Shielded by the Cowboy (WEST Protection Book 9), page 1
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Shielded by the Cowboy
WEST Protection
Book 9
Copyright Em Petrova 2022
Ebook Edition
Electronic book publication 2022
Cover Art by Bookin’ It Designs
All rights reserved. Any violation of this will be prosecuted by the law.
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West Protection
HIGH-STAKES COWBOY Prequel Noah’s Story
RESCUED BY THE COWBOY Ross’s Story
GUARDED BY THE COWBOY Boone’s Story
COWBOY CONSPIRACY THEORY Mathias’s Story
COWBOY IN THE CROSSHAIRS Silas’s Story
PROTECTED BY THE COWBOY Josiah’s Story
BRAVO TANGO COWBOY Corrine and Panic’s Story
BREAKING IN THE COWBOY Casey’s Story
SHIELDED BY THE COWBOY McCoy’s Story
CLOSE RANGE COWBOY Landon’s Story
Shielding her will be easier than ignoring their overwhelming attraction…
Being man meat on the Bachelors for Charity auction block was not on bodyguard Caleb McCoy’s agenda. Neither was falling head-over-heels into lust with the stunning brunette who bid the highest for his time. But since he already did both, the least he can do now is protect her from the danger she’s landed in, right?
CEO Genessa Turner is in trouble—the kind that involves cement shoes. With the mafia hot on her heels, she knows she needs help. Ex-cop McCoy is perfect for the job. The fact that he’s a sexy as hell, dominant cowboy who kisses like no other is just an unexpected—and entirely welcome—bonus.
With time running out and everything on the line, are McCoy and Genessa headed for happily ever after…or the exact opposite?
Forbidden nights and smoldering attraction are ahead—along with all the action and adventure to keep you turning those pages! 1-CLICK SHIELDED BY THE COWBOY and BINGE the entire WEST Protection series!
SHIELDED
BY THE
COWBOY
by
Em Petrova
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter One
Caleb McCoy fastened the police badge to his chest. It had been a handful of years since he’d felt the solid weight of the badge, but this one was lightweight. Fake.
The uniform shirt pulled across his shoulders so tight that one quick move would tear the seams. And don’t get him started on the fit of the pants. His dick was mashed behind the fly.
He only needed to stay in uniform long enough for the Bachelors for Charity auction to end. And while he hoped to bring in a sizable sum for the Big Brothers Big Sisters club in Stone Pass, Montana, he couldn’t wait to get his hands on his buddy who’d roped him into this.
Trooper Clay Lexis owed him. Big time. He didn’t mean the “buy me a beer” variety of repayment either. This was more like an “I want your new fly fishing rod” trade.
Being thrown onto the auction block so a bunch of screaming women could try to purchase a date with him still didn’t seem like an even trade for that fishing rod he coveted, though he could already picture himself standing in the stream, plucking trout out of the water like they were cherries off a tree.
“You’re on, Officer.”
The daydream faded. Suddenly, he was looking at the cutie in charge of the auction. Marissa? Carissa? Hell, he couldn’t remember what her name was, only that she seemed to be hopped up on energy drinks every time she spoke to him.
He nodded to show that he’d heard her, and she bounced on her toes ahead of him, leading the way to the stage.
As soon as he saw all those lights, regret flooded him. He’d rather spend his Saturday night cleaning toilets back at the WEST Protection security office. With his toothbrush.
“Right this way!” The cutie with big brown eyes waved him behind the heavy velvet theater curtains.
He peeked out at the crowd and felt his balls crawl back up inside his abdomen. For all his bravado in his line of work as a personal bodyguard, and the skills he’d gleaned as a cop before that, he was lacking in the “dealing with crowded places” department.
He hated crowds—anywhere. And he liked getting in front of one even less.
Feet stomped the floor as the last poor asshole dressed as a firefighter strutted offstage. McCoy had to wonder if he really was a firefighter or had just been roped into helping out a buddy like he had.
He stole another peek at the crowd. Man, he didn’t only deserve that fly rod. He deserved an all-expenses-paid trip to Argentina to use it. Lexis was gonna get a piece of his mind the minute he could grab his phone.
Cutie waved frantically for him to step onstage. McCoy weighed his options. Would it look terrible for a bodyguard pretending to be a state trooper to make a break for it?
Cutie rushed back to his side, grabbed his arm and gave him a shove with more power than he would have expected from a woman of her size.
With a groan, he pushed himself to take the leap and stepped out from behind the curtain.
Catcalls and screams erupted. Annnnd his balls were definitely crawling back inside his body. Hell, there must be three hundred women out in that audience, each waving a paddle with a number on it.
He couldn’t believe this shit. He was actually about to be sold. Like cattle.
