by MINK
My parents aren’t just Hollywood famous. They created the operating system that is on most computers around the world. That was their first mark on the world. Their success only continued to grow from there. Their business exploded, and pretty soon they had their hands in many different pots when it came to cutting edge technology. You can thank them for bringing touchscreens to your computers and phones. Their inventions have changed the world.
There isn't any system, big or small, that my dad can’t hack into. Not that anyone knows that. I’m sure some expect it as a byproduct of what he does. I was never close to my dad. The only time he really took interest in me was when I wanted to know something about technology.
Then he would go on for hours showing and telling me things. I think that’s where my inquisitive nature began. As a young girl, of course I wanted my father's attention. And I knew I could hold it by asking more questions. So I learned everything I could about computers. Computer code became a second language to me.
The same could be said about my mom. If I pushed to hang out with her, she’d indulge me for a little, but I could never really hold her attention. I think it was more guilt than anything. My father created, and my mom marketed and came up with the ideas. My father was the one who could make her visions come to life. It’s not that they don't love me. I'm just not sure a child should have been in the cards for them.
I’ve spent a lot of time alone. That said, I spent that time alone in the grandest of homes. I lived in everything from castles to penthouses in the biggest cities in the world. There was nothing I couldn’t have if it could be bought. Hell, I got here on my own damn plane. Yet I’ve never had the one thing that I truly wanted: to be loved. To be the center of someone's attention.
I let out a long sigh, pushing that thought to the side. I think everyone has finally turned in. All the men have come to collect their women, and once again I’m alone. Since I hit send on that email, I’ve been staying close to anyone who’ll let me. I helped cook and clean. It kept me busy so that for a little while, I could forget about what was happening outside of these walls. About the danger that is now waiting for me.
The room is eerily quiet since everyone left. I decide to retreat to my own room. I drop my eyes to the floor as I’m about to slide off the counter when a hand comes down on my shoulder. I let out a scream and jump. Tiernan catches me before I hit the ground, then pulls me close to him.
“I didn't mean to startle you.” Those blue eyes of his stare into me, and sometimes I think he can see far too much. I pull my gaze from his.
“It’s okay.” I wiggle to get down.
“You really are a tiny thing.” He doesn't put me on my feet. My body starts to heat, and the urge to lean into him hits me hard. I still for a moment. A silent war wages between my mind and my body. Unfortunately, the former wins out.
“I really need to get to bed.” I need to get away from Tiernan because I’m two seconds away from rubbing myself all over him. The man barely tolerates me. How pathetic would I be if I was openly crushing on him? I can feel his hard cock pressed up against me. He takes a deep breath, which doesn’t help my current situation, before he allows me to slide down his body.
“See you tomorrow, Red.”
I turn and begin to walk toward my room. I can feel his eyes on me, so I sway my hips a little more. I’m only a few feet away from him when I turn back.
“Tiernan.”
“Yeah, Red.”
“Thanks for letting me stay. It means more than you know.” I turn and slip into my room before he can say anything else. I lean against the door. When I start to feel a knot form in my throat, I make myself get ready for bed so I don’t focus on the empty feeling I have inside. For someone who doesn’t want to be alone, I sure do a lot of things to make sure I remain that way.
I leave the bathroom door cracked, needing the light. It’s a silly fear. Here I am chasing people down and uncovering things that could get me killed, but I’m afraid of the dark. Always have been. I never outgrew it. In fact, my father invented a whole-house lighting system that you could call out to and turn your light on. Not only that, but he programmed it so that every time I walked into a room the lights would come on from sensors. It was those small things that reminded me that they care about me, and that’s their way of showing it. The system was actually named after me, and all the profits were poured into my trust fund.
I slip into bed and pull the covers over me, closing my eyes. Sleep doesn’t come easy. I toss and turn, my mind my own worst enemy. It keeps playing all the horrible outcomes that might happen to me because I sent that email. My eyes fly open, and the bathroom light turns off. I shoot up from the bed, letting out a small scream in fear.
