Protecting Rose (9 page)

“And your parents?”

“My father died when I was six,” he said between bites of his meatballs. “I was an only child. When I was fifteen, my mother met Tom. He was also a widower, with four sons and a daughter. Mike and Jerry, the twins, are a few years younger than I am. Dylan is about my age, and David is a couple years older. My sister Diana is the youngest.

Nate chuckled. “Tom was the Sheriff of Menomonee Falls. They met when my mother bailed me out of jail after Tom arrested me.”

Rose choked on the water she was drinking and it spewed across her hand.

Nate laughed and handed her a napkin.

Feeling foolish, she wiped at the water. “You’re kidding!”

“Nope, cross my heart.” His eyes gleamed with laughter and he made the sign of an X over his heart.

“My mother had to work full time to support us and I was left alone a lot to fend for myself.” He shrugged. “Not her fault, she was doing the best she could. It’s just the way it was. By the time I was fourteen, I’d fallen in with a local gang.”

“Really? That’s hard to believe.”

Nate quirked a brow. “Believe it, sweetheart. I haven’t always been the fine, upstanding citizen you see before you now.” He chuckled. “One weekend I headed over to Menomonee Falls and caused some trouble. Tom arrested me for loitering.”

Rose sighed. “That’s so romantic.”

He gave an amused snort. “My being arrested is romantic? Can’t say as I ever quite looked at it that way.”

She grinned at him with barely contained laughter. “No, silly. The way they met. So was it love at first sight?”

“I guess,” he said with a shrug. “They were married within a year. I’d like to say we were like the Brady Bunch after that, just one big happy family. But I’m afraid it wasn’t quite that simple.”

“You didn’t like them?”

“Not much. I wasn’t happy to be surrounded by all those strangers and continued to hang out with my gang. My stepfather, Tom, however, was determined that I would mend my ways.”

“What did he do?” Rose reached for the water pitcher.

Nate intercepted her hand and grasped it with his own. “Let me.” He picked up the pitcher with his other hand and refilled her glass.

Her heart did a funny little flip-flop when he continued to hold the hand he’d captured.

“Well, he had his deputies keep tabs on me.” He smiled at her while his thumb caressed the top of her hand. “Wherever I went, they were there. It got to the point that the gang started to doubt me. They began to pressure me to prove my loyalty.”

“Really? How...what did they want you to do?”

The grin dropped off his face faster than a lead balloon, and he looked away. There was a long moment of silence, and she began to wonder if he would tell her. Rose leaned across the table toward him and whispered, “Nate? What did they want you to do?”

A muscle twitched along his cheek before he turned back to meet her gaze. “Steal a car,” he admitted.

“Did you?” Rose was having a hard time connecting this honorable man with a car thief.

“Well, I intended to. At least that’s what I told myself at the time. We were supposed to meet one evening and head over to Rockford, but Tom caught wind of the plan and confronted me. We had a huge fight, which only made me more determined to go through with it. And I would have.” Nate gave her a crooked smile. “If Tom hadn’t handcuffed me to my bedroom door all night.”

Rose gasped. “You’re kidding.”

“Nope. I sat on the floor all night and leaned up against the wall. One arm cuffed to the door.”

“Wow. Were you mad?”

“You bet I was mad...madder ‘n hell. Especially when my mom sided with Tom,” he said wryly. “Then the next day I found out that they had not just stolen a car, but carjacked one.” His face hardened. “They killed the driver in the process, something that I couldn’t live with.”

He met her gaze. “I went to Tom. He stood by me when I turned state’s evidence and they all went to prison. For a while, there were threats made against me by the remaining gang members.” He chuckled softly. “It was then that I finally understood the benefits of being part of a big family. My stepbrothers made it clear if anyone messed with me, they messed with them as well. Even though I’d acted like a total ass, they still stood behind me. We’ve pretty much been inseparable ever since.”

He paused, his eyes flashed. “And if it weren’t for Tom...well, I probably would have gone to prison. Or have a criminal record. I would never have been able to join the Marines or the police force. Not only did he save me from a life of crime, he most likely saved my life.”

A tear rolled down her cheek at the bittersweet story.

Nate reached out and cupped her cheek with his free hand. He gently wiped the tear away with his thumb and gave her a slow easy smile. “You really
are
a romantic, Rose.”

The butterflies in her belly took flight as he continued to watch her with warm blue eyes.

The waiter stopped at their table with the tiramisu. She lifted a mouthful of the fluffy concoction to her mouth. Truly a most delectable dessert. And Nate was absolutely right. It was a little piece of heaven.

Rose and Nate walked along Lake Michigan’s shoreline and admired the various ships docked there. The Navy Pier consisted of over fifty acres of parks, gardens, shops, and restaurants. It was a giant playground for all ages, with hundreds of unique shops located both indoors and out. Multiple movie theaters offered the latest in Hollywood blockbusters, and ships provided dinner cruises and music until the early morning hours. One
very
large Ferris wheel sat near the entrance.

“The Ferris wheel was modeled after the one built for the 1893 World Exposition,” Nate explained. “We could take a ride later if you like.”

Rose eyed the Ferris wheel, and her stomach dropped. She craned her neck as she studied it. “I didn’t realize it was so big. I’m not sure I like heights,” she said tentatively.

Nate eyes crinkled with his smile. “We could wait until dark. Then you wouldn’t notice the height so much. But you’d get a bird’s eye view of the Chicago skyline and the boats on the lake.”

