Texas Bodyguard--Luke, page 10
He was helping her, she realized. In the only way he could.
“Thank you.”
“For what?” he asked. “Asking about your job?”
“I know what you’re doing...you’re distracting me. Given the circumstances, it should be the other way around. So, thank you.”
“I do want to know about your job. About you. I thought about you all the time, Kitten. I can’t tell you how many times I thought about using San Antonio Security’s resources to find you, check up on you, but I didn’t want to invade your privacy like that.”
“I’ve had a pretty uneventful life up until a couple of weeks ago. I liked working at Passage. Mostly because people there left me alone, as pathetic as that sounds.”
He chuckled. “You’ve never been a people person.”
“Nope, that didn’t change about me. My job was...a job. I went in, I did it, and I was good at it. I understand computers and they don’t exhaust me. My team leader, Julia—” Claire had to swallow back tears. “She and I weren’t really friends, but she was nice to me. She knew I worked best alone, so she rarely put me on group projects.”
“I’m sorry, Kitten. Friendships come in all different shapes and sizes. Yours may not have been a traditional one, but she was still your friend.”
“Yeah.” She never thought of it that way, but it was true.
“We’re going to make sure Ballard pays for what he has done.”
Claire wasn’t so sure. Ballard seemed to have the upper hand and now he was going to be looking any time she tried to access Digital Passage remotely.
She finished another stitch. She had to focus on what was in front of her; looking at the big picture was just going to overwhelm her. That was how she worked a computer problem, and it was how she needed to work this situation.
“How about your personal life? Ever been...married or anything?”
“No. A couple of boyfriends in college, but nothing serious. Trust issues, people issues, you know the deal. You?”
Her heart clenched as he waited so long, she was afraid he wasn’t going to answer.
“You and I are a lot alike in terms of people. I don’t necessarily avoid all contact with people, but my brothers all know not to send me in with clients. I’m way too gruff.”
“You’re not too gruff with me.”
“You’re the exception, Kitten. You always have been. And no, there hasn’t been anyone very serious for me, either.”
She finished the last two stitches.
“You vaguely resemble Frankenstein’s monster, but I think this will at least help it heal more quickly and keep out infection.”
“Thank you.”
She began cleaning up all her supplies on the table and put them in a trash bag. They’d have to take that out with them when they left in the morning.
“You got that because of me, so no thanks is necessary.”
He moved in front of her and cupped her cheeks.
“I got that because Ballard is a lying murderous bastard, not because of you. Because of your bravery and grit, I’m safe here in this apartment. I’m stitched up and better able to help protect us if we need it. That is because of you. Not the other stuff.” She didn’t know if she believed that, but at least for the moment, they were safe.
He chugged down a third nutrition shake and helped her finish cleaning. They found a couple of cans of soup and some crackers and Luke made a meal of it. Now that Luke was looking much steadier on his feet and strong enough to take on the world again, she found it difficult to stop staring at his very well-developed and muscular chest. Eventually they would have to find a shirt for him to put on, but for now she would enjoy the view. Fortunately, he didn’t seem to notice her embarrassed fascination, or if he did, he was too polite to tease her about it.
As a matter of fact, he may claim to be gruff, but he was charming and friendly to her despite her having tortured him for the past hour.
“I’m going to take a shower,” she announced after they cleared away the few dishes they had used. They were trying to clean up any messes as they went, just in case they had to leave in a hurry.
“Good idea. I’ll wash off the best I can after you.”
He flipped on the TV as she headed for the bathroom, but she stopped, turning in horror when she heard her name on the news.
“Local police this evening are asking for special assistance to find Claire Wallace.”
A picture of Claire filled the screen.
“Wallace was already wanted for questioning by the police for the murder of Julia Lindsey, a colleague and employee at Passage Digital. Now Wallace is wanted for the fire that destroyed Wars Hill library earlier this evening and for the shooting of a police officer. There is a reward for any information that leads to the capture of Wallace.” A phone number and email address floated across her picture on the screen.
Claire couldn’t stop the sob that escaped her. Luke was at her side in an instant. He reached out with the remote control and flipped the TV off.
“Hey.” He reached out to pull her into his arms, but she stepped back.
“Hey,” he said again. “This doesn’t change anything. We’re still going to figure out a way to clear your name.”
She nodded blankly. But how? How were they going to clear her name? Ballard had all the advantages, especially now that the cops thought she was the one who had shot that officer.
“I’m going to take a shower.”
She wasn’t sure if she was relieved or disappointed when Luke let her go. Once in the bathroom, she pulled her clothes off but brought them with her into the shower.
She used the body wash to try to get rid of some of the smoky smell on her clothes, then rinsed them thoroughly. Then she scrubbed her body from head to toe until she was almost raw.
