Bodyguard Dearest (Bodyguard #1) (8 page)

“I’ve wanted to ask about this since Canada,” she says, tracing the scar with her fingertips before I put a t-shirt on. “I should be mad at that Ella for putting you in danger but she’s been promoted to a friend. Wonder how that happened?”

“It’s not like that. Jaxson is her boyfriend. You might have heard of him. Jaxson Cole. Maybe they’re married by now. I heard he proposed.”

Her eyes sparkle. “Wait, Jaxson Cole? Like the model Jaxson Cole?”

“Yep,” I say, not sure I like the excitement in her eyes.

“OMG, he’s fucking hot.”

I actually fucking roll my eyes at her and slap her ass crisply.

“Hey,” she says, rubbing her butt. “That actually hurt.”

“As was the intention.”

She sighs. “There’s no need for you to be jealous, but it’s totally cute that you are. I like my men rough around the edges.”

“Since when?” I say, remembering some of the skinny hipsters I’ve seen her date in the past.

“Will you stop?” she says.

I’m not sure why but I want nothing more right now than to get her on her hands and knees and fuck her brains out from behind so she never dares tease me about another guy again.

“Let’s just get moving,” I say trying to end the conversation.

Tris takes my right hand into both of her hands. She pulls me down so she can give me a quick, wet kiss.

“Touchy, touchy,” she says.

Tanner

Y
ou have to love this country. On Christmas morning we were able to walk into a gas station travel center and buy groceries, clothes and western-style boots for Tris. She pulled an ultra-cheap, tight-fitting white hoodie over her head that featured a dog chasing a pheasant and actually looked fashionable on her.

“I like it,” she said as she looked at her distorted reflection in a tin-sided Slurpee machine. “
Trailer Park Chic
. It’s cute.”

It is. Not sure how she can make anything into a good look.

I glance at her next to me now in the car. She has a face as fresh as a young girl, but her lips are as full and sensuous as any woman on Earth. Her tight $5 jeans and tan, pointed boots give her a rustic vibe that makes me want to make love to her in the next barn we come across. Every line of her body makes my mind into a hot JELL-O of need. She looks tired but content. No dress in Paris would make her any more beautiful than the armful of tacky gas-station clothes has made her.

I want to see her wearing everything and I want to see her undressing from everything she wears. Day after day I have been hypnotized by her various outfits navigating her hot curves.

We’ve arrived. I should have probably called Ella and Jaxson before showing up, but I didn’t want to use any technology that could be traced. You never know the reach of Jordan Kane’s power. The King of Shadows could be anywhere and everywhere.

“What are we waiting for?” Tris says, squeezing my hand as we stare at the cabin in front of us in which our unsuspecting hosts are enjoying their last few moments of privacy.

Her question is a fair one. I’m hesitating. That’s not a good sign. That is not me, not how I made my name. I’m stone cold. I do not hesitate. I do not second-guess myself. That’s a given in my chosen profession.

“I like being alone with you,” I say to cover my ass.

She tilts her head and stares at me curiously. “You’re the one who wanted to come here. I’d rather be alone, too.”

I really need to get my shit together.

I place my hand on her thigh, rubbing it like it’s my good luck charm. “Nah, let’s go ruin their Christmas,” I say, kissing her on the lips.

We walk up the few stairs to the front door hand in hand. It’s cold and the snow falls softly on the ground, forming small heaps on the edges of the steps and covering the front porch with a glistening white blanket.

“What’s with us and snow? It’s the second time in a week,” Tris says. “Every time we see snow as we grow old, we’ll always remember the snow brought us together.”

Grow old. Together.
I can’t go there… whatever. This is not about me. It’s about her. I squeeze her arm gently before I knock on the door.

We wait and listen. No sound whatsoever on the other side of the door.

“Maybe they’re not here,” Tris says.

“They’re here. The car’s in the garage.”

“Can you see through walls?”

“No. I can’t explain it. It’s a combination of senses. I just know.” I can’t explain it to myself either. Maybe it’s the slight tracks in the driveway that have been covered by today’s snow, but not completely. Maybe it’s the absence of gas in the air or the presence of a very slight smell of oil. Maybe it’s the time of day. Maybe it’s all these things. I don’t know, but I do.

