Some Like It Deadly (13 page)

Sucking in another lungful of her sweet, feminine scent, Richard forced himself to focus on the task at hand. “This might sting when I pull it off.”

“I’m all about ripping the Band-Aid off.” Tough and beautiful, she never failed to impress him. She resettled her stance and braced her good hand on the counter. “Do it.”

Wiping his palms against his shorts, he closed the distance between them. Her gaze met his in the still foggy mirror and Richard smiled. “You’re gorgeous, you know that?”

The corner of her mouth tilted. “I have wet, stringy hair and I’m wearing a towel. I hardly think that qualifies.”

“Oh.” He traced a finger across her shoulder and gathered up the wet mass to push it out of his way. “I think it more than qualifies. When you’re all glammed up, you’re stunning, but I think I like you like this best.”

“Okay, I’ll bite. Why?”

All of his blood went south at the word “bite” and he traced the base of her “creek-dogging” scar. It went down farther than he’d realized, all the way to the bottom of her shoulder blade. It must have been a hell of a cut.

“Warm, soft and damp from the shower?” He dipped his head, giving into temptation and pressed his lips to the flutter of her pulse. The catch of her breath encouraged him and he nibbled another soft kiss. She tasted sweet and her heart began to race, the erratic beat going crazy beneath his lips.

“Richard...” The strained note in her voice elongated the syllables in his name and he bit gently on her skin, sucked lightly and she swayed. Closing his hand around her good shoulder, he held her steady and continued to kiss his way up to her jaw. Kate’s head fell back and Richard sealed the last few inches between them so she could rest her head against his shoulder. Her wet hair dampened his shirt, but he continued his leisurely exploration of her jaw. The nibbling little touches brought his need to a fever pitch.

Tracing his fingers up her arm, he adored the softness of her skin and the supple muscles contracting under the contact. She turned her head and her mouth parted. He took the invitation, branding her into his blood, and savored the long, thorough exploration complete with teasing swipes of her tongue.

She moaned and the sound vibrated through him. Biting down on her lower lip, he held his hips still when her sweet bottom rubbed against his cock and every molecule in his body strained toward her. Sliding his hand to the nape of her neck, he held her and deepened the kiss further.

When she moaned again, he ripped off the bandage.

Her gasp came sharp and hot against his lips and he took another long thorough kiss before letting them both up for air. The golden glints in her wide eyes glimmered at him and a pink flush spread across her cheeks. But her mouth— God, her lips were slick and wet and swollen.

Nipping her lower lip, he whispered. “You need to look at the mirror again.”

“Why?” The dazed sound stroked his ego and his smile grew. She was not remotely immune to him. Good because his body practically screamed for hers.

“Because I need to check your stitches and put a fresh bandage on.” He held up the other one. “I think I can really get behind this ripping the Band-Aid off method.” The flush on her cheeks spread and to his absolute delight, her ears went red. The rise and fall of her breasts attracted his attention and he reached down and carefully pulled the towel back up.

“And you should hold this tighter.” He deserved a fucking medal for his restraint. Disposing of the bandage, he gave her a moment to gather herself then checked her stitches. It was an ugly mottling of black and blue, the skin held together by two tightly woven bits of surgical thread. A bit swollen, but otherwise clean, he took gentle care in applying the ointment around, but not on the stitches before he added the clean bandage and tape.

Pressing a kiss to the top of her shoulder, he glanced up to meet the wide-open curiosity in her gaze via the mirror. “You good?”

“You’re amazing,” she whispered and his face heated at the quiet sincerity in her words. “I’ve never met anyone like you.”

“Good.” He leaned down and rested his cheek against hers, a wave of possessiveness overtaking him. “Because I feel the same way about you.” Instead of pulling away, she relaxed against him. Something deep inside him eased at the show of trust. “You should get dressed. I’m going to cook you a fantastic dinner and we’re going to talk.”

She stared at him steadily, then nodded. “Okay.”

“And, Kate?” He turned and pressed her lips against the side of her head. “The door on my side? It’s wide open. You think about it.”

He left her alone and headed back down the stairs. His cock would have a zipper imprint in it after that kiss, but, all seduction aside, he wanted the cool rational woman to want him every bit as much as her feminine soft and melting counterpart had in that bathroom.

