Innocent Next Door (Military Men Book 1) (2 page)

Stupidly, Summer felt the sting of rejection, but she told herself it didn’t matter. Nikolai Tarei reminded her of her two brothers—extremely capable and overprotective. And one look told her it was likely he bore the bossy gene. She didn’t require another brother-figure looking over her shoulder, vetting boyfriends, putting a dampener on her quest for independence. Not when she intended to let loose and live a little.

“I wanted you to meet Nikolai before I left. If you have any problems, you can call on him.”

Uncle Henry’s cheerful, gruff voice made her stiffen. Trying too hard. Did they think she was stupid?

“Most people would call that babysitting.” She bared her teeth in a smile and intercepted the brief glance the two men exchanged—the quirk of brow, the silent grimace that said, “You deal with her”.

Oh, for goodness sake.
“I’m not expecting any problems. I’ll be too busy.” She paused a beat. “Going out on the town.”

Uncle Henry spluttered. His mouth opened and closed several times.

“I have to go. I’m expecting a call,” Nikolai said.

Summer choked back a laugh. In military terms that qualified as a strategic retreat. Wise man. She watched him saunter to the door and frowned. What should have been a loose-limbed stride had a distinct hitch, but his black jeans covered any evidence of an injury.

“Coward,” Uncle Henry muttered.

Summer turned her gaze on her uncle. “Did you say something?”

“No.”

Summer heard a distinct snicker and whipped her head around.

Nikolai’s face displayed polite farewell. “Henry, see you when you get back. Give my love to Veronica.”

“Right.” The two men shook hands. “Thanks.”

The silent communication thing again. She watched Nikolai exit and limp down the passage. Appreciation bloomed along with a grin at his mighty fine rear end. He might be her babysitter, her jailer, but she still appreciated the view.

She turned to her uncle. “What’s wrong with Nikolai’s leg?”

“Knee injury.”

“On active duty?”

“Yeah.”

Suspicion made her narrow her eyes. “Do Dillon and Josh know him?”

“Your brothers? Maybe.”

A tight sensation gripped her chest. “Don’t tell me he’s Special Air Service.”

“Okay.” Uncle Henry blinked, his steady blue gaze not fooling her one bit. “I won’t.”

* * * * *

Nikolai limped down the uneven front path, heading for the gate in the boundary fence between his and Henry’s property. He would’ve stomped if not for his blasted knee.

A babysitter
.

Hell, he didn’t need that sort of responsibility.

His foot skidded on a pile of damp grass clippings. Pain, sharp and jagged, lanced from his knee up his thigh. Nikolai glared at the green hose that spurted water into Henry’s rose garden. He sucked in a pained breath, cursed and staggered to the gate, leaning his weight against it while he rode out the discomfort.

Babysitting
. Hell, Henry should know better. Incapacitated the way he was now, he was about as useful as a gun without bullets.

Nikolai tested a little weight on his knee and decided he could make his kitchen without keeling over. The gate creaked open. He should have taken that damn painkiller before he went to Henry’s. At least then, he might have an excuse for agreeing to Henry’s blackmail. But no, he’d been drug-free, clear of mind and in total control, yet he’d still managed to find himself looking after a green country girl just out of high school.

He gritted his teeth as he hobbled the last few steps to his front door. Nikolai shouldered it open and headed straight for the kitchen and the bottle of pills. Five minutes later, he dropped into his recliner chair and stared out at his overgrown garden, past the knee-high grass and the scraggy shrubs.

He watched Henry carry a suitcase from the house and toss it into the rear of the car. Summer followed with a smaller bag and a suit in a protective cover. Nikolai saw her say something, heard Henry’s booming laugh through the open window. His throat constricted with a feeling he hated to analyze as Henry swept his niece into a bone-crushing hug.

Hard to believe his friend and mentor was married after years of the single life. Nikolai snorted. That was the kicker. Henry had sworn to remain a bachelor then taken one look at Veronica and fallen hard. They’d married quietly yesterday and were off on a cruise this evening, leaving from Veronica’s apartment in the city. Hopefully, marriage would work for Henry. It sure as hell hadn’t for him.

Nikolai thrust aside bitter memories to study Summer. Average height, long brown hair in a plait, on the chubby side, and a dazzling smile that made a man look twice despite the god-awful gray sack thing she was wearing.

His charge until Henry returned. Nikolai leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes. Hopefully, once a week would work. It couldn’t be that bad.

* * * * *

A noise woke Summer. One moment she was dreaming of playing rugby with the All Blacks and the next her eyes sprang open, the fine hairs on her arms prickling in silent alarm. She froze, exhaling in a measured manner, while she listened.

There it was again—a muted creak. A footstep? She slid from bed, knowing she’d have to investigate or risk lying awake all night.

Whispers carried down the passage outside her room. A light flashed briefly and shut off.

“Must be in one of the bedrooms.”

The guttural whisper snapped her to action. She crept to the window. The shutter clicked as she lifted the latch—loud enough for her to freeze in place.

“I’ll check this room and the bathroom. You take the other two rooms.”

“What about the girl?”

“You heard the boss. Do whatever’s necessary to get the goods.”

“Right.”

Two of them
. Healthy fear had her springing to action. She shoved the window open wide, no longer caring about attracting attention. Footsteps sounded outside her bedroom. The door handle grated as it turned, and she slithered feetfirst out the window. The sill dug into her stomach while her feet dangled two feet above Uncle Henry’s prized rose garden. Not the best position, but not as bad as getting accosted by strange men in the middle of the night. She wriggled farther over the windowsill and let go.

Rose thorns sliced at her calves, her thighs. She bit her bottom lip.
Shit!
That hurt. Well, that would teach her to wear a skimpy nightgown rather than the flannelette pajamas her mother had packed. She extricated herself from the grip of Tom Thumb, Uncle Henry’s favorite rosebush, and limped toward Nikolai’s house. Pique made her grimace and think in curses. Just her luck. Her first night alone, and she needed help. A great start to her bid for independence.

“She’s not here.”

Summer glanced over her shoulder and once again cursed her nightgown. The pale material stuck out like a Jersey bull in her mother’s vegetable garden.

“She must be here.”

She changed direction, heading to the rear of Nikolai’s house. She stepped onto the verandah and almost fell through a broken board. Damn and blast.

“The window’s open. Check the garden.” The intruders’ voices carried on the night air.

An open window beckoned, the sheer net curtains fluttering in the soft breeze. The voices moved closer, and panicked, Summer dived through the opening.

Something tackled her, sending her flying. She landed on her back in the middle of a mattress. The air hissed from her lungs as someone pinned her in place.

“Don’t move,” a harsh voice gritted next to her ear. A hand moved down her arm and across her chest, freezing when it came into contact with her breast. This time, the succinct curse didn’t raise so much as an eyebrow. The body pressing her into the bed moved, but not enough for her to draw a good lungful of air. A bedside lamp switched on, and she blinked at the bright light.

“You.” Nikolai glared down at her. “What the devil are you doing in my bedroom?”

She swallowed. His hand was warm, and she felt her nipple hardening under his touch. Humiliation at her body’s betrayal made her tense even as she savored the spike of sensation.

“Um…would you mind taking your hand off my breast?” The way her nipple was cozying into his palm—talk about a newsflash. Nikolai this close was unnerving, especially since he was the enemy. She refused to imagine how good it would feel if he rearranged their bodies a fraction. Nope, she wasn’t going there.

The furrow between his brows deepened. “Isn’t that what you’re here for?”

The innuendo made her stiffen even more. “Someone’s broken into Uncle Henry’s house.”

“Why didn’t you say so?” To Summer’s intense relief, he released her. “Have you rung the police?”

“No. I…” Summer’s voice trailed off as she took in the broad expanse of his naked chest.
Oops, naked all over
. Her gaze jumped northward, but the vision of masculinity remained seared to her retinas.
He looked so much better without clothes
.

Nikolai rolled his eyes with the same masculine impatience her brothers exhibited whenever they thought her behavior stupid. “Never mind. Get in bed and stay warm. I’ll take care of things.”

He yanked on a pair of jeans and limped from the room before she could tell him what she thought of his verbal pat on the head. The rumble of his voice from the other room told her he was ringing the cops. No way was she staying in his bed and missing out on the excitement. She sprang off the mattress. This was more adventure than she’d ever imagined, and it was only her second day in Auckland.

