Bride Protector SEAL (11 page)

“If I’m dreaming, please…don’t wake me,” she said, her voice low and gravely, spreading over him like melted chocolate.

With a groan, Swede clutched her tighter, his groin tightening, the blood rushing from his brain to parts farther south. He was losing it, and he had no way of letting go.

Allie’s hand slid down his chest to his abdomen and lower still to where he’d only half-buttoned his fly.

Swede sucked in a breath, afraid to move lest he encourage her to keep going. This wasn’t what he’d come to do. But he couldn’t deny the magnetic attraction he had for this woman.

Her fingers slipped beneath the waistband of his jeans.

He covered her hand with his. “Allie, you have to know what you’re doing. You can’t be asleep on this.”

“I’m awake,” she said, opening her eyes.

From the little bit of moonlight edging its way through a gap in her closed curtains, he could see her staring up at him. “I should go,” Swede said.

Her hand flatted against him. “Please, don’t. Stay with me.”

“I can’t stay and not touch you.”

She took his hand and slid it up under her pajama top to the rounded swell of her breast. “Then touch me.”

His fingers slowly curled around her breast, weighing the fullness of it in his palm. Swede groaned. “God, you feel amazing.”

She reached for the hem of her pajama top and pulled it up over her head, tossing it to the side.

“What about your fiancé?”

“It’s over,” she said. “I can’t marry him.”

Swede froze, his thumb and forefinger arrested in pinching her nipple. “Why?”

“After all that’s happened, I’ve learned that I don’t love him. I was in love with the idea of getting married, not with the man I was going to marry.”

Swede leaned over and kissed the corner of her mouth, then her lips. “But your wedding is in two days,” he said against her lips.

“Not anymore. I’m not going through with it,” she said. “I’m telling Damien tomorrow.”

Knowing he should wait until after she officially called off her engagement, Swede couldn’t stop fondling her breast or kissing her lips. What had started as a means to comfort her had become an entirely different scenario he was ill prepared to fight against. This internal battle was one he was all too willing to concede.

The question was, could he live with himself the next day?

T
he moment Allie
felt Swede’s arms around her, she knew she couldn’t let him go. Her dream had shaken her. She’d been hiding in a dark cave, while a man with a gun stood silhouetted in the light, pointing at her. Her feet had felt cemented to the floor, her heart pounding so hard she couldn’t catch her breath.

Then Swede’s arms wrapped around her, and more than that, his voice penetrated the dream, bringing her to the surface of consciousness.

Wrapped in his embrace, she turned to him, running her hand across his warm skin, inhaling the light, musky scent that belonged only to him. This was where she wanted to be.

Only she wanted to be closer. Skin to skin. Allie wanted him inside her, filling her, making her complete. What started as a rescue from a dream quickly transformed into an aching need to be with him. A need so strong, she couldn’t deny it a moment longer. “Please, stay with me,” she repeated.

She laid her hand over his as he fondled her breast, the tingling sensations sending shocks of electricity throughout her body. At a touch of his lips, she opened to him, thrusting her tongue between his teeth, meeting him halfway in a long, sensuous caress. Allie pulled her top over her head, desperate to be with him, to feel him against her, their hearts beating together.

Swede’s lips brushed across hers, kissing a path down the side of her neck, stopping long enough to tongue the wildly beating pulse at the base of her throat. As he moved downward, he nipped her collarbone, kissed the top of her breast and sucked a nipple into his mouth, pulling gently, tapping the nipple with the tip of his tongue until it hardened into a tight little bead.

Allie arched off the mattress, wanting him to take more.

He obliged, drawing more of her into his mouth, flicking the tip, again and again.

Taking momentary control, Allie guided him to her other breast. “Please,” she moaned softly.

And he did please, nibbling the peak, rolling it around on his tongue and laving it until Allie thought she would come apart.

Swede moved his lips across her ribs, past her belly button and onward to the elastic waistband of her pajamas. Inching the fabric down her legs, he paused to kiss the tuft of hair over her sex. Then again to lick the inside of her thighs, and finally to nip her ankle as he tossed the garment to the floor.

