“No problem. Come on in.”
Kat followed him into the cabin, did a quick scan and immediately relaxed.
The interior of the cabin looked exactly like hers except for the random male paraphernalia and surprising presence of picture frames on the fireplace mantle and end tables. He’d apparently brought photos with him of his family or friends. At a glance she could see he was in most of them, with a variety of different people. A fire burned softly in the fireplace and Bella, who was sleeping in front of it, didn’t even open her eyes at Kat’s entrance.
“It’s really cozy in here,” she told him.
“Yeah, I like it. I’m not sure how long I’ll be here, so I figured I might as well make it livable.”
“I’m Kat. And I’m really sorry to bother you.”
“No bother, Kat,” he said. “I’m Luke. Do you have the rental company’s number?”
She did. Inside the cabin with her paperwork. She glanced at the door, dreading having to go back to her place.
Luke swiped his phone off an end table, fiddled with the buttons, then handed it to her. “Here you go. I called the rental company earlier so you can just hit the green button.”
“Um…thanks.” She activated the call, sighing when the line just kept ringing. Finally, she disengaged the call, then handed him the phone. “No answer.”
“Maybe their power is out, too. We can try back in a bit. Until then, if you’d like, why don’t you have a seat?”
“I don’t want to disturb you when you were reading.” She looked around and saw a pile of paperbacks on a bookshelf. “Maybe I can just read with you?”
“Sure.”
Biting her lip, Kat hesitated once more, then told herself she was being ridiculous.
The guy’s dog was asleep by the fire and he’s wearing reading glasses, for God’s sake. There’s a difference between being cautious and paranoid. Remember that, Kat!
“Thanks,” she said. She picked out a mystery novel, then walked over to settle into a plush rocking chair while he took a seat in a high-backed recliner. He smiled at her, pushed his glasses back up on his nose and started reading. As if he really didn’t care one way or another that she was there.
Talk about a dose of humility for the big Hollywood actress.
She started reading, too. At least, she pretended to, but she couldn’t really keep her mind on the beginning paragraphs.
She stole a glance at the photos on the table next to her. One showed Luke with an older woman by his side. He had on a tailored designer suit. The woman was a lot smaller than him but he was over six feet tall, so that wasn’t saying much. She had gray hair and the same silver eyes. They stood in front of a big, white house and Kat found herself wondering if it was the home he’d grown up in.
In another picture, Luke stood next to several other men. The one closest to him had brawny arms covered with tattoos. The other men varied in height, but they all had that same aura Luke had—tough, strong, and kick-ass yet with kindness and humor shining in their eyes.
She glanced at Luke, who was still reading.
Yes, definitely tough, strong and kick-ass.
And sexy.
No, not just sexy. Panty-dropping sexy.
That sexiness stemmed, in large part, from the fact that he wasn’t even trying. She studied his face, letting her eyes linger on the hard planes and angles of it. His lips were almost sinfully full, and his lashes fell, thick and fan-like, as he read his book.
He looked up and caught her watching him.
Warmth crept into her cheeks and tried to cover for it with a smile. “What are you reading?”
He held his book up.
“Oh! I love Aaron Price. He does great characterization and his pacing always keeps me glued to the pages.”
“Really? I didn’t think he was popular with many women.”
She shrugged. “He might not be.”
“What are you reading?” he asked her.
She held up her book.
A slow easy grin spread across his face. “I just finished that one. It’s really good. She’s one of my favorites.”
“Mine too,” she said.
He smiled again then went back to reading his book. Kat pretended to read hers. After a short time, she felt lulled into a feeling of security that she didn’t want to end. She realized that she felt more comfortable sitting in silence with this man than she had with anyone else in a very long time.
* * *
As he sat next to Kat, pretending to read his book, Luke felt more than a twinge of guilt for what he’d done—disabling Kat’s power anticipating that she’d eventually come over to his place for help. Guilt aside, his plan had worked. She was here. She was safe. And she was just as beautiful close up as she’d been from afar.
