by Tara Wyatt
Shortly after, the guys began to clear out, and Sean pulled out his wallet and threw down enough to cover the team’s tab. Antonio waited for him, and they walked out to the parking lot.
“Seriously, man. I’m really glad you came out tonight. It was good seeing you.”
“Yeah, I’m glad I came out too. It’s been too long.”
Antonio shot him a pointed look but didn’t say anything, letting his raised eyebrows do all the talking for him.
“Listen, can I ask you a favor?” asked Sean as they slowed, nearing their cars.
“You did just buy me a beer, so shoot.” Antonio leaned against the bumper of his sedan.
“That story I told you about Sierra Blake and the protesters…” He trailed off and shook his head, trying to organize his thoughts. Trying to differentiate the intense need to protect Sierra from the instincts he’d spent the past decade honing. Trying to figure out if thinking about the attack left him unsettled because there was more to it, or because it had involved Sierra.
“Yeah? What about it?”
“I don’t know. But there’s something about it that isn’t sitting right with me. Something’s off.” He rubbed a hand over his mouth, thinking, trying to pin down the feeling. But like most gut feelings, it was slippery, and wouldn’t hold still long enough for him to get a good, hard look at it.
Antonio tilted his head, squinting against the parking lot’s lights. “What? You don’t think it was protesters?”
“No, I do. I just…my gut’s telling me that something’s up. Can you poke around a little? See if anything shakes out?”
Antonio pushed off the bumper of his car. “Sure. No problem. She file a police report about the attack?”
“I would assume so. She talked to them after.”
“I’ll pull it. See if I can get you a copy.”
“Appreciate that, man.”
“Don’t mention it. I’ll let you know when I’ve got something for you.” He studied Sean for a few seconds with a long, appraising look, one eyebrow raised, his lips pressed into a thin line. He opened his mouth, but then quickly closed it again.
But it didn’t matter. Sean knew exactly what he’d been about to say.
And even if Antonio was right, he didn’t want to hear it.
Chapter 4
Sierra stepped off the elevators and onto the tenth floor of the office tower at Sunset and Vine. A pair of sleek glass doors stood in front of her, the large V from the Virtus logo frosted onto the glass, winging up on either side over the polished metal door handles. She’d thought about calling and making an appointment, but the truth was, she wanted to see Sean again, and she figured this was her best course of action.
Assuming he was even here. If he wasn’t, then she’d call the number on his card. She stepped into the brightly lit office space, morning sunshine streaming in through the floor-to-ceiling windows lining the far wall, and a single, disconcerting thought ran through her mind.
I might not be able to afford him.
A circular stainless steel reception desk sat just to the left, two women behind it wearing Bluetooth earpieces and typing rapidly as they listened and spoke. Behind them an open-concept area was a hub of activity, people talking, pointing at monitors, drinking coffee, answering ringing phones. The activity was centered around a cluster of glass-and-chrome desks laden with computer equipment, including huge monitors. A little farther back, blue-and-gray couches sat grouped around low-lying black tables. To her right and across from the reception desk there was a small waiting area, furnished with simple gray leather chairs and glass-topped coffee tables stacked neatly with magazines. A huge flat-screen TV was mounted to the far wall, currently tuned to CNN. Behind the reception desk and to the left of the open-concept area sat a bank of offices, enclosed in walls of glass. The walls were each emblazoned with the Virtus Security logo about halfway up, the blue and gray crisp against the spotless glass. The entire space was bright, modern, professional, and sleek.
She’d been about to step up to the reception desk when one of the glass doors toward the back of the bank of offices swung open and Sean strode out, deep in discussion with another, younger man. Sean held a tablet in front of him, pointing at it and clearly explaining something to the employee, who watched Sean with rapt attention, nodding rapidly at everything he was saying. She could see the employee’s lips move, forming the words “Awesome, thank you,” before he took the tablet back and headed for another glassed-in space across the room. The glass of these walls was frosted for privacy, the door marked with “Conference Room” in simple, modern lettering.
