Stronger (The Unit Book 2) (11 page)

Aaron opened the door for Lola, and she followed him down the hall. When Rob could no longer hear footsteps, he spoke. “I do not want my money back. I don’t want payment for this job. I’m protecting her because I want to. If you want to pay the company for the other men’s involvement, that’s fine, but I will not take a penny of your money.” He looked at Tyrrell, and Tyrrell knew he was serious.

“If you aren’t doing this for the money, son, then why are you doing this?” Mr. Sardeson asked cutting through the bullshit.

“I care for your daughter. Nothing will happen to her. No one will touch her, not as long as I am around. That’s all you need to know.”

“Tyrrell, I guess that leaves you and me to talk business,” Mr. Sardeson said, dismissing Rob and turning his attention back to Tyrrell.

Rob waited outside the Ladies’ restroom for Lola. He wanted to be the one to tell her the good news. She would get what she wanted. She could go back to Harvard. But he also had to explain his new role in her life. She exited the bathroom dressed in men’s jeans at least two sizes too big for her and a man’s plain white V-neck undershirt. She had to keep a hand on the pants or they would fall down.

“Thanks for that. With my father. No one has ever stood up to him for me before.”

“You don’t have to thank me. You deserve to live your own life. I do need to talk to you though,” Rob said, trying hard to avoid looking at her perky breasts covered by the thin fabric.

“Sure,” she said joining him in his walk down the hallway.

When they reached his cube, he pulled out his chair and offered her a seat.

“Thank you.”

Rob leaned against his desk and crossed his arms over his chest. “Listen, I know we just met, but this detail I signed up for means you and I live together - twenty-four seven. You are never out of my sight.”

“What about classes?” she inquired anxious to get some resemblance of her old life back.

“I will escort you to your classes, and I will be waiting for you when you leave.”

“What about your life?”

“Until this is over, you are my life.”

“What about your girlfriend?” Surely he had to have a girlfriend, a man as gorgeous as he was. She let her eyes wander down his toned neck, over his Adam’s apple, down to his broad, muscular chest. Her eyes traveled further still, subconsciously, down to his narrow hips and his strong, powerful legs to the tips of his work boots. She liked everything she saw. She took her time working her eyes back up his body while she waited for his response.

He felt it. He felt her eyes as if they were a soft caress. Her eyes pierced his body and heated him. His groin pulled. She wanted him. His heart actually fluttered in his chest. She made her appreciation of his body known. He liked that. She was bold and brave. He admired that about her. She was also honest. He thought about it and realized he had been completely honest with her about everything. Even with how he was feeling, although under the guise of protecting her. He told her she was his life, and he meant it.

“I don’t have a girlfriend,” he said suddenly feeling sad. His thoughts were turning back to Lizzie. He started to feel the guilt of forgetting his Lizzie for as long as he had. Lola had taken his mind and cleared it of everything but her. How could he forget the love of his life? Could he ever forgive himself for forgetting her? Whatever this pull Lola had over him was, he would have to fight it. She was his mission. He would protect her because, if he was being honest with himself, he cared about her. She affected him, relieved his scarred mind. But he would never forget his Lizzie again. She deserved better than that.

“Oh,” she said in surprise.

Rob escorted Lola back to her brownstone and parked on the street outside the front of her home. He admired the luxurious home in a refined area of Cambridge. He put his hand on her knee and held it in place indicating for her to stay in the car. Cold grey met sapphire as they made eye contact. She felt his piercing eyes look through her. She knew then she would never be able to hide anything from this man. As Rob rounded the car, he admired her home. The wide steps led to a double door with large windows. The remaining wood had been painted black. He opened Lola’s door for her and held out his hand to her. She took his hand and immediately electricity moved through his body. He shook his head – Lizzie. He chastised himself for feeling something. The only person he should be feeling something for is Lizzie. He warred with himself. He had to possess Lola. He had to keep her safe and convince her that he was a good man – a man she could be with. Holding her hand tightly, he helped her out of the vehicle. He looked around, on guard against the dangers that awaited her. When he deemed it safe, he led her by her hand up the stairs to her double door.