Now, he simply had to let her take in all the homey, non-threatening props he’d set up. It was tough, but he was deliberately ignoring Kat, seemingly engrossed in his book, figuring it would ease her mind and even intrigue her when he not only failed to recognize her, but also failed to fawn over her the way he suspected most people did. However, it was getting more difficult to appear unaffected by her now that he could feel her gaze on him. And given he’d seen the flare of mutual attraction there several times.
An attraction that once again had him wrestling with his conscience. He’d initially turned down the job of protecting her because he hadn’t wanted to cross a professional line or jeopardize her safety because of his feelings for her. But the fact was, his attraction to her
was
influencing his actions now. Why else would he be here, seeing to her safety when it was actually none of his damn business?
But business or not, he wanted her safe and this was the only way he could think of to make that happen. Given her aversion to bodyguards, given what had happened with Myers’s man, given the way she’d cut off contact with her manager and isolated herself out here, he couldn’t risk her blowing him off or running away. So he was choosing to deceive her for now.
Eventually he’d have to tell her why he was really here, but not until the time was right. Not until she trusted him and he knew she wasn’t going to run, putting herself in potential danger.
When she seemed to be engrossed in her book again, Luke stole a sideways glance at her. Her features were delicate, her skin flawless. Most redheads had pale skin that became red and blotchy with weather and emotion and touch, but Kat’s skin was smooth and a creamy light tan. Since he’d arrived in Tahoe, he and his men had set up surveillance measures, asked questions, checked out the surrounding neighbors—but he couldn’t deny that while he’d done so, he’d spent a lot of time imagining what she would look and feel like naked, sweaty and underneath him.
If he was being completely honest with himself, there was another reason he wanted to spend time with Kat without her knowing he was a bodyguard. He wanted to get to know her when she wasn’t the actress, scared, annoyed, or otherwise.
He’d felt something similar that first day he saw her, only he’d rejected it.
He had to keep doing so. No matter how much his brain teased him with the possibility that this was a woman he could care about, he had to remember why he was here. To make sure she was safe.
End of story.
Thirty minutes passed before Luke suddenly sat up, put his book down, and stretched out his arms and shoulders. His biceps bulged and Kat’s only regret was that she was forced to watch him out of the corner of her eye so he wouldn’t catch her gawking. She’d much prefer getting a good long look at him. And asking him to strip so she could inspect him even more thoroughly.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “It just occurred to me that I should have offered to take a look at your fuse box. I think my head was still in my book,” he said with a sheepish grin.
Kat found it endearing how he seemed to be so strong yet somewhat absent-minded. It made him seem less intimidating. More approachable.
“Would you like me to go over and do that now?”
Kat thought about it, but it was cold outside. Plus, she’d calmed down and knew she’d let her imagination run away with her earlier. She needed to get back to her cabin and prove she could handle things on her own, no matter how badly it might scare her. “No, I don’t want to send you out in the cold. Let me call the rental agency again. If there’s still no answer, I’ll just head back, start the fireplace in the bedroom, and try again in the morning. I appreciate you letting me hang out here…”
“It was nice to have a reading companion,” he said with a grin. “How about I make you something to eat before you head back. Are you hungry?”
As if it had taken on a life of its own, her stomach growled. She laughed. “I was going to say no, but I guess I am. I left my salad and soup when I came over here. Would you like some help?”
“Nope. Why don’t you make that call?” he said as he stood.
This time, she couldn’t stop her gaze from roaming over him. He looked like he’d been sculpted out of marble, the lines of his face and body sharp and masculine.
It was like trying to look away from a priceless work of art in a museum.
Impossible.
He headed into the kitchen and she watched his impressive backside disappear around the corner. Shaking her head to clear it, she used his phone to call the rental office. Again, there was no answer.
“You like sandwiches?” he called from the kitchen.
“Sure.”
“Turkey with mayo and mustard?”
She thought about all the men who’d wined and dined her at fancy restaurants over the years and smiled. “Perfect.”