It’s the sense of a cook or a gardener or a poker player. A knowledge that sinks into the bones after total immersion into a certain discipline that can’t be captured in words and shared.

“Okay, I totally believe you, but maybe don’t tell anyone else about your special abilities,” she says with a smile.

I bang on the door again, harder this time.

We hear some movement inside. “Who’s there?” Jaxson says from the other side of the door.

“Tanner Hayes.”

The door opens instantly. Jaxson stands in his boxer briefs. Not something I ever needed to see. Probably a bad time, but that was a given.

“What is it? Is it Carter? Is he okay?” Ella says, pushing past Jaxson. I can’t blame her for being concerned. Her father is a man whose enemies might appear on any day at any hour. His death will never be unexpected.

“As of this morning, he was fine,” I answer quickly to reassure her.

She exhales, relieved. Her eyes focus in on Tris. “That’s good. Tanner, do you have a girlfriend?” Ella says.

“This is Tris,” I say, ignoring the question. “We need a place to stay.”

I see Jaxson’s immediate concern. He nods to me. “Come in.”

Jaxson quickly closes the door behind us. Step one accomplished.

“Nice to meet you, Tris,” Ella says, extending a hand.

“Hi,” Tris says, taking Ella’s hand. “Nice to meet you as well. It’s good to meet Tanner’s friends.”

“I hate to jump past the niceties,” Jaxson interrupts, “but should we be moving your car into the garage?”

Ella snaps her focus around to Jaxson. “What kind of question is that, babe?”

Jaxson doesn’t know how to answer. He looks to me for help.

“We’re here for more than social reasons,” I say. “Jaxson is right. We do need to lay low and maybe we should switch out the cars. If you don’t mind your car being outside in the cold.”

“I don’t understand,” Ella says.

“We don’t need to understand,” Jaxson says as he finally hugs Tris. She does not seem even a little star-struck being embraced by the famous Jaxson Cole in his underwear. My girl is not easily impressed. I love that about her.

“If it’s not okay, we’d understand,” I say.

“Fuck you, it’s more than okay,” Jaxson says.

“We have the cabin until New Year’s Eve,” Ella adds. “Our Casa is your Casa. We could even extend the lease if need be.”

“We got you, buddy,” Jaxson says. “No worries.”

Their generosity without reservation catches me off guard. I’m moved and I fight not to let it make me appear vulnerable.

They deserve the truth. “I’m grateful to both of you, but we’re not going to lie. We could be bringing trouble with us.”

“So, let’s get your car in the garage,” Jaxson says, patting me on the back.

“Thank you,” Tris says, her eyes watering. “You’re both so nice.”

“It’s Christmas,” Ella says, giving Tris another hug. “When can people be nice if not on Christmas?”

“There are three empty bedrooms upstairs,” Jaxson says. “Pick any.”

While he shows no hesitation in welcoming us, I know Jaxson will have many questions for me soon enough. He’s very protective of Ella.

*

Her hips sway a little from side to side like she’s dancing the rumba as she sticks her head out the window of our spacious, cozy room to catch snowflakes on her tongue.

Tris has the sweetest ass. I’m spellbound as it curves outwards for my viewing pleasure while she bends over the window ledge.

I walk to the window and put my arms around her waist. “How’s that going for you?” I say. “Did you catch any yet?”

“Hmm, feels like I caught a huge one,” she says as I press against her, already thick and eager.

I spin her around, lifting her off the ground to sit her on the ledge as I sink my tongue into her mouth. The deliciousness I find in there takes my breath away. It’s beyond me how I kept my hands off her for so long.

She looks so small and fragile today in the daylight. I know she’s tough, resilient and stubborn but she’s also very delicate. She’s too young, not just because of the nine calendar years between us—too young for any of this, but I can’t undo any of this. Tris is a breath of fresh air within the stale boundaries of my life. She fills my chest with oxygen and my head with hope for a future.

Her soft, pale neck invites my tongue and teeth to feast on her flesh. She makes me feel like something dark and wild, a vampire lusting after her as a matter of life and death.

“I will make this right,” she says as she licks slowly along the side of my neck, her hand sneaking underneath my shirt, fumbling with the button of my jeans, making me shiver at the thought of her tongue down there.