Allie parted her legs automatically, making room for him to slide between.

Swede lifted her knees, positioning them beside his head and then slipped his finger through her curls. He parted her folds, touched his tongue to that little strip of flesh packed with what felt like thousands of nerve endings, sizzling with heat, sending messages to her brain and back to her core, making Allie slick with desire.

Just when she thought it couldn’t get better, he pressed a finger to her entrance and swirled.

“Oh, God,” she said, digging her heels into the sheets, pushing her hips upward. “Oh, God.”

He pushed two fingers into her and licked her nubbin in a long, slow stroke, pushing Allie to the very edge of sanity.

She teetered on the brink until he flicked and teased her there, thrusting his fingers in and out at the same time. The combination rocketed her to the heavens, flinging her past the stars. She held onto his hair, riding the wave all the way, her core pulsing, her breath lodged in her lungs until she finally drifted back to earth and sucked in a lungful of air. Then need drove her to tug on his hair, drawing him up her body.

He leaned over her, pressing his lips to hers for a brief second.

“You’re overdressed,” she commented.

“I’m working on it.” Swede rolled off the bed onto his feet and shucked his jeans, retrieving his wallet from his pocket as he did.

He was beautiful in a purely male way, with shoulders impossibly broad, narrowing to a trim waist. Firm, six-pack abs and…yes…his shaft jutted out straight and proud.

Allie’s channel convulsed, liquid sliding through, dripping onto the sheet. “Hurry,” she said, her belly tight, her lungs dragging in air in spasms.

“Protection.” He pulled a foil packet from his wallet.

Allie leaned up, snatched it from his hand and applied it, rolling her fingers down his length. She fell back against the mattress. “Oh, sweet Jesus. Please. I can’t wait another minute.”

“Beautiful, and impatient.” He spread her legs, running his hand up the insides of her thighs to the apex where heat radiated. Swede pulled her bottom to the edge of the bed, hooked her legs over his arms and pressed his cock to her entrance.

“Now,” she urged. “Take me now.”

He thrust into her, driving all the way to the hilt before he stopped. Her channel was so slick with juices inspired by all the foreplay, he slid right in, filling and stretching her deliciously.

Allie grabbed his ass and held him there, letting her body adjust to his length and girth. Then she eased him away and back in again.

Swede took over from there, moving in and out, gradually accelerating until he pumped in and out like a piston on an engine.

Raising her hips to match his every thrust, Allie urged him on, the friction causing the heat to build.

Swede’s face tensed, his jaw tightened, and he threw back his head. If they’d been alone in the house, Allie was sure he’d have shouted or called out her name.

Instead, he slammed into her one last time and remained buried deep within, his cock pulsing, his muscles tight, his face set. Then he scooted her back on the bed, crawled up beside her and pulled her into his arms.

Allie nuzzled his chest, finding a little brown nipple. She touched it with her tongue, loving the taste of this man. Pressing closer, she basked in the skin-to-skin contact, her heartbeat slowing, her breathing returning to normal. Gone were the residual effects of the nightmare. In its place was the utterly poignant satisfaction of great lovemaking with an amazing man.

As she drifted to sleep, a nagging twinge of guilt made her stomach churn. Tomorrow, she’d break off her engagement. Tomorrow, she’d call off the wedding. Even if nothing came of her relationship with Swede, Allie knew in her heart, she didn’t love Damien. A marriage between them would never have worked.

She wished he had been home earlier that evening so she could have made the break then. Tomorrow would have to be soon enough.

S
wede lay for a long time
, loving the feel of Allie in his arms, her soft body pressed up against his hard one, the smell of strawberries wafting beneath his nose. This must be what heaven felt like. He couldn’t imagine anywhere else being as wonderful.

But the longer he lay there holding the woman he found himself falling for, the more that kernel of guilt grew into a sour wad in his gut. He’d made love to his client’s fiancée two nights before their wedding. Not only had he broken the first rule of being a bodyguard, he’d betrayed Hank’s trust and risked the reputation of the company his friend was trying to build. With Hank’s sister.

Allie slept, seemingly dream-free.