My bedroom door flies open, filling the room with light. I jump from my bed and run toward Tiernan. He catches me easily as I do my best to wrap myself around him. My face burrows into his neck. His warm skin and scent immediately calms me.
“What’s wrong?” His question comes out sounding as if he were a pissed-off bear.
“The bathroom light went out. It scared me,” I admit. His hand rubs up and down my back as he continues to try to soothe me. I feel him relax, too.
“You’re on edge.”
I nod, not wanting to admit I’m afraid of the dark. I tell myself to let him go, but I don’t. My fingers dig into him more. “I actually think it might be better if you stayed with me. With everything going on, taking extra precautions doesn’t sound like a bad idea.”
I don’t protest as he carries me back to his room. All the bad thoughts have slipped away now that I’m in Tiernan’s arms. The only thing I’m left wondering is how the hell he got to my room so quickly.
4
Tiernan
She clings to me as I carry her to my room.
I shouldn’t be doing this. I know this is a shit idea. But here I am with this redheaded bombshell in my arms.
When I heard her muffled cry, I couldn’t hold back. I rushed into her room to find her terrified. It’s like I went on autopilot, my mind shorting out as my instincts took hold. I had to comfort her, protect her, even from something as stupid as a light going out in her bathroom.
“I’m sorry I got so freaked out,” she murmurs.
“It’s okay.” I kick my door open and carry her inside, then place her on my bed.
She swallows hard and looks up at me, our lips close for a moment before I back away. Those little moments are going to end with me between her thighs if I’m not careful. And I’m already tired of being careful when it comes to this redheaded pistol.
“I’m just being paranoid. At least I think I am.” She wrinkles her brow.
“Look, I know you’re scared because of the thing you wrote about the—well, whatever it was about. Assholes in Hollywood or whatever. But you’re safe here.”
“Here in the lodge or here?” She glances around my room.
“Both.” I shrug.
“There have been plenty of assassins trying to bust into this place ever since Aurora arrived.” She arches a brow. “I’m not sure how safe—”
“It’s safe.” I smirk. “How many of those assassins made it out alive?”
She inhales deeply. “Fair point.”
God, she looks like a fucking treat. Loose T-shirt, mussed hair, no makeup. I wonder if she’s even wearing shorts or panties or what if she’s bare under the—Concentrate.
“I’ll sack out on the sofa over here. You take the bed.” I turn and stride to the sofa and yank off a few pillows, tossing them to the floor. I should be in the bed with her. I’m certain I could distract her from her worries with my tongue, my fingers, and my cock. But that’s just me indulging the predator inside. That’s not who I am anymore. Or at least that’s not the main part of who I am.
When I reach behind my back and pull my shirt over my head, she makes a sound.
I turn and find her staring at my back, her lips slightly parted. Fuck. That mouth is begging to be kissed,
to be explored. She’s got me forgetting everything I’ve been telling myself about staying away from her. I want to taste her, to hear her moan when she comes. But that’s not what this is about. I need to remember that letting her get close to me is a death sentence. Says the guy who just carried Daphne to his room and placed her in his bed. Did I mention how fucked I am?
Taking my pants off isn’t an option given the fact that my erection is raging at the moment, so I don’t bother. I’ll spend the night on the couch where I can keep my instincts in check.
She clears her throat as I drop onto the sofa and yank the throw blanket down onto my legs. “Tiernan. Is that an Irish name?”
Oh, shit. Here we go.
“Yeah.” I stare at the ceiling, even though I’m desperate to watch her. Whenever she’s in a room with me, I can’t look at anyone else. I can barely string a sentence together. She’s got my insides twisted up, and I’ve never wanted anyone the way I want her. Because she’s forbidden fruit, a dangerous prize wrapped up in a red bow.
