Barefoot With a Bodyguard (23 page)

On a rough breath, he inched his body lower, flattening his hand against the inside of her thigh, searing her. He looked up, waiting for her next instruction.

“Touch me there, Alec. Touch me.”

He placed his thumb over her mound, on top of her panties, never taking his gaze from hers as he made a slow, crazy slow, circle. She fought the need to cry out and lift her hips toward him, a plea for more caught in her throat.

Instead, she bit her lip and nodded her permission, and he took it, sliding the silk aside enough to touch skin. Then he lowered his gaze and stared at her, at his hand on her, as he rubbed her most tender spot and slowly, slowly slid his finger inside her.

“Oh,” she moaned at the touch, losing the battle to not rock her hips. “Right there, right…
there
. Just…like
that
.” She wanted his mouth on her, but his hand, his rough and scarred and masculine hand, was so magical, she stopped instructing so she could simply revel in his touch.

“I have you, Kate,” he whispered. “I have you.”

Yes, you do.
The twisting agony and pleasure of an orgasm started low in her belly, making her squeeze his shoulders and grind her body against his hand. He slipped in and out, two fingers, thick and delightful, his thumb never stopping its pressure.

He kissed her stomach and bare breasts, licking as he continued the pleasure between her legs, his hard-on pressed mercilessly against her thigh.

“Come, Kate,” he ordered, kissing his way back to her mouth, owning every inch of her. “Come,” he said again, against her lips.

And she did, furiously, helplessly, reckless and shameless and lost.

He moaned with her, as if her pleasure was his, as if their wrecked breathing was the result of a mutual orgasm. As if he was just as lost as she was.

After a moment, he looked at her, smoothing her skirt back down and then her top. His eyes were intense and dark, his mouth wet from their kisses, his chest heaving as he struggled with each breath.

“Petrov,” he whispered.

She frowned at him, trying to understand the word. A Russian expression? A term of endearment?

“My name is Alexander Petrov.”

And her heart skipped and slid around in her chest. “Thank you, Alexander Petrov, for trusting me.”

“Thank you, Katherine Kingston, for teaching me.”

He lowered his head to kiss her, but suddenly jerked away.

“What is—”

Alec cut off her question with a quick shake of his head and light finger to her lips, sitting up silently, peering around, getting to his feet in one smooth, predatory move. His shoulders hunched forward, his hands fisted, he stopped breathing and slowly, slowly turned.

Was someone there? Someone watching?

Kate froze, too, except for the rush of blinding fear that shot through her.

The man who wanted to hurt her…or the one who wanted to kill him? Was he here? A thousand chills prickled skin that had, seconds earlier, been warm and sated. She didn’t move, didn’t even sit up as cold fingers of fear closed around her heart.

Alec looked into the darkness, toward the beach, all around them.

“Should I—”

The crack of a branch snapped his attention, and Alec exploded into action, scooping her up like she was no more than a puppy and running across the beach so fast the wind screamed in her ears.

“Hey!” a voice called.

Kate gripped him hard, letting him hold her aloft, letting him have control as he tore over the bridge and to the path.

“Stop!” The voice was male, and insistent. Alec never even hesitated, didn’t slip or slow one inch until he reached the villa, unlocked the door, and practically threw her inside.

“Al—”

“Shut up!” He slammed the door in her face, and instantly, she heard footsteps running toward him, up the path.

She reached for the security bar, her hands shaking as she tried to lock herself in, but then she stopped. That would lock him out.

“What the fuck are you doing?” That was Alec, his voice so low and furious, sending another explosion of adrenaline cascading through Kate.

“I was out for a jog when I heard you guys fooling around.”

Moving closer to the door, Kate tried to place the voice. It wasn’t Gabe and certainly not Nino.

“You could have identified yourself.”

Alec knew this guy?

“Why should I? Your reflexes were good, I’ll give you that. But you shouldn’t have been out there messing around in the first place.”

Kate stood still, her hand still on the cool bar, her ear pressed to the door.

“I knew what I was doing.”

“Yeah, it looked that way.” The comment was sarcastic and not threatening. Not threatening at all. “Consider it a test and you passed, but not with flying colors. Oh, and speaking of flying colors. You left this behind.”

She heard Alec grunt on a strained breath, then a set of footsteps disappearing. She waited a few seconds, then slowly opened the security bar, inching away from the door.

The handle unlatched, and the door pushed open. Emotions she couldn’t quite read darkened every feature, and his chest still rose and fell from a run that had winded even his mighty lungs.

“It was Luke McBain,” he said. “Head of security.”

She blinked at him, almost dizzy from the rush of relief.

“And he was right,” Alec said. “That was stupid. This…” He made a vague gesture from him to her.

Please don’t say it’s stupid, Alec. Please don’t say—

“I’m stupid for letting it happen,” he said.

For letting her in, he meant. “You’re anything but.”

“Go to sleep, Kate. I can stay out here tonight. I won’t sleep anyway.”

Disappointment drained from her head to her heart and left the rest of her cold. Way too cold to…
beg
.

“Okay.” She walked away, and so did he, his footsteps as heavy as bricks as Alec Petrov stacked them one-by-one, rebuilding the wall around him.

A noise near the front door pulled Alec out of a restless sleep on the sofa in the living room, where he’d chosen to sleep that night. Her room was too small and close, and neither one of them could have avoided the dangerous temptation.

He listened to the sound, imagining what—or who—was making it. It was barely dawn, he guessed from the thin light outside, so too early for housekeeping, even the ever-efficient Poppy.

But someone was out there. He walked barefoot to the front entry, soundless and ready, throwing a look to make sure Kate’s bedroom door was still closed.