With a sigh, she settled back in her chair and closed her eyes, soaking in the peace and quiet.
“Here you go,” he said a minute later.
She blinked her eyes open. He handed her a paper plate with a sandwich on it. Their fingers touched and electricity raced through her veins. She wasn’t sure, but she thought he might have shuddered.
Does he feel the connection too, then?
“Thank you,” she said, putting the plate down in front of her and taking the coffee cup he offered next. “The rental office didn’t answer.”
He nodded, then went back to his chair, sat down, and they ate in companionable silence.
As refreshing as it was, it unnerved her how comfortable he was not talking. Wasn’t he at all curious about her? Did he find her attractive? Did it even enter his mind to ask if she was single? To ask her out? Was he waiting for her to make the first move in that direction? Did she want to?
Yes, she did.
She was gathering the courage to ask him if he was here alone, if he had a girlfriend, when she caught movement out of the corner of her eye. Bella was awake and stretching.
“Well, look who’s up,” Luke said. “She must have smelled the turkey, little glutton.”
Kat patted her knee. “Hi, Bella! Hi, girl!”
Bella padded over and nuzzled right up against her. “Is she always so friendly or is this about the turkey?”
“To be honest, the turkey probably helps.”
“Can she have a little bite?”
“Sure, if you want. Don’t let her pressure you into it though. I’m ashamed of you, Bella, begging in front of company.”
Kat giggled. Bella didn’t look a bit ashamed, however, as Kat broke off a piece of her sandwich and put it in the dog’s mouth. “Luke—” she began, just as he stood to gather their plates.
“Let me clean this stuff up. You’re welcome to stay a bit longer and read with me.”
She hesitated, disappointment filling her. Maybe she’d just been imagining the connection between them. How strong could it be if he wanted to get back to his book again so quickly? Regardless, she found she wasn’t quite ready to return to her dark cabin. “Uh. Sure.”
Your book, Kat. Concentrate on your book.
She stared at the pages, not even seeing the words. Instead, she found herself once again thinking about her career and the benefits of giving it up. If she did, it would be easier to have more nights like this, sitting by a fire with a handsome man, reading books. But only until it was time to head to bed to do something far sexier than reading.
Hmmm.
She took a quick glance at Luke. Her eyes wandered over him. His strong jaw, broad shoulders, big hands and muscled thighs.
She closed her eyes and pictured herself leading Luke into the bedroom, his big hand in hers. They’d look out on the canyon with the sparkling lights of the casinos in the distance, knowing they’d cast a glow across their bodies as they made love. She’d stand on her tiptoes and slide those little reading glasses off his face. Then she’d toss them onto the nightstand and lift her arms as he pulled her blouse off. He’d kiss her, sucking her lower lip into his mouth, tangling his tongue with hers. She’d feel his hard length against her hip, confirming how badly he wanted her. His strong hands would run down her back, his fingers kneading her flesh. She’d let her hips grind into him while she lifted the bottom of his shirt, pushing it up so that she could admire his hard chest.
“Take off your jeans,” he’d command, and she’d shimmy out of them even as he stripped, too. She’d enjoy her unobstructed view of his beautiful erection until he pulled her against him, kissing her as he reached back to find the catch of her bra. Once he unhooked it, her breasts would tumble out and he’d pull her in tight so that her nipples grazed his chest…
Kat bit her lip and shifted in her seat. She squeezed her thighs together, trying to stifle her desire. She concentrated on her breathing and before she knew it, desire had settled back into a warm, cozy feeling.
Sometime later, she woke up, covered with the afghan that had been draped over the back of the couch. The fire was out. Luke and Bella were gone. Pushing herself up, she took a few steps towards the hall. All the doors were closed but a dim light burned underneath one of them. He must have gone to bed.
Kat folded the afghan and put it over the back of the couch, then looked out the front window towards her own cabin. The lights were back on. Biting her lip, she glanced around until she spotted a small pad and pen to write Luke a note.
Thank you so much!
She hesitated, and then wrote
: