Kitabı oku: «The Protectors»

CHAPTER ONE

Five months later

“WHERE ARE WE GOING, Stonewall? This is not the way to my house.”

Stonewall Courson brought the car to a stop at a traffic light and glanced at Joy Ingram. They had attended Striker and Margo’s wedding together, and she was right. This was not the way back to her home. She was staring at him with those beautiful brown eyes that had the ability to send desire twisting in his gut and give his libido a high five whenever their gazes locked for any length of time. He would never forget the first time he’d looked into them and been totally mesmerized.

A sensual mist seemed to surround them whether they were alone or in a crowd. Those vapors were in full force now and had been from the moment he’d picked up her from her home earlier today. Stonewall had always known sexual chemistry was a powerful thing. He hadn’t known just how powerful until he’d met Joy. Now he was tuned to her every breath.

Looking at her lips, he was entranced by the memory of their one and only kiss. He could recall every lip-licking detail. Just the thought sent a needy rush through his veins and made sexual excitement curl in his stomach. That single kiss was all it had taken to deeply embed her in his system. But then, he would admit the scent of her was mind-boggling, as well. In the small confines of the car, he breathed in her sensual aroma. She was wearing the same fragrance she had the night they’d met. It had been hypnotic then and it was hypnotic now.

He couldn’t help but smile. It hadn’t taken her long to notice he was driving in the opposite direction of where she lived. Joy was a cop, after all—a detective. Being observant and perceptive and paying attention to detail were essential parts of her job.

Today she was off the clock and she was with him. He didn’t want her in cop mode. He much preferred having the element of surprise on his side. He’d known when he’d decided on this plan of action that it wouldn’t be easy, given the astute person that she was. But he was determined to pull it off anyway.

“No, this is not the way to your house,” he finally said. “Where we’re going is a surprise.” He decided to at least tell her that much.

“A surprise?”

He liked the way her brows shot up whenever she received new information. “Yes, Joy, a surprise.”

He liked her name. Something about it, especially whenever he said it, made him think of pleasure, contentment and sexual bliss. They had met six months ago, at a charity function at Charlottesville’s Martin Luther King Jr. Performing Arts Center. While standing in a group conversing with friends, he’d glanced around the room and seen her.

Actually, he’d caught her staring, checking him out. And she’d been pretty damn bold, not stopping when their gazes connected. He’d boldly checked her out in return, and had definitely liked what he’d seen. She was a beautiful woman. And the silky-looking emerald green dress she’d worn that night had complemented her body and clung to her curves. It had showcased a pair of gorgeous long legs in a pair of gold stilettos.

He’d even liked the way she’d worn her dark brown hair that night, chin-length and cut into a trendy and sassy style. But then, he would admit that he liked how she wore it now, as well. It was a lot longer and fluttered against her face while falling in fluffy waves to her shoulders. And speaking of her face... He would admit to having a thing for her high cheekbones, sable-brown complexion, straight nose and rounded chin.

On that night, even from across the room, the sexual chemistry had flared between them, nearly tripping his pulse and definitely stirring his libido in all kinds of ways. His attraction to her was stronger than any he’d ever felt, and he knew there was no way he would leave the charity ball without learning her identity. In less than twenty minutes he’d finagled an introduction. And the strange thing was, he’d always had an intense dislike for cops. At least, he had...until her.

“And since it’s a surprise, that means you won’t be getting any more information out of me,” he added, studying her outfit. He thought the blue lace dress she was wearing today looked good on her. Sexy as hell. Clinging to her curves as if they were a lifeline. Definitely his link to sensual fantasies. He’d told her more than once today just how nice she looked.

This was only his second time seeing her in something other than a pair of dark slacks and a nondescript button-up shirt. He knew that as a police detective, she intentionally downplayed her beauty. But her looks and curves were things that couldn’t be hidden no matter what she wore.

“Normally I don’t like surprises.”

The corners of his mouth twitched in another smile. That’s what he’d heard from one reliable source, but he intended to make sure she liked this one. “Just keep an open mind, Joy. I decided it was time for our first official date.”

“I thought attending Striker and Margo’s wedding together was our first official date.”

Turning his eyes back to the road when the traffic light turned green, he said, “Attending the wedding with me doesn’t constitute a date.”

“And why not?”

He quickly stole a look at her in time to see her brows shoot up again. “Because you were invited to the wedding anyway. We just happened to ride in the same car together.”

She chuckled, and the feminine sound stirred something deep within him, assaulting his senses in ways he definitely wasn’t used to. “I guess that’s a different way to look at it, Stonewall.” The way she said his name, in that sexy voice, made his insides shiver.

He knew how her mind worked. Already she was trying to figure out where they were going and what he was up to. His goal was to get her to relax and be comfortable with him. He didn’t want her to think of work. All he wanted her to think about was him, just like he was thinking only of her.

On four different occasions since meeting six months ago, they’d made plans to go out on a date. However, each and every time those plans got canceled due to their work schedules. His job as a bodyguard for Summers Security Firm took him away from Charlottesville quite a lot. And hers as a police detective kept her busy solving homicides.

Whenever he was in town and their busy schedules allowed, they would meet up at a café on Monroe Street for doughnuts and coffee or grab a beer at Shady Reds Bar and Grill. However, as far as he was concerned, those brief good-to-see-you-again-and-goodbye-until-next-time encounters didn’t constitute dates, either. Since meeting Joy, even though he’d never gone out with her, he hadn’t been able to muster interest in any other woman. A part of him felt he wouldn’t be able to move on until that changed, which was why he was taking her on a real date. A date that was long overdue.

