Her Billionaire Bodyguard Bridegroom (13 page)

They visited with the animals a bit longer before resuming the tour of the grounds. Seeing her smother a yawn, he realized she was undoubtedly tired from the trip.

“Why don’t we head back to the main house?” he suggested. “It’s been a long day, and you must be getting hungry.”

“A little,” she admitted.

“I was thinking we could go into the city for dinner. There are several nice restaurants about a forty-five minute drive from here. Or, if you’d rather, we can relax here and I’ll cook for you.”

“You cook?” she queried doubtfully, her eyes widening.

“Don’t sound so shocked. Granted, I’m no Gordon Ramsay, but I know my way around a kitchen.”

“Dinner in would be lovely, but only if you’ll let me help.”

“It’s a deal.”

Working alongside Brianna as they prepared a meal in his kitchen was oddly intimate, and made him regret his impromptu impulse to share his domestic side with her. It felt too comfortable. It felt
right
.

And that was a problem. He didn’t want to get comfortable with her. Indulging in those kinds of warm and fuzzy emotions meant he was growing to care for her. And caring was a luxury he couldn’t afford in his line of work.

She was peering over his shoulder now, checking out the onions, green peppers, and garlic he was sautéing.

“I’m impressed,” she told him. “You really do know your way around a kitchen.”

He added diced potatoes to the pan, along with a bit of chicken broth, before giving the ingredients a stir. “I had to learn, or my sister and I would have starved. Cooking didn’t hold my father’s interest like liquor did.”

“For all intents and purposes, you and your sister grew up without a father, too,” she sympathized.

“What we experienced wasn’t nearly as difficult as what you went through. Not having your father in your life couldn’t have been easy on you or your mother.”

“We made it through. I wish my mom would have shared her burden with me, though. I would have understood.”

“She was probably afraid your father would use his power and influence to take you away from her. But now you have the opportunity to get to know the father you thought you’d lost.”

“Yes,” she agreed. “I’m still not sure I’m ready to, yet.”

“You’ll know when the time is right. And, speaking of timing, the steaks are done.”

He brought two juicy tenderloins to the table along with the potato dish, a salad, and rolls. As they ate, Luke steered the conversation to less weighty topics. But he barely tasted his meal. It was next to impossible to focus on small talk when all he could think about was sweeping the table bare and feasting on Brianna instead.

Dinner had assuaged one hunger, but now he was starving to satisfy another, far more pressing craving. His taste buds clamored to sample her perfect lips, and his mouth watered as he imagined savoring her full, pert breasts.

“You haven’t finished your dinner. Aren’t you hungry?” she asked.

He met her inquiring gaze, knowing his ravenous desire for her was reflected in his eyes. “Oh, I’m hungry. Famished, actually.”

Need hung thick in the air, and a shiver ran down her slender frame in reaction. She swallowed hard. And then she threw him for a loop by rising from her chair and coming over to stand before him, her passion-filled gaze locked on his.

“You should have said something earlier,” she murmured. “If I’d known
you
were on the menu, I would have told you not to waste your time with dinner.”

He’d planned on taking things slow and easy tonight, but she’d just blown that possibility out of the water. Slow and easy would have to wait.

He had the tabletop bare in ten seconds, and their garments off in half that time. He laid her on the polished surface, his eyes feasting on her. God, she was exquisite.

He’d never been with a woman who made him feel so whole before. She had the power to make him forget everything. Problem was, there were some things he couldn’t afford to lose sight of. His mission to protect Brianna topped the list. Above all else, he had to keep her safe.

Tomorrow, they’d inspect the conference venue. He’d already e-mailed the resort’s security staff, filling them in on his assignment and its covert nature. They would be discreetly monitoring Brianna’s every move while she was a guest there. The extra safeguard would ensure, if business demands mandated they be separated during the day for any reason, that he could leave her alone with little fear for her safety.

He could afford the luxury of relaxing his guard a little here, as well. The place was a fortress, protected by a state-of-the-art security system and his impeccably trained German shepherds. His dogs would bark an alarm at the first whiff of an intruder. Tonight, he was free to indulge in Brianna until his raging appetite was satisfied.