“Trooper Clay is six feet two inches of pure power, ladies!” Cutie was saying. But he couldn’t see her as cute now, not when she was mixing up his and Lexis’s details—his buddy’s name was Clay, but McCoy was actually six-two.
“Oh! I see we don’t need to hear more! We’ve already got a bid for our man in blue! Two bids! Four!”
Jesus Christ, this was getting out of hand. He felt as if he’d stepped into a bad romantic comedy movie, only the laugh was on him.
“One hundred dollars!”
“One-twenty-five!”
Women flashed their paddles.
“Two hundred!” The woman in the second row actually bared her teeth.
“Strut your stuff for us, Trooper.” Cutie waved for him to walk the length of the stage. What she didn’t know was if he reached the end, he’d keep on walking right out the door.
He was starting to sweat in places that shouldn’t sweat. All those eyes on him were giving him the creeps. Especially when the ladies were eyeing him like a piece of prime rib, but in this scenario, he was the main course and dessert.
“Five hundred!”
How the hell had the bids jumped so high? He’d only been tuned out for milliseconds.
The lights made him feel sick. To distract himself, he strode to the end of the stage and back. Fangirl shrieks made the place sound like a concert venue for a boy band.
“Come on, Trooper! Don’t be shy now. Turn around and show us what ya got!”
Okay, she definitely wasn’t so cute anymore. She was pure evil.
What choice did he have? He wasn’t himself up here. He was Trooper Clay Lexis of the Montana State Police out of Stone Pass.
Not Caleb McCoy.
Gritting his teeth, he flashed a smile and, to his shock, the bidding jumped into the thousands.
Didn’t these women have anything better to spend their money on?
He pivoted in a slow arc. Cutie was back to bouncing on her toes like she’d downed a third energy drink.
“Five grand!”
He jerked forward again, searching the crowd for the bidder, but the lights made it impossible to see past the first few rows.
“Fifty-one hundred!”
“Wowwww, ladies! You really want a piece of the man in blue, don’t you? Or maybe you just want to test out his handcuffs!”
“Ten grand.”
His heart rolled over as the bidder stepped up to the stage, paddle in hand.
McCoy looked down at a hot brunette with lips so pouty he could make out the shadow underneath them from here.
“Ten grand is our highest bid for Trooper Clay! Can I get ten thousand one hundred?”
A dramatic pause followed. McCoy stared at the highest bidder, who never moved from her spot and held up that paddle with all the confidence in the world that no one would top her.
He couldn’t even begin to fathom the kind of date she’d want him to take her on if she had the kind of discretionary income where she could toss out ten grand for one date with a stranger. He guessed she wouldn’t settle for bowling and a milkshake.
“Ten thousand going once…twice…sold, to number fifty-six! Please pay at the front desk. Trooper? Thank you? You’ve been… Well, I think we can all agree that this man has been one of our best bachelors tonight! Give him a round of applause!”
McCoy couldn’t get off that stage fast enough. By the time he hit the shadows, his chest was a bit looser, but he was still sweating thanks to that minute and thirty seconds of pure hell.
He saw his date hurrying to the front desk to write that fat check, and he detoured to the dressing room again. There, he stripped off the tight, borrowed uniform and donned his own jeans and black button-down shirt. He was still rolling the sleeves over his forearms when a woman stuck her head into the room.
“Uh, Trooper? Your date is looking for you.”
Jesus, that was quick.
“I’ll be right there.” He shoved his feet into his cowboy boots, stuffed the plastic badge in his back pocket and the uniform into the bag Lexis had given him.
When he stepped out, his stare landed on his date. The high bidder. Ms. Money Bags.
Slowing his pace, he sauntered over to her. He figured he’d better at least offer a smile. After all, he still had a role to play, even if the kids already got their money for the new community center and extended after-school programs.
The woman gave him a once-over, appraising him like a rancher checked out his cattle before he loaded them into the truck and drove them to pasture.
“What was that?” Her lips twisted at one corner.
He didn’t realize he’d grunted out loud.
Slicing his fingers through his hair, he felt the absence of the white Stetson which had become a huge part of him over the past months he’d been with WEST Protection. The cowboy hat gave him a feeling of belonging like little else had after…
Well, he didn’t want to think about that time of his life now.
He met the woman’s direct stare. “Just clearin’ my throat.”
“I see. Are you ready for our date?”
“Not wasting any time, are you?” His lips quirked.
Her deep blue eyes settled on his for a heartbeat too long and were too loaded with something he couldn’t identify. Her expression had him questioning what he was in for with this one. She was either a firecracker willing to put out on the first date or one of those kink lovers who really did want to feel his cuffs around her wrists.
“Ready when you are,” he drawled out, waving for her to lead the way.
They left the theater and the cheers of women behind, stepping out into the cool, evening mountain air.
“So what’s your name?” he asked.
