Vulnerable: (McIntyre Security Bodyguard Series - Book 1) (3 page)

When the young couple seated around the table got up and walked away, leaving Beth alone, Shane did the unthinkable. He took the seat directly across from her.

She was so engrossed in her book, she didn’t even seem to notice that someone had sat down at the table.
Damn it!
Someone needed to teach this girl to be more aware of her surroundings.

Sitting so close to her now, he had no trouble reading the title of her book. An anthology of spanking stories?
Really? 
His dick shot hard as a pole, and he had to shift in his chair to ease the pressure in his trousers. Never in a million years would he have guessed that little Miss Jamison liked a bit of kink. It was almost enough to make him rethink his stance on innocent little blonds.

As Shane watched her, he noted her flushed cheeks and quick breaths. She was getting aroused! He almost had a heart attack when her tongue slipped out to wet her bottom lip.
Fuck!

She shifted restlessly in her seat, and he couldn’t take his eyes off her. Watching her body’s response to that damned book was causing him serious physical pain. He had to cross one ankle over his knee to hide the obvious erection tenting his trousers. Honestly, he wasn’t a stalker, but right now he sure as hell felt like one.

The girl was lost in her own world, completely oblivious to the fact that his gaze was locked on her like a heat seeking missile locked onto a bonfire. It was a good thing Tyler had hired protection for her, because she was doing a lousy job of taking care of herself. He could be anyone sitting here ogling her. Hell, he could be Howard Kline, and she probably wouldn’t have noticed.

Suddenly Shane wanted to get her attention. He wanted to see those exquisite eyes on him. He wanted to see those lush lips turn up in a shy smile. But more than anything, he wanted to hear her voice.

And that was when he made his second mistake of the evening.

“Is that a good book?” he said.

Beth flinched at the unfamiliar male voice, low and tinged with amusement. A rush of liquid heat surged through her, pooling low in her belly. She was already aroused from reading stories about bare-bottom, over-the-knee spankings, and that provocative male voice had just tipped her right over the edge. As her hands started shaking, she kept her gaze fixed on the book in her lap.

Please don’t be talking to me.

She could see in her peripheral vision that the chairs on either side of her were vacant. So she peeked up under her lashes and cringed when she saw the tip of a man’s black loafer and a bit of charcoal trouser leg across the table from her. It was just the two of them seated at the table, so of course he was talking to her! He had to be.

Oh my God, just kill me now.

Her pulse started racing, and her chest tightened. She pulled in a deep, shaky breath in an attempt to stem her sudden rush of anxiety.

Closing the book, she laid it face down on her lap and covered it with both hands, feeling just like a kid who’d been caught with her hand in the cookie jar.
Busted!

She kept her eyes glued to her lap, because she couldn’t bear to look a complete stranger in the face – let alone one who knew she was reading erotica.

Of course it had to be spanking stories she’d been caught reading. That was her deep, dark secret. There had to be something seriously wrong with her. She was an intelligent, educated woman with a bachelor’s degree in literature and a master’s degree in library science, and yet she secretly got off reading about girls having their bottoms spanked.

This was beyond mortifying, and she didn’t know what to do. Maybe if she simply ignored him, he’d get the hint and go away.

No such luck.

“I’m sorry if I embarrassed you.”

The sound of his voice made her tremble, and her heart was beating so hard now she could feel her pulse pounding in her throat. Why couldn’t the floor just open up and swallow her whole?
Right now. Please.
And why did he have to have a voice like a sex god? It was low and just a little bit rough. Just the sound of it made her belly quiver.

“Hello? Miss?”

In the end, it was his gentle persistence that was her undoing. She glanced up and found herself ensnared by the sight of him: short, thick hair the color of fine chocolate – slightly tousled as if he’d run his hands through it – a sexy five-o’clock shadow on a handsome face with a strong jawline and a perfect blade of a nose. Leaning back in his chair, dressed in a charcoal suit and white dress shirt, sans tie, he looked like a disreputable heart-throb on the cover of
GQ
. A pair of striking, electric blue eyes held her gaze as he waited for her reply.