But as his fingers roved over her silky skin and he reveled in the satisfied moans his touch drew from her, deep down he knew his hunger for her wouldn’t be easily abated. She was fast becoming an addiction. With every tender caress, she was drawing him deeper under her spell.

Soaking in the sight of Luke in his current dead-to-the-world state, Brianna couldn’t help but think he was even more captivating asleep than awake. Ebony lashes fanned out over high cheekbones, highlighting chiseled features any sculptor worth his salt would beg to replicate.

She could happily lay there for hours, content with trying to memorize every gorgeous line and plane of his handsome face, comfortable in the knowledge these stolen, predawn moments would remain her little secret.

She was disappointed when his eyelids fluttered open, bringing her private, guilty pleasure time to an abrupt end.

Uh-oh. Busted.

His sleepy green gaze locked on hers, his brows rising in inquiry. “What are you doing?”

“Debating the wisdom of waking you up,” she improvised, grappling for a cover for her intent appraisal of him. And then, for good measure, she threw in a hastily manufactured curveball to further deflect his attention. “Did you know you snore?”

His full lips twisted in an amused-but-disbelieving smile. “Nice try. Admit it. You were lusting after my body.”

“And you know this because . . . ?”

“As it happens, I’ve been awake for the past few minutes. I could feel your eyes on me. I must admit, attention like that could go to a guy’s head.”

“Just his head?” she queried wickedly, her gaze dropping to his lower torso.

Luke wrapped his arms around her waist, drawing her into the heat of his embrace. There was no mistaking his arousal. “What do you think?”

Capturing her lips with his, he pulled her close for a mind-drugging kiss that inevitably led to a slow, passionate re-exploration of the territory they’d blazed the night before.

Lying replete in his arms, the only body part Luke’s thorough lovemaking had neglected chose that moment to call attention to his oversight.

He chuckled at her stomach’s demanding gurgle. “That’s a vote for breakfast if I’ve ever heard one. Come on, I’ll fix you something to eat.”

He prepared breakfast in short order, whipping up omelets that proved last night’s dinner wasn’t a one-off. Laden with ham, cheese, and fresh vegetables, the egg dish he concocted was orgasmically delicious, proving he was as masterful in the kitchen as he was in the bedroom.

“Yum! This is fabulous,” Brianna enthused. “Are you sure you shouldn’t have pursued a culinary career instead of joining the publishing world? With a talent like this, you could have your own cooking show.”

“If I had to make a living doing it, I wouldn’t enjoy it nearly as much.” He added another generous portion of omelet to her plate. “But flattery will get you seconds.”

“Thank you,” she grinned, forking another bite. “So what’s on the agenda for today?”

“I thought we might check out the conference venue. We can spend the evening at the resort, if you’d like. An overnight stay will give us a chance to be sure everything will be up to par for our guests.”

“That’s a great idea.”

The drive from Luke’s vacation home to the resort afforded spectacular views of the ocean. Brianna wasn’t surprised to find that Summerhaven Resort presided over the most picturesque part of the coastline. It was clear the gorgeous architecture of the main building had been designed to complement the seascape surrounding it.

There was no disputing Luke had chosen the ideal location. The resort boasted beautifully landscaped grounds, walking trails, and a golf course, as well as indoor and outdoor pools and a spa. The conference attendees would find all the amenities they could desire—and more.

“It’s perfect.” Brianna told him.

“I’m glad you approve. I’ve booked the main conference room for tomorrow morning so you can test-drive the audio and visual equipment.”

“That’s a great idea. I can run my final presentation by you at the same time.”

They spent the afternoon finalizing the lineup of presentations and breakout sessions for the conference. Brianna was pleased at how seamlessly their individual work styles meshed. Luke had an uncanny ability to anticipate what she was about to say before she spoke the words. Despite her best efforts to shore up the protective walls she’d built up around her heart after Peter, Luke was tearing them down, brick by brick.

