Tempted By The Bodyguard

Chapter 7

Shelby sat on the other side of the SUV, her mind on the man driving instead of the assignments and classes she’d missed. When she should have been planning ahead on the catch-up work she’d have to hustle to complete, she was thinking about how thick Daniel’s thighs were and wondering what they looked like beneath the denim of his jeans.

Hell, he’d seen her naked. She ought to have the same privilege. Not that she should be thinking about him that way at all, but she couldn’t help it.

Her core heated and she squirmed in her seat, inches away from his big hands gripping the steering wheel. The same hands that had carried her from the bath to her bed, naked.

“So how did you become a bodyguard?”

“I work for the Secret Service. I was detailed out to provide protection to former vice president Kate Winston.”

“Secret Service. Sounds impressive.” She tapped her fingers on the armrest. “And interesting. Are all Secret Service agents glorified bodyguards?”

His jaw tightened and his fingers curled around the steering wheel turned white around the knuckles.

She must have bruised his ego. She smiled inwardly, glad she’d gotten beneath his skin.

“Some of us work on investigations into threats against the president and vice president.”

“Why aren’t you working on the investigation? Did you make someone mad?”

His fingers loosened and he sighed. “I was injured when someone shot at Mrs. Winston. I’ve been sidelined from the investigation.”

“You were injured? Is that why you limp?” Now she felt bad for poking fun at the man.

He nodded. “I took the bullets meant to kill your grandmother.”

Shelby sat for a moment in silence, the full extent of what he was saying hitting hard. “Who would have it in for her and why?”

“If we had the answers, wouldn’t we have caught him by now?”

“I suppose.” She glanced out the window as they passed houses and businesses. “I don’t understand why people have to be so callous and angry all the time.”

“Being a part of the Winston family, with all their wealth and property, has its perks.”

“And apparently its price.” Shelby pushed a hand through her hair and stared forward. “I didn’t ask for it.”

“No, you didn’t. But you can’t deny it. You look just like a younger version of Kate. Anyone with a pair of eyes could see it.”

As they drove onto the university campus, Shelby stared at her reflection in the side mirror. She did look a little like her grandmother and a lot like the pictures of the younger Kate Winston.

Campus looked the same as it did the day she’d entered the library to research information for her paper. The sun was just as bright, the trees weren’t much different and the buildings were all still there.

The only thing that had changed was her. Two weeks ago, the most important thing in her life was getting a good education.

Her grandfather had done everything in his power to give her all the opportunities to improve her life. Despite his argument earlier that day about not needing an education to be a bartender, he’d been the first one to kick her butt and remind her of how important it was to get a degree that would provide a livable income. He’d drilled it into her head that she had to be able to support herself and anyone else who might come along. That anyone else being any children she might bring into the world.

Her grandfather worried that she wouldn’t be able to support herself when he was gone. He’d admitted he’d spoiled her mother and she’d been less than responsible when she’d been growing up, as evidenced by her pregnancy at age eighteen.

He’d raised Shelby to be more responsible. She’d helped out at the grill from a young age, earning her own spending money. Nothing was free in life, he’d told her. And she alone was responsible for her own actions.

She didn’t mind working, and she loved her grandfather more than anyone in the world because deep inside she knew he loved her, too. And she’d almost lost him. Or rather, they’d almost lost each other. With her life back in her own hands, she vowed never to be so vulnerable again.

She pointed to a brick structure, “Pull up beside that building. I’ll just run in and see if my professor is there.”

When she reached for the door handle, his hand snaked out and grabbed her arm. “We will go inside the building together.”

His unrelenting grip on her arm left her no choice.

“Seriously? Look around you. There are students everywhere, and faculty and staff. I can make it to my professor’s office and back with no problem.”

“If it’s all the same to you, I’d rather go with you.”

“It’s not all the same to me. I don’t need a bodyguard to lead me around on a leash.” Shelby yanked her arm free and pushed the door open, jumping out. She set off at a good pace, hoping to reach the building and duck inside before he could catch up.

She hadn’t gone five steps before Daniel was out of the car and at her side, matching her pace. Students passed on each side of her.

Each time one walked by, Daniel glared and moved closer to Shelby.

Finally Shelby stopped and faced him. “You can’t do this. You’re scaring the other students.”