God, no man should have such beautiful eyes.

She knew she was staring, but she couldn’t help herself.

And then he offered her the most disarming smile she’d ever seen on a man... a perfect, slightly crooked smile that set butterflies loose in her belly.

“Hello,” he said. He rose from his chair and reached across the table to offer her his hand. “Shane McIntyre.”

The top button of his shirt was undone, and Beth could see a hint of brown chest hair peeking through the opening. Given the suit and shirt, he looked like he’d just come from the office. If so, he must have had a really long day as it was nearly ten o’clock in the evening. He looked at her expectantly, his hand hanging patiently in the air as he waited for her to take it.

She felt like an idiot as she sat there staring at him, still trying to get over the fact that this guy was even talking to her. What did he say his name was? She racked her brain and came up blank. She’d be lucky to remember her own name, let alone his.

Eventually, her engrained good manners prompted her to reach out and clasp his hand, which was warm and dry in hers. His grip was firm, yet gentle, and when he gave her hand a little squeeze, a tingle shot up her arm. She released his hand abruptly, as if she’d been burned by the contact, but he held on to her hand. When he smiled again, the corners of his blue eyes crinkled with tiny laugh lines.

She swallowed, her throat dry. What was he waiting for?
Oh, right. Her name.
“I’m Beth.” Her voice was little more than a husky whisper.

When she attempted to pull her hand free from his, he released hers and sat back down. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Beth.”

Just hearing him say her name did something wickedly wonderful to her insides. Her heart beat frantically, though. God, why did she have to be like this? For the millionth time, she wished she was more like Gabrielle. Gabrielle would smile and flirt with him and not think twice about it. Instead, Beth sat there trapped in her own insecurities, poised to run.

 She felt the tell-tale signs of rising panic as her chest constricted painfully and her heart pounded. The adrenalin rush had started, and it was fight-or-flight time. And for her, that meant flight. She carefully laid the spanking book face down on the table with the rest of the books she’d picked up and shot to her feet, clutching her purse. “Excuse me. I have to go.”

As she walked past him, Shane reached out and gently caught her hand. “Beth, wait. Please.”

She froze, staring at the long fingers that enveloped her hand. He wasn’t hurting her; in fact, he wasn’t exerting much pressure at all, and yet she felt utterly trapped.

“Don’t go,” he said, rising to his feet.

Now that he was standing, she realized how tall he was. He had to be at least six feet tall, maybe taller. His shoulders filled his suit jacket well. For that matter, his entire body filled his suit well. Just looking at him made her flush with heat from head to toe.

“Stay a while,” he said. “Why don’t you join me in the café? Can I buy you a cup of coffee? Or a bite to eat, if you’re hungry. Whatever you’d like.”

He gave her an encouraging smile, and she just stood there staring at him.

She looked down at their joined hands, and when she tried to pull her hand free, he released it.

“Sorry,” he said, giving her that damnably charming smile once more.

She looked away as her chest constricted painfully. The last thing she needed was to have a full-blown panic attack in public. She wanted so desperately to stay, just for a little while, but she didn’t dare. She already knew how it would end.

“It’s getting late,” she said, looking away. “I really should go.”

“Please don’t,” he said. “I didn’t mean to chase you off. I’m sorry.”

She felt a delicious fluttering low in her belly, and she was so tempted to try. But she knew it would be a waste of time. She shook her head. “No. I’m sorry, I can’t.”

“It’s okay, Beth.”

She looked up at him, astonished by the compassion she heard in his voice. It was almost as if he
knew
. But how could he know? He didn’t even know her! It wasn’t okay!
She
wasn’t okay! She would never be okay.

“I haven’t eaten since lunch,” he said. “Keep me company in the café while I wolf down a sandwich. You don’t even have to talk to me if you don’t want to.”

Was that his idea of a pick-up line? Surprisingly, she laughed. In addition to being drop-dead gorgeous, he was funny, too. Self-deprecating. And kind.

“Take pity on me and say ‘yes,’” he said.