She watched as Sean slipped his hands into his pockets and started back to his office, only to be waylaid by another employee who waved him over and pointed at his computer screen. Sean leaned down, one hand braced on the desk, the other pushing through his hair and messing it up a little. In a simple light-gray suit, white shirt, and sage-green tie, he looked incredible. Blood warmed her cheeks as she studied him, watching the easy way he interacted with the other employees, the way the fabric of his suit jacket stretched across the wide expanse of his back. She liked watching him move, talk, work. His confidence and competence were both palpable; it was the way he carried himself, the way everyone around him seemed to defer to him, the way he had solutions to everyone’s problems.
He stood, his hands on his hips, holding his open suit jacket back to reveal a flat stomach, trim waist, and narrow hips. An employee said something that elicited a laugh from Sean, and the sound that reached her was warm and rich. She wanted to wrap herself in that sound, it was so appealing. He turned again to go back to his office, the wool of his suit hugging his ass and showing off rounded muscle.
Holy gorgeous, Batman.
She took another step forward, now at the reception desk, when he stopped and slowly turned, as though he could feel her gaze on him. From across the space, his eyes met hers, and her stomach exploded into butterflies, while at the same time relief flooded her. The knot she’d been carrying between her shoulders since the attack yesterday afternoon loosened, just from being in the same room with him.
She didn’t care what it cost. Even if she had to take out a second mortgage on her house, she’d do it to hire this man to protect her.
His face creased into a smile, and he closed the distance between them in several long, quick strides. The smile faded as he approached, his eyes roaming over her.
“Sierra. Is everything OK?” he asked, his brow furrowed.
She couldn’t suppress her shaky laugh, and she pressed her fingers to her lips. “Not really, no. Can we talk?”
“Absolutely. Let’s go to my office.” He gestured for her to go ahead of him, and with a hand on the small of her back, he led her through the bustling space and to the office she’d seen him emerge from a few minutes ago. The lettering on his door spelled out his name, as well as “Director of Operations and Strategic Planning.” The other offices belonged to the directors of finance and accounting, information technology, and human resources and training. The last office, the biggest, was empty, but she noticed that it belonged to Patrick Owens, whose title was simply “President.”
She pointed at the next office as she followed Sean in, the buzz of the rest of the office dropping away as the glass door fell silently closed behind them. “Are you related? I noticed the same last name.”
He nodded as he sat down on the gray sofa against the far wall, gesturing for her to sit down beside him. “Yeah. Patrick’s my father.”
She lowered herself down onto the sofa, and then reached into her purse for the folder she’d brought with her.
Sean leaned forward, once again frowning in concern. “Did something else happen?” His eyes skated up and down her body, and she swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry. She took a breath, forcing herself to focus.
“Last night I came home to discover that someone had broken into my house. The police think it was probably the same protest group who attacked me at the con
vention yesterday.”
Sean’s mouth pressed into a firm line, his eyes darkening slightly. But he said nothing, waiting for her to continue. She passed him the folder, and he flipped it open instantly, his eyes scanning rapidly over the copy of the police report she’d brought with her.
“Someone wrote ‘baby killer’ in huge red letters across my dining room wall.” He nodded, indicating that he was listening even as he read. He rubbed a hand over his mouth, and the butterflies she’d been trying so valiantly to rein in escaped, fluttering helplessly through her stomach and chest. Swallowing, she continued. “I set the alarm when I left, and it was disarmed an hour before I got home. The front door was still locked. I don’t know what the hell’s going on, and it’s freaking me out.”
He looked up from the police report, anger hardening his features. “They’re messing with you. Trying to scare you.”
She took a breath, and her words tumbled out in a rush. “I’d like to hire you, if you—”
He cut her off by gently laying a hand on her knee. Warmth radiated outward from where he touched her. “Yes. Absolutely, yes.”
It must’ve been only a few seconds at most, but the seconds stretched out, warm and slow, as his brown eyes held hers. The weight that had been pressing down on her since the attack yesterday afternoon lifted, and she suddenly felt as though she could breathe again. She swallowed and Sean took his hand back.
“Thank you. I’m not sure what you charge, but…”
He cut her off again, this time with a wave of his hand. “We’ll figure something out.” He smiled, a slow quirk of the corner of his mouth, and heat spiraled through Sierra’s body. “I’m glad you’re here, and that you’re OK.”
“I’ve been a bit of a target ever since I started working for Choices a few years ago, but nothing I couldn’t handle. Nasty e-mails, comments online, that sort of thing. I knew I was opening myself up to that kind of stuff when I agreed to work with them. Some people see it as a controversial topic, so I expected the hate mail and the online stuff. But I’ve never had anything like this happen before. I’ve never felt genuinely afraid before.” She ducked her head, inhaling a few quick breaths to try to dispel the sting of tears pressing at her eyes.
“Hey.” Sean’s deep voice was gentle. With a featherlight touch, he tipped her chin up. The sensation of his skin on hers sent sparks shooting up her spine, and she bit her lip. Sean tracked the movement with his eyes before flicking them back up to hers. He shifted almost imperceptibly closer. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you. I promise. From here on out, I’ve got you.” Her breath caught in her chest and she nodded, the movement brushing the tips of his wide fingers against her chin. “For the record, I think what you’re doing is brave. It takes guts to stand up for what you believe in. It takes strength.”
His words washed over her, replenishing her resolve to keep working for Choices. “Thank you,” she said, her voice a little hoarse. She cleared her throat. “That means a lot to me. I was starting to question if I was doing the right thing.” She wanted to close her eyes and press her face into his palm, but he dropped his hand, once again quickly taking it back.
“That’s only natural, given everything you’ve been through in the past twenty-four hours.”
She nodded, twisting her fingers together. “So…what happens now?” she asked, glancing out at the office space.
“We work in teams. I’ll be lead on this, meaning I’ll be with you 24/7, and another guard will rotate on and off.”
“24/7?” she asked, licking her lips as more of her tension melted away. How was it possible that she barely knew him, and yet he made her feel so safe?
“I’d feel better being on-site at all times, yes. There will always be someone in the house with you, either me or someone from my team. We don’t know who we’re dealing with, and until we do, I’m not going to risk leaving you alone.”
Her stomach did a slow turn at the protectiveness in his voice. “I have a small guesthouse you can set up in, if you want.”
“It’s close to the house?” he asked, eyebrows raised.
“My property actually isn’t that big. The previous owners converted the pool house into a little guesthouse. Unless you’d rather be in the house.”
“As long as it’s close enough to the main house, the guesthouse should be fine for when I’m not on shift. Hang on a sec.” With a reassuring smile, he pushed off the sofa and strode over to his glass-and-chrome desk. He picked up the phone and hit a button. “Morning, Cassie. Can you round up Alpha Team and send them into my office? Thanks.” He hung up and sat down in the leather desk chair, the chair squeaking in soft protest against his weight. He was so…big. Tall, and broad, with a wide back and masculine hands.
Her stomach swirled as something hot and sweet flamed over her skin, and she recognized it instantly as lust. She let herself luxuriate in it for a few seconds, wondering what he’d look like with his shirt off, if his hair would feel as thick and soft between her fingers as it looked. If he was…proportional.
Oh, sweet Jesus.
Sierra watched as a few of the guys broke away from the grouping of computers in the center of the office space and headed for Sean’s door, not waiting for an invitation to come in.
“Sierra, this is my team. Carter Davis, Ian MacAllister, Zack De Luca, and Jamie Anderson.” He turned to the men, who stood in a cluster of suited muscle by the door. “Sierra’s a spokesperson for Choices, and she’s now been the target of two attacks, both in public and at home. She filed police reports for both incidents, but she’s understandably concerned for her safety until whoever’s harassing her is neutralized.”
Sierra studied the group of bodyguards as Sean brought them up to speed on her case. Carter was huge, about as big as Sean, with medium-brown skin and short black hair. He shot Sierra a smile as Sean introduced him. Ian, on the other hand, didn’t smile, only gave her a curt nod. His reddish-blond hair curled around his ears, his blue-gray eyes piercing. She got the distinct sense he was someone you didn’t mess with.
The other two guards, Zack and Jamie, seemed much less intimidating than Carter and Ian. Zack was tall and lean, with an almost cocky confidence in the way he carried himself, despite the fact that he appeared to be the youngest of the group. With thick dark-brown hair, light-brown eyes, and a killer smile, he was almost as hot as Sean.
Almost.
“Hey. Sorry this is happening to you,” said Jamie, the last guard. With his blond buzz cut and kind blue eyes, he looked like the hottie next door.
They made an impressive team, fit and confident. And in Ian’s case, a little scary.
Sean glanced down at the folder in his hands before speaking. “I’ll go over to Sierra’s place with her to check it out and get set up. I’ll take a look at your schedules and other client bookings to work up a schedule of shifts and text you with your assignments. I’d also like to take a look at your alarm system,” he said, turning to her. “I want to know how exactly it was tampered with. You ready to go? Did you drive here?”
She shook her head. “No, I took a car service.”
“I’ll drive you home.”
As the team filed out, she bent to retrieve her purse from its spot on the floor by the couch. She spun and almost slammed into Sean, who was just coming around from behind his desk. His fingers curled around her shoulders, and he held her steady, pulling her against him to prevent her from stumbling.
The air between them changed, becoming thick and heavy as his gaze dipped from her eyes to her mouth and back again. His grip tightened slightly on her shoulders, a sharp contrast to the way he’d pulled his hands back before.
“You OK?” he asked, his thumbs tracing little circles on her shoulders.
I will be if you kiss me.
Sierra couldn’t remember the last time she’d been this drawn to someone, this trusting, and so quickly. It was both thrilling and unnerving.
“Sean,” she said, her voice barely above a
whisper. His eyes darkened, and she knew he felt it too, the heat swirling in the air around them, drawing them together. His chest rose and fell slowly as he took a breath, and then he released her, stepping back behind his desk.
Or maybe he wasn’t feeling it too, and she was projecting her loneliness-driven lust onto him. Before she had time to analyze his quick retreat, the door to his office swung open again, and Sierra knew immediately that the man in the doorway had to be Sean’s father, Patrick. He had a head of short, thick salt-and-pepper hair and had the same large build and brown eyes as Sean. There was a definite resemblance, and Sierra had to admit that Patrick was quite attractive for a man who was probably in his mid-sixties. Sean and his father locked eyes, and the air in Sean’s office once again shifted, the pressure dropping as though a storm were about to hit.
“Sierra, this is my father and the founder of Virtus, Patrick Owens,” said Sean, gesturing toward his father. She shook Patrick’s hand, and he gave her a polite smile. “This is Sierra Blake. She’s our newest client.”
Patrick’s face remained neutral. “Would you excuse us for a moment, please, Ms. Blake?”
She looked at Sean, who gave her a reassuring nod. “Uh, sure. Sean, I’ll meet you in the waiting area?”
“Sounds good. This will just be a minute. Help yourself to water, coffee, anything you need.”
As she made her way to the waiting area, she glanced back over her shoulder, and although she couldn’t hear anything, she could tell Sean and his father were arguing. Sean’s posture was tense, his jaw clenched as he braced his hands on his desk, leaning forward toward his father, who was talking and gesturing emphatically. Sean kept shaking his head, disagreeing with whatever Patrick was saying. Patrick pointed in her general direction and she felt suddenly guilty, although she was pretty sure she had nothing to feel guilty about. She scurried back to the waiting area, feeling like both a spy and a delinquent.