I hear the bed shift and the whisper of my sheets. When I break and look over, she’s snuggled up on my pillow, her nose against it as she inhales.
Why is that so hot? Does she like how I smell? I like how she smells. It’s like a citrusy vanilla, something that makes me think of sunsets. I roll my eyes at myself. I sound like a lovesick idiot. Sunsets? If I ever say that shit out loud, I’m going to punch myself right in the fucking face.
I glance at the bathroom and realize I left the light on. Getting up, I stride over to it and flick it off.
“Don’t,” she gasps.
My hackles rise, and I flip it back on while peering around the room for threats. “What is it?”
“It’s just I, um … It’s just that …”
“I’ll leave it on.” I walk back to my sofa and settle in.
She lets out a long breath. I can’t tell if she’s embarrassed, but she doesn’t need to be.
“My little sister Val was always scared of the dark.” I glance at her. “Not saying you are, just saying she always was. We’d be in our separate rooms as kids, late at night. Sometimes we’d hear noises from downstairs, the adults doing their deals or whatever. She’d get scared and run to my room. She was so small, and her feet were always like ice.” I smile at the memories. “She hated the way her room was set up, the way she couldn’t see the hall or bathroom lights from her bed. Anyway, she’d get into bed with me, and I’d tell her stories until she fell asleep. Safe. She did that until she was about thirteen or so, and then she snuck out enough that she started to like the dark. Good for hiding.”
“I wish I could like the dark.” Her voice is soft and sleepy.
I want to crawl up in bed beside her, hold her, and tell her there’s nothing to fear. But that would be a lie. My past proves that I’m not a good man, not a man that could ever convincingly reassure a woman like Daphne that there aren’t evil things that go bump in the night. After all, I’m one of them.
“The dark isn’t all bad.” I lower my voice, lulling her to sleep.
“I hate it. I can’t get away from it.”
“You’re safe here with me, Red.” I tell the lie that I hope becomes the truth. “Get some sleep.”
“Okay.” She lets out a long sigh.
It’s silent for so long that I think she’s asleep. Then she asks, “What sort of business were your parents doing downstairs? You said deals?”
Well, fuck.
“Goodnight, Red.” I close my eyes.
She grumbles and turns onto her side.
I feel gratified that she’s getting my scent all over her. Because I’m an animal, I guess. That’s how I feel about her, like an animal caught in her trap, but I don’t want to leave. I want to stay right here with her.
When I hear a soft snore from her, I smile and steal one more glance. A ray of moonlight lies across her red hair, making it glow like fire. No. More like a beautiful … sunset.
5
Daphne
“Tiernan.” I mumble his name as I roll over. I can smell him all over me. I reach my arm out but only come up with a pillow. My eyes flutter open to see no one is in the bed with me. I sit up and look around the room, then realize I’m alone. I push down my disappointment over him not being here.
At one point in the middle of the night I woke up with Tiernan wrapped around my body. He whispered into my ear that I should go back to sleep and that he’d gotten into bed with me because I had been tossing and turning so much. He said it seemed to calm me down when he held me. I think he might’ve been right. I feel as though I’ve gotten one of the best nights of sleep in my life. I’m going to guess it’s because with Tiernan being so close to me, I knew I was safe so my body was finally able to relax.
I stretch before making my way toward the bathroom. I pause when I see my cosmetics bag and blow dryer on the vanity along with my toothbrush sitting in the holder next to Tiernan’s. I guess he was serious about keeping me close. I thought he only said that last night to get me to calm down. It had worked. If I sleep like I did last night again being in Tiernan’s bed, then I’m never going to want to leave this place.
I do my morning routine before going in search of my stuff. If he brought my bathroom stuff over, I’m guessing he also brought some of my other things. I glance around the room, but I don’t see my suitcase. I do notice my laptop is on the side of the bed I slept on last night. I head over to the closet and pull open the door to a small room.
