Ruined: (McIntyre Security Bodyguard Series - Book 6)

by April Wilson

  “Fine, thanks,” she says.

  “And Sam, it’s so good to see you back again. How’s your leg?”

  “Right as rain,” I say. “I’m officially recuperated and back to work.”

  “Do you know if Shane’s busy right now?” Beth says.

  Diane’s face lights up, her blue eyes crinkling at the corners as she smiles. “Beth, honey, he’s never too busy for you.” She picks up her landline. “Hold on, sweetie. Let me tell him you’re here.”

  Barely a moment later, Shane’s door opens, and he walks out of his office looking all GQ in his gray suit, white dress shirt, and black tie. Damn. I’m certainly not coveting my best friend’s husband, but even I have to admit the man is smoking hot.

  “Hi, sweetheart,” Shane says, pulling her into his arms for a quick kiss. Then he extends his hand to me for a handshake. “Liam just called. He told me you passed with flying colors. Congratulations, Sam, and welcome back.”

  “Thanks. It’s good to be back.”

  “And now that my bodyguard is back, we’re free to roam the city,” Beth says.

  Shane raises an eyebrow as he shakes his head. “Roam the city? I don’t think so. You can go to Clancy’s and that’s it. Until further notice, all right?”

  “All right, fine,” she says, tugging on my arm. “Come on, let’s go. I need to see my store.”

  Shane gives Beth a light kiss on the lips. “Have fun.”

  * * *

  Beth and I catch a taxi to the bookstore, which is little more than a mile from the McIntyre Security, Inc. building on N. Michigan Avenue, right in the middle of shopping heaven, just blocks from Water Tower Place and other iconic Chicago shopping destinations.

  Her enthusiasm for getting back to a sense of normalcy is contagious. It’s been over three months since I’ve been able to escort her to Clancy’s. I guess we’re both ready to get back to our familiar routine.

  When we walk through the front doors, we’re greeted by a cheering crowd.

  Erin is right in front of said crowd, and she practically launches herself into my arms. “Sam! You’re back!”

  Mack shakes my hand, as does the dozen Clancy’s employees gathered around. I recognize some of them from the business offices upstairs, and some from the customer check-out lanes. I’m surprised to see Cameron Stewart here, too—I guess he’s part of the temporary increase in security. It’s quite a festive environment with clusters of colorful helium balloons perched on almost every table top.

  “Thank God you’re back,” Mack says. “I’ve been so outnumbered.”

  “Oh, I’m sure you can hold your own against the ladies,” I tell him, glancing pointedly at Erin, who’s currently deep in conversation with Beth. I nod toward Cameron. “And it looks like you have some extra help.”

  Mack nods. “Cameron and Killian are both helping out here for the time being, until your fugitive-from-the-law friend from down south is captured.”

  Erin and Beth start walking away, arm in arm, heading deeper into the store. “If you’ll excuse me,” I tell Mack, pointing at the girls, “duty calls.”

  I’m still high from passing my physical assessment—thank God I passed the first time. Cooper would never have let me live it down if I’d failed. Everything just seems to be coming together. Cooper is opening up to me, I’m back to work. My sexy guy is stealing me away to a remote cabin in the woods for the weekend. I can see it now—long, romantic hikes in the woods followed by wild make-out sessions in front of the fire. God, I hope there’s a fireplace.

  I follow the girls at a respectful distance, giving them a little privacy to catch up on all the girl time they’ve been missing. They seem deep in conversation, although Erin’s doing most of the talking. She’s probably catching Beth up on what’s been going on here at the store, and maybe throwing in a little bit of gossip about what Mack’s been up to.

  Poor Mack. I sympathize with the guy. Erin is one adorable little female—yeah, adorable. That’s the best way to describe her, adorable like a favorite little sister. Petite, dark hair, blue eyes and freckles. She’s twenty-two, but she looks younger, which just adds to both her frustration and his. And while Erin looks like a little woodland fairy, Mack is built like a tank, six-six with muscles to spare. My God he’d crush her in bed. Which is partly why Shane put the fear of God into Mack, threatening him with bodily harm if he ever did anything to hurt little Miss Erin O’Connor.