“Do you realize how close they are getting? Anyone that close could jam a knife into you and you wouldn’t see it coming.”

“They’re students, damn it, not terrorists.” Shelby stomped away from him and pushed through the door into the building.

Once inside, she mounted the stairs in the stairwell to the third floor and hurried toward her professor’s office.

Daniel dogged her footsteps, never more than a few steps behind, his limp more pronounced after climbing the stairs.

When they reached the office, Shelby faced Daniel. “I’m going inside. Alone.”

He frowned. “I’d rather check it out before you go in.”

“Too bad. I’ll take my chances. You’re staying out here.”

“But—”

She poked a finger into his chest. “Stay.”

His frown deepened. “I’m not a dog.”

“I know. A dog would have a much more obedient disposition.” Shelby slipped through the wood-paneled door into the professor’s office and closed it behind her. She waited on the other side, fully expecting Daniel to jerk the door open and follow her inside. When he didn’t, she was almost disappointed, then she shook her head and turned.

The professor wasn’t in, but his teaching assistant was.

Shelby wrote down all the assignments and promised the assistant she’d email the professor with her excuse.

She was sure most professors had heard every excuse in the books, but being kidnapped and held for two weeks had to be new, ranking right up there with being taken by aliens. And they might not believe her, since Kate’s team had kept the abduction below the radar from news and media sources.

Once she had a list of the assigned work, she braced herself for her next encounter with Daniel.

When she stepped out into the hallway, Daniel stood surrounded by several young, college coeds. And the jerk was smiling at them.

One batted her eyes and took his hand, penning her phone number on his palm. When she’d replaced her pen in her purse, she lifted her thumb to her ear and her pinky to her mouth and mouthed the words call me.

Shelby’s fingers curled into tight fists, her fingernails digging into her skin. She walked away without looking back. It wasn’t as if he was her boyfriend. She was the job to him.

So what if he’d seen her naked? As a Secret Service agent he’d probably seen lots of naked women. A girl on every job, like James Bond.

She heard him behind her say, “Sorry, ladies, I have to go.”

He had a job to do.

Her.

Shelby’s teeth ground together. As she passed the elevator the doors were closing. She ducked in before they closed all the way. Daniel ran the last couple steps, but didn’t make it in time to jam his hand between the doors and stop its progress.

Thankfully, the elevator was going down. But it stopped at the second floor. Damn.

If she gauged it right, Daniel would assume she would get off on the ground floor. What he didn’t realize was that there was a walkway across to the next building on campus from the second floor. And the entrances to that building led to the parking lot where she’d left her car.

Her grandfather had left it there, more worried about her return than bringing her car home. She kept a spare key in a magnetic box on the undercarriage of the vehicle. If she could get there before Daniel, she would take herself to the Outer Banks and collect her own clothing. Maybe she could help her grandfather out for a few hours at O’Hara’s Bar and Grill.

She stepped off the elevator and crossed the glassed-in walkway to the next building and took the stairs to the exit, all the while glancing over her shoulder for Daniel. Once outside the building, she hurried toward her car, sitting where it had been the night she’d been attacked.

The closer she got to the car, the faster her heart beat. She told herself there was nothing to worry about. The sun shone down on her, there were other people in the parking lot and she wasn’t a lone student asking to be abducted in an empty parking lot.

A white SUV backed out of a parking space, blocking her path to her car.

Shelby stopped and waited for the vehicle to move on.

The longer it took to complete the reverse, the more impatient she became. She glanced behind her, worried Daniel would figure it out and come after her before she reached her car.

The SUV turned, still backing toward her. Then when the driver should have shifted into drive, it continued backward, sliding up alongside the position where Shelby stood.

A door swung open.

Something clicked inside her, her heart rate skyrocketed and her senses jumped to full alert. Shelby backed up a step, turned and ran, daring only one glance over her shoulder.

A man in a black ski mask leaped out of the vehicle and gave chase.

Heart racing, she ran for her life, the nightmare happening all over again. “Help!” she cried.

Students stopped and stared, too shocked by what was happening to be of any use.

“Help!” Shelby cried, adrenaline the only fuel powering her legs. She refused to be caught; she couldn’t go back to a dark cellar where all she’d had were her thoughts to keep her from going insane.