“I have to get the key.” She reached down under the mat and pulled out her key.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Rob scoffed at her clichéd hiding place.

“What? No one knows it’s here.”

“Are you kidding me? That’s the first place people look,” he admonished her. Her face flushed and heated under his look of disapproval.
What was it about him that made her want to please him in all things, even something so small as where she kept her key?

Rob shook his head as Lola unlocked the door. She had one lock on the outside of the door, which was a deadbolt, to her credit. One would think her father would want more security for his daughter after the temper tantrum he had thrown today.

She unlocked the deadbolt, opened the double door, and they stepped inside to the vestibule. She used the key to unlock the second deadbolt on the hardwood double door which protected her home from the outside world. She pushed her shoes, which were two sizes too big for her, off of her feet and placed them in the closet in the vestibule. She looked at Rob.

“Sorry, but we may need to move. My shoes stay on my feet. And as soon as we are inside, you are putting on a pair yourself.” He smiled to please her. She nodded, understanding he was just trying to stay prepared. They stepped through the second set of doors into one of the most luxurious homes Rob had ever seen. Her daddy was definitely paying for this, or she had money of her own.

“Are you renting?” he inquired curious as to her financial state.

“No. Daddy insisted he purchase it for me if I was going to live here, in Cambridge.”

He was immediately taken in by the earth tones which adorned the walls and the plush carpet that matched exactly. The floor plan was an open one. Standing in her living room, he could see a working fireplace which embellished the right wall before the staircase. Her lush furniture was perfectly positioned in her living room creating a classic space for entertaining. She had a coffee table in the middle of a couch, a love seat, and a recliner. He wondered which seat was her favorite. He noticed she did not have a television in her living room. Odd. That’s when he turned his head and looked to the left wall where she had four book shelves filled with books that appeared to have been read over and over again judging by the worn and cracked spines.

“No TV?”

“I like to read.” She looked adoringly at her makeshift library. One day she would have a real library. But for now, these shelves that housed her favorite escapes would have to do.

Beyond the bookshelves and past the living room was her dining area. She had leather padded chairs surrounding a glass table top. As Rob moved closer, he could see the intricate leaf pattern that served as the base of the table. He admired the look. Everything went together in her home.

“Did you decorate yourself?”

“Yes. I insisted. Daddy wanted to hire someone, but I refused. As you can imagine, he wasn’t happy about that.”

“I like your place. It has a homey, calm feel to it.”

“Thank you,” she said as her cheeks flushed for the second time that morning.

Finally, at the back of the home was her kitchen. It was filled with state-of-the-art appliances all in stainless steel giving it a professional quality. It wasn’t a large kitchen, but it was high end. Rob could tell remembering when he priced appliances to redo his kitchen.

Lizzie. The way they had spent time painstakingly decorating their home together. The fun they had at Home Depot picking out appliances and cabinetry. Her laugh. He bowed his head as the memory hit him. He rocked back on his feet and shoved his hands into his pockets.

“What’s wrong?” Lola asked noticing his change in demeanor.

“Just thinking.”

“You look like you just lost your best friend,” she said as she approached him cautiously. She now stood in his personal space. The air around her crackled to life with energy and electricity. She could feel the tension, the energy between them. She wanted to calm him. She wanted to please him. She wanted to remove that sad, hopeless look from his face. She touched his arm and he jumped. He was brought from his misery back into the light. His eyes met hers and he stared unabashedly. She felt the heat, the fire, of his stare. She ran her hand lovingly down his arm towards his hand which was still in his pocket. When she reached it, she tugged it free and took it in hers. She didn’t know what came over her, but she brought his hand up to her mouth and placed a gentle, soft kiss, brushing her lips over the skin on the back of his hand. He instinctually stepped closer to her. She took his hand and used it to caress her face. She rubbed the back side of his hand over her cheek.

“Don’t,” he cautioned. “I’m broken.”

“It’s okay. I don’t mean to fix you,” she said as she brought his hand back down to his side and held it in hers.