With his ear to the door, he heard a grunt. A breath. A man.

The peephole revealed nothing, so he listened again. Another grunt. Someone was definitely out there, purposely staying out of sight.

He gave his hands a shake, balanced his body, and prepared to stop, maim, kill, or just give some shit if this was some kind of fucking security test.

He yanked the door open and vaulted outside.

And damn near tripped over Gabe Rossi on the ground doing one-armed pushups.

“What the hell?”

Gabe switched arms with one smooth move and started pumping, his muscles bulging through a thin white T-shirt. “Heard you got busted on the beach last night.”

“What the hell are you doing?”

“Multitasking. I was in a rush this morning, so I didn’t get my workout in. What the hell were you doing on the beach last night?”

“Acting like newlyweds, which, last time I checked, were your instructions.”

He stopped after about twenty, then popped to his feet to give Alec a hard look. “Not at midnight on the beach, horizontal with your tongue down her throat.”

Alec narrowed his eyes. “What’s your point?”

He wiped his brow with his forearm and looked beyond Alec into the villa. “My point is that this is not a game. It’s not a vacation. It’s not even a chance to get lucky or laid. I came to tell you Vlitnik is on the move.”

“What?” His growing frustration at what Gabe was implying—even though it was a little too close to the truth—disappeared, replaced by a different sensation. Something that teetered between hate and fear. “How do you know that?”

“I talked to your buddy, Gregg.”

“Why didn’t he talk to me?”

“You were busy playing hide the kielbasa.”

“Shut up.” Alec pulled the door behind him almost closed, in case Kate heard them talking and came out. “What do you mean he’s on the move? Here?”

“No one knows where, so Gregg raised a red flag.”

“He’s not coming here,” Alec said. “And if he did, he’s hard to miss.”

Gabe nodded and came closer. “There’s more.”

There always was with Dmitri Vlitnik. “Tell me.”

“Someone in his operation said they had a lead on you, a solid lead.”

What the hell? “Who?”

“You know a chick named Robyn Bickler?”

He searched his memory and came up blank. “Never heard of her.”

“Well, she’s apparently heard of you. Told Vlitnik she knows where you are, then disappeared the next day, before she gave him the information, at least that’s what Gregg’s guy thinks. So he’s after her. If he’s after her, he could be led to you.”

How could anyone know where he was? “I swear to God I haven’t told a soul where I am.”

“Did Kate?”

“She talked to a friend on the phone and said she was in Florida, but that’s all. I heard the whole conversation.”

“Does she know your name yet?”

The question strangled him like a guillotine choke, stealing his air.

Gabe just shut his eyes, disgusted. “I thought that might be tough. S’okay. I’ll get you out of here soon. I’m close to finding you a final name and home.”

“What about Kate?”

“What about her?”

He stared at Gabe. “She can’t be here alone. What about the person who sent threats to her father? Are they any closer to finding out who that is?” His voice rose in a harsh demand.

“Nothing concrete, but her father’s house was broken into a few days ago.”

“What? I thought he had security.”

“He wasn’t home, and it looks like a routine Beacon Hill theft, silver stolen, no notes left.”

“Did he have information in the house about where she is?” Alec asked.

“No, but my cousin’s investigating along with the FBI. And her dad doesn’t want her to know about it.”

“She’ll hate that.”

Gabe shrugged. “Not my problem. Dad’s the client, and he wants her in the dark, out of sight, and
safe.”

“And you think I should leave? How is that keeping her safe?” Alec demanded.

“We’ll take care of her.”

They’d
take care of her? “The staff thinks she’s my wife.”

“Apparently, so do you.”

Alec bristled at the accusation.

“Look,” Gabe said. “We’ve got this covered. When you go, the Mrs. stays for an extended vacation because you had to travel on business. Luke can find her a bodyguard, and he’ll—”

“Not a fucking chance while I breathe.
I’m
her bodyguard. I’m not leaving her until her problem is solved and whoever is making threats is behind bars or”—
dead
—“taken care of.”

Gabe cracked his knuckles. “Your dedication is commendable. But if her father finds out you’ve been naked wrestling with his little girl, shit could hit the fan. I told him she’d be protected down here.”

“She is protected.”

“I don’t mean by a condom.”

Alec gave him a dark look. “Thanks for letting me know. I don’t let her out of my sight.” Except last night when he knew he wasn’t strong enough to sleep ten feet away from her and not—

“She’s out of your sight now.” He leaned in closer. “Dude, can’t say I can blame you for taking advantage of the proximity—”

He had Gabe’s T-shirt collar in his fist before the man could think about finishing his thought. “I’m not taking advantage of anyone or anything.”

Gabe didn’t move, staring him down. “My other piece of unsolicited advice was going to be don’t get emotionally involved, but I see it’s too late for that.”

He opened his hand and let the T-shirt loose. “Thanks for the tip. Keep me posted.”

“I will. But I’ll be on the road for a day or two, so don’t fuck up. I’m trusting you, and I expect you to put her safety before your dick.”

“I am,” Alec said. That was exactly why he hadn’t slept in her room last night. “Anyway, if I make another mistake, I’m sure your spies will let you know.”

Gabe grinned. “I’m sure they will.”

Alec stepped away, into the house, pissed off that he could hear that cocky son of a bitch laughing as he left.

He stood for a moment after closing the door, centering himself, thinking about what he needed to do if Vlitnik or one of his animals or
anyone
came near Kate. He’d kill. He’d kill hard. But what if he had to go? What if Gabe sent him away to some island in the middle of the Pacific? He’d agreed to go anywhere to escape Vlitnik.