Summer crept down the passage, feeling her way cautiously through the dark and unfamiliar house.

“I told you to stay in bed.”

She jerked as his warm breath tickled her ear. Oh, boy. Who’d have thought an ear was an erogenous zone? She bit her bottom lip, frowned then grinned as a brainwave struck. “I heard a noise outside the window.”

Luckily, it was dark since she couldn’t lie to save herself. And her body was broadcasting lustful messages a blind man could decipher. Full participation in this adventure would distract her, help her gain a semblance of control—she hoped.

“All right. Stay with me.” He slid through the darkness with the ease of a soldier on night maneuvers.

She blundered after him and kicked a table leg. The clatter and her squeak of pain made him curse. Huh, another new one to save for later—wait until the next time her brothers tried to tell her how to live her life. Her brilliance would stun them into silence.

“Can’t you be quiet?”

“I can’t see.”

Another muttered curse. “Here.” He seized her hand. “Hold on to me and keep up.”

Summer felt a royal salute coming on until he attached her hand to the waistband of his jeans. When she touched warm skin, every militant urge stalled. Her fingers curled over the body-warmed denim, her senses reeling, her body humming—from toe-tips to the top of her head. Bits in between tingled and plunged and swooped like a high-speed lift traveling to the ground floor.
Oh, boy
.

He opened the front door and slid outside. She stumbled after him, her mind engaged on sensation, the way her silk nightgown caressed her curves, rather than the need to reconnoiter.

He stopped without warning. Summer plowed into his back and her nose jabbed his shoulder blade. A whoosh of air escaped her parted lips.

His hands snaked out, steadying and preventing her from falling. “Mind the step. I haven’t got ’round to fixing it yet.”

The step? Her next intake of breath was a mistake. It was full of
him
. Sandalwood soap and Nikolai. A very combustible combination. Who’d have thought?

In the distance, a siren sounded.

“Help is on the way.” Satisfaction oozed from his voice. “They’ve managed to get here quicker than I thought they would. The siren is a nice touch.”

Huh? She shook away her confusion to focus on the important things. “Are the intruders still in Uncle Henry’s house?”

“Can’t you hear them?”

Um, no
. She couldn’t register anything except the thud of her heart. It was a wonder he didn’t pick up the rapid tattoo with him standing so close and all. Her breath stalled. Did he realize his hand had slid down to her butt? It wasn’t her most attractive feature and frankly, she possessed better places if he wanted to explore.

“Damn, they’ve heard the siren.”

Summer turned her head in the direction he was looking. Two shadowy figures sprinted across her uncle’s lawn, past the fishpond out front and disappeared around the corner of the house. Seconds later, a car engine roared.

“Smart,” Nikolai muttered. “Look, they’re going to drive back down the road as if they have every right. If they sped off, that would appear suspicious.”

A car pulled into Nikolai’s driveway. The siren stopped.

“Stay there.”

Another order. Summer considered then decided she refused to take orders. The police would want to interview her. After avoiding the hole, she stepped off the wooden deck.

Two men leapt from the car, and the three of them indulged in a complicated handshake followed by a round of shoulder clapping that would’ve flattened a normal person.

Nikolai grinned. “That was quick.”

“I was at Jake’s place,” one of the guys said.

Summer came to a screeching halt. Her eyes narrowed on the group, and she must’ve made a sound. The two strangers whirled and their faces, tight and ready for action, gave them away.

They were not policemen.

Both tall. Both muscular. Both with dark hair and military bearing, they screamed SAS mates.

“Who’s the babe?” Although the voice was soft, the words carried.

Nikolai sighed heavily. “I thought I told you to stay put?” He limped up the path and tugged her by the arm until she stood in front of him. Summer felt his body heat sear the length of her back. His arm wrapped around her as if he thought she might attempt an escape. Pressed to his body and with his arm weighing down on her breasts, she could hardly breathe. “This is Henry’s niece.”

There was a moment’s silence before one of the men whistled. “Not a babe then?”

Nikolai’s limbs tensed, his grasp tightening.