“I need to look around. See what I need to keep you safe.” He had to escape her presence. He felt the tension, the energy, the electricity between them so thick, he didn’t know how he resisted not taking her in his arms and kissing her until she forgot everything but him. But, he could not betray Lizzie. He jerked from her and moved to the stairs.

“Is it okay if I check out the upstairs? I need to see the breaches in security you have in this place.”

“Sure.”

He made his way up the rounding stair case. He came to the first room on the right – her bedroom. He inhaled deeply the smell of honeysuckle, so sweet and fragrant. He looked around and found she had windows that could be accessed from the fire escape. The fire escape is probably why she chose this bedroom, but from a security standpoint, it was extremely dangerous. Her bed was adorned with a lavender comforter and matching throw pillows. He never understood throw pillows. Lizzie had them on their bed, too. She had two dressers, each dark mahogany to match her bedframe. She had a king sleigh bed. His thoughts drifted to her sleeping in the bed. What he would give to wake her up with gentle kisses and nuzzle her neck, all the while inhaling her sweet fragrance, touching her soft skin. He imagined the way her body would feel under his. She was toned yet soft in the right places. He wanted to feel her ride him as he cupped her firm ass with one hand and her breast with the other. She was a remarkably beautiful woman, incredibly athletic. He was too broken for her. She deserved someone better. He shook his head and made his way back into the hallway.

The next room he encountered was the bathroom. It was spacious and luxurious like the rest of her brownstone. He found the same earth tones here as he did in the rest of the home. In fact, every room had a complimentary earth tone color. All except her bedroom, painted a shade of lavender to compliment her bed spread.

When he finished assessing her security or lack thereof, he returned to her in the living room. The secret of her favorite seat was now exposed as she sat on the couch’s right hand side with a book in her hand. He approached so quietly, she never looked up from her book. He stood there a moment drinking in her beauty. Her long hair was draped over her shoulder, out of her way.
Was she a natural blonde?

“You have some serious security issues with your home. For instance, anyone can enter your bedroom through the fire escape stairs and platform.” She looked up, startled by his presence. She hadn’t heard him enter the room.

“You’re the expert. What does that mean?” She wasn’t stupid, she knew exactly what that meant, but for some reason she had to hear it come from him.

“That means my job is going to be a lot harder. Why didn’t your father pay to have some high-tech security installed in your place?”

“I didn’t want it. I want to live like a normal person.”

“Well, until my team can neutralize the Ortiz Cartel, we will have to get a system installed – with cameras.”

“Okay.” She stood and walked to him. Once she was in his space, she held out her hand. “Can I borrow your cell phone please? I need to call my father to have him install his precious security system.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. When he handed it to her, their fingers brushed and the electricity that coursed between them caused both of their heads to rise and their eyes to meet. She bit her bottom lip. He groaned silently. He wanted to nibble her bottom lip, so plump, so red, so ripe.

After she asked her daddy for the system, she handed the phone to Rob.

“Yes sir. I understand. Tonight, that would be great. Yes sir. The sooner, the better.” He pressed the end button and looked to Lola. “They will be here in a few hours to install the system. Are you hungry? I’m starving. I don’t remember the last time I ate.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean. I haven’t eaten a solid meal in weeks. Shall we go out? I don’t have anything here.” She motioned to the kitchen.

“Let’s hit the grocery store, and I will cook us something. Do you like broiled Mahi Mahi with arugula?

“I love Mahi Mahi. It’s one of my favorites. But I can cook it. You don’t have to. You’re here for a different reason.”

“I don’t mind. I enjoy cooking.”

“Why don’t we cook it together?” she suggested meeting his eyes with her hopeful ones. It was very important to show him she wasn’t a spoiled princess.

Could he do this? Could he cook with another woman? A woman who wasn’t his Lizzie? He looked into her eyes and saw the hope and excitement there. He couldn’t let her down. “Sure. We can do that.” He bowed his head and wiped at his nose. He was reliving the times he and Lizzie cooked together, too numerous to count. He rubbed the heel of his palm against his chest to rub out the pain of her memory. He tried to push the memories of Lizzie to the back of his mind, but he knew only alcohol could do that. Alcohol and now his Lola.