She ran around a vehicle and headed for the building she’d just exited. Pushing through the glass doorway, she ran into a solid wall of muscle.

Shelby screamed and fought, every instinct geared for survival.

“Shelby, it’s me!” Daniel yelled. “Stop fighting.”

When she realized it was Daniel, she fell against him, wrapping her arms around his waist. “Don’t let them take me.”

“Shh…it’s okay.” His arms circled her, drawing her close. His hands ran down her back, stroking her to calm. “Now, tell me what you’re talking about.” He pushed her to arm’s length and stared into her face.

“A man in a ski mask.” She pointed toward the door as the white SUV raced past. “He came out of that SUV.”

Daniel shoved her to the side and sprinted out the door. Shelby followed behind him, refusing to let him out of her sight.

He didn’t go far before he stopped. “Damn. No license plate.” Daniel pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and hit one of his contact numbers. “Why the hell did you run from me?” He glared at her as he put the phone to his ear. “How can I protect you if you don’t cooperate?”

“I didn’t think it would happen in broad daylight.” Shelby stood like a recalcitrant child, her head hanging low. “Why is this happening to me?”

He shook his head, the anger melting from his face. He gathered her against him with one arm, while he held the phone to his ear. “Do us both a favor and don’t run from me. I might not find you in time if it happens again.”

Shelby nodded, thankful for his arm around her and completely terrified by the thought that it could happen.

Again.

When Jed Kincannon picked up on the other end, Daniel didn’t waste time on pleasantries. “Henderson here. There’s been another attempt to kidnap Kate Winston’s granddaughter.” He gave the details and a description of the white SUV. “It didn’t have a license plate.”

“I’ll get on the horn with the local police immediately. Stay with the girl,” Kincannon said. “You’re headed back to the Winston Estate?”

He could feel Shelby trembling against him and his arm tightened around her. “Yes, sir.” Damn right he was taking her back where there were pretty stiff security measures in place, and not only would it be difficult for someone to get in, it would be almost impossible for someone to leave unnoticed.

“Good,” Kincannon said. “Keep her there as much as possible.”

Daniel wanted to laugh at the man. That would be like caging a wild cat. She’d eventually find her way out and he’d be running to keep up with her. His bum knee throbbed in anticipation. Daniel clicked the off button and pocketed the phone. “Come on. We should be getting back to the estate.”

“I’m not going back,” she said into his shirt, the tremors subsiding. She pushed back and stared up into his eyes. “I’m going home.”

“Like hell you are. It’s not safe.”

Her lips pressed into a thin line. “I’m going home to get my own clothes. Then you can take me back to the Winston Estate.”

He didn’t like the idea of driving all the way over to the Outer Banks. It would take a couple of hours to get there from where they were and even longer to get back to Raleigh. “It’ll put us getting back after dark.”

“I’m not going back without my own clothes. I’ll take my own car if I have to.”

Anger and frustration mixed and boiled over. “You were almost kidnapped again. Don’t you get it?”

She stared up at him. “Yes, I get it. I was stupid to run away from you.”

“Then why did you do it?”

She looked away. “You’re pushy, and I’m not used to someone telling me what to do and following me around like I’m a child to be coddled.”

“Then stop acting like a child.” He gripped her chin in his fingers and tipped her head up. “I can’t help you if you don’t let me.” With her face turned up to him and her lips only inches from his, he realized his error too late. All the anger at having been duped, followed by the surge of emotion he’d experienced when he’d seen her running toward him with fear and desperation in her eyes welled up in him and he took it out on her. He pressed his lips to hers in a searing kiss, one that took his breath away and left him dizzy with the intensity.

When he broke away, he whispered against her lips, “Don’t run from me.”

She braced her hands on his chest, curling her fingers into his shirt, clinging to him.

“Promise.” His hands slid over her shoulders to grip her arms. “Promise you won’t run from me,” he said through gritted teeth.

“I promise,” she whispered. Then her hands circled the back of his neck, bringing his lips back to hers. She gave as good as she got, her tongue pushing past his lips to take his in a long, slow glide. Her hips pressed against his as she moved closer, her calf curling around the back of his leg.

They could have been anywhere, but he felt as though they were alone on a deserted island, only him and Shelby.