She tossed a look over her shoulder but said nothing.
“You can use a fake one if you want. But just be warned that I’m not into cheating. If you’ve got a husband, fiancé or boyfriend, I’ll be happy to go back inside and tell them the deal’s off.”
She stopped walking and turned to face him, all curves and thick hair. She looked expensive. Like she would have paid double for him.
“No men in my life. Not like that, anyway. What do you say, Trooper? Are you up for a ride?”
He’d seen enough cold cases to make him question her motives. If she planned to incapacitate him and land him on a missing persons poster, she wouldn’t get far. He had seventy pounds on her, a robust knowledge of self-defense, and his sidearm was resting along his spine, tucked into the waist of his jeans. A solid reassurance right now.
“What’s your gig, lady?”
She issued a short laugh. “It’s only a ride, Trooper. What do you say?” She cocked her head, and luxurious, glossy waves cascaded over her full breast.
He shrugged. “You’re in the driver’s seat.”
She took off again, on high-heeled boots that probably cost a whole month’s rent at his place. Before she ever reached the vehicle, he guessed that it was the shiniest luxury model in the lot. She clicked a fob to unlock the doors and strolled up to the passenger side.
He cocked a brow at her. “I can get the door,” he assured her.
Cold metal clicked around his wrist. He twisted to glare at her, but a smile spread over her beautiful face.
“I was hoping you’d say you were up for anything.”
He glanced at his cuffed wrist. Before he could fully register what she’d done, she snapped the other cuff on him, linking his hands together.
Amusement tipped his lips up farther. No matter what her game was, he was far from helpless.
She pulled a black silk scarf from her handbag and slipped it over his eyes, cutting off his vision.
“Is this supposed to be sexy? Or am I being kidnapped? Because when it comes to BDSM, I’m the dom.”
A throaty laugh filled his ears. “Not tonight.”
She pushed him into the seat and slammed the door. Next thing he knew, she was driving.
His buddy owed him far more than a fly rod right now.
And this woman owed him an explanation.
* * * * *
Genessa turned into the construction site. Her nerves felt like somebody was crashing a set of cymbals in her veins. What was she even doing? Kidnapping a man? And paying such an exorbitant amount for him? Even though her bank account could more than handle it, her accountant would not be happy with that purchase, even if it did count as a charitable contribution.
Before getting Trooper Lexis into her car, it had sounded like a good plan—the only plan she could come up with after racking her brain for hours. Then she came to the part where she actually slapped the cuffs on the guy. Now it was too late to back out, even if she wanted to.
Agonizing over what she’d done wouldn’t help with… Well, it was too late to wish for that sort of help. And she had no choice, she told herself. She needed Trooper Lexis’s assistance.
Even though he couldn’t see her through the blindfold, she had to force her body to behave, at least on the outside. It worked in boardrooms and job sites. In a man’s world, Genessa had to appear totally in control. The minute somebody spotted a vulnerability, they’d move in for the kill.
Usually that involved outbidding her or trying to stomp down her authority. In this case? It was real. Somebody really was moving in for the kill.
“Back road?” His deep voice made her jump.
She jerked her head to look at the trooper. Of course he couldn’t see her—she’d blindfolded him.
Ugh. Who did she think she was? A member of the mafia?
“Uh. Not exactly a back road,” she responded to his question. “Why do you ask?” She clamped her fingers on the steering wheel, refusing to let the jitters escape even if he couldn’t see them.
The trooper grunted. “Been on enough back roads to know the bumps.”
She drove past the turner developments sign posted at the gates of the project. Her family’s name printed in bright yellow seemed to glow like a beacon. It reminded her who she was, what she was…and that she was taking these extreme measures in order to save her family’s company.
The headlights of her car panned over the landscape. Right now, it resembled a pile of rubble, with a backhoe at the edge of the hole, its long mechanical arm frozen.
A shudder ran through her. Get a grip. You’re fine, Genessa.
She steeled herself. She was a Turner, dammit. And that meant she was strong and could handle anything. Her father would have never handed the company over to her if that weren’t true.
Days ago, the site had been bustling with activity. Then she’d gotten the call. Now here she was, hauling a cop to the job site against his will, and why? Because she didn’t know where else to turn.
Dragging Trooper Lexis here came with its own risks. If he refused to help her, then she might as well close the doors of Turner Developments and go into hiding. There weren’t many options left.
She parked and cut the engine.
“So we’re parking, sweetheart? I’d like to at least see what I’m doing.”
She gaped at him. Did he really think she’d paid for sex? As if she couldn’t get a willing partner any other way. If she’d learned anything about being the female CEO of a big corporation, it was that she could have dick anytime she wanted it. Not because the guys wanted her for her looks or body—because they thought sleeping with the CEO would earn them special favors.