That got rid of the smoky smell, but it didn’t change the fact that the situation had gotten even more dire. Who was she kidding? What were her real chances of being able to beat someone like Ballard? All she was doing now was dragging Luke into danger. He’d already been hurt because of it.
The towel was her only option while her clothes dried. She wrapped it around herself, thankful for once of her small stature since it covered enough of her to keep her decent.
Luke watched as she came out and sat on the bed, studying her with concern.
Certainly, he was not as distracted by the sight of some of her skin as she had been by his bare chest.
But what did she expect? Just because he’d been nice to her and had kissed her a couple of times didn’t mean he thought of her as anything more than just someone he used to know and was helping for old times’ sake. Given the circumstances, she should be glad he was even willing to do that.
“At least I don’t smell like a furnace anymore.” She tried for a lighthearted laugh, but it came out sounding stilted at best.
He nodded. “I’m going to wash off as best I can without getting my stitches wet. Then we should probably try to catch a few hours of sleep before figuring out our next plan.” She nodded and lay back. It was well after midnight and they could both use the rest.
Given everything, she should’ve been exhausted, but sleep wouldn’t come. Still wrapped in the towel, she got under the covers hoping that would help, but it didn’t. She just kept seeing the fire and Luke’s wound and that guy with the gun.
It was a nightmare she couldn’t wake up from.
“Whoa. Hey, Kitten, you’re shaking.”
Claire hadn’t even been aware that Luke had gotten out of the shower or sat down on the bed next to her.
“I’m... I’m okay.”
She wasn’t okay. She very definitely wasn’t okay.
“Hey. Hey, come here.”
She didn’t even think about resisting when he pulled her into his arms. He held her so close to him, his body absorbed her tremors until they finally stopped.
“I’m sorry. I’m acting like an idiot.”
He kissed along her forehead, keeping her wrapped up against him. She couldn’t remember ever feeling so secure.
“Don’t say that. I’ve known guys in the Special Forces who would have crumbled much harder under the pressure you’ve been through. You’re doing amazing.”
“I just don’t see how anything is ever going to be right again.”
She felt his fingers stroke along the bare skin of her shoulder blades as he laid them back. The shiver that ran through her this time had nothing to do with despondency.
“We’re going to figure this out. I know it seems hopeless right now, but I promise you, we are going to figure out a way to clear your name and make sure Ballard goes down.”
He said it with such deep, gruff authority, it was impossible not to believe him. She lifted her head off his chest so she could see his eyes. He was so sexy.
“Thank you. For everything.”
She leaned forward to give him a friendly kiss, but the moment she did, everything changed.
The kiss started soft but grew passionate and heated. This was what she wanted. She wanted to have this passion with him, even if it was only for tonight. She might have to make some hard choices to protect him in the morning, but for tonight, she wanted whatever she could get.
When she felt his hand tangle in her still-damp hair, pulling her closer, she knew Luke felt the same. She gave herself over to the kiss, almost scrambling on top of him in an effort to get closer.
But then he stopped.
She was so wound up, she didn’t even realize that he wasn’t kissing her with the same abandon that she was kissing him. It wasn’t until the hand that had been fisted in her hair loosened and he slid back that she became aware of it.
“Luke?”
“Kitten. You’ve been through so much. I’m not sure this is a good idea.”
Claire felt like her insides were being turned to pieces of ice. “You don’t want me? You don’t think of me that way?”
“Are you kidding?” He slid his hand down and yanked her hips against his. “Believe me, I want you. But you’ve been through enough. I don’t want you to feel pressured. I don’t want this to be something you’ll regret.”
The ice inside her began to fall. He did want her. He was just so protective, always had been.
She reached up and scraped her fingers gently down his jaw, loving the feel of the stubble growing there.
“I want you. There may end up being a lot of things I regret, but this is definitely not one of them.”
His brown eyes bored into hers. “Are you sure? I don’t expect anything. You don’t owe me any—”
She shut him up with a kiss. He probably still had another twenty minutes’ worth of protective alpha male speech to give her.
But she knew that she wanted him.
He took the hint and stopped trying to talk her out of what they both desperately wanted. Their lips fused together in a duel, a battle in which both of them won.
Then, as he kissed down her body, moving away the towel as he went, it chased away all the thoughts of Ballard and death and the inescapable mess she was in.
All she could feel was Luke.
Chapter Fourteen
Luke woke up the next morning groggy, which was unusual for him. His life had never been one where deep sleep and waking up disoriented were leisures he could afford.
But clarity came when he realized Claire was not in the bed beside him. A quick glance at the bathroom and around this small studio space confirmed his worst fears.
She was gone.
Damn it. His body was tired from yesterday’s trauma and then the three rounds of lovemaking with her last night. He hadn’t been able to keep his hands off her. And he wouldn’t trade a single second of it, except that it meant he hadn’t woken up when she decided to sneak off.
