Rescued, page 6
part #1 of Holt Agency, Book One Series
Tavis could hear the exasperation in Ajax’s sigh. “I’ll dig into things a bit from here. Did she call her father?”
“No. I doubt she’d willingly do that. I’ll do it.”
“Okay. Keep me posted.”
“Will do.” Tavis ended the call and turned around to find Colette stalking toward him, brows furrowed. She snagged his phone out of his hand and set it on the counter. “I assume from your last statement you intend to call my father.”
“Yes.”
“How about not?” she proposed as she flattened her palms on his chest.
He gripped her biceps and ran his hands up and down. “It’s my job, hon. I’m paid to make sure you’re safe. When there’s a threat, I have to let him know.”
“Maybe this was random. Someone hoping to find something valuable and failing.”
“Maybe. Maybe not.” He lifted a brow.
She slid her hands up around his neck. “You’re here. I’m totally safe. He’ll insist I come home.”
Tavis slid his hands around to her back. He shouldn’t be doing this. Yet again, he was too close to her. “If you’re trying to soften me up, you will not succeed. I won’t keep details from your father. I can’t. Don’t ask me to. Not even if you bat those pretty eyes at me.”
She batted them again, exaggeratingly faster, tipping her head to one side and then rising onto her toes and kissing him.
Her lips were soft and sweet and took him by surprise. He kissed her back, keeping it as light as possible before easing her a few inches away. “Colette…”
“What?”
“Don’t you dare use sex as a weapon,” he warned.
She dropped her forehead to his chest and leaned in closer.
He didn’t release her, keeping her close with his hands splayed on her lower back, letting her think.
Finally, she looked up at him again. “Sorry. That was uncalled for. I know you have to call my father. Can you wait at least an hour until he’s out of church? It’s Sunday. It will cause him to panic less.”
“Yes. I can do that.”
“Now, will you kiss me for real? It felt nice.”
“Nice?” He smirked.
She rolled her eyes. “Okay, better than nice. I bet we can improve on it.”
“Should we though?”
“Yes.” The woman was persistent. No way was he going to be able to put her off much longer. He ached for her. It felt like he’d been dating her for months after spending every day together for two weeks. Months was a lot of dates to go on before kissing a woman.
It was too late to turn this train around, so he slid one hand up to the back of her head and took possession of her mouth.
His cock jumped to attention immediately because she moaned against his lips. The kiss went from zero to ten in seconds, switching from a sweet taste to an insistent urgency neither of them could stop.
Tavis’s heart raced as he slid his tongue along the slit of her lips to demand entrance, and he gripped her with his fingers when she granted his wish.
Another moan filled the air, but he wasn’t sure if it was him or her this time. It didn’t matter.
She leaned into him, crushing her body to his, causing him to stumble backward until his ass hit the counter. Her hands roamed around to the back of his neck and his shoulders, exploring everywhere she could reach while he stroked her tongue and tasted every inch of her mouth.
When they came up for air, it was out of necessity. He needed to breathe. She did too.
“Well, that answers that question,” she panted.
“Yeah. And raises about ten others.” He closed his eyes and looked toward the ceiling. Now what?
“Please tell me you don’t have a woman somewhere back home. I’ve never asked.”
“Of course not.” He rubbed her back absently and set his chin on the top of her head. “I haven’t been in one place long enough to develop a relationship in years. You’re the one with a string of suitors,” he joked, intentionally using the stilted word rich people used.
She groaned and tipped her head back again. “None that matter. You know that, right?”
“Yes.” He smoothed a hand around to cup her face, stroking her jaw with his thumb. “I was joking.”
“We need to slow this ship down, don’t we?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“That’s going to be hard,” she pointed out.
“Very.” He smiled at her to make sure she knew without a doubt that he cared. That he was attracted to her. That he wanted her.
She released him and backed up a few steps, glancing around. “I guess we should clean this mess up. Are you going to call the police?”
