She’d never give up until the stalker was caught. Still on leave from her work with Jordan Dean, she had the time to devote her skills to solving a crime and the time to figure out what she wanted to do next with her life once the stalker was behind bars. She wasn’t sure she’d return to the research lab. Being held prisoner and forced to do her life-saving research for criminals made a girl reevaluate her life’s purpose.
Trouble was, she kept getting distracted by someone who promised to complicate her life whichever choice she made.
She’d figured she’d be logical about her choice, but that plan got thrown out of the window whenever her mind flicked to the memory of Lars lying in the hospital bed. He was too ill to keep up his macho, jokester defense. Instead, he had been vulnerable, open, and grateful for her care. And she liked that man. She liked that man too much. He never complained about his pain but thanked her for every little thing.
Sigh. It would be another restless night.
Chapter Four
Lars waited with Sophie at the private entrance to the backstage area of the enormous LA Music Center. For a US Marine Raider, an elite spec forces operator who could control his metabolic rate, his heart rate, and his breathing, today was a lost cause. He’d like to believe that the reason was that he hadn’t returned to his level of fitness after his injury. But fitness wasn’t the issue. His breathing and heart rate were surging in anticipation of Danni.
Could he see her touch Hardy and not react? Faced with the obvious, he’d have to give up obsessing over this one woman. Give up his need to have Danni in his bed and act out every fantasy he had imagined to burn out his fascination finally. He just wasn’t built to quit. Quitting went against every fiber of his being. It wasn’t in the Marines’ or the Jenkins’ credo to give up.
He’d have to move on without her, the sassy woman he had wanted since the moment he met her. After her and Jordan’s harrowing kidnapping by the 14K Chinese crime gang, Danni had flipped her long blonde hair and told him, her rescuer, that she was disappointed that he wasn’t as good-looking as his twin.
He looked down to see Sophie’s big baby blues focused on him. “If you hurt her, I’m going to have both Finn and Aiden kick your butt. They consider Danni their sister.”
And here he thought he had been clever in his attempt to get Sophie to LA.
“What about your loyalty to me? You’ve known me your whole life. Did you ever think Danni might be capable of hurting me?”
Shit. He was off his game. Deny, deny, deny… The pain of Danni walking away. Maybe it was having grown up with Sophie that made him honest.
“You don’t have a track record of appreciating the finer points of women. Whenever you’re were in Seattle, you and Sten were always hooking up. It’s all a game. Nothing but a competition. Have you ever actually looked at a woman for more than a good time?”
He was glad that Sophie had never learned about his disastrous relationship with Carmen, the only woman he’d vowed to love forever and had planned to marry after his first deployment. Too bad Carmen turned out to be a cheating skank. He thanked Uncle Sam for interfering with his plans before he made a big fricking mistake.
“I’ve never lied to any woman about what I want. And the women were down with it, or I walked away. No one was hurt.”
“Well, Danni isn’t ‘down with it.’ She doesn’t need another man unable to commit.”
This was new information. Danni maintained she was a player and not interested in commitment. He stowed the reference to explore later. He’d hit up Reeves, who was the easiest to interrogate. Danni’s women friends were all tight-lipped about what shaped Danni’s take-no-prisoners attitude toward the Jenkins brothers. This was the first time Lars had heard that someone in her past had hurt her. If it were true, then he and Danni were perfect for each other. Both were realistic about the happily ever after bullshit.
“You’ve been listening to Danni too long. Have you ever considered that as soldiers, my brothers and I don’t want to bring anyone into the dangerous and unpredictable lives that we lead? And not just because we’re sexist womanizers?”
His family was the perfect example of the devastation that military life wreaked on marriages and families. His mother was left to raise five boys on her own after his dad had been killed in action. He never wanted his kids to grow up without a father.
Sophie wrapped her arms around his middle and rested her head on his shoulder. “Honestly, I never thought about it until Finn’s deployment. I don’t know who took it harder when he left—me with my fear, or him with his guilt for leaving me alone and afraid.”