Shane reached for her hand again, and this time she let him hold it, simply because it felt so good. It was such a simple thing, to hold hands with someone, but she honestly couldn’t remember the last time she’d done it.

Her gaze was drawn to the heavy silver watch on his wrist – a Rolex, she noted, with one of those complicated watch faces with the tiny dials that men seemed to love so much. There was a dusting of brown hair on the back of his hand, and his fingers were long and tan, his nails clean and trimmed bluntly at the tips. When she wondered what those long fingers would feel like on her body, her belly clenched tightly.

“Just one sandwich,” he said. “I’ll eat fast, I promise.”

She grinned, unable to help herself. To her surprise, her panic began to subside. His fingers felt so good against hers, so warm and solid. She studied their joined hands, his much larger one engulfing hers.

His thumb slowly stroked the back of her hand, and her erratic heartbeat slowed. Her body was responding to him, to his voice, to his touch. She was shocked when she realized he made her feel...
safe
.

Feeling safe was the one thing she craved more than anything. It was such an elusive goal, always just out of her reach. Right now, she was so desperate to hold on to it that she was willing to take a risk.

“Okay, I’ll stay,” she said. “But just for a little while.”

Chapter 3

Shane strove for nonchalance, but inside he was reeling. It wasn’t just her looks that had knocked him for a loop, although she was probably the most alluring natural beauty he’d ever met. No, it was her presence – the way she’d looked at him, the sound of her voice, her gentle poise. Despite her anxieties, she’d conducted herself with grace, remaining calm on the outside when she was probably anything but calm on the inside. She may be saddled with a lot of anxiety, but she wasn’t a coward.

Her physical response to him had floored him. He’d felt it – the instant attraction between them – clear as day. And on some level, she must have felt it, too. Her cheeks had flushed when he took her hand, and her pupils had dilated. He doubted she was even aware of her response to him, but he sure as hell was.

“Shall we?” he said, endeavoring to dial down his own body’s response. His heart was hammering in his chest, and he needed to redirect his thoughts to something more mundane so his dick would settle down. The last thing he wanted to do was scare her off.

He led her by the hand through the aisles of books toward the café at the front of the store. Her hand felt so small in his, and that stirred up all kinds of protective feelings in him. When she tried to gently extricate her hand from his, he gave hers a reassuring squeeze, but he didn’t release her hand this time. He smiled at her, gauging her reaction. She smiled hesitantly back.

He knew this had to be difficult for her – given her history and her fear of strangers – and he was trying hard not to come on too strong. He should just let her go and walk away, but the impulse to take care of her hit him hard. She reminded him of a wild rabbit, skittish and fearful, ready to flee at the first hint of danger. Damn it, she needed someone to take care of her.

He was naturally a dominant personality. As the eldest of seven children, he’d always been the leader. He’d always looked out for his three younger brothers, defending them from schoolyard bullies, teaching them how to hold their own, when to fight and when to walk away. He’d taught them how to take care of themselves. He’d watched over his three younger sisters, too, keeping a watchful eye on them, threatening their boyfriends with dire consequences if they stepped out of line.

He was a protector at heart, and he liked playing that role. That’s why he started McIntyre Security – to protect people. So he wasn’t surprised to find himself wanting to play that role with Beth.

As they walked through the store, Beth found herself furtively studying Shane. She couldn’t help noticing every little thing about him, like the way he walked with a smooth, confident stride. Like how tall he was – at least half a head taller than she was. She found herself drawn to him, mesmerized. And she wasn’t the only one. Several of the women they passed followed Shane with their eyes. They’d catch a glimpse of him and do a quick double-take, their eyes widening in appreciation and lingering on him. Honestly, she couldn’t blame them. She was finding it difficult not to stare at him.

When a curvy blond in a skin-tight, cobalt blue dress and matching stilettos stepped directly into Shane’s path, he brought them to an abrupt halt, catching Beth when she stumbled.

In her towering heels, the woman was nearly as tall as Shane. She looked him directly in the eye, her ice blue eyes cold and hard as diamonds. When the woman glanced at Beth, she scowled, her kohl-lined eyes narrowing as she assessed Beth from head to toe.