After a while, Swede slipped from the bed, disposed of the condom, pulled on his jeans and left her room, closing the door behind him. From now until Allie called off the wedding, Swede vowed to keep his hands to himself. Touching Allie was strictly forbidden.

He returned to his room and lay on top of the covers, his hand reaching for Ruger’s head and the calming influence of a dog who didn’t judge. For a long time, he stared up at the ceiling, counting the minutes before sleep finally claimed him again.

M
orning came too soon
, the sound of Mr. Patterson clomping down the hallway in his cowboy boots waking Swede without need for an alarm. Groggy and with a slight headache pressing against his temples, Swede rose from the bed, dressed, brushed his hair and teeth and went downstairs to the kitchen.

“Eddy and Mr. Patterson already had breakfast.” Georgia plunked two plates full of food on the table. “They’re gearing up, and said for you and Allie to join them when you’re ready.”

Allie appeared, her hair pulled back in a ponytail, her face scrubbed clean. No makeup masked the simple beauty of her complexion and eye color.

Her cheeks were naturally blushed and her gaze didn’t actually meet his.

“Did you sleep all right?” she asked.

“Yes,” he answered. “And you?”

She nodded and took her seat across the table.

They spent the rest of the meal eating, not talking, the atmosphere strained. For such an amazingly close connection the night before, he felt like they were miles apart that morning, even though he could reach across the table and touch her face.

Having only pecked at her food, Allie got up, took her plate to Georgia and gave her a wry smile. “Guess I’m not very hungry. Could you save that for my lunch?”

“Sure can.” Georgia’s brows dipped. “Are you feelin’ okay?”

Allie nodded. “Just a little tired.”

“Maybe you should stay in and let me do the driving today.”

“I think the fresh air will do me good.” Allie kissed Georgia’s cheek. “But thanks.”

Swede carried his half-eaten plate of food to Georgia. “Thanks for breakfast. You’re a great cook.” He, too, kissed Georgia’s cheek and winked. “See you later.”

Georgia touched her cheek, her gaze following Allie out the door. “Look out for my girl out there.”

“I will.” Swede wouldn’t let her out of his sight for a minute. He refused to allow anything to happen to her. His heart was riding on it.

The day flew by in a rush to get all the hay from the second pasture baled, loaded onto the trailer and unloaded into the barn.

Allie drove, not saying much to anyone. Not that the men were in the mood to talk. All of their energy was channeled into the work. By the time the sun crept toward the horizon, Eddy tucked the last bale onto the top of the stack in the barn. “Done.”

“What say we have a beer to celebrate?” Lloyd draped a sweaty arm over his daughter’s shoulders.

“Thanks, Dad, but I’ll pass.” Allie lifted her father’s arm off her shoulders. “And you smell.”

“Good, honest sweat.”

For the first time since Swede had met Mr. Patterson, he saw the older man grin.

“That’s right, you have a wedding to get ready for.” His eyes narrowed. “Aren’t you supposed to go out on the town for a bachelorette party or something?”

“No, Dad.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t feel like it.” She turned toward the house.

“What about a rehearsal?”

“Damien and I opted not to do a rehearsal.” She gave a weak smile. “I’m headed for the shower.”

Swede hesitated before following her.

“Go on,” Mr. Patterson said. “Eddy and I will take care of the animals.”

“Thank you, sir.” Swede hurried after her.

She was up the stairs and in the shower before he caught up.

If he expected any acknowledgement for the best night of sex he’d ever had, he wasn’t getting any. He wondered if she really was going to break it off with Damien. Swede’s gut tightened. If not, he’d been played for a fool.

But the more he thought about it and everything he’d seen of Allie, she wasn’t the kind of woman to play games. That woman was a straight shooter. The more likely reason for her silence today was that breaking her engagement was heavy on her mind. Because she was a straight shooter, she was probably feeling a crap load of guilt for having slept with her bodyguard.

At least that’s what Swede hoped.