I’ve been in a couple of the girls' rooms and now Tiernan’s. They are big suites that put some people's condos to shame. There’s even a sitting area with a fireplace. The only thing not here is a kitchen. I grab my bag but stop when I feel there’s nothing inside it.
“Oh my,” I whisper to myself as I stare at all my clothes hanging next to Tiernan’s. If anyone walked into Tiernan’s room, they’d think he has a woman. Again, I push down the rush of warm emotions that flood through my body. I was already crushing on Tiernan when he was being a dick. At this rate, I’m going to be in love with him by the end of the day.
I can’t allow that to happen. I have no clue who Tiernan really is, and he’s not coughing up any information willingly. Yet there still seems to be something faintly familiar about him. I grab my shorts off the shelf and begin putting on my workout gear. I need to clear my head, and running is the only way to do that.
When I'm dressed, I realize the opportunity that I have here. He’s left me alone in his room. He should have known better. It’s like he’s asking me to peek around his bedroom. He knows how curious I am about everything. There’s no way I can pass up this opportunity. I may never get it again.
I start opening drawers. The first is his nightstand. The only things in it are two handguns and a switchblade. “Well, then.” I laugh, shutting the drawer and moving on to the next. I let out a scream when an arm locks around me. Before I know what’s happening, I’m being lifted off the ground.
Tiernan tosses me onto the bed. I huff out a breath as I begin to sit up. Okay, I totally deserved that. He stands in front of me in sweatpants and a shirt.
“Morning,” I chirp, giving him a giant smile.
He shakes his head at me. “It’s afternoon.”
“What?”
“You must have needed sleep. I’m sure it’s exhausting placing a target on your head.”
“What does that mean?” I throw my legs over the side of the bed.
“I don’t know. Maybe it has something to do with your name being on every news channel.”
“I had to do that.” I raise my chin. I don’t have any regrets about what I did. Those men needed to be exposed. I couldn’t live with myself if I hadn’t released what I’d found. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.
“I know, but it’s not only that. I’ve only known you a few days. First you show up, trespassing on our land. You had no fucking idea what you were getting yourself into in the middle of nowhere. Then you start going through someone's stu
ff—someone you already know is a killer. You have no regard for your own safety. I’m shocked you’ve lived this long. I’m sure there’s a million other things to add to the list that you’ve done before now.” His face grows serious as he talks about my safety.
I don’t say anything. He runs a hand down his face, looking frustrated.
“Why do you care anyway? I’m not really your responsibility, and when I leave here I definitely won’t be.”
“You need to be someone’s,” he throws back.
“I have one father; I don’t need another.” I grab a pillow off the bed and hit him with it before I storm out of his room. I don’t make it far down the hallway before my feet are leaving the floor again. Tiernan tosses me over his shoulder.
“Is everything okay here?” I hear Aurora ask.
“He’s a brute!” I shout.
“Yeah, they all kind of are. It’s their thing. You two have fun.”
“Help me,” I shout. “Put me down.”
“Don’t fight it. It’s easier to give in.” I think it’s Clover I hear next.
A hand comes down on my ass, making me scream.
“Put me down.” I wiggle. I grab the back of his sweatpants, intending to give him the world's worst wedgie, but once again I’m tossed back onto the bed.
“You’re not going out there dressed like that.” I look down at myself. I’m in a sports bra and running shorts.
“These are my workout clothes.”
“Not anymore.” He folds his arms over his chest.
I sit up. “There you go again trying to be my daddy.” I glare at him.
The look he gives me has me swallowing hard. I lick my lips and tell myself he wouldn't hurt me. But there is something else that crackles through the air between us like a live wire. It’s the same pull there always is when we’re in a room together.
“I think that might be the problem with you. Lack of a daddy.” His hand wraps around my ankle as he starts to pull me down the bed. I roll over and try to get away, but it’s useless. He continues to pull me down the bed until my legs dangle over the side. My chest is pressed to the mattress.