“Oh, honey.” Lars leaned back and pushed Sophie’s abundant blonde curls away from her face. “You have nothing to worry about. Finn is an indestructible, kick-butt SEAL. He’ll make sure he’s safe since he has you to come home to.”
“Does Finn know you have a thing for his baby brother?” Danni’s husky voice reverberated into his brain, triggering every cell with unanswered needs.
He couldn’t breathe. It was as if someone throat-punched him. Danni, the woman of his every dream, was within reach. He could grab her and hold her tight against him, run his fingers through her thick blonde hair hanging down her slender back, press her shapely frame against him and cup her muscular behind in his hands.
“I’ve missed you, smart-ass.” Laughing and crying, Sophie threw her arms around Danni.
Danni’s teary eyes narrowed on Lars. In a hushed voice, but loud enough that Lars could hear, Danni whispered, “You didn’t tell me you were bringing a Jenkins.”
“Lars hopped a ride with me.” Still embracing Danni, Sophie turned to include Lars. “He has business—an interview with one of Nick’s teammate’s brothers who wants to join the security crew. I asked him to come with me tonight to help reassure Finn about the chance reconnection with Alex. Finn is under enough pressure without worrying about what I’m getting into while he’s gone. You know Finn can be a bit possessive.”
Danni snorted. “A bit?”
Lars wanted to hug Sophie for the perfect excuse. No question, Finn was not going to be happy about Sophie’s little trip. Not that Lars could fault him. If he had a woman like Sophie in his life, he’d do anything to keep her happy and his. Sophie was a gem who had loyalty in spades…unless he pushed the line and acted like an ass with her friend. Then she would go for his balls.
Danni scrutinized his body. Slowly she tracked her way down to his leg.
He had to fight embarrassing himself with her close inspection.
“Classic stupid male. You shouldn’t be traveling. You had major surgery.”
A surge of jubilancy shot through his veins. How could this woman, with one glance, wipe away all the dreary loneliness? Lars stepped closer, needing to get a hit of her complex scent that promised rumpled sheets and intertwined legs. “You should know…since it’s the day you bolted. Afraid you wouldn’t be able to resist me once I was mobile?”
Danni gasped. “You’re an idiot.”
“Come on, children. Can we declare peace for the short time we’re together?” Sophie linked arms with Danni and passed through the open doors.
A gym rat held the door. In a slick suit, the guy inspected Sophie like a tasty dessert he wanted to devour. Finn would have had the guy by the throat. Lars knew the wannabe types who hung out in the bars near Coronado, pretending to be SEALS. Attitude manufactured from steroids and iron pumping.
Moving quickly, Lars stepped between the dude and Sophie. Lars intended to remain cool and not cause any trouble; he just needed to establish clear boundaries.
“Frank, you remember Sophie, right? And this is our friend, Lars.” Danni moved closer to Sophie in a protective stance.
Lars wondered how much shit Danni had to take from this guy. It wouldn’t take much for Lars to level him if he didn’t pull it back.
“Miss Dean, it’s a pleasure. And I see you brought your own security.” He inspected Lars and was astute enough to step away.
“Frank is the head of Alex’s security and his childhood friend,” Danni spoke to Lars, smoothly easing the tension between the men.
It must be the childhood friendship part that kept Frank on Alex’s payroll.
“Come on, Soph. Alex is going on in less than an hour and wants to see you before the show. He has big plans for dinner and then the after-party.”
Lars followed Danni and Sophie, with their arms still linked, down a long, dark hallway with stacks of boxes, trunks, and electronic sound equipment.
“I don’t need to be entertained. I came to be with you. We have suites at the Ritz, and my assistant has contacted Hiroyuki for sushi. I know how much you love his sushi. You and Alex can have your own suite.”
Lars contained the painful snarl starting in his chest and moving up into his throat. Sophie expected that Danni and Alex would be in the suite next to hers? And next to his. He was supposed to not react to the idea of Danni close by with another man in her bed. And right when he thought Sophie was on Team Lars.
“I doubt Alex will join us. He has two more shows in LA. It’s grueling when he has back-to-back concerts.”
