by Paige Tyler
Em thought about that for a moment before nodding, her expression telling Peyton she was already on board with Laurissa’s crazy idea. Peyton, on the other hand, still wasn’t so sure. While she’d seen loads of pictures of Laurissa’s brother, and had heard so many stories about him she felt like he was a friend, the truth was that they’d never actually met. Wouldn’t it still be weird to have him in her house 24/7 for the foreseeable future?
It was Laurissa’s impossible-to-ignore doe eyes that finally swayed Peyton to agree with this ridiculous scheme. Laurissa was her best friend in the world and Peyton could never deny her anything. Besides, if the pictures she’d been seeing of Noah all these years was any indication, the man would be easy enough on the eyes to make her overlook the inconvenience of having him staying with her.
“Okay, I’ll agree to let Noah be my bodyguard,” she said, really hoping she didn’t come to regret this decision. “But I insist that he gets paid. If my publisher is so hot and heavy about this, they can damn well foot the bill for it.”
“Excellent!” Jumping to her feet, Laurissa did a little happy dance. “Now, I just have to call Noah and convince him to do it.”
Peyton did a double take. “Wait a minute. I thought you said he’d jump at the chance to do this. Now you’re saying he might not?”
Laurissa simply waved her hand again as she reached for the cell phone in her back pocket. “Noah can be stubborn sometimes, but he can’t say no to me. I’m his Kryptonite.”
* * * * *
Noah took in the beach front property as he walked up to the front door of the house Laurissa had given him the address for. A gorgeous two-story deal with lots of windows, it was the kind of place he’d never be able to afford in a million years. A part of him wondered how much a place like this cost, even as the other part shouted at him to turn around and get back in his SUV before it was too late.
“Chasen would absolutely lose his mind if he knew I was doing this,” he muttered.
Noah shook his head as he realized he’d actually said the words out loud. Ten days into his medical leave and he was already talking to himself. At this rate, he’d be looking at a psychological evaluation and discharge before he ever had to worry about getting chaptered out of the Navy over his bum knee.
That medic over in Yemen had been right. Noah’s ligaments were intact, but the military doctor he’d seen stateside had told him he was damn lucky. One more tweak of his knee before it fully healed and his career in the SEALs was toast. He needed to stay off it as much as possible, alternate ice and heat multiple times throughout the day and night and do the gentle range-of-motion exercises the physical therapist had shown him. If he did that for the next six weeks, he had a good shot at making it back to active duty.
And he’d intended to do just that. He really had. But barely ten days into his rehab, he was ready to say the hell with it all and run screaming into the mountains surrounding San Diego. He’d always known he wasn’t the type to sit still for very long, but being told he had to essentially sit on his couch and do nothing for months was driving him insane.
So, when Laurissa called and asked for help protecting a friend, he hadn’t even slowed down to consider it. He’d agreed before his sister had done more than told him the address.
Now that he was here, he was definitely having second thoughts. Well, first thoughts technically, since he sure as hell hadn’t been thinking when he’d packed a bag and run over here like a brainless moron. He was a SEAL, not a bodyguard. What did he know about providing personal protection? He couldn’t even carry a weapon in the States—at least not legally.
Not that it kept him from ringing the doorbell. That would be too smart. Instead, he nudged the little black button, listening as the soft chimes echoed through the big house on the other side of the door. When it opened a few seconds later, he was immediately attacked by the blond, half-pint bundle of energy known as his sister. Laurissa practically knocked him off his feet as she threw her arms around him. On the bright side, his bad knee didn’t twinge at all from the impact. He considered that a major plus these days.
“You really came!” Laurissa said, still squeezing the stuffing out of him. “I know you said you would, but I was worried you’d change your mind and back out at the last moment.”
“The thought never entered my mind,” Noah said, only feeling a little bad he’d been considering exactly that right before ringing the doorbell. “All you ever have to do is call and I’ll come running.”
“Well, thanks again, big bro.” She stepped back to look up at him with that smile of hers. “I didn’t get a chance to tell you much over the phone, but my friend, Peyton, is an author. Someone broke into her house last night and we’re pretty sure they were after the manuscript she’s working on. We’re worried they might come back and try again.”
Noah slipped his sunglasses off as he stepped into the house. The idea someone broke in to steal a half-finished book sounded a little unlikely to him, but he didn’t say anything. If it got him out of his boring ass apartment for a while, he’d go along with the gig.
“Peyton, meet Noah, Navy SEAL and my favorite brother,” Laurissa said, giving him another grin as they walked into the living room. “Noah, this is Peyton Matthews, my best friend and greatest writer in the world. I know I’ve mentioned her to you before, but since you never listen to anything I say, I doubt you remember.”
Noah didn’t comment on that last part, since it was kind of true. He also didn’t point out that he was her only brother. Instead, he focused his attention on his sister’s friend, almost stumbling on the plush carpet when he got a good look at her. Peyton Matthews wasn’t what he expected at all.
