Her Billionaire Bodyguard Bridegroom (6 page)

It was entirely his fault. What was a girl to do when a pair of to-die-for green eyes were soaking her up like she was a glass of vintage Chardonnay and he hadn’t had a drop to drink in days? Then again, it could be that he was looking at her as if he’d like to gulp her down in one sweet swallow because she was telegraphing the same undisguised lust.

“You still haven’t answered my question,” he pointed out. “Why did you run from me when we were at the lake?”

“You’re not going to let it rest until you get an answer, are you?”

“No,” he confirmed, regarding her expectantly.

Brianna stared back at him while a thousand possible responses volleyed around in her head. She’d narrowed them down and was trying to choose one when he broke into her musings with a gently prodding inquiry.

“Well . . . ?”

She opened her mouth to throw out a pat answer just to satisfy him, then hesitated. They were all excuses, of course. She was savvy enough to recognize that. He would be, too. Perhaps it was time to stop hiding behind rationalizations and evasive answers and live again. She had needs, after all. And while she had been denying herself the pleasure of a physical relationship, no doubt her ex-fiancé was living life boisterously enough for the both of them.

And it’s okay that he is,
she affirmed, really believing it this time. She’d been besotted with Peter, but she hadn’t really loved him. Truth was, he wasn’t the kind of guy she wanted to spend a lifetime with. She recognized now that she’d had a lucky escape.

But just because she wasn’t interested in taking a stroll down the happily-ever-after path anytime in the near future, that didn’t mean she couldn’t have a little fun, did it? And who better to share a playdate or two with than Mr. Tall, Dark, and Delicious?

She wanted to make that leap. She really did. But common sense barged in on her little fantasy, and she bailed. Her gut told her there wouldn’t be anything casual about a fling with this man. Chalking up her temporary insanity to all the hot and heavy testosterone thickening the air, she pulled up on the stick.

“It’s simple, really. I ran because I’m not looking for any entanglements at this point in my life.”

“Neither am I,” he countered. “This doesn’t have to be complicated. We’ll just enjoy each other without any expectations. It doesn’t get any more effortless than that.”

It seemed to Brianna that he’d missed his calling. He was a fantastic salesman. He made it sound so easy that it took every ounce of willpower at her disposal not to cave. “Let’s just focus on business,” she retorted.

He nodded, his eyes mocking her. “If that’s what you want. Strictly business it is. Shall we order dessert and formulate a conference plan?”

Brianna had to hand it to him. He made the shift back to the agenda at hand far more seamlessly than she did. He offered up some excellent ideas for the conference, but she was still having a hard time focusing on the professional side of things.

They’d both ordered the dessert that had made the restaurant famous, a heavenly chocolate torte. Each time he forked a bite of the decadent treat, her eyes were drawn to his perfect lips as he licked the tines of the utensil clean. Fortunately, he misinterpreted her interest for gluttony, and offered her the last morsel.

“Oh I couldn’t, thanks,” she declined. “I’m stuffed. One more bite and I’ll burst.”

“Come on. You know you want to.”

She gave in and leaned forward to claim it, savoring the torte’s smooth, rich flavor. It was sheer bliss. “Thank you. That was delicious.”

But it was nowhere near as yummy as the man watching her. Why couldn’t she push this bad case of the lusties aside and transition back to business mode, like he had? How hard could it be?

Next to impossible when the man responsible for her lust attack took the definition of eye candy to a whole new level. He seeped into her every pore, overwhelmed her senses.

Get a grip,
she mentally admonished herself.

“Trevor recommended I head directly to Maine from here so I can scope out the venue. I’ll definitely incorporate your suggestions as I pull everything together. I’ll keep you abreast of my progress via e-mail.”

“That won’t be necessary,” he assured her.

“Thank you. I won’t let you down,” Brianna beamed, delighted she’d earned his confidence.

“I know you won’t. There’s no one else I’d rather see handling this project than you. But the reason you don’t need to keep me in the loop is because I’ll be on site as well.”

“You will?”

“You seem surprised.”