“Oh great, then we can have a girlfriend night as I hoped.” Sophie twisted back and grinned at Lars.
Had Sophie known all along that Alex wouldn’t come? Lars was used to subterfuge, but Sophie—with big blue eyes, bouncy blonde curls, and an air of innocence—had all the requisite skills to run an undercover op. No wonder Finn didn’t stand a chance. Who thought men were superior?
“Lars is no girlfriend,” Danni muttered loud enough for Lars to hear.
Sophie laughed. “You don’t have to worry about Lars. He’s in my suite as my bodyguard until I fly home tomorrow. You won’t bother Danni tonight, will you, Lars?”
“Sophie, I’m not the one you have to worry about.” He pressed closer, needing Danni’s blazing focus on him. “Danni couldn’t keep her hands off me when I was barely conscious.”
“You insufferable ass.” Danni dropped her hand from Sophie and stomped in her high-heeled boots toward him.
And why did his breath catch and his heart sing? He couldn’t stop the grin from spreading across his face at her wrinkled nose and pouting lower lip. Oh, what he would give to suck on the full pink lip.
“Oh, my God. Only you would think my concern was a come-on… Of all the egotistical…”
Whatever she saw in his look stopped her. Her eyes widened, and her mouth hung open. He had left her speechless.
Did she see the fomenting mess of tenderness and burning need in his eyes? How her soft voice crooning to him in the miserable late hours as she wiped his forehead and offered him sips of water or the way she had paced in the room while they waited for the surgeon had changed him? He never had anyone take care of him.
His mother, the wife of a marine sergeant, didn’t have the time or energy to pamper her sons after her husband died. He and Sten were barely three when they’d lost their father and were parented by their older brothers and their Uncle Harry, also a marine sergeant. The nurturing attitude at the Jenkins house was STFU. “Suck it the fuck—up.” He never knew what it was like to have a woman care about him…until Danni. He never wanted to need anyone until Danni.
Danni flicked her hair and stomped back to Sophie. “How can you stand these Jenkins boys?”
“Trust me. I’ve had a lifetime to get used to their humor and their alpha posturing. Then you can’t imagine your life without them.” Sophie took Danni’s arm this time. “Forget about the Jenkinses. Let’s find Alex. You’ll be in a better mood.”
Lars lowered his voice. “Danni, I’m the master at helping women get into a ‘better mood.’”
He couldn’t help himself. He’d push until she gave in. He’d pressure her until she either kicked him in the balls or kissed the blasted daylights out of him.
Danni growled from deep in her throat, which brought all the hairs on Lars’s body to standing, as well as the erection now pressing against his zipper. He accepted that he’d always be in a state of heightened arousal around Danni.
“Stop acting like a jerk, Lars,” Sophie warned.
Alex Hardy, his long hair pulled up in a man bun, strode toward them. Lars shoved down every judgmental thought about men with hair buns. He reminded himself it was an artist thing. He also slammed shut the image of Danni enjoying releasing that hair.
Finn would not be happy, like breaking the guy’s arm unhappy, to see how tightly Alex pulled Sophie into his arms.
Sophie pulled away.
“What an added bonus to see your performance while visiting my Danni.”
Alex gave Lars a single nod before he wrapped his arm around Danni’s shoulder and held her against him. “It’s all Danni could talk about since she got your call last night. I hope you’ll let me entertain you ladies.”
“Thanks, Alex. I’m hoping to catch up with Danni. I haven’t seen her since my move to San Diego with Finn. Now that he’s deployed, I want to catch up with my dear friend. I hope you’ll understand.”
“Sure. As long as you don’t keep Danni away too long.”
Lars watched Danni’s face. She leaned against Alex and patted his chest. Was it wishful thinking that Lars thought her touch looked manufactured and not really intimate? She didn’t lean into Alex’s body, and her hand didn’t linger on his chest.
“Sophie, the Dom Perignon is chilling.” Alex took Sophie’s arm and directed her around the equipment down another hallway. “I remembered how much you like champagne.”