  Of course, I guess you could say Shane’s being a bit hypocritical, as he’s the same age as Mack, and Beth’s just two years older than Erin. So, it’s definitely a case of the pot calling the kettle black, if you ask me. And Mack, well he’s a good guy. Very chivalrous. And that’s why little Miss Erin makes him so nervous. When she bats those baby blues at him, fluttering those long dark eyelashes, he gets hives.

  As I follow the girls through the magazine section, I grab the closest thing that looks interesting—Modern Gun—so I have something to read while they’re catching up on whatever important things they need to catch up on. With these two, there’s no telling. It could be work, or it could be the latest viral video of a cute baby or a cat.

  After they make a complete circuit of the first floor of the bookstore, they head up the curved staircase to the second floor. I follow a dozen yards behind them, close enough to step in should I need to, but not close enough to eavesdrop on their private talk. They turn right and disappear down the hallway that leads to the administrative offices, and I join them in Beth’s office.

  “I knew you would do great,” Beth says to Erin. “Didn’t I tell you? The store’s running perfectly, like a well-oiled machine. You’re a natural leader.”

  Erin’s pacing like a nervous sparrow.

  “Just like old times, eh?” I say. My comfy sofa is right where I left it, in front of a large picture window that overlooks N. Michigan Avenue. Ah, yes, it’s good to be back.

  Beth gives me a pleading look. “You tell her.”

  “Tell her what?”

  “Erin doesn’t think she can manage the store when I go on maternity leave this summer.”

  I put my arm across Erin’s shoulders and pull her close. “Of course, you can do it, Erin. You’re a natural, and everyone here loves you.” Including the head of security.

  “You’re doing great,” Beth tells her. “And you have three more months to get used to the idea. I’ll help you.”

  Erin doesn’t seem convinced, but at least she stops fidgeting.

  Now that the drama seems to have died down somewhat, I plop down on my favorite sofa and put my feet up on the coffee table. “Who’s hungry? I just busted my ass at McIntyre Security, and I’m starving. Let’s order something in. Who feels like Chinese?”

  Beth drops down onto the sofa beside me and pats my leg. “I’m so glad you’re back.”

  “Me, too, princess. Now, let’s call in some food.”

  I phone in an order for delivery from our favorite Chinese restaurant, while Beth and Erin go over the new book orders for the next couple of weeks. While the girls are talking numbers and new releases and book clubs, and all that shop talk, I entertain myself catching up on my favorite YouTubers. Half an hour later, Mack knocks on Beth’s door, then walks in carrying our lunch order.

  “Somebody ordered Chinese?”

  “Yes!” Beth says. “Thank goodness, because we’re starving.”

  There’s plenty of food here, so we talk Mack into joining us for an impromptu lunch. We grab our beverages of choice from the refrigerator in Beth’s office, then sit down to enjoy our food.

  Beth sits at her desk to eat, while the rest of us sit on the sofa. Erin sits between me and Mack, and I watch her nibbling on her Veggie Delight—barely eating enough to keep a bird alive. Mack makes up for her slack by eating a mountain of food, but I guess it takes that much food to power his big body.

  I watch Mack out of the corner of my eye and can’t help noticing that he spends most of his time watching Erin, offering her a veggie s
pring roll or a napkin or more rice. I’m sure she has absolutely no idea of the power she has over him.

  When we’re done eating, Mack heads back downstairs to work, and Erin goes off to place the book orders that she and Beth poured over. Beth comes to sit beside me on the sofa.

  She leans her head against my shoulder and sighs. “We should get going. You need to go home and pack for your getaway weekend. Do you know what you’re going to bring with you?”

  “Beth, we’ll probably spend the entire weekend hiking, so all I need are jeans, sweatshirts, and hiking boots.”

  She gives me a lewd grin. “I don’t think hiking is the only thing you’ll be doing. Besides, you might want to go into town to eat. There’s a nice diner there, and Lucky’s Tavern serves great food. The owner, Hal, is really nice, and he’s friends with Shane.”

  “Isn’t that the bar where Lia and Jonah nearly got their asses kicked?”

  “Hardly,” Beth scoffs. “Nobody kicks Lia’s ass. It was the other way around. Now, come on, back to what you’re going to pack.”