“I assumed you’d be too busy to take time out of your schedule for a project of this scope. I’m more than capable of handling it.”

“I’m positive you’ll do an amazing job, but I don’t expect you to do this alone. I’ve cleared my calendar for the next three weeks so I can focus on helping you pull the conference together.”

“But why not delegate the assignment to someone on your staff?”

He shrugged. “I’m a hands-on kind of guy.”

Another wave of heat suffused Brianna’s cheeks as her mind automatically made the leap to a very unbusinesslike type of hands-on activity. It was going to be a long three weeks.

The peal of her cell phone intruded as she was about to plead her case again for handling the planning solo. She frowned when she recognized Trevor’s office number on the screen.

“I’m sorry,” she apologized, getting up from the table. “I’m afraid I have to take this call.”

“Of course.”

When she returned a few moments later, Luke rose from his seat to pull her chair out for her. “Is everything okay?”

“Yes. It’s just a little hiccup. Trevor offered me the use of his vacation place in Maine, but his brother neglected to tell him, until now, that he’d promised one of
his
business associates he could stay there this week. The man is flying in today with a group of friends. An entire delegation of backpackers, apparently. Trevor’s secretary called to book me into the resort, but it’s the height of tourist season and they’re completely sold out. She’s trying to find alternate accommodations, but she’s not having any luck.”

“Tell her she can stop looking. You’ll stay with me, of course.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Sure it is. The resort is only an hour away from my vacation place. You’ll be safe with me. Scout’s honor. After all, I’ve already seen you naked. I didn’t take advantage of the situation then. Well, not really,” he amended with a devilish glint in his eyes.

She was quickly learning he was like a steamroller when he latched onto an idea. It would be foolish to fight him, especially when his invitation solved the immediate problem of having a roof over her head for the duration of her assignment.

“As long as you’re clear that if I stay with you, that doesn’t mean I’m sharing your bed.”

“Understood,” he assured her.

“Okay,” she acquiesced. “Thank you.”

“Now that we’ve got that settled, why don’t we plan on meeting for breakfast tomorrow before we head to Maine? You can leave your car here and travel with me. There’s no need for both of us to make the drive. I keep a second vehicle at my vacation place. You’re more than welcome to use it if you need transportation while we’re there.”

She was feeling steamrolled again, but she had to admit his suggestion made sense. “Okay. Shall we plan on meeting in the dining room, then? Say around eight?”

“Great idea,” he agreed, looking entirely too pleased with himself for her peace of mind.

“It’s been a long day. If you don’t mind, I’m going to call it a night. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“I’ll walk you back to your room.”

He accompanied her to her floor and waited outside her door while she retrieved her key card. She half expected him to make another play to try and convince her to drop her “all business” stance and to develop the sensual side of their relationship. Instead, he was a perfect gentleman. After ensuring she was safely inside, he walked away with a polite “good evening.”

Shutting the door and locking it, she leaned against it with a sigh. She shouldn’t be disappointed that Luke had respected her ground rules. So why was she?

Inexplicably restless and knowing she wouldn’t be able to sleep until she wound down from the day’s unexpected turn of events, she grabbed her e-reader and stretched out on the sofa in the suite’s living room to read for a while.

Twenty minutes later, all hell broke loose. The crash of shattering glass resounded from the bedroom, followed by an earsplitting, body-jarring explosion that sent her tumbling to the floor. Her head collided with the unyielding oak parquet, and she was pitched into darkness.

Incessant pounding tugged Brianna rudely back to consciousness. Where was that ungodly noise coming from?

Processing anything resembling a cohesive thought with her brain shrouded in a muzzy, shock-induced fog was like slogging through quicksand. As the wooziness slowly dissipated, she realized the commotion was coming from behind her hotel door. A familiar voice sounded above the din, urgently summoning her from the other side of the heavy partition.

“Brianna! It’s Luke. Let me in!”

Luke was poised to breach the door to Brianna’s suite when he heard the click of the lock mechanism releasing. He froze mid-kick, relief cascading over him.

She’s alive. Thank God!

Imagining the woman he was supposed to protect lying lifeless on the other side of the door had shattered him. He’d feared he’d failed Brianna the same way he’d failed Tanya.