A horn honked, shaking him out of the dream he’d been in, waking him to reality. They were standing in a parking lot. People were moving around them and anyone could have run them over and they would never have seen it coming.

“Come on.” He grabbed her hand and dragged her back to the other building’s parking lot.

She ran to keep up, her fingers wrapped in his. When they reached his SUV, he gave it a quick once-over, checking for bombs, before he allowed her to get in. Given her track record, a bomb could happen again, just like a kidnapping had almost succeeded.

He shivered at the thought. Even more than his promise to Patrick to keep her safe, he couldn’t live with himself if he lost her.

“Where are we going?” she asked as she buckled her seat belt across her lap and settled back against the leather seats.

He shifted into Reverse, backed out of the parking space and drove toward the exit, his focus on the road, the vehicles around him and everything else but that kiss. “We’re going to the Outer Banks, damn it.”

Ah, who was he kidding? He couldn’t think of anything but the kiss.

Chapter 8

Shelby leaned forward as they crossed the Washington Baum Bridge onto the strip of land known as the Outer Banks. With her window lowered, she breathed in the salty tang of the air, her chest swelling with love for the island, love for the long stretches of beach and this crazy touristy piece of heaven.

The sun was low in the western sky, making the sky orange and the water glisten like a thousand black, sparkling diamonds.

“I love this place,” she said out loud, not expecting any response from Daniel. “It’s home to me.”

Daniel had driven all the way from the university without uttering a single word.

Shelby had been hesitant to break the silence, figuring he was still mad about her attempt to escape him. She wanted to be mad back. After all, she was more or less on a short leash with the bodyguard, unable to take a step without his approval or clearance.

Mad as she should have been, she couldn’t wipe that kiss out of her mind. When she’d been thinking about him naked, she hadn’t imagined how just a kiss would fry every brain cell in her head and leave her lips tingling for the next hour. Hell, they still tingled.

Sure, she’d dated guys, had sex with a couple of them, but none of them had kissed her like that and left her wanting so much more.

She sat as far away from him as possible in the confines of his SUV, running her tongue over her lips, tasting him there, and as she wondered what had triggered the kiss, one thing became perfectly clear. As much as she’d been thinking about him, he’d also been thinking about her.

Heat filled her insides, surging into places that shouldn’t be feeling warm while stuck in a car with a surly bodyguard for the next few hours.

When they crossed the bridge and she could see the Atlantic Ocean ahead, she felt a sense of relief, of coming home and excitement.

“There were a couple of times I didn’t think I’d see this place again,” she said, her fingers gripping the armrest, emotion swelling in her throat.

Daniel glanced her way. “Seems like you did your best to make it happen.”

She nodded. “I couldn’t give up. I knew my grandfather would be beside himself with worry. If for no other reason, I had to make it back for him.” She smiled. “But now that I’m here, I’m glad I made it back for me, too. I love the smell of salt, the beautiful sunrises you can only get here on the edge of the ocean.”

Daniel turned south along the long stretch of land that made up the Outer Banks, passing tourist shops, restaurants, hotels, cottages and all the places Shelby knew by heart. She’d ridden her bicycle past them when she was too young to drive and driven past them every day she went to school or on those rare occasions when she went to Raleigh to do some shopping at the big department stores.

She loved this place where people came to relax and vacation away from the stress of the bigger cities.

When she spotted the roofline of O’Hara’s Bar and Grill, excitement filled her and she could hardly wait for Daniel to park the SUV before she threw open the door and jumped out.

“Shelby,” Daniel said, his voice stern, brooking no argument.

She stopped and waited for him to join her, aware he’d saved her twice in the past two days, and she owed him something for that.

When she stepped into the bar, the waitresses and bus boys stopped what they were doing and rushed over to her, exclaiming and hugging.

“Shelby, oh, dear, sweet Jesus,” Lana Innman cried. “We were all so worried about you. You grandfather has been beside himself. How are you? Are you okay?”

Shelby’s heart swelled at the welcome and she blinked back ready tears. “I’m fine, just glad to be back.”

Marisa Webber joined the group hug. “Patrick said you’d been found, but I couldn’t believe it without seeing you with my own eyes.” She sniffed and brushed tears from her cheek. “We’d almost given up hope.”