“What will you make right?” I ask her as my cock stiffens so much my skin feels like it might tear, anticipating her touch.

“I’m going to call my father and make him understand it’s over and there’s nothing he can do about it. I’m not under his control anymore.”

I take her by the shoulders looking straight into her eyes and then grab her hips. With one motion I sweep her off the ledge and onto her feet. “You will only make things worse. I know the man. I know how he operates. I’ve worked with him for three years, I’ve been closer to him than anyone else in the organization. The first seventy-two hours are always the worst when he feels betrayed. He’s fuming right now and nothing can calm him.”

She turns her face back to the open window, taking in a deep breath. “I’m not some unpleasant business, Tanner. I’m his daughter.”

It hits me that she doesn’t get it. Despite what Tris thinks, her father’s world is foreign to her. I don’t know how to make that clear.

I reach over to shut the window so I can get one hundred percent of her attention. “Calling him will only heat the flame, Tris. He will work you, kill you with kindness. He hunts you when you’re vulnerable, makes you reveal things unwillingly. That’s what has made him Jordan Kane. Any exposure to him proves toxic to his adversaries.”

“I’m his adversary now?” she says, lowering her eyes. “Whatever you call this, he knows when a game is lost. If he wants to keep my trust and love, he has to give me what I want this time.”

“Tris, I need you to trust me on this.”

She wraps her arms around me, getting on tiptoes to plant a kiss on my lips. “I trust you, big guy,” she says. “Fine. We’ll do it your way. Now, did you see where Ella left the clothes she’s letting me borrow?”

That was easy. Maybe too easy.

She opens the closet and finds a small assortment of Ella’s wardrobe. They should fit her fine. They are similarly sized.

Tris says she trusts me. I choose to believe her, but the real question is can I trust her? She has a volatile history of defying authority. I should know. I’ve been the one chasing her all these years.

Trista

T
hanks to Ella, I can take a walk with Tanner without freezing my ass off. Her gloves fit me like a glove (huh!) and the woolen scarf tickles like there is a furry kitten around my neck. It’s funny that I’ve never been to Big Bear. One more thing the Kanes have missed out on because of my father’s aversion to wintry climates since Miles was killed on an icy road.

The snow stopped falling a while ago. Late afternoon sunlight shines through soft white clouds, making them almost glow as they drift across an infinity of light blue sky.

Tanner holds my hand but I can tell his thoughts are drifting like the clouds. I know he’s constantly working things out in his head, searching for solutions to the problem that’s Jordan Kane.

My father must feel differently now without Tanner leading his security team. How ironic is that? My father’s right hand man has now become a thorn in his side. I bet dear old dad never saw that one coming. He, after all, is the one who pushed Tanner and me together time and time again.

He’s not alone. I never saw it coming either. It’s still strange to think that Tanner Hayes is mine. No matter how much I’ve been tempted by him over the years, no matter how close to him I felt in Canada, I never really believed he’d have feelings for me and I definitely never believed he’d ever dare act on them if he did.

In fact, I was sure he had no feelings at all. Period.

“A penny for your thoughts,” I tell him as we come out of a wooded area to a small clearing covered in spotless, untouched snow.

“You know my thoughts,” he says and just like that he gently tackles me onto my back on the fresh snow.

We kiss. I close my eyes, not wanting anything to disturb the moment. His lips on mine are enough to set my whole body on fire even with the cold seeping into my bones.

My breath catches in my lungs making me feel dizzy. Tanner’s palm is lying flat between my legs, putting just the right amount of pressure on my tender parts.

I moan inside his mouth, wanting him more than anything I’ve ever wanted in my life. The more he touches me and the more time I spend with him, the more I need him.

He’s filled my fantasies with his incredible masculinity for so long and with such intensity. I fought those urges blindly, hiding them even from myself, but now I can’t get enough of him.

“Damn, you’ve been giving me blue balls since we woke up this morning,” he whispers in my ear, rubbing himself against my thigh, his erection hard as a metal bar. Can I even handle this much of a man?

“You’ll survive,” I tease him. “You’ve lived like that for years.”

He licks his lips, amused. “I never said that, Princess. You like to jump to conclusions.”

“You said you didn’t want to get involved with women,” I say, realizing I’ve mentioned this many times already. It must be obvious my curiosity about this statement has been gnawing at me.