The instant the door swung open, he stormed in. His eyes swept over her, searching for any sign of injury.

“Are you okay?”

She exhaled a shaky breath. “I think so.”

His racing heartbeat decelerated at her assurance. “Sit down,” he urged, steering her toward the sofa. “What happened?”

“I’m not sure. I heard something smash through the bedroom window, and then there was an explosion. The next thing I knew, I was getting up close and personal with the floor. I must have hit my head and blacked out for a moment.”

Luke’s gut clenched in rage. He should have prevented this.

He’d been keeping guard over her room, diligently surveying both the interior and outer perimeters of the hotel when he’d spotted a shadowy figure scaling the balcony to Brianna’s suite. He’d gone in pursuit of the intruder, and had almost nabbed him. But almost didn’t cut it. The chase had been effectively derailed when the blast had rocked Brianna’s room.

Forced to choose between running down the intruder or rushing to Brianna’s assistance, the decision had been easy. He would make the same call again in a heartbeat.

He turned to her now, concern for her overriding everything else. Imagining her wounded—or worse—had taken ten years off his life.

“Let me take a look at your head.” He carefully probed the goose egg that was forming on the back of her scalp. Despite his cautious touch, she drew away from his hand with a wince.

“Oww,” she complained.

“Sorry. That’s a nasty bump. I’m taking you to the emergency room.”

“No! I’m fine. Really.”

“If you won’t let me take you to the ER, you need to let me get a trained medical professional here to check you over.”

She shot him a perturbed glare. “When the room stops spinning, I’m going to slap you. I don’t need a doctor. Call the police if you’re hell-bent on doing something.”

The defiant tilt to her adorable chin and the stubborn gleam in her eyes might have convinced a lesser man to back down, but he wasn’t that man. He adamantly held his ground.

“Help is already on the way. I dialed 911 when I heard the explosion. Just humor me and let someone with the appropriate initials after their name give you a clean bill of health.”

She opened her mouth to argue the point, but he held up a hand to halt her protest. “It’s for your own good.” Alarmed by her pallor, he poured a stiff shot of brandy from the minibar and handed it to her. “So is this.”

Her fingers brushed his as she took the glass. They were icy with shock, but the incidental contact packed a searing punch all the same. If he didn’t need to keep a clear head, he would have been tempted to pour a glass of brandy for himself as well. He normally avoided alcohol, but he could use a fortifying drink right about now.

 He watched her take a gulp of the amber liquid, then sputter as the beverage burned its way down her throat.

“Thanks, I think,” she managed, her eyes watering from the alcohol’s bite.

A knock sounded at the door a moment later. “Police,” a voice announced.

Luke ushered in the two officers and the EMT who accompanied them. Once the medic had examined Brianna, assuring Luke she didn’t have a concussion and she’d be fine, Luke answered the officers’ questions.

Later, while the men took Brianna’s statement, he took the opportunity to step out of the room and report in to Liz.

When he returned, the officers were wrapping things up. “Thanks for your time,” the older of the two detectives told Brianna. “That’s all we need for now. We’re going to take a look at the scene.”

Luke moved to join the authorities, and Brianna rose unsteadily to her feet. “I’m coming, too.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. You’re still shaky. You should take it easy for a little longer.”

She reluctantly agreed, and he saw her settled safely on the sofa before joining the officers.

When he caught his first glimpse of the war zone that had been the high-end hotel suite’s master bedroom, he was glad he’d insisted she stay behind. He didn’t want her to see this. His hands trembled with barely suppressed rage as he took in the devastation. The explosive device the intruder had planted hadn’t been powerful enough to completely demolish the room, but it had wreaked plenty of havoc all the same. Fury surged through his veins at the thought of how close Brianna had come to being seriously injured . . . or worse. This should never have happened on his watch. What the hell had gone wrong?

“We had an incident similar to this one two weeks ago at a café downtown,” the older of the two detectives commented. “The damage here is more extensive, though. If this bomb was planted by the same individual or individuals, they’ve upped their game.”