“No. Not unless you think something’s missing.”
She shook her head. “Nothing. It’s just a mess.”
“That might have been the only intention. For someone to make sure we know they’re aware of where you’re staying and that they’re watching you.”
She sighed and tucked her fingertips in her jeans pockets. “Surely you don’t think it was someone who knows me?”
He reached for her to stroke her cheek again. “Not taking any chances, hon. Your days of keeping me a secret just ended.”
She cocked her head to one side and gave him a strange look he couldn’t quite read. “How close do you intend to stay? Am I going to need to slide to one side of my bed?”
“Yes.” He didn’t hesitate. He also didn’t smile or laugh. This was serious. He wouldn’t sleep in another room and leave her vulnerable.
Her eyes shot up, as did her lips. “Winning.”
He rolled his eyes and groaned. “Keep your hands to yourself, evil woman. I’m not getting under the covers with you. Just planning to stay closer.” He glanced around. “Let’s clean this up, then I’ll call your father, then we need to get some sleep.”
It took thirty minutes to put things mostly back to rights before Tavis sat on the couch and dialed her father. He had a private cell number that would surpass any secret service or secretaries who ordinarily screened the man’s calls.
“Hello?” The secretary of state answered on the second ring.
“Sir, this is Tavis Neade.”
Colette took a seat next to Tavis, facing him.
“Mr. Neade. Yes. Is everything okay with my daughter? Please tell me she hasn’t given you the slip.” The man wasn’t laughing. He was serious.
“No. She’s perfectly safe and right next to me. I just wanted to let you know there was a break-in at her apartment. We weren’t here at the time. Nothing seems to be missing. Nothing broken. Just ransacked as if they were either looking for something or wanted to leave their calling card.”
“Shit. Don’t suppose you could talk her into coming home?”
“No, sir.” Tavis didn’t hesitate. The fastest way he could cause Colette to give him the slip would be to tell her she had to go home. “I don’t think she’s in imminent danger. I won’t let her out of my sight. Let’s hope it was a coincidence. But I promise she is safe with me.”
Colette leaned her head against Tavis’s biceps. She could undoubtedly hear her father.
Mr. Loughlin sighed loudly, taking a few seconds before continuing. “I appreciate you letting me know. Please keep her safe. That’s my main priority. And if anything else happens, I want you to talk her into leaving.”
“I’ll do what I can, sir. Is there anything I should know that you haven’t shared with my team yet? Any past threats that weren’t resolved? And current threats you haven’t mentioned?”
“No. You know everything I know. I just like my daughter to be safe.”
“I can understand that, sir. And she is safe. I won’t let a thing happen to her.” He gripped her thigh and squeezed.
“Thank you, Mr. Neade.”
“Please, call me Tavis.”
“Okay. Tavis. Keep me posted.”
“Will do. Have a good day, sir.”
The moment the connection ended, Colette leaned back and sighed deeply. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For helping me stay here. He can be pretty persuasive.”
Tavis turned his body to fully face her and slid a hand to her neck. “I meant what I said. You aren’t out of my sight except to pee. Got it? And even then, I want to be on the other side of the door. If we’re at the university, I’ll check the bathroom out first.”
She nodded. “Okay.” Her voice was soft. “But only because I happen to like you. If you were someone else, I would sneak away later tonight and run for freedom.”
He lifted a brow. “Do I need to get the handcuffs out?”
She flushed.
My God. She was so fucking cute. He couldn’t resist grabbing her wrist and encircling it with his fingers. “I can and will cuff this arm to the bedframe if you give me any reason not to trust you.” He was half kidding. But the other half of him wished she would give him even the smallest reason to act on his threat. He could picture her panting against the mattress, driven mad with arousal from being restrained.
Not every woman would react that way. Most wouldn’t. But the way Colette was licking her lips, her cheeks rosy, her eyes wide, and her body trembling… Yeah, she was aroused. “What if I like the idea?” she murmured.