Khan.
He saw the note on the small table at the same time he saw Khan stretch out by the door.
His heart sank as he read her words.
Dear Luke,
I couldn’t stay. This was too dangerous for me to have involved you in—and now you’ve gotten hurt. I’m going to go to the police, tell them everything I know, and hope for the best. Maybe I can make them listen and give me a chance to prove my innocence. This lets me protect you for once. Please take care of Khan. I know you know how important he is to me. Thank you for last night. Thank you for everything, now and when we were kids.
Love,
Claire
Luke was already getting dressed, having to use one of the vet clinic polo shirts lying in a box since his was way too bloodied and he did not want to draw attention to himself. He grabbed Khan, knowing she’d never forgive him if something happened to the cat, and rushed out the door, praying he wasn’t too late to stop her.
There might come a time when her only option was to go to the police and hope they could find one who was on the up-and-up and would listen to her, but that wasn’t until they ran out of all their other options.
And it damn well wasn’t going to be because she wanted to protect him.
The closest precinct was about a mile away. Luke didn’t even bother trying to blend in with any sort of walk. There was no way he could blend in when carrying this giant cat anyway. He ran full out, ignoring the pain in his shoulder and the occasional cat claw hooked into his biceps. At least the cat wasn’t fighting him and trying to get away.
“Good boy.”
This thing really was more like a dog. Maybe he sensed his mistress was in trouble. “Not on my watch, buddy.” It was early enough on a Sunday morning that there weren’t many people out. All things considered, Luke made pretty good time. When he turned around the last corner that put the precinct in his sights, he let out a silent prayer.
Claire was standing just down the block from the station, pacing and talking to herself. Thank God.
Luke slowed to a walk; he definitely couldn’t draw attention to himself now. He kept his eyes trained on Claire. There was no way he was going to let her go in there.
He had just found her again after all these years, and he couldn’t lose her now.
He kept on the other side of the street from the precinct. She was so busy arguing with herself, preparing her statement or whatever she was doing, that she didn’t even see them.
Even in this dire situation, Luke couldn’t help but smile. This woman... She’d amazed him when they were kids, and she continued to do so now. Last night had just solidified that.
He crossed the street a little farther down from her so he was coming up behind her. Khan began to get a little restless in his arms as he saw Claire.
“I know, buddy. We’re going to get her out of here.”
Luke moved quietly up behind her and was able to see the two cops who walked out of the precinct and headed in her direction at the same time she did. She stiffened, and he knew she was about to make her move.
He dropped Khan and quickly stepped in front of her, blocking Claire from the cops’ view.
He pulled her in for a hug. “Hi, honey,” he said just loudly enough that the cops would be able to hear him but not so loud that it seemed unnatural. “Ready to go get our coffee?”
The officers never even slowed down, caught in their own conversation as they continued down the block.
Luke kept one arm around her and turned them to cross the street in the opposite direction of both the cops and the precinct.
“Did you get my note? I want to turn myself in.”
He didn’t stop walking and Khan stayed right at their feet. “That’s exactly what Ballard is hoping you’ll do. He’s prepared for that. You can bet he has some sort of plan. You turning yourself in without proof in hand will be a death sentence.”
She was still resisting. “You got hurt. You could’ve been killed. I meant what I said in the note.”
He stopped walking so he could turn and face her eye-to-eye. He brought both hands up to cup her cheeks and ran his thumbs over her delicate cheekbones. “Kitten, you have no idea what it means to me that you want to protect me, but this is not the way to do it. We find the proof and we get it into the right hands.”
“But—”
“You’re not in this alone anymore. We’ll figure it out together, okay?”
He thought she might argue, but she nodded. “Together.”
He slipped his arm back around her shoulder and they began walking again. They needed to get as far from here as possible.
* * *
THEY USED THE last of the cash to take a taxi across town. Luke needed to talk to his brothers and couldn’t take a chance on anything being bugged.
Claire donned the brown wig, and they walked a couple of miles before calling a cab at a hotel. If Ballard was smart, he would have the media put a picture of Khan all over the TV. He was much more noticeable than either Luke or Claire was. People would be recording them left and right if they needed to look for the giant cat.
Luke and Claire talked as little as possible in the cab. He didn’t want the driver to have any reason to remember them. He had the driver take them to a small mall a couple of miles away from the San Antonio Security office. He hated to make her walk more, but it was better this way.
He knew she was surprised when he led her into an underground parking garage a couple of blocks from his office. They took the elevator back up to the ground-level floor, then walked down the hallway and out the back door.
It led out to the alley that led between the two buildings. It gave him and the guys a second hidden entrance into their office. It was one of the primary reasons they chose this particular space to rent.
If someone were watching their building, they would still never know Luke and Claire were inside.