The work day segued into an evening of delicious food and pleasant conversation. And when the passion surging between them became impossible to ignore, usurping everything else, they took pleasure in each other again until they fell into a satiated slumber borne of thorough satisfaction.

Waking in his arms the following morning, it occurred to her she could happily greet each new day this way for the rest of her life. Luke’s warmth enveloped her, and the solid weight of his thigh wedged between hers anchored her in the most delicious of ways.

She snuck another peek at his face in repose. He was breathtaking. Dangerously so. The man should have a hazard sign tattooed on his chest.

He’d coaxed this casual fling into an attraction that bordered on treacherous. Despite her determination to keep things light, her resolve was approaching the terrifyingly nonexistent level. Instead of successfully tamping down the unwanted emotions he engendered, she’d lost control of them. They were careening away with all the intensity of a runaway train.

Desperately in need of some breathing room to regroup so she could regain a grip on her wavering emotions, she carefully untangled herself from his arms and headed for the shower.

Luke still hadn’t stirred after she’d finished showering, so she dressed and escaped to the conference room. It was a short-lived reprieve, for he found her fifteen minutes later. He breezed into the room, handing her a steaming mug fragrant with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee.

“I thought you might be here. I also figured you skipped breakfast, so I brought you a little fortification.”

“Thanks.”

Seeming to sense her need to put a bit of space between them, he didn’t bring up her earlier retreat.

“I wondered if you might prefer decaf when you’re working, but after what I’ve seen you handle these past few days, I decided it would take the world’s supply of caffeine to jangle your nerves.”

“Regular is fine,” she assured him. “Although butterflies actually do swarm in before I put on a training session, even a mock one.”

And whenever you’re within fifty feet of me.

“But nerves are good. I use them to infuse energy into my talk. I can’t have my audience going to sleep on me.”

“You don’t have to worry about not being able to hold
my
attention,” he refuted, taking a seat at the conference table. “I’m completely focused on you. Show me what you’ve put together.”

Brianna began her presentation and quickly found her stride. Motivational speaking was what she was born to do. Today, though, there was a different vibe in the air; she drew energy from the sensual pull of her one-member audience.

Maintaining her focus during a talk had never been a problem for her before, but now her thoughts wandered. She found herself alternating between replaying last night’s lovemaking and fantasizing about the promise of passion she saw in Luke’s eyes.

How can I focus on business when my mind keeps floating off to indulge in erotic daydreams where I leisurely explore every inch of him?

Preparing to inform and entertain several hundred conference attendees wasn’t overwhelming. Her reaction to her planning partner, well, that was a different story. It only took a whiff of his cologne to make her insides go squishy. It would be easier to give her presentation her undivided attention if she wasn’t quite so aware of his every move, his every glance.

She looked down at her notepad, half expecting to find she’d doodled hearts all over the page. Her infatuation for him was far worse than her chocolate obsession, and not nearly as innocuous. She’d take her chances with mountains of calorie-laden sweets instead of grappling with this dangerously seductive editor-in-chief who was working alongside her. Each time she sampled him, she only craved her next taste that much more.

Hunger for him gnawed at her. She didn’t recognize the insatiable, wanton woman he’d transformed her into. Even worse, though she’d professed she only wanted a casual fling, the reality was she wanted more. It was a dangerous longing. She was afraid the “more” she craved now was the scary, happily-ever-after variety of “more.”

Enough,
she mentally chastised herself.
I shouldn’t be giving a moment’s consideration to crossing the line from casual fling to something deeper.

Dragging her focus back to her presentation, she built on each talking point, finally culminating in a wrap-up guaranteed to motivate and inspire the
Intrepid
staff. She knew she hadn’t missed her mark when she saw the look of approval on Luke’s face.

“Tremendous,” he applauded. “Your talk is relevant and informative, with the right balance of humor woven through it to make it memorable. It’s really going to make an impact on my staff.”

Her cheeks warmed at his sincere praise. “Thank you. It’s still a little rough around the edges, though. I noticed a few things I want to tweak in my slides, and I’d like to work a couple of additional talking points in. I think they would really add value to the presentation.”