When Laurissa told him her friend was an author, he’d pictured an older woman who wore glasses and had gray hair. Like Angela Lansbury in those reruns of Murder She Wrote that his mother loved to watch. Not that he was downing on the main character, Jessica Fletcher, but clearly, his imagination had failed him in this case. Tall and slender with sexy curves and long, blond hair, the bluest eyes he’d ever seen, and possibly the most kissable lips in the world, Peyton Matthews was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.
Forcing himself to ignore how good the woman looked in the tank top and the long, flowing skirt she wore, Noah stepped forward, extending his hand.
“Nice to meet you, Ms. Matthews,” he said, hoping he came off as professional and knowing he was probably failing miserably at it. “Laurissa said someone broke in last night and that you’re worried they might come back?”
“If we’re right about who this person was,” a woman said from the direction of the kitchen and Noah turned to see a middle-aged woman with short, dark hair walking into the living room. “Then it’s only a matter of time before they make another move. I’m Em Fuller, by the way,” she added, holding out her hand. “Peyton’s agent.”
“And if you’re wrong about the motives behind the break-in?” he asked, after the woman explained the whole piracy angle and how the book would have been long gone if not for it being stored on a hard drive Peyton carried with her everywhere she went.
If he heard something like this a month ago, Noah would have thought they were all being paranoid, but after the Yemen mission, he was starting to see these kinds of situations in a completely different light. That said, it was still more likely the break-in was nothing more than the random smash and-grab that it seemed like.
Em shrugged in answer to his question. “If we’re wrong, you get to spend a couple weeks relaxing while Peyton finishes writing this book and does a few promotional events like the book signing this coming Saturday. And in return, you get a nice paycheck at very little risk on your part.”
Noah would be lying if he said he hadn’t been hoping for at least a little action simply so he’d have something to do, but he immediately squashed that thought, not comfortable with the idea of Peyton being in danger for even a second. And any time spent with a woman as gorgeous as she was would
definitely be well spent, even if all he did was sit on the couch and watch ESPN while she wrote her book.
“About the money,” he began, but Em waved her hand.
“Peyton’s publisher will pay your asking price.”
“I wasn’t worried about that,” he said. “But as active-duty military, I’m not allowed to take on outside employment without my commander’s approval. And since I’m supposed to be on medical leave, that isn’t going to happen.” He glanced at Peyton. “I’m hoping your publisher would be okay with donating whatever they were going to pay me to a military charity like the Wounded Warrior Project or the Special Operations Warrior Foundation.”
He could tell from Peyton’s smile she thought that was an excellent idea. Em didn’t have a problem with it, either.
They spent the next hour going over the details of what he’d be doing for the next couple weeks and what Peyton’s schedule would be like, then Em was up and heading for the door.
“I think you have everything under control,” she said, all of her attention focused on her cell phone. “If I hurry, I should be able to make an afternoon flight back to San Francisco and get home before midnight.”
There were a scary number of hugs between the three women before Laurissa announced she was leaving, too.
“I’d love to stay and hang out, but I know you’re probably freaking about being behind on your word count, so I’m going to leave you in my brother’s capable hands and let you get some work done,” she said to Peyton. “Promise you won’t write too long today, okay? You didn’t get any sleep last night and I know you’re already running on fumes.”
Peyton gave his sister another hug, promising to get her rest and eat right. To say that she and Laurissa were best friends seemed like an understatement. They were like sisters.
The silence that filled the house after Laurissa and Em left verged on being uncomfortable. He got the feeling Peyton wasn’t used to having guys staying at her place. For some reason, the notion made him happy.
“I guess I should show you around a little, huh? You probably need to know where my bedroom is at least,” Peyton said casually, only to freeze when she realized exactly what she’d just said. He was pretty sure she actually blushed a little. Noah decided it was kind of adorable.
“I do need to have a look around,” he said, acting like he hadn’t noticed her embarrassment. “But if you don’t mind, I’d like to check the exterior of the property first. Then you can show me around in here.”
She nodded, giving him a smile that lit up the room. “Sounds good. I’ve been going on coffee and adrenaline since coming home and finding the back door smashed in last night, so I was going to make a sandwich. I can make a couple for you, too, if you want?”
“I never turn down a sandwich.” He returned her smile. “Then again, there are very few foods I will turn down, so that’s not saying much. I’ll only be outside ten or fifteen minutes, but don’t feel like you have to wait to eat on my account.”
“I don’t mind waiting.” Peyton flashed him another smile as she headed for the kitchen. “Besides, it’ll probably take me that long to make lunch.”
Noah laughed, pretty sure she was joking. If the gourmet kitchen was anything to go by, Peyton knew her way around in there.
Slipping on his sunglasses, he walked outside, stepping off the porch and onto the front lawn. As he made his way around the exterior of the house, he swept the perimeter of the property with his gaze, looking for hiding spots a person could use to recon the house, or routes someone might take if they were going to sneak up on the place.
He paid special attention to the grass as he walked, looking for places that had been trampled flat recently. More than likely, whoever had broken in had probably spent time casing the house first. Maybe he’d find a shoe impression, a discarded cigarette butt, or piece of bubblegum. Anything with DNA on it like that might help the police find the dirtbag. Yeah, the cops had probably done this already, but it didn’t hurt to look again.
Unfortunately, after two complete circuits of the property, he hadn’t found anything remotely resembling a DNA sample. Hell, he hadn’t found anything to make him think anyone had ever stepped foot onto Peyton’s property.
Noah blew out a breath, his gaze wandering to the beach about twenty feet below the bluff he was standing on, the rough waves slapping up against the shore. The sound of the ocean never failed to calm him, and it didn’t let him down now. Did Peyton feel the same draw since she lived on the beach?
While her house was undeniable beautiful, and the view incredible, the whole place was also completely indefensible. A person could access the property from a hundred different directions. The beach front was simply the easiest.
He cursed in frustration. When he’d jumped at Laurissa’s offer to do this gig, he hadn’t thought of it as anything more than a way to get out of the apartment. But now that he’d met Peyton and seen how scary all of this was for her, the gravity of the situation was quickly becoming much more real.
While he hoped Peyton and her agent were wrong and that the break-in was merely some random thing, it would be dangerous to think that way. If there really was an idiot out there willing to risk a prison term to steal her book, it was almost a certainty the guy would be back. And this time, the asshole might come at Peyton directly instead of trying to swipe the book covertly. He might have taken the job because he was bored, but he wasn’t going to risk a woman’s life simply because he’d gotten into this whole thing for the wrong reasons.
Of course, there was also the fact that Noah was more than a little attracted to Peyton. It would be silly to say that as a professional he should be able to deny that, because he couldn’t. Noah dated, but not regularly. Between training, deployments, and the stress of being a SEAL, he didn’t have the time or inclination to do much more than that. He’d never gotten deeply involved with any of the women he’d been with, but at the same time, he’d always been open to the idea of getting serious. If he found the right woman.
Not that he was saying Peyton was that woman, of course. Hell, he’d just frigging met her. But she definitely intrigued him. The issue would be getting to know her while his focus was on keeping her safe.
Turning, Noah started back toward the house, only to stop when his phone rang. The moment he saw Chasen’s name on the screen, he considered letting it go to voice mail, but it’d be just his luck that the chief would show up at his apartment looking for him and figure out Noah wasn’t home like he was supposed to be.
Taking a deep breath, he thumbed the green button.
“What’s up, Chasen?”
“Just checking in to see how you’re doing. I haven’t talked to you in a few days and wanted to see how the knee was feeling.”
“It’s good,” Noah said, pleased to think he was actually being honest this time. “No pain or instability. Taking care of it like the doc ordered.”
Chasen started to say something, but then stopped. “Did I just hear a seagull in the background? Are you outside?”
Dammit.
Noah considered his options, immediately tossing out the most obvious lies about the TV being on, his window being open, or his neighbor having a pet bird. Instead, he decided to blend BS with the truth and see how far that got him.
“Yeah, I’m out on the beach,” he said casually. “The physical therapist thinks it’s a good idea to go for short walks on the sand. The uneven footing is supposed to help my knee from getting stiff. I’m not sure how well its working, but it beats being stuck inside all day.”
There was silence on the other end of the line for a really long time and Noah thought for sure that he’d been made, but Chasen only sighed. “Okay, good. I was worried for a second you were out doing something stupid.”
If the chief only knew.
“No way. I’m playing it smart this time. I’m not going to do anything to mess up my rehab and jeopardize my career.”
“Good to hear,” Chasen said. “I�
��ll let you get back to your walk then. Just don’t push too hard.”
“Definitely not,” Noah assured him. “I’ve got some sandwiches with my name on them waiting for me inside, then it’s back to doing a whole lot of nothing.”
CHAPTER TWO
IF THERE WAS one thing Peyton hated more than being behind on her word count, it was missing her morning yoga workout. Thanks to that moron who broke in last night, she’d be lucky if she could slip in a few downward dog poses between chapters today.
But right now, she couldn’t do either until she ate something. Sighing, she glanced down at the plate piled high with sandwiches and made a face. Maybe she’d gone a little overboard. Then again, she thought as she caught sight of Noah walking across the lawn toward the house, he is a big, muscular guy.
Thinking about the hotness that was Noah made her head spin a little. While she’d seen plenty of photos of Laurissa’s older brother, meeting him in person had been an eye opener. She probably shouldn’t be thinking this way about her best friend’s brother, but damn, the man was completely droolworthy.
Peyton guessed he was a few years older than she was, making him somewhere in his mid to late twenties. Tall and broad shouldered, he had thick, dark hair, eyes the color of her favorite chocolate bar, and a chiseled jaw with the perfect amount of stubble. And from the way that dark blue T-shirt molded to his chest, it was impossible to miss how well he was built. If someone asked her to find a poster boy for male perfection, it would definitely be Noah Bradley.
Even his name was perfect. Like one she’d use for a hero in her books. Strong and silent, attractive and sexy, a little mysterious, and more than a little dangerous.