  “Hey, as long as we have plenty of lube, I’m good to go.”

  Chapter 27

  Sam

  I’m just about finished packing for our trip when Cooper strolls into our bedroom, a bit breathless. He whips off his jacket and tosses it on the bed. “Sorry I’m late. I had a steady stream of folks at the shooting range all day.”

  Cooper smiles at Beth, who’s sitting on our bed watching me fold my T-shirts before I put them in my duffle bag. “Hey, kiddo,” he says, barely sparing her a glance. And then, to my utter shock and delight, Cooper leans in and kisses me right on the lips, in front of Beth. “Hey, baby.” When he pulls back, he winks at Beth, and she laughs, her cheeks turning pink.

  “I need to grab a quick shower,” Cooper says, pulling off his sweatshirt as he heads for the bathroom.

  “Well,” Beth says, grinning at me. “It looks like Cooper’s really coming out of his shell. I can’t believe he actually kissed you in front of me.”

  “I know, right?” Ever since our trip to Sweetwater, Cooper’s been much more relaxed when we’re around others. Of course, Beth hardly counts as others—she’s family. But still, he’s much more comfortable in public, and I love it. I never dreamed this would happen. I don’t expect him to hold my hand in public and declare his undying love in front of an audience, but if he can keep doing what he’s been doing these past few days, I’ll be one happy camper.

  I grab my hiking boots from the closet and socks and briefs from the dresser. “That’s about it for my clothes.” Then I head into the closet and bring out my portable handgun backpack and check its contents. I have three handguns in there, with plenty of magazines for a short, weekend trip—not that we’ll be doing any shooting, they’re along for the ride as a precaution—as well as a first-aid kit.

  Beth frowns at the guns. “You’re bringing guns? Why?”

  I give her a duh look. “Two gay men alone in the woods? Really? I’d rather be safe than sorry.”

  Her eyes widen, and I feel like a heel for saying what I did. The last thing I want is for her to worry about us. I set down the gun pack and take her hands in mind. “Hey, relax. I just want to be prepared, that’s all. There’s nothing for you to worry about.”

  I can tell that her mind is working over what I said. “The cabin is pretty isolated,” she says. “And there’s no reliable cell signal out there—not in the woods anyway. In town, yes, but not at the cabin. Jake does keep a satellite phone in the cabin for emergencies.”

  Ah, shit. Now I’ve scared the daylights out of her. “Hey, come here.” I pull her off the bed and into my arms for a bear hug. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything. Don’t worry.”

  “Don’t worry about what?”

  We both jump at the sound of Shane’s voice coming from the open doorway. When we look his way, we see him leaning against the door jamb.

  “You do that a lot, you know,” I say.

  “Do what?”

  “Sneak up on people and join their conversations. You scare the shit out of me sometimes.”

  He shrugs. “So, what’s my wife not supposed to worry about? Why are you scaring her?”

  Beth glances at the gun case. “They’ll be okay out at the cabin, right? It’s pretty isolated, and there’s no cell signal out there.”

  Shane pushes away from the door and walks into the room. “They’ll be fine, honey. You don’t need to worry.”

  Shane glares at me over the top of Beth’s head, and I receive his message loud and clear. Quit scaring my wife. “I’ll give Mitch a call to let him know they’ll be staying at the cabin. He can keep an eye on things.”

  “Who’s Mitch?” I say.

  “Sheriff James Mitchell,” Shane says. “He’s a good friend. You can count on him.”

  Cooper comes out of the bathroom with only a towel wrapped around his waist, water droplets clinging to his chest. He pauses for a moment, eyeing us all warily. “I didn’t know we were having a party.”

  Shane laughs as he leads Beth toward the door. “Sorry. We’ll get out of your hair.”

  Shane closes the door as they leave, and I take advantage of the opportunity to lay my hands on Cooper’s bare chest. No man has a right to look this good, I think, as I run my hands across his well-defined pecs, up and over his broad shoulders, then down his arms, squeezing his rock-hard biceps.

  I feel heat and desire pool low in my belly, and all I can think about is sex. I dip down to flick one of his nipples with the tip of my tongue, teasing it. He arches his back and makes a low, rough sound. His chest expands with a deep breath as his hands come around me to grasp my ass.