“Right, that,” he says, grabbing my ass. “Involved is one thing, fucking is quite another. I’m not a monk.”

No, he never said that. “I guess the way you look gives you opportunities.”

“You like the way I look?”

Is he asking this for real? He must know the effect he has on women. I’ve seen the way my sisters look at him when he paces the hallways of the mansion, how the maids giggle behind his back when he inspects the kitchen, how the wives of my father’s friends and business partners swoon over him when he ushers them in and out of rooms.

“Don’t play the innocent. You know you make all the ladies get all sticky and wet for your stone-faced brute vibe.”

Tanner is not one to take himself too seriously, but he becomes intrigued by what I’m saying. He breathes faster as he takes my face in his hands. “Did you get wet for me?”

Oops
.
Busted
. “No comment,” I say, rolling away from him.

I stretch my arms out at shoulder level and begin moving them up and down in unison with my legs to make a snow angel.

Tanner rolls on top of me, his whole weight pinning me down.

“Little Tris playing in the snow,” he says. “So sweet.”

“Got a problem with that?” I say, tempted to bite his nose.

He laughs and dives down to nibble my lower lip. “How many times did you want to kill me? Be honest.”

His eyes sparkle as the white of the snow reflects in his dark irises. I know that I have him. I’m the only thing on his mind right now. “Too many to count,” I say, quite breathless.

“Exactly what I thought. How many times did you want to fuck me?”

I find my chance to bite him and take it. I’m not as gentle as him. I grab onto his lower lip with my teeth, challenging him to do something about it, but he barely notices.

“How many?” He repeats his question as my teeth unhook from his lip.

“Almost as many as I wanted to kill you.”

His breathing gets harder now, uneven. “How much did you hate me?”

I take my time kissing him and licking the part of his lip I just bit. I reach down to his crotch, petting his erection through the strained fabric of his jeans. “So, so much,” I say in a whisper and feel him instantly grow even bigger. What a wonderful feeling it is to have such an immediate effect, so much control over the man who controls everything.

He groans as he shoves his hands under my butt cheeks. “You called me a brute and an asshole all the time.”

“You still are a terrible brute, but you also have the most skillful fingers and tongue and cock.”

“A brute with skill? These two things don’t go together.”

“They do with you.”

My lips part once again as his tongue invades my mouth, his hunger overtaking my senses. I wrap my legs around his hips as my fingers mess with his hair. This is bliss.

“Damn,” he says. “I need to get you back to the cabin, Tris, or I’ll rip your clothes off right here. I fucking need to be inside you.”

“I need you inside me, too,” I say, “and I need your tongue and your fingers.”

“Yeah, yeah, Tris gets to have it all,” he says with a grin as he rises to his feet and picks me up in one scoop.

I swear if it weren’t for the dammed cold and the darkening sky, I’d let him undress me and fuck me right here in the middle of the open mountain clearing.

When we get back to the cabin, Jaxson Cole greets us on the porch. Ella is one lucky girl. That man is a feast for the eyes and, well, all senses really, but what makes him most attractive is how totally devoted he is to Ella. The way he looks at her, I don’t think I’ve ever seen it before. Not that I’m complaining. No matter how hot Jax is, Tanner’s the one and only rough boy for me.

“Hey, guys,” Jax says. “Isn’t it great to have a white Christmas?”

“So great,” I tell him, squeezing Tanner’s hand.

“Glad to hear that,” Jax says, smiling. “Tanner, may I have a word?”

“Sure,” Tanner says, looking at me as if asking for permission.

“Go ahead,” I say with a naughty wink. “I’ll be upstairs.”

The warmth of the cabin gives me a pleasurable shiver. I’m about to go up the stairs but change my mind on the first step. I walk through the kitchen quietly and disappear to the small, unheated sunroom in the back.

I hesitate for a moment and then take out my phone. Doing nothing is not an option. This mess is about me and I need to do something about it.

“Daddy, it’s me,” I say as soon as my father answers my call.

“
Trista?
” he says. “
How are you?
” There’s concern in his voice although I can’t be certain it’s sincere.

“I don’t want you to worry, Daddy. I’m fine.”