A
llie showered
the dust and itchy hay off her skin, telling herself she’d feel better making the call she had to make with a clean body, if not a clean conscience. After she’d toweled dry, she dressed in shorts and a T-shirt and crossed the hallway. Her gaze drifted to Swede’s bedroom, part of her hoping he’d open the door and give her an encouraging smile. She’d need all the encouragement she could get to make that call.

With no one stopping her to engage in conversation, Allie entered her room like she was walking to her doom. Taking a deep breath, she squared her shoulders, lifted the phone and dialed Damien’s cell phone number, fully expecting to get the voicemail.

He answered on the second ring. “Alyssa, dear. I’m so glad you called.”

“I thought you would be back by now,” she said, startled into saying the first thing that came out of her mouth.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart. Business delayed me. I’ll be back tomorrow morning.”

“The wedding is scheduled for tomorrow, or had you forgotten?” she said, with a little snap in her voice.

“I know. I can’t wait for the ceremony that will make you Mrs. Damien Reynolds. Then we leave immediately for our honeymoon.”

“About the wedding—” she started, then had to swallow.

“Don’t worry, darling. I’ll be there on time. Until then, sweet dreams.”

“But, Damien—”

The connection ended.

What the hell?

She dialed his number again and the connection went straight to his voicemail. She hung up and redialed, repeating the process four times until she finally gave up. Mad as hell and ready to end their engagement, she was tempted to do it by voicemail. But she couldn’t. No matter how aggravating the man was, he deserved to be told to his face that she wouldn’t marry him.

She stared at the clock on the nightstand. As late as it was, she wouldn’t have time to contact everyone to tell them not to come to the wedding. What she’d tried so hard to avoid would come to pass. She’d jilt her groom at the wedding.

She stretched out on her bed, fully expecting to lie awake all night long, dreading the next day’s confrontation with Damien. And she did. For a while, going back and forth on whether she’d marry him just to save face, and then have the marriage annulled a week later. Of course, she wouldn’t go on the honeymoon. But Damien could at least enjoy the time on the beach. The Cayman Islands had been his idea of the perfect honeymoon. Not hers.

Allie would rather have gone to a mountain cabin where they could be alone, making love into the wee hours of every morning. Now, she couldn’t picture making love to Damien at all. In her heart, it was Swede. And she couldn’t go to him that night because, though she’d gone against her own code of honor and slept with him the night before, she couldn’t do it again until she’d made a clean break from Damien.

So she lay in bed, irritated that she couldn’t talk to Damien, and so sexually frustrated she thought she might explode.

Finally, she fell to sleep and woke the next day with dark circles under her eyes and a splitting headache. Which fell in line with the expected wedding day from hell.

S
wede tossed
and turned all night long, getting up several times with the full intention of marching into Allie’s room and kissing her until she was completely convinced Damien Reynolds was not the man she should marry. Each time, he talked himself out of doing it. Swede was afraid she’d change her mind and marry the bastard anyway.

Allie needed to come to a decision on her own. She said she was going to call it off, but she hadn’t come to him to let him know the deed was done.

By morning, Swede assumed it wasn’t. Which meant his final duty as a bodyguard was to get Allie to the church on time that morning. He scraped the stubble from his chin, combed his hair, and dressed in pressed black trousers and a white button-down shirt. Strapping on his shoulder holster, he tucked his nine millimeter pistol in place and shrugged into his black suit jacket. Like it or not, he was going to a wedding.

In his best boots, he walked down the stairs, hating that he was taking the only girl he’d ever considered worth the trouble of settling down with to marry another man. He’d talk to Hank and hand over the job of protecting his sister to him. He lifted the phone on the table in the hallway and dialed Hank’s number.

“Hello,” a female voice answered.

“This is Swede; I’d like to speak to Hank.”

“Hi, Swede. This is Sadie. How’s Allie holding up?”

“Okay. I guess. She’s still in bed as far as I know.”

Sadie laughed. “She’d better get moving if she’s going to make it to the church on time. Oh, wait. Here’s Hank.”

“Swede, Bear just walked in the door. Sadie and I are heading to the church as soon as he’s debriefed me. I’ll see you there.” Hank hung up before Swede could ask him to take over his bodyguard assignment. Swede would have to deliver her to the church after all.
Great.