  “We’re supposed to be packing,” he says, groaning again when I switch to his other nipple, licking it before I trail kisses up to his neck.

  I laugh. “I am packing.”

  He swats my ass, chuckling. “I mean packing clothes, for our trip.”

  I groan when I feel his dick stir beneath his towel. My hand drops down to palm him through the damp material, and I rub him from root to tip, feeling him thicken beneath my palm

  I kiss my way up to his ear and whisper, “Are you going to make me wait until we get to the cabin tonight?”

  He laughs, the sound a little ragged. “Hell, yes, I’m going to make you wait. I’m going to keep you hard all evening until we settle in. Then I’ll take you in front of a blazing fire.”

  I sigh, knowing it’s useless to try to change his mind. He loves having the upper hand where my dick is concerned.

  “Did you pack everything?” he asks, pressing his erection into my hand.

  I moan into the curve of his neck, taking in the scent of his warm, wet skin and a residual hint of soap. “Yes.”

  “Good. Now let’s finish packing and get on the road. We have a two-hour drive ahead of us, and it’ll be a while before I can get you naked.”

  * * *

  We commandeer an Army green four-wheel drive, reinforced Jeep from Shane’s fleet for our trip…just in case we want to do some off-roading. With our bags in the back, my handgun case, a sack of groceries, and cooler full of beer and ice, we set off for the great wilderness.

  “Two hours, huh?” I say, turning on the radio to the local pop station.

  “Yep. Straight north, follow the lake. Harbor Springs is a small, out-of-the-way fishing village. Jake’s cabin is about a mile out of town, deep in the woods. He owns about ten acres of dense forest. Very secluded. We’ll stop in at the little grocery store on the way into town to pick up some steaks and other perishables.”

  Cooper is driving, so I settle back in my seat and get comfortable. “We should get some marshmallows for the bonfire.” I give him a sideways glance. “In case you were wondering, there will be a bonfire.”

  He smiles. “Not a problem. Jake’s probably got two years’ worth of seasoned wood stacked in the shed.”

  “Good. What else is there to do, besides build fires and hike?”r />
  “It’s mostly woods. There is a stream nearby that ends at a waterfall. That’s a nice hike. There’s a small downtown with a diner, a bar, and a wharf. We could fish, if you want to, or rent a boat. Other than that, prepare to be ravished. I’d be fine with never leaving the cabin. Hell—I’d be totally fine with never leaving the bed.”

  I grin. “I’m on board with that.”

  It’s dark when we arrive at Harbor Springs, so I can’t see much. Cooper stops at a little mom-and-pop grocery store on the outskirts of town to pick up enough groceries to get us through the weekend.

  It’s another mile before Cooper turns onto a nondescript lane that leads deeper into the woods. It’s a narrow lane, just wide enough for one vehicle to pass along the rutted dirt path. It’s spring, so there’s been a lot of rain, and the ground is soft. It’s a good thing we brought a four-wheel drive vehicle.

  The lane eventually opens up into a spacious clearing, in the center of which stands a quaint, one-story wood cabin with a covered front porch.

  Cooper parks the Jeep near the front door, and we unload our gear and carry it up to the door. In contrast to the rustic nature of the cabin, there’s a sophisticated electronic panel beside the door. Cooper enters a numeric code, and then the system beeps as the door unlocks. Inside, there’s another panel embedded in the wall, just inside the door, providing a schematic of the cabin’s floorplan.

  “Jake didn’t mess around,” I say. “This place is wired.”

  It takes two trips for us to carry in our duffle bags, my gun case, and the groceries.

  Standing in the center of the living room, Cooper gives me a quick rundown of the place. “There are two bedrooms, with a shared bathroom. The kitchen’s there, and behind the kitchen is a small workout room. There’s a back porch, too, with a grill and a hammock. Out back there’s a shed with firewood and kindling.”

  The living room offers the basic comforts: a long, comfortable-looking sofa, a coffee table, two rocking chairs, and stone hearth. There’s a large, flat-panel TV hanging above the fireplace and a bookcase holding a small library of DVDs and books. The wood floors are old, but well maintained.