She’d come alive in his arms and her kiss had turned fierce, as demanding and giving as his own. If he’d pushed it, they could be naked right now—of that he had no doubt.

Yes, he had her body, but he wanted her mind and that took a whole new level of seduction.

Whistling, he set the potatoes into the pre-heated oven and pulled out the salad fixings to chop and toss.

Chapter Ten

For seven long minutes after Richard strolled out the door, Kate stood in the bathroom and tried to get her rebellious heart under control. Heat flushed her face and her skin tingled with the memory of everywhere he’d touched her.

I
can’t keep doing this.

She’d liked the man well enough when she’d gone to work for him, but with every minute she spent with him—every day—that like grew to respect and caring. He worked his ass off for his clients, he was a damn good friend to the grand duke and he didn’t take advantage of his position unless someone tried to cut it out from under him.

No, he was a good guy and he didn’t deserve the lies. Still in the towel, she walked into her borrowed room and picked up her cell phone. When Peterson had phoned and woken her up from the painkiller-induced nap earlier, she’d given him a status report. He’d called her on her level of involvement and warned her about the danger in taking the relationship too far.

She’d been unable to respond because Richard walked back out onto the deck. What the hell would she have said?
No
,
I
know fucking the grand duke’s best friend wasn’t in the plan
,
but my protectee started it
,
so suck it up?
Perching on the edge of the bed, she stared at her phone.

They’d had a hell of a lot of fun. She adored it when he cut loose and relaxed. Remembering how she’d melted against him and the hard strength enveloping her as he seduced her senses—his ripping the bandage off hadn’t stung nearly as much as it might have. Riding an endorphin high, she hadn’t cared about the towel slipping, either.

Hell, half of her mind had already taken the next leap forward—dropping the towel and turning into him. She wanted to explore his body—find out what would make his pulse quicken, his body shake—and she wanted to have sex with him. Once would never be enough.

I’m falling for him.

At some point in the last few weeks—and she couldn’t pinpoint when it happened—he’d stopped being her protectee and had become so much more.

When the shots had been fired, all she could think about was keeping him alive because losing him would kill her.

Unlocking her phone, she dialed the tower and waited for Peterson to answer.

“Braddock?” Cool, professional and controlled, Peterson had always been a master of efficiency. He’d entrusted her with not one, but two, protectees and he’d invested in her based on the recommendation of an old friend. She’d always be grateful for that.

“You were right,” she said softly. “I have been compromised. Due to that, I am resigning my position for His Highness.”

“We can replace you,” Peterson said evenly. “Extract and send in another.”

“No extraction required.” She didn’t want to leave Richard. “But I can’t continue as his bodyguard.” Sucking in her first deep breath in days, relief left her shaky and the noose around her neck loosened.

“Resigning your post does not relieve you of the agreements you signed.” He referred to the agreement stipulating the disclosure of any activities she’d performed in service to the Andraste family, specifically in their security detail.

“I understand, but as of...five minutes ago, I am done.”

“Kate.” Peterson shifted gears. “The threat is a real one and it’s still out there.”

“I know.” So very aware of it, in fact. “I’m not going to
not
protect him. I just won’t do it on the grand duke’s payroll anymore.”

“What if someone shoots at him again?” Worry coated the words and she heard his underlying concern.

“I don’t need a paycheck to want him alive, Peterson. Please express my regrets to His Highness. And a request?”

“Which is?”

“When we wrap this up, when we find the shooter, I need permission to tell Richard I worked for the grand duke.” He deserved to know the whole of it. She could tell him why she’d started working for him. He was a man who needed honesty and she wanted him to have it.

“I will pass on the request. Be careful. Kate—” He hesitated and she thought he was done when she heard the squeak of an office wheel and Peterson blew out a breath. “It’s harder to protect someone you love than you may realize. You can get wrapped up in them and miss something. When it does go wrong.”

“I know.” She’d have a split-second to respond to the threat. “I won’t let him down. Thanks for understanding.”

“Be careful. As of this moment, you’re still the subject of a security detail. Let the others take point.”

Agreeing wasn’t as hard as she’d thought it might be. That detail’s job was to keep Richard alive. “I’m not the target. Remind them to protect Richard first.”

They spoke for another minute and when she hung up she let out a long, trembling breath. She couldn’t dive any further into this relationship as the servant of two masters—and only a fool would try to deny the very real chemistry consuming all the air between her and her
former
protectee.

Grinning, she bounced to her feet, not even the sting in her shoulder diminishing her good mood. She took her time in selecting a comfortable pair of denim shorts and a body hugging tank top. To hell with the bra. Returning to the bathroom, she used a comb and blow dryer to tame the mass, which she left down. Richard liked it down. Eyeing herself in the mirror, she added a little lip gloss and grinned.

He wanted to play? He wouldn’t know what hit him.

Humming, she strolled out of the room barefoot and padded down the stairs, clearing the last step with a hop. Following the scent of cooking meat, she found Richard manning the grill. The table on the upper part of the pool deck had been set for two and music filtered through the speakers hidden in the eaves of the deck cover.

Recognizing a familiar tune, she couldn’t stop her grin. With the breeze coming in off the ocean and the sun slanting down over it, the entire set up promised romance and seduction. He’d declared his intentions and armed his theater of war. Being the target of so much effort had never happened to her before, and damn if her stomach didn’t quiver and her heart skip a beat.

Letting herself out, she met his heated gaze when he glanced over his shoulder and skimmed his gaze over her. The caress of his attention was an invitation to join him. Padding across the sun-warmed wood, she paused at the table and spotted the bottles of water in a tub of ice and the wine—an Inglenook Cabernet Sauvignon. He’d opened the bottle to let it breathe.

Pouring two glasses a quarter full each—she wasn’t taking another one of those damn pain pills—she set the bottle down and carried the two glasses to the grill. “It smells wonderful.” She kept her attention on him as she passed over his glass.

He eyed hers curiously and swept his gaze up to meet her eyes. “You sure?” Laden with so many meanings, the two very simple words packed a punch.

“To open doors,” she toasted and his grin grew wider, creasing his face in delight. Her breath hitched because the man had no idea of the devastating effect he had on her equilibrium.

“To open doors,” he murmured and their glasses clinked together. They both sipped, but he kept watching her.

“And to not burning these beautiful steaks you’re preparing.” Pleasure twisted in her chest at his muttered oath. He handed her back the wine glass before flipping the steaks.

In addition to the meat, he had created a foil pan on the top burner with onions, asparagus and peppers grilling together over the heat. The combination of scents made her hungry, but it was the man, not the wine, who intoxicated her most.

“How is your shoulder?” He cast her a sidelong look and took his wine glass back.

“Can’t feel a thing.” It wasn’t a lie. Beyond a twinge, she could care less about the ache. Since he wasn’t touching the grill, she gave into the impulse and traced her fingers down the line of his arm. The tiny hairs tickled her skin. It didn’t take much of a leap to imagine how sensuous it would be to rub against him. Her nipples tightened at the thought.

“Really? So would you say it’s a temporary reprieve or result of the care you’ve received?” Another question lurked beneath the surface and she spread her hand over his shoulder and stroked the cottony softness of his shirt.

“Hmm. Hopefully not temporary, but then I have a very high threshold for pain. This tiny ache certainly can’t compete with my other needs.” She tipped the glass up for another drink. His throat bobbed with a swallow and she hid a smile. “Did I mention that this is a wonderful wine? The fruit is very evident in it.”

“You did say you loved fruit and, of our local vintages, this is one of my favorites. The licorice and cloves are subtle, but they bring out the bite in the grapes.”

Of course he knew about wine, the man was perfect.

Kate laughed. “Well, we’ve exhausted what I know about wine.” Dragging her hand off him, she padded lazily to the rail and glanced out over the ocean. “So...”

“Yes?” He didn’t follow her, but the weight of his gaze scorched her senses.

“Are you enjoying being impossible?” Twisting to lean against the rail, she drank in the view of him. His dark eyes, the way the wind tugged at his hair, and that damn lock of hair that continued to drift down onto his forehead. She loved that stupid little lock of hair. It made him look younger, easing the hard planes of his face, and transformed him from good-looking to breathtakingly handsome.