“Maybe later, we’ll see.” She crossed her arms and regarded the tall structure with a frown.

The sun shone brightly overhead, warming her as a cool breeze blew off the lake. Rose enjoyed wandering through the outdoor shops, listening to the music, and the different languages spoken around her.

Nate reached into his pocket and pulled out the case that held his cinnamon mints. He offered her one before popping two into his mouth as they strolled along the lakefront. They made their way through the craft booths lining the sidewalk near the water’s edge. She was delighted when she found a shop that offered hair clips in unique colors and patterns. It took her over an hour to find a handful of clips for her hair. Nate patiently stayed at her side and provided his opinion when asked as she admired one after another.

As they left the shop, he stopped at a pretzel vendor. “Would you like a hot pretzel?”

“Sure.”

“What kind do you want”?

“Surprise me.”

He ordered two cinnamon and sugar pretzels and sodas.

Rose took her cinnamon pretzel with a raised brow and a smile.

Nate laughed. “Yeah, yeah. So I like cinnamon. Sue me.”

Rose sighed, any remaining tension drained away. There was something intimate about being in such a romantic setting with Nate on a beautiful summer’s day. She had to remind herself he was only here to protect her. Although the way he looked at her sometimes made her wonder if it wasn’t more than that. That maybe he cared for her...just a little.

Lost in her thoughts, she was unprepared when Nate grabbed her arm and shoved her behind him as he stepped in front of her. In the distance, the sound of loud shouts grew near.

Gone in an instant was the gentle protector she’d come to know over the prior days. There was nothing kind or gentle about the warrior who stood before her in full battle mode. His body tensed as he reached under the back of his shirt to grip the gun tucked there. With her heart in her throat, Rose held her breath as Nate studied the milling crowd.

She stepped closer and placed her hands on his back to peek around his shoulder. A tall man sprinted through the crowd with a purse clutched in his hand as he shoved people aside. An overweight security guard gave chase, but fell further and further behind.

The tall guy headed their way. Nate’s shoulders relaxed and he released the grip on his gun. The muscles across his back rippled under her palms when he reached out to grab the guy as he neared. Nate threw him to the ground, where he landed with a hard, dull thud on his belly. He reached down and flattened the thief’s face into the pavement, his knee firmly placed at the small of the guy’s back.

“Don’t move, asshole,” Nate snarled. He frisked him and seemed satisfied when he found no weapon.

Rose stared in wide-eyed wonder at Nate’s raw masculine power and strength of command. As a crowd gathered, Rose could see she was not the only woman who was in awe of this handsome warrior, as well as a few men.

At that moment, he embodied every woman’s fantasy hero. His piercing blue eyes matched the sky overhead. Strength and confidence rolled off him as effortlessly as the sun shined. His shirt clung to his lean muscular frame like a second skin, biceps rippled to distraction as he subdued the thief.

Nate jerked the purse-snatcher up off the ground and handed him over to the bewildered security guard. “You got it from here?” He reached into his back pocket to pull out his badge and handed it to the guard.

The security guard glanced at the badge and gave him a quick nod. “Thanks, man,” he replied, his eyes wide with awe.

When Nate strode over and wrapped his arm around her shoulders to pull her close, a sense of pride and possessiveness filled her, much to her dismay.

“Are you all right, sweetheart?” His voice was tight with concern.

She met his scrutinizing gaze. “Yes, I’m fine.”

The women all watched her with envy, both young and old as Nate gave her a warm smile and a quick hug. He didn’t seem to notice the admiring glances directed his way as they made their way through the crowd, only having eyes for her. Maybe a romantic ride on the Ferris wheel with Nate was not such a bad idea after all, she pondered as the sun started to set.

He was so screwed. Nate ran a frustrated hand through his hair as he drove back to Milwaukee, glancing over at Rose. She was sleeping peacefully on the seat next to him. Her wig tossed on the seat beside her, her gloriously tousled hair cascaded around her angelic face. Her full luscious lips slightly parted as long dark lashes gently caressed her cheeks.

He couldn’t remember ever wanting a woman more than he did Rose. It took every ounce of his control not to pull off to the side of the road, take her into his arms, and kiss her senseless. Her soft heart and sweet nature had charmed him completely. Her beauty and inner strength amazed him, and her lush body inflamed him. Yep, he was screwed.

The Chicago trip was meant to offer Rose a calming distraction, while at the same time purchasing a few things she needed. But hell, all it had done was to draw him further under her spell. He reminded himself, for about the hundredth time, of her emotional fragility. He would be a bigger jackass than he’d already been if he took advantage of that.

Nate reduced his speed as he drew nearer to the I-94 tollbooth and veered into the I-Pass lane to bypass the fast growing traffic jam. Rose stirred, and he glanced over to see her stretch like a lazy cat.

His heart pounded against his chest and his mouth went dry. He watched her fold her arms seductively behind her neck and arch her back. Her gorgeous breasts thrust forward toward the windshield, her eyes closed and her head tilted back. Her long wavy hair flowed around her shoulders as she swayed. Sensual perfection. He forced his eyes back to the road.

She moaned softly, the seductive sound the final straw that forced all of Nate’s blood directly to his groin. Shifting uncomfortably, he licked his lips with the last bit of moisture left in his mouth. He shook his head to clear the image from his mind...focus man!