“So, what do you have planned for this date, Stonewall?”

He chuckled. “Like I said, it’s a surprise and I’m not answering any more questions, Detective, so let’s talk about something else.”

She didn’t say anything for a minute and then, as if she’d decided to concede—for now—she said, “Margo was such a beautiful bride, wasn’t she? And her wedding gown! OMG! It was simply gorgeous, and to think, she designed it herself.”

Good. Stonewall figured if he kept her talking, chances were she wouldn’t think about where they were going. Hopefully she would let her guard down and relax. Joy had met Margo while working a case that had her racing against time trying to solve a deadly puzzle that had placed Margo’s life in danger.

“Yes, Margo looked beautiful and her gown was gorgeous,” he agreed. “Striker is a lucky man. Margo’s a lucky woman. I’m glad they have each other.”

Stonewall truly meant it, although he still found it hard to believe that Striker Jennings, one of his two best friends, had gotten married that day. Like him, Striker had enjoyed his life as a single man too much to think about getting serious with any one woman. Until Striker was assigned as a bodyguard to protect Margo Connelly. The man Stonewall figured would never fall in love had done that very thing.

The same held true for his other best friend, Quasar Patterson, who was engaged to marry a woman by the name of Randi Fuller. After both his friends married, that would leave him as the lone bachelor with all the women. However, Joy was the only woman he thought about. Constantly.

“I thought it was pretty neat how both of Margo’s uncles walked her down the aisle.”

“I thought so, too,” Stonewall agreed. “Margo’s quick acceptance of Roland into her life is special.”

Roland Summers. CEO of Summers Security Firm and his boss as well as a man he considered a good friend. Years ago, Roland had been a cop for the Charlottesville Police Department when he’d discovered some of his fellow officers on the take. Before he could blow the whistle, he’d been framed for murder and sentenced to prison for fifteen years. Roland’s wife, Becca, had refused to accept Roland’s fate and worked hard to get him a new trial. In retaliation, the dirty cops had killed not only Becca but also Roland’s half brother and sister-in-law—Margo’s parents.

“Roland looks good. It’s hard to believe that only six months ago he was in the hospital, fighting for his life.”

Roland had been shot earlier that year in an attempted carjacking. Just so happened, it was the same night that Stonewall and Joy had met.

“And it was good seeing Randi again,” Joy said.

Randi was a psychic investigator. She and Joy had met earlier this year when the two worked together to solve the very case involving Margo. Several people lost their lives before the assassin had been taken down. Stonewall had never believed in psychic powers until meeting Randi. Her help on the case had been instrumental and had made a believer out of him.

“I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for Randi,” Joy continued. “I will never forget the day she saved my life.”

Stonewall nodded. From what he’d heard, Joy had been about to drink a cup of coffee tainted with poison. Luckily, thanks to her psychic powers, Randi had detected it and stopped Joy just seconds before it was too late.

“Randi and Quasar look good together,” Joy added. “And just the thought that they’re engaged is wonderful.”

Stonewall smiled in agreement, happy that for the time being, Joy was so caught up in the wedding and the people she’d seen that day that she’d temporarily forgotten she had no idea where they were going.

“And Carson Granger looks simply radiant pregnant,” he heard Joy add. “So do Caden Granger’s wife, Shiloh, and Dalton’s wife, Jules. I can’t believe there are three pregnant women in the same family and all due around the same time. How cool is that? Sheppard Granger will definitely have his hands full becoming a father and grandfather.”

Stonewall couldn’t help chuckling. Shep’s wife, Carson, would be having a baby in a few weeks, around the same time that two of his sons’ wives would be having theirs. “Yes, Shep will definitely have his hands full. But if anyone can handle an expanded family with ease, it would be Shep,” he said of the man he considered a father figure and mentor.

Dalton, Shep’s youngest son, was almost twenty-nine. That meant Shep would be starting all over with the diapers, preschool, high school, college...practically everything. Like Roland, Shep had been locked up for fifteen years for a crime he didn’t commit, and if starting over in fatherhood was what he wanted, then Stonewall was happy for him.

When Joy ran out of people to discuss from the wedding, he kept the conversation going by telling her about his recent trips to Dubai, Australia, Thailand and Cape Town. His extensive travels were part of his job assignment to protect wealthy businessman Dakota Navarro, who preferred to be called Dak. Over the past six months, his and Dak’s relationship had moved beyond that of client and bodyguard to good friends.

Stonewall brought the car to a stop. “Well, here we are.”

He watched as Joy looked out the window before glancing back at him. “A private jet?”

He smiled. “Yes, and no, it’s not mine. It’s belongs to Dakota Navarro. He loaned it to me.”

She lifted a brow. “Loaned it to you.”

“Yes, he loaned me the plane and the pilot.”

“Why?”

Stonewall unsnapped his seat belt and smiled at her. “Because he’s aware of how I’ve been looking forward to finally taking you out on a real date. Dak’s also aware that jet-setting around the world protecting him is one of the reasons I couldn’t do so. He figured the least he could do was help our romance along.”

“Our romance?”

“Yes.” There was no need to tell her that romance hadn’t been the word Dak used. The international playboy and businessman considered each date with a woman as a conquest of the most sexual kind.

“And just where is this jet supposed to be taking us?”

“Martha’s Vineyard. I’ve made reservations for dinner.” Anticipating her next question, he added, “And I promise to have you home before midnight.”