He groaned and stood, pulling her alongside him. “Go shower. I’ll be right behind you,” he said to change the subject.
She lifted both brows. “You’ll be right behind me coming into the shower?” she taunted.
“No, imp. I’ll be behind you coming upstairs. I’m going to make sure the door is secured. Tomorrow, I’m going to add a second lock and an alarm.”
“How did they get in?” she asked, glancing at the door.
“No forced entry. They picked the lock.”
She nodded slowly. “That’s kind of freaky.”
“Yes, it is. That’s why you’re not getting out of my sight. Please, promise me you aren’t going to fight me on this issue.”
“I won’t. I promise. I told you I won’t, and I meant it.”
“Okay.” He released her and pointed at the stairs. “Shower. Now.” He needed her to get out of his space before he grabbed her around the waist and flattened her to the sofa.
Tavis could usually keep himself in check in any circumstances, but he was quickly realizing there was no way he could defend himself against Colette’s advances much longer.
He didn’t even want to.
Chapter 8
Colette’s hands were shaking as she took her shower. She couldn’t remember if she’d put conditioner in or not before realizing instead she’d washed her hair twice.
Her brain was completely focused on one thing. Tavis. The way his hands had felt in her hair and on her back. The way he’d held her against him as if he needed to pull her tighter so he wouldn’t lose her. The way he kissed her like they hadn’t seen each other for years and would soon be parted again.
She’d fought this attraction for days. For two weeks. She’d tried to deny it, and she knew he had too. They were failing. It was over. He would be in her space constantly now. She was both glad and nervous at the same time.
How the hell was she going to share a bed with him and not jump his bones? She would be humiliated if she tried to make a pass at him and got rejected. There would be no way she could face him the next day.
She needed to rein in her arousal, which was hard while running her hands up and down her body through the slippery soap. Was he standing outside the bathroom door? Probably. Which meant she couldn’t stroke herself to orgasm without him knowing. She wasn’t quiet enough for that.
When she turned the water off, she was feeling more desperate than before the shower. On top of that, she’d entered the bathroom without anything to wear. Shit.
She took her time combing her long hair out, putting on moisturizer, brushing her teeth. Finally, she had nothing left to do and opened the door wearing nothing but the towel wrapped around her.
Tavis was sitting on the edge of her bed. He looked up and swallowed. “Hey.”
She pointed toward her dresser. “Forgot to bring in pajamas,” she mumbled before drawing in a deep breath and meeting his gaze. “Actually, I don’t own pajamas.”
He lifted both brows and then rubbed his forehead with two fingers. “You did mention you were going to sleep virtually naked that first night. I wasn’t sure you were serious.”
“Well…yeah.”
“Okay, not tonight.” He pushed to standing and headed for the door. “Put something on. Anything. I don’t care what. I’ll wait in the hall.”
She watched as he rushed out of the room and shut the door as if fire was chasing him. In a way it was cute. She might have laughed if this situation weren’t so serious.
She padded across the room, yanked open a drawer, and grabbed panties and a T-shirt. She didn’t own anything that would totally cover her ass, but this would have to do. After hurrying back into the bathroom to hang up her towel and put on the meager clothing, she scrambled into the bed and under the covers.
This entire dance was unnecessary. She should have simply dropped the towel, pushed the issue, and put an end to their awkwardness. It was only a matter of time before they ended up in bed together. Why bother to put off the inevitable?
She cleared her throat. “Tavis?”
He opened the door slowly until he saw her under the covers and then came fully into the room. The man was wearing loose sweatpants and a T-shirt. He flipped off the light before coming over to her side of the bed.
For a moment, she held her breath, wondering why he was heading straight toward her, but then he reached over her head and unfastened the mosquito netting. Duh.