Footsteps on the staircase made him glance up as he set the phone in the cradle.

Allie descended, wearing her usual jeans and a T-shirt, her hair pulled back in a simple ponytail. She carried a long white garment bag and a pair of white satin shoes. Dark circles beneath her eyes stood out against her pale face.

“Hey,” Swede said, reaching for the bag. “Let me.”

She held it against her chest, refusing to hand it over. “I can carry it.” Allie glanced around him. “Have you seen the others?”

As if on cue, Georgia appeared in the kitchen door. “I’ve made some muffins you can eat on the way to the church.”

“I’m not hungry, but thank you,” Allie said.

“You can’t get married on an empty stomach,” Georgia said. She held up a brown lunch sack. “I packed them for you. You better get going, or Sadie and I won’t have time to do your hair. Eddy, your father and I are following you in my van. I have decorations loaded in the back. Eddy’s going to help put them on the pews. We’ll see you in a few minutes.” Georgia disappeared back into the kitchen.

Swede glanced down at Allie. “Ready to go?” He’d wanted to say anything but that. But Allie looked like she had a lot on her mind, and he couldn’t make himself bring up the subject of the elephant in the room. Was she going through with the wedding, or would she call it off at the last minute? Swede prepared himself for the former, praying for the latter.

A
llie led
the way out to her truck. “I’ll drive,” she stated, climbing into the driver’s seat.

On the thirty-minute drive into Bozeman, hardly a word was spoken between them. Swede studied the road ahead and behind, looking out for any signs of trouble. His gut told him Will Franklin wasn’t the only one involved in the threat against Allie. And until they found out who was behind it all, he wouldn’t consider her safe.

Allie parked in the church parking lot and carried her dress inside. Once through the door, she turned to the right and entered an anteroom where Sadie was waiting with a smile and an assortment of brushes and curling irons. “There you are,” she exclaimed excitedly. “Let’s get you ready for a wedding.”

Swede made a sweep of the room, checking all doors and where they led. He made sure they were locked and secure. “I’ll be in the vestibule. If you need me, yell.” Swede left the room, not waiting for an answer.

Georgia sailed past him, carrying a veil. “See you fellows in a few minutes.”

Swede went in search of Hank, his heart heavy. Hank wasn’t in the vestibule so Swede entered the sanctuary.

“There you are.” Hank approached him, his face tense. “I have news from Bear.”

“Shoot.”

“Three more soldiers from that same unit have been attacked since they’d gotten home. All of them were more or less gutted. Those three weren’t as fortunate as Baker. They died before anyone could get to them.”

Swede swallowed the bile rising up his throat. Three men who’d served their country, killed at home. “Anything stand out other than that they were in the same unit?” he asked.

“Bear talked to the commander and found out the four soldiers had been invited to a party on the last night of their deployment. They came back so intoxicated, they couldn’t remember anything about the party the next day.”

“Intoxicated? In Afghanistan?” Swede shook his head. “I didn’t think they were allowed to bring booze into the country.”

“They weren’t, but the contractor who threw the party must have smuggled in some. My guess is, that because they couldn’t remember anything from the night before, they were slipped some kind of date rape drug.”

“Why?”

“Why would they all be cut open when they returned to the States?”

A horrible thought came to Swede, making his belly churn. “They were being used as God damned mules to smuggle something out of the country.”

“Bear dropped by the Medical Examiner who processed one of the men. He didn’t find any traces of drugs around the incisions or in the intestines.”

“Where did Baker say their unit was stationed?”

“He didn’t. But Bear found out from the company commander that they were on the edge of the Badakhshan Province.”

“Isn’t that province known for the lapis lazuli gemstone mining?” Swede asked, glancing around to make sure they weren’t overheard.

Hank’s eyes widened. “It is. And for the rampant smuggling of gemstones out of the country.”

Swede closed his eyes, anger burning in his gut. “Who was the contractor?”

Hank’s face grew taut. “RM Enterprises.”

“Aren’t they the contracting company that won the majority of the bids to rebuild or construct much of the Afghan infrastructure?”

