Barefoot With a Bodyguard (15 page)

“Or…Vascular Introduction to Breathing for Essential Success?”

Chuckling, his arm sort of ached to tuck her against him, but no one was around, so he didn’t. “Damn, you’re smart, you know that?”

“You say that like you’re not.”

“I get by, but I’d love to have some of those nineteen-letter words to throw instead of a punch once in a while.”

“You like words,” she said, slowing her step like she’d just discovered something new about him that needed to be over-examined.

“They can be powerful.”

“No kidding,” she agreed. “Words like
shut up
and
go away
and
you’re useless
. Very powerful, but not too difficult.”

He didn’t have to have any of those words spelled out for him to understand what she was telling him. The ex-husband, no doubt. “He hurt you,” he said, almost under his breath.

“Oh, yeah.” She didn’t even try to play it down. “How about you? Who hurt you, Alec?”

“Who hasn’t? Remember I’ve spent a lot of my adult life in a cage or ring, facing an opponent.”

“I meant a woman.”

“No woman’s ever hurt me,” he said quietly. “I told you I’ve never had a serious relationship.”

“But you didn’t tell me why not.”

He shrugged. “I scare ’em off, I guess. You heard Gabe call me Conan.”

“And you let that blowhard bother you?”

He laughed. “He’s calling the shots, remember?”

“How could I forget?” She inched a little closer to him, practically sliding under his arm. Was that the moonlight? The champagne? Or did she really want to cozy up to him?

“Someone’s coming,” she whispered, looking past him.

Oh, that’s what it was. An act.

He replied by putting his arm around her, pulling her body into his, making it fit right against his side, managing not to smile when she slid her arm around his waist.

“Now we’re undercover,” he said.

A couple walked by, similarly arm in arm, but staring at each other, kissing, laughing, kissing some more.

“Not completely, I guess,” she said.

“What does that mean?”

She looked up at him. “It was just an oblique comment,” she said.

“Oblique?” He gave a dry laugh at the word. “The only oblique I know is this.” He gave a squeeze to that very muscle along her side, making her jump and jerk away.

“Hey! What are you—”

He reeled her back in. “Then don’t use words like oblique with your…husband,” he finished, his voice feeling a little rough on the intimacy of that last word.

She shuddered slightly. “Oblique means sideways or kind of ‘off to the side.’”

“Like the muscle,” he said.

“Exactly.” They fell in step again, heading toward the little wooden bridge. Neither one of them talked as they drank in the postcard view, the water still sparkling from the moon, lights under every palm tree giving the whole place the feel of paradise.

“I guess it’s not the worst prison in the world,” she finally said.

“You just have a shitty warden.”

“You’re my cellmate,” she corrected. “The warden is”—her gaze slipped beyond him, peering into the night—“right there.”

He turned to see a man emerging from the shadows near the end of the path by the resort. Even in the dim light, he recognized the lean, rugged physique of Gabe Rossi.

“Time for some more acting?” she asked.

For a second, they stood in an awkward embrace, looking at each other, both aware that in a few seconds, Gabe would likely see them. “It’s time for…” God, he wanted to kiss her. Wanted to just pull her into him and press his mouth on hers. “This.”

He closed his eyes, lowered his face, and pressed his mouth very lightly against hers. So lightly. Barely even there lightly.

But then he felt her hand travel up his arm and slide over his neck, her fingers gripping him tighter and tighter, her mouth pressing harder and harder, and then her lips parted with a quick breath, intensifying the contact.

Fire licked through him as the tip of her tongue flicked over his, and the softest, sweetest whimper escaped from her throat.

Finally, she eased away so slowly he could have sworn she didn’t want to stop that kiss.

Her eyes were still closed, her lips still parted. And Alec’s whole being slipped a little down a slope he shouldn’t have even been near.

“Good acting,” she whispered.

Not on his part. There was no acting involved, but he had to remember that’s all it was for her.

*

What the
hell
was she thinking? Kate
wasn’t
thinking, that was the problem. For such a smart girl, her hardest-working organ had essentially given up the fight to the ones way farther south.

“I like it.” Gabe Rossi came right up to them, a sly grin on his handsome face. “I totally bought that kiss.”

Because it was real. “We aim to please, boss,” Kate said, sounding remarkably composed for how hard her heart was beating.

Next to her, Alec gave an uncomfortable laugh, and she caught him surreptitiously touching his lips, like he needed to check that they were still there. Like maybe he thought she ate them off. Five more seconds, and she might have.

“I’ll say.” Gabe inched closer. “I heard you have a couples massage and a session with the sex guru.”

Kate’s jaw dropped. “How—”

He cut her off. “Never ask how.”

Kate took a second to really look at the man who currently controlled her life. Most women would think Gabe Rossi was too hot for words. Chiseled features, Wedgwood blue eyes with dark lashes, a couple of insane dimples, and a mouth that looked like it knew its way around naughty.

No doubt a man who could get many women to part with their panties. But she had no real desire to throw her arms around
him
and make a fool of herself in the middle of the resort property. The hulking beast next to her? Totally different story.

“Just remember while you’re locked up with the sexologist, you can’t give anyone a reason to suspect you’re not who you say you are,” Gabe said.

“Can’t we just be a less-than-sickeningly-affectionate couple and still be married?” Alec challenged.

Sickeningly affectionate
. Is that what he thought this was? Or maybe he was referring to that kiss. She had damn near shoved half her tongue down his throat and flattened herself against him like she was human cellophane. Was that affection
sickening
?

“No,” Gabe said simply. “Because this is how it works when you’re undercover.” He got closer and pointed to the resort. “First of all, even when no one is around, you’re
acting
.”

“Oh, we are,” Alec assured Gabe.

In other words, that kiss was a total act for him.

“Great,” Gabe said. “And now, I’m
acting
like I’m telling you how to find the place where you check in for the couples massage.”

“Cabana number three,” Alec said.

Gabe closed his eyes quickly. “I know you know, but anyone seeing us talk would think I’m just a guy who works here who’s giving you directions, while in reality we are talking about something else.” Then he put his hands in his pockets and tipped his head as if he were about to ask them a question—where are you from, how are you enjoying your trip—but instead, he spoke through gritted teeth.

“For Christ’s sake, put your fucking arm around her.”

“Why?” Alec asked.

Gabe’s eyes widened like he might explode, but Kate’s heart just took a dip. Damn it, she
wanted
him to put his arm around her. She was damn near dying for it.

“
Why
?” Gabe repeated.

“I mean, if we’re just standing here making it look like we’re getting directions, I would think too much of…that…would be a different kind of red flag,” Alec said.

“Dude.” Gabe slowly lifted his hands. Elegant long fingers, blunt-tipped nails, tanned skin. Alec stared at the other man’s fingers, too.

Without warning, Gabe’s hands slid around Kate’s neck and cupped her jaw. The touch was gentle and gave her a shiver.

“What the hell are you doing?” Alec asked, getting closer.

Kate just stared at Gabe, not sure what she was supposed to do, other than feel super uncomfortable and wish that Alec would make him stop.

“What am I doing?” Gabe asked. “I could be making a move on your incredibly hot wife.” He ran his thumbs along the side of her neck, leaving a surprising blossom of chill bumps over her skin. “Since her husband doesn’t seem to be interested.”

“Stop it,” Alec ground out the words, moving another inch.

But Gabe just pulled her closer to his chest. “Or I could be about to break her neck.”

Instantly, Alec knocked Gabe’s hands away, nearly diving between them to scoop Gabe off the ground. In one heart-stopping move, Alec hoisted the other man over his shoulder with a grunt and took him to the ground, finishing with his knee centimeters from Gabe’s chest.

Gabe looked up, fighting a smile. “Now that’s what I’m talking about, motherfucker.”

Instantly, Alec stepped off and held out a hand to help him up. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be.” Gabe popped to his feet, brushing off and looking from side to side. It happened so fast, and it was dark and isolated enough, that no one had seen. “That’s some sick shit, man. No wonder you don’t carry. You don’t need to.”

Kate took a shuddering breath, drawing both men’s attention. “You okay?” Alec asked, his touch sudden and genuine. “You’re shaking,” he said, squeezing her shoulder.

Yes, she was. But why? Was it fright at the unexpected display of violence or a thrill over just how
hot
it was to watch Alec take down another guy who was equally as strong and powerful, just to protect her. “Just surprised.”

“Sorry,” Alec said, wrapping an arm around her. “That scared you.”

Normally, she would bristle at that kind of condescension. But he felt so strong and protective and…
good
. She tucked herself closer to his side, using the bizarre situation to steal the pleasure of this big, muscular body against hers.

On the other hand, Alec’s victim was unfazed by the little demonstration. Gabe nodded his approval at their cozy posture.

“So here’s why you don’t take your hands, eyes, and mouth off her in public, Brutus,” he said. “You get jealous, okay? You don’t want any man from six to sixty checking out what belongs to
you
.”

Kate waited for an expected ripple of distaste to tear through her, even disgust, at being called anyone’s possession. But it didn’t come. Instead, she actually pressed herself a little closer to him.

“Just like that,” Gabe said, noticing it. “Not only will people stop wondering if you’ll be divorced by Saturday, or start Googling your names to find out who you are, they’ll leave you the hell alone. And the staff will stop speculating.” He indicated the closeness of the two of them by flicking his hand from one to the other. “So more lip-locks and less ice. Can you do that?”

“Yes,” Kate said. Maybe a little too quickly.

But Alec didn’t answer, which was like a little kick in her teeth.

“Especially tomorrow afternoon,” Gabe said. “My sources tell me the massage therapists at this joint are the biggest gossips on staff. Give ’em something to talk about, and I’ll get off your case for a while.”

“Something…like what?” Kate asked.

“Like what two madly in love honeymooners would do during a couples massage,” Gabe said. “Act like you dig each other. Pet, coo, stare, play some tonsil hockey, whisper dirty words, call each other stupid nicknames, and, for God’s sake, make sweet love with your eyes. Whatever it takes.”

She could feel Alec tense up with every order, and on the last one, he actually prickled a bit. “We’ll do our best,” he said stiffly.

“Your best better be amazing,” Gabe said.

Kate looked up at Alec, but his expression was dark and angry. Like the last thing he wanted to do was coo, pet, stare, and…
make sweet love
.

No, his expression was cold. No lust, no warmth, no affection. Just ice.

How could she forget how much she hated cold, emotionless men? Who cared if she was hot for him—he was everything in the world she wanted to avoid. She had to think of some way out of this situation before she did something she’d really regret.

Late the next morning, Alec counted to thirty, switched hands and balanced for another thirty drop lunges, wishing like hell he could close his eyes to test his balance.

Instead, he watched the villa, scanning every inch. It was damn near noon. Why wasