming distracted all of a sudden.

  “Something wrong?” I ask him.

  He scratches the back of his neck, looking nervous.

  When he doesn’t answer me, I say, “What’s wrong? Spit it out.” His apparent nervousness is making me nervous.

  He exhales a long, heavy breath. “Nothing’s wrong. I was just wondering something.”

  “Yeah?”

  He turns away to start making the sandwiches. For a moment, I think he’s not going to say anything. Then, he suddenly turns to me and blurts it out. “Would you like it if I took you out for dinner tonight?”

  My eyes widen, and my pulse starts racing. I’m not even sure I heard him correctly. “Are you asking me out on a date?”

  He gives me a classic duh look. “Yes, I’m asking you out on a date.”

  “In public?”

  He frowns. “Yes, of course in public. How about Tavern on Rush? Shane said—”

  I set my water bottle down hard. “Oh, my God, yes! Of course, I want to go out on a date with you! Tonight? Really?”

  He smiles, apparently satisfied with my reaction. “Yes, really. Don’t sound so surprised.”

  I give him a look. “Cooper, we’ve been together for two years now, and you’ve never asked me out for dinner. Not on a date anyway, and certainly not in public.”

  He shrugs. “I guess we’re overdue then. Shane got us reservations for six o’clock.”

  I shake my head in disbelief, my mind already jumping ahead to what I’ll wear. I know this restaurant. It’s pretty swanky, so my ripped jeans and snarky tees won’t cut it. “I don’t have anything to wear.”

  “I’m sure you can come up with something.”

  “What are you wearing?”