After releasing all four corners, he lowered himself onto the opposite side of the bed and sighed as soon as his head hit the pillow. There was just enough light coming from outside for her to watch him rubbing his temples again as she rolled to face him.
“I hate this awkwardness,” she murmured.
He turned toward her, leaving several inches of space between them. “We have chemistry. It’s undeniable. But—”
“Why must we add a ‘but’ to it? It’s been two weeks. We’re stuck together for six months. That’s a long time. How long do you think we can keep our hands off each other?” Bold words coming from her, but she meant them.
He smirked. “About one more day probably, but humor me so I can take that day to think.”
She stared at him, taking in his expression—half serious, half humored. “And this will accomplish what? Do you think you can talk yourself out of climbing under the covers between now and this time tomorrow?” she taunted.
He chuckled. “Doubt it, temptress.”
She slowly smiled.
“What’s that look for?” he asked, brow furrowed, grin still in place.
“My new nickname? Trading princess for temptress? I think I like it.”
He groaned and dropped onto his back to stare at the ceiling.
A loud crash followed by an animal squealing made both of them sit upright.
Colette gasped. What the fuck was that? “Tavis?” she whispered loudly, heart pounding.
He jumped to his feet, grabbed a gun from the bedside table next to him, and moved silently and swiftly toward the bedroom door. He glanced back. “Don’t move, Colette.”
She nodded. She was too scared to move an inch anyway. “Be careful,” she mouthed, though she doubted he heard her. Suddenly, for the first time in her life, she was glad to have a bodyguard.
She wished he hadn’t shut the door behind him as he headed down the stairs because she couldn’t hear a thing. All she could do was sit there, fisting the sheets, panicking, eyes wide and pinned to the door, ears straining to hear any sound at all.
Seconds ticked by that seemed like minutes. A door shut. She thought it was the front door. Did he leave? He wouldn’t go outside, would he? This wasn’t a horror film where the hero hears a noise and heads toward the danger.
Finally, she heard his footsteps on the stairs and he was back in the room, shutting the door again and rushing to her side.
He set the gun on her bedside table and sat next to her before grabbing her shoulders. “It’s okay. It was the neighbor’s cat. He must have come in the front door while it was ajar and we didn’t see him. He knocked the lamp off the end table. It must have scared him to death. I shooed him back outside and locked us in tight.”
“A cat?” She was struggling to absorb all of this. “Seriously? And you think it scared him? What about us?” She was shaking.
Tavis tipped his head back and forth. “Well, all of us, yes. You okay?” He slid his hands up and down her biceps.
She shook her head. “Nope. Not even close. That cat stole eight of my nine lives.”
Tavis nodded. “Not going to lie. I was freaked out too.”
“No. You’re not allowed to freak out. You’re the bodyguard. Don’t tell me shit like that.”
He gave her a lopsided smile. “Well, I don’t mean I was exactly scared for my life or yours so much as concerned about your fear. I knew you were scared.”
She drew in a deep breath. He was right. “See?”
“See what?” he asked, brows coming together.
“Life is short. You never know what’s going to happen. We should probably go ahead and have sex. What if one of us gets hit by a boda-boda tomorrow?”
He chuckled. “Nice try. I promise I’m good at my job. We’ll both live through tomorrow. I’ll look both ways to make sure no motorcycle is in our path.” He leaned forward as if to kiss her forehead, but she tipped her head back and brought her lips to his instead, causing him to kiss her full on the mouth.
It was underhanded, but it worked. Tavis gripped her arms tighter as he tipped his head to one side and deepened the kiss, consuming her like he had earlier. The same fireworks went off. It hadn’t been a fluke.
Eventually, he jerked back, breaking the connection with a groan. “Temptress,” he grumbled.
“Is it working?” she breathed.
“Yes.” But he followed that word up by rising and releasing her to round to the other side of the bed. He dropped down hard on his back, making the entire bed bounce. His chest was rising and falling as he tossed an arm over his eyes.