An emotion flashed in Danni’s eyes before she shut it down and glared back at Lars. Was she jealous of Alex’s obvious attention to Sophie? Not that he had any chance there, as Danni damn well knew. Sophie had been in love with Finn, and Finn with her, since they were kids.
Danni took off after Alex and Sophie.
“Wait up, Danni. I might get lost back here.”
Danni stopped and flipped her golden hair over her shoulder. “What are you up to, Lars?”
She waited with her hands on her hips in the ridiculously short skirt—her uniform to make men crazy.
“I’m not up to anything. I’m here to interview Nick’s friend’s younger brother for the company. And Reeves told me Sophie was coming down here, so I hitched a ride.” It was close enough to the truth. And hopefully, Sophie wouldn’t give him away.
He closed the distance between them. Her face was in the shadows, and he wanted to gauge her expressive eyes when he asked.
“But the important question is, why didn’t you say goodbye when you left me?” God, he phrased that wrong—sound needy much? “You didn’t give me the chance to thank you. I wanted to express my gratitude. Maybe take you out to dinner…”
“You don’t need to do anything.” Danni searched his face, her perfect nose scrunched up. “You jumped in front of a bullet to shield me. It was the least that I could do.”
Lars inched closer, wanting desperately to touch her. “You don’t owe me anything. I’ll always protect you, Danni. I hope you know that.”
He couldn’t stop the huskiness in his voice or the way his breath hitched at her proximity and her exotic scent.
He watched the gentle undulations of her graceful neck as she swallowed. “Thank you for the offer. I know you and your brothers are protectors, but I don’t plan to need your services again. The chances that terrorists will kidnap me again for my work are, statistically speaking, very low. But if the need arises, I’ll consider hiring Jenkins.”
As she walked away, she said over her shoulder, “And I hope that you’ll never get injured again.”
Her words were clear and final. He remained upright despite her lethal blow to his heart. Wasn’t this the reason he came to LA? To finally finish his obsession? Why did he always yearn for the impossible? A woman involved with another man who just happened to be a superstar rich dude. Was Danni just another challenge to him—a need to prove himself? He had been born having to prove himself worthy in th
e pecking order of the Jenkins brothers. And Danni was the ultimate win.
Lars hung back. He wasn’t sure he wanted to see Hardy touch Danni again. He couldn’t pretend at the moment that he didn’t want to rip the musician’s hands off. This trip was a mistake. Reeves had it all wrong about Danni and Hardy. His cell rang. It was Reeves, who had sent him on this wild-goose chase of protecting Danni.
“Yeah.” He wanted to bitch out Reeves for giving him false hope, but it would accomplish nothing except reveal how much he still cared. What would help would be to smash something or someone. Where was Sten when he needed his brother to work out his aggression? Maybe he’d fly to DC to spar with Sten once he made sure this business with the stalker was finished, and Danni was safe.
“I got the hit on the stalker T-shirt that Danni asked me to track yesterday,” Reeves said. “I know where it was printed. I was able to find the manufacturer who sells those T-shirts wholesale, and then I correlated the shops close to Alex’s location with those who offered custom design, and then I cross-referenced—”
“Great work.” It usually worked to acknowledge Reeves’s accomplishments as a way to interrupt his need to share every detail.
“You know, it’s starting to piss me off that none of you appreciate how I’m able to find a needle in a haystack. We’re talking about one lousy T-shirt in the city of LA.”
“Hey, man. We all know we couldn’t do our jobs without you. It’s just that we’re all used to actionable intel without all the details when we’re in the field. The CIA or the DIA aren’t usually willing to share how they get intel.”
“Okay…when you put it that way.” Reeves exhaled.
“Don’t give Danni the info until Sophie leaves tomorrow. It will be easier to track her movements without Sophie.”
“Yeah, and Finn would be seriously pissed if he thought you or I brought Sophie into any of this.”
“Exactly. I’ll need to start following Danni once she leaves the hotel tomorrow.”
“I have a tracker on her phone.”
Mission: Impossible to Protect (The Impossible Mission Romantic Suspense Series Book 6) Page 3