“Yes, we had. Almost. But I knew you were tough and you wouldn’t let anyone keep you down long.” Lana hugged her again and glanced across at Daniel. “Wow. Who’s the hunk?”

Shelby bristled. “This is Daniel. He’s my…” she struggled with calling him her bodyguard, not wanting to sound like she was all that important.

“I’m her friend,” he finished for her, saving her the embarrassment.

With a grateful smile at him, she repeated, “That’s right, he’s my friend.”

“Just a friend?” Marisa asked. “If that’s all, can I have his number?”

Normally Shelby couldn’t be mad at Marisa; she flirted with all the male customers. She was kindhearted and fun loving and didn’t have a mean bone in her body. But after Daniel’s kiss, Shelby had a hard time taking Marisa’s flirting lightly.

Patrick O’Hara came out of the back office, grinning from ear to ear. “I told you she was okay. Now move, so I can get a hug in there.”

The staff stepped back and let Patrick in. He engulfed her in a bear hug. “I can’t seem to get enough of these.” He kissed the top of her head, the way he had when she’d been a little girl. “I’m so glad you’re back.”

“We only came in to collect her things,” Daniel said.

“I’m glad. I was about to go through your bedroom and would probably have gotten the wrong items.”

“Don’t worry. I’m here now, and I can get what I need.” Shelby kissed her grandfather’s cheek. “Don’t forget you need to be back at the Winston Estate sooner rather than later.”

“I will, as soon as I put together the order list for tomorrow.”

“Don’t take too long.” Shelby hugged a couple of the others, then broke free and headed for the back exit and the staircase that led up to their apartment above the bar.

Daniel grabbed her arm before she put her foot on the first step. “Let me go first.”

“Fair enough.” She handed him her key and followed him up the stairs. “The lock can stick a little. You have to wiggle the door when you put the key in it.”

He inserted the key and attempted to twist it in the lock. As she’d predicted, it didn’t work.

“Like this,” Shelby reached around him and wrapped one hand around his holding the doorknob and the other over his fingers and turned the key, wiggling the handle at the same time.

When she touched him, a jolt of electric awareness burned through her.

As soon as the handle turned and the door opened, she jerked her hands away and moved back. In her hurry, she forgot she was so near to the edge of the landing. She teetered on the steps and nearly fell.

Daniel slipped an arm around her waist and crushed her to his chest. “Steady there,” he whispered into her hair, his mouth touching her temple.

Her pulse slammed against her veins, shooting red-hot blood through her body.

Though she’d gotten her feet under her, he didn’t let go, holding her longer than was necessary, and she was glad. Had he let go, her knees would have given way and she’d have melted like a puddle of goo at his feet.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his lips brushing against her earlobe.

Hell, no, she wasn’t okay. The man made her turn to mush whenever they touched.

Digging deep, she summoned enough willpower to pull herself together and look up at him. “I’m…”

That was her second mistake. In the fading light, she stared into his smoldering green eyes and lost herself all over again. She leaned up on her toes and pressed her lips to his.

He cupped the back of her head and sealed the kiss with one of his own, his mouth consuming her, his tongue thrusting between her teeth to caress hers.

When at last he lifted his head, he dragged in a deep breath and stepped through the door, pulling her behind him. “Wait here,” he commanded.

Wait? Her body on fire, she stood rooted to the spot, afraid if she moved, she’d collapse.

In the span of a few minutes, Daniel had searched the entire two-bedroom apartment.

But those few minutes were barely enough for her to come back to earth and get a grip on her rioting emotions.

“Get your things,” he said, his voice stern. “We’re going back to Raleigh.”

She’d been ready to march into her room and do just that, but having him come back at her as though what they’d shared hadn’t happened was a slap in the face. Anger rocketed up inside her.

“What just happened here?” she demanded.

His gaze met hers briefly and he looked away. “Nothing.”

“Are you telling me that kiss meant nothing?”

He faced her, and for a long moment, he stared down at her, a muscle ticking in his jaw. “Really, Miss O’Hara, I’m just doing my job.” He turned and walked toward the door, where he stopped and glanced down at his watch then back up to her. “Five minutes.”

Daniel waited outside the apartment door, sucking in fresh air and sanity. The kiss had rocked him deeply and he had been far too tempted to drag her into the apartment and take it ten steps further. And, damn it, that was the worst thing he could do.