Someone could write a book about a man like him. Blunt, forceful and wielding charm the way others did sarcasm. The corner of his mouth quirked and a devilish glint gleamed in his eyes. “You’re trying to seduce me.”

“Am I?” She might never win a war of words with him, but damn would she have fun trying.

“So it would seem. Or perhaps it is merely a distraction to throw me off my game?” He flipped the steaks and checked the veggies. The heat from the grill left a primal shimmer of sweat on his skin.

“Could you truly be distracted from an impossible seduction by a counter of seduction?” Swirling the wine in her glass, she considered the possibilities. “Isn’t that like fighting fire with more fire?”

“An effective technique if you have a range fire you can’t control. You start a backfire and consume all the fuel in front of it so that when the two fires collide...” He clucked his tongue.

“I’m sorry, Richard. Are you trying to tell me that if we collide, you’re going to fizzle out?”

Surprise blustered across his face and his eyes narrowed. For a split-second, she thought not only had she scored a point, she’d won the match, but he recovered. “I can assure you I don’t
fizzle
out of anything.”

“Well, that’s very good to know, but we may have to test that theory later.” They locked gazes and her body pulsed with the naked desire in his eyes. “For now, you need to feed me. I think we’ll need all the caloric intake we can manage.”

It was an offer.

He didn’t answer right away, his attention dipped to the food he cooked then one by one, he removed the pair of steaks and added the veggies to the platter. The silence dragged on long enough that worry began to nibble on her spine. Shutting off the grill, he carried the platter and his wine glass to the table and set them down. Turning, his lashes swept up and he gave her a lingering look from head to toe.

Extending his hand, a smile full of dark promises curved his mouth. “Then would you allow me the honor of feeding you?”

That was an acceptance.

Her stomach bottomed out. She’d been calmer about jumping out of planes. Fear and nerves had never made her balk before and tonight would not be the exception. Pushing away from the railing, she sauntered toward him. “Open door?” she murmured, sliding her hand into his.

“I’ll take the damn thing off its hinges.” Then his mouth closed over hers, his tongue gliding over the seam of her lips demanding access, and she sighed. The passion in his touch sought acceptance and when she acquiesced, he swept in and claimed. It was the sweetest form of surrender and she moaned when he lifted his head. “But first?” He kissed the tip of her nose. “Calories. Lots of calories.”

Laughter bubbled up inside her and she grinned. “Promise me there’s dessert.”

“Oh.” He stroked the curve of her neck and if she’d been a cat, she would have purred. “There will definitely be dessert.”

* * *

Dinner turned out to be fun and Richard took tormenting her to impossible levels—exactly as he was supposed to, he’d teased when she complained. The food was delicious—the baked potatoes soft and buttery, the steak damn near perfection, and the grilled veggies the excellent complement. They both nursed their wine, loosening up to only have a second half glass.

She wanted her wits about her and, evidently, so did he. “Out of curiosity...” He speared a pepper on his fork. “Why work as an assistant? You’ve got the drive and the capability to run your own small empire.”

Fortunately, she didn’t have to play a complicated word game to answer his question. “I never went to college,” she admitted and his brows raised. “What, you thought only people who get a four year degree are savvy?”

“Not at all, it’s just surprising. You’re wildly intelligent.” The emphasis he put on the last two words delighted her more than if he’d called her beautiful. Of course, he’d done that too.

“Admittedly, I thought about it. But I was an army brat, I went army.”

“You were—son of a bitch, no wonder you’re so good at
Call of Duty
.” Admiration and exasperation mingled in his laughter. “I think that’s cheating. And more than a little sexy.”

“Well, I was a communications specialist, not as sexy as you might think.” She lifted her wine glass for a sip. “I spent six years in the service and got a lot accomplished, but after the boys, well, Mom was happier when I took a step back.”

“So, you didn’t want to leave?” He settled back in his chair, one foot braced against a rung on the bottom of hers.

“I wasn’t a lifer.” She shook her head. “It wasn’t something I saw myself doing until retirement. I wanted to serve, I wanted to learn and I got a hell of an education. If you ever need me to take apart your electronics and put them back together, that I can do. If you need me to jump out of a plane and land on a deserted isle somewhere and set up a cell tower?” She grinned. “That I can do too.”