Hank’s lips pressed into a thin line. “Guess who one of the partners in that company is?”

Swede’s heart slipped into his belly. “Damien Reynolds, the R in RM?”

“You got it,” Hank confirmed. “His partner is a Frenchman by the name of Jean-Claude Martine. From what Bear found out, Martine has a wicked temper. Afghanis who crossed him had been rumored to disappear.”

Swede headed for the door. “We need to tell Allie. ASAP. Where’s Bear now?”

Hank followed. “He’s contacting the FBI, the local police and anyone else he can get on short notice. This place will be lit up like the Fourth of July when everyone gets here.”

“In the meantime, we need to keep Damien from making a run for it,” Swede said.

“Right. Bear will also have them on the lookout for Martine.”

Swede exited the sanctuary and entered the anteroom where Georgia and Sadie were helping Allie prepare for the ceremony.

Georgia was tucking a strand of hair into an updo on Sadie’s head when the men barged in.

“Where’s Allie?” Swede asked.

Sadie smiled. “She excused herself to go to the bathroom one last time before she put on her dress.”

“How long ago?” Hank demanded.

“Not more than five minutes.” Sadie’s brows furrowed. “Why?”

His pulse racing, Swede responded, “She might be in trouble.”

A
llie knocked
on the door of the room the groom should be dressing in.

“Yeah,” came the answer.

Still dressed in her jeans, her hair hanging down around her shoulders and no makeup on her face, Allie entered, dread churning her belly.

Damien stood in the middle of the room in front of a long mirror.

Miles stood behind him, brushing his hand over the crisp white shirt, smoothing away imaginary wrinkles.

Allie’s gaze swept from the top of his neatly combed dark hair to the tips of his shiny black, patent leather shoes. Damien Reynolds turned heads no matter where he went. Why he’d asked Allie to marry him was beyond reason.

Damien glanced her way. “Darling, I’m not supposed to see the bride before the ceremony.”

Allie smiled at Miles. “Could we have a moment?”

Miles nodded and left the room.

“What’s wrong?” Damien took her hands and stared down at her clothes, his brows dropping into a frown. “You’re not even ready.”

“Damien, I can’t marry you.”

“What? Nonsense. Of course you can. You’re just getting cold feet. It happens. Once the ceremony is over, you can relax on our way to the islands.” His hands tightened on hers. “You did bring the case I had Miles give you?”

“It’s on the back seat of my truck, but I’m serious.” She pulled her hands out of his and reached for her engagement ring. “This week, I had time to think about us and I…I’m sorry, Damien.” Now that the initial declaration was made, she felt only relief. Allie slid off the ring and tried to give it to him. “I don’t love you. I don’t think I ever did. I was more in love with the idea of getting married than being married to you.”

He held up his hands, refusing to take the ring. “You can’t back out on me now. We’re getting married in a few minutes.”

“I am backing out.” She set the ring on a nearby table and moved a few steps away. “I tried to tell you last night, but you hung up on me. I tried calling you all week, but you didn’t answer. I would rather have told you all of this before our wedding day. I’m sorry it had to be this way. But our marriage wouldn’t have worked.”

Damien’s face changed from shock to anger. “You can’t leave. We’re getting married. Go get into your dress.”

Allie shook her head and turned to leave.

Damien grabbed her arm in a painful grip and yanked her around. “Look, you can’t jilt me. We have to get to the Cayman Islands today. Do you hear me? We’re getting married, and that’s the end of it.”

Throwing up her hand like she’d learned in self-defense class, Allie knocked Damien’s grip loose. “Don’t touch me ever again. You don’t need me to go to the Cayman Islands. Go without me. Goodbye, Damien. Oh, and I hope you figure out who destroyed your barn.” Allie stepped out of his reach and hurried for the door.

“Damn you, Allie!” he yelled and made another grab for her.

She’d done what she’d come to do. Allie ran out of the room and down the hallway to the exit. Now that she’d called off her engagement to Damien, whoever was threatening him would have no need to torment her. Footsteps pounded on the tile floor behind her. She glanced over her shoulder at Damien chasing after her.