“
How can I not worry when my child is missing?
” He says this calmly, almost as if he believes what he’s saying.

“Daddy, two things. I’m not missing and I’m not a child.”

“
I see
.” He pauses for a few seconds before he adds, “
If you are so grown up, why are you calling your father?
”

“You know why. You pay Tanner to protect me. He acted on instinct. I want you to forgive him and give us our privacy. We are adults. We have free will. I’m happy, doesn’t that count for something? Why can’t you just be happy for me like any normal parent would?”

He raises his voice. It is a normal reaction that I actually welcome. “
I do care about you and I do want you to be happy. Here’s the thing, I could not live with myself knowing you’re at risk because of me, because of my activities. The world is an unforgiving place, every creature in it must adapt to survive. Tanner sleeps. My enemies don’t
.”

Okay, so I didn’t think it would be easy. “Daddy, you have all the money you could ever want. Maybe it’s time to quit your activities if they put us all at such risk.”

He does not answer at first. I can hear him breathing. I listen to the silence of his thoughts on the other end of the line.

“Daddy?”

“
It does not work like that. It’s not a position that offers a retirement.
”

“Your job sucks,” I say.

“
Trista, come in now and we can work this out. Tanner can be reassigned. No harm will come to him.
”

“Did you just threaten my boyfriend?” I say, immediately regretting it.

“
Your boyfriend? Has that animal laid his hands on you?
”

“I don’t like that voice,” I say, raising my own. “I’ve heard you get angry like that on the phone before. It always scares me.”

“
I want you in here before noon tomorrow. Do you hear me, Trista? I’ve already lost enough respect and enough sleep over this.
”

“This call was pointless,” I say. “If your goons come near us, I’m calling the police. Seriously, Daddy. Enough’s enough.”

I’ve seen him on these calls before. His eyes must be bugging out of his head, his fury must be on the verge of erupting. “
And what will you tell them exactly? That your father is worried about you? The men you call goons have no record and are registered security personnel. Their guns are licensed.”

While my father fights his fury, I fight tears. “Don’t you understand? You are killing me. I can’t breathe. I’ve never been able to live for myself. Please, just let me go. You said it yourself a hundred times. Tanner is the best man.”

He laughs suddenly, shocking me as much as a gunshot. “
You just gave me an idea. Maybe I should be the one calling the police
.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“
That no-good son of a bitch, Tanner Hayes, kidnapped you, forced you to go with him after he attacked me. There are witnesses, many witnesses.
”

I can’t help but roll my eyes at his empty threat. “You have got to be kidding me. I will deny every word and you know it.”

“
No, you won’t, Trista. Not if you want him to make it out of the mess he created alive
.
I know some cops with itchy trigger fingers
.”

My blood freezes but I manage to maintain my composure. “I could be recording this conversation, Daddy. Making threats on a phone call is not very smart, nor fatherly.”

“
Listen to me and listen closely. What happens to that traitor is in your hands, Trista. All I want is my little girl back
.”

“Your little girl is gone,” I say, my voice trembling a little. “She grew into a woman years ago. Try adoption.”

“
Suit yourself. You and you alone have made this decision. I hope you can live with it.
”

“I hate you so much right now.” Something has finally broken in me, forcing me to say things I’d never imagine saying.

“
You don’t know his past,”
he responds,
his tone changed back to concern. “
When I said he was the best man, I was referencing his specific skills only. Living a quiet life was not one of them. A walk through hell would be a walk in the park for a man like Tanner Hayes. Where he’s been, the things he’s done… you cannot recover from such darkness. He is more beast than man. And he has at least one ulterior motive in all this. I don’t want you to wait around to find out what that is. He’ll hurt you, Trista. It’s the only thing he’s good at.
”

“There’s at least one more thing he’s good at,” I say, my anger getting the best of me.

Another long pause. In my bones I feel the last words I spoke might have just doomed Tanner. I wish I could shut up. I should have never made this call. Tanner begged me not to make this call.

“
When you’re ready to hear about who your boyfriend really is, come to me and I will set the record straight. My only concern is you.
”

“Daddy,” I say, my voice barely audible. “I have to go.”

I hang up before I say anything else damaging or he can spew any more of his lies. My heart beats fast. My palms sweat inside Ella’s gloves.