He was on the job, not on vacation. He wasn’t supposed to kiss the woman he should be protecting. It violated every ethic in his books. As a bodyguard, he was supposed to remain detached and observant. When he’d kissed Shelby, he’d lost track of everything. If someone had decided to shoot at them, they’d have had plenty of opportunity to kill.

The best way to end this was to make a clean, if ugly, break. Piss her off and she’d never get close enough for him to be tempted to kiss her again.

By the sound of drawers and doors slamming and the curse words coming from inside the apartment, he’d accomplished his mission.

That didn’t do anything to lessen his desire for her. He’d have to deal with it. No more kissing the girl.

After five minutes on the nose, she emerged from her bedroom, a duffel bag slung over her shoulder. She breezed past him and clomped down the stairs, her eyes blazing and her back ramrod straight.

Oh, yeah. She was mad. And damn if she wasn’t even sexier.

Swallowing a groan, he followed her down the stairs.

A few steps ahead of him, she entered the back door, the spring slamming it shut between them.

He had his hand on the handle to open the door when he heard a piercing scream.

Daniel ripped open the door and ran in. At first, he didn’t see Shelby. She couldn’t have gotten that far ahead of him. He rounded the corner into the kitchen and found a group of the staff gathered in a tight circle.

Daniel pushed through, zeroing in on Shelby’s light brown hair. “Shelby, are you okay?”

She shot him an irritated glance. “I’m fine, but Lana isn’t.” Shelby held the woman’s hands tight, bright red blood dripped from both of them.

Patrick O’Hara hurried through from another door, his face pale, the lines around his eyes and mouth deeper. “Here’s the first-aid kit.”

“Someone give me the gauze and surgical tape. I can’t let up on the pressure until we can apply more.”

Lana’s face was pale and tears streaked down her cheeks. “I can’t believe I was so stupid. I knew there was a broken glass in the dishwater, but I wasn’t careful.”

“We’ll get you fixed up enough to stop the bleeding,” Shelby reassured her. “But you’re going to need stitches.”

Lana swayed. “I’m feeling kind of dizzy.”

“Get her a chair.”

One of the busboys ran out to the dining area and returned with a chair. Daniel seated Lana, then took the first-aid kit from Patrick. He pulled out a roll of gauze and medical adhesive tape. He made a tight pad of gauze and applied tape on two sides. “Can you stand long enough to dip your hand under clean water?”

Lana nodded. “I think so.”

He eased them toward the sink.

Marisa turned on the cold water and Shelby held Lana’s hand beneath the steady stream. “I’m going to let go. Look at me, not your hand. I don’t want to pick you up off the floor.” She smiled. “Come on, Lana, you’re tough. You can do this.”

“Okay, Shelby, just do it.” She stared at Shelby as they pushed her hand beneath the water.

Once Shelby let go, the blood flowed heavily.

Daniel pulled her hand from the water and clamped the wad of gauze over the cut and taped it down. He added another wad of gauze and more tape. “She needs those stitches.”

Shelby washed the blood from her hands and found a clean dish towel for Lana to hold under her hand. “We can take her.”

“No, let me. As the owner, I should take her.” Patrick hooked Lana’s arm and guided her toward the exit. He paused and turned back to Shelby. “I just let Kayla go home sick and we have a group scheduled to come in. They’re going to be shorthanded.”

“I’ll stay and help out.” Shelby shot a glance at Daniel, daring him to argue.

He washed the blood off his hands, shaking his head. “We’re not staying.”

“I’m not leaving. Unless you plan to hog-tie me and throw me in the back of your car, I’m not going anywhere.”

Marisa whooped. “Yeah, baby. I gotta see this.”

Daniel’s adrenaline spiked and he fought to control the urge to do just what she’d said. With a deep breath, he resisted and played on her father’s fears. “Mr. O’Hara?”

Patrick shook his head. “No, sweetheart, you need to go with Daniel.” Her grandfather frowned. “I don’t want to leave you, knowing you could disappear again.”

“Go, Granddad.” Shelby touched his arm and Lana’s. “I’m fine, and I’ll be here when you get back. Take care of Lana. She needs you now.”

Patrick’s gaze went to Daniel. “Don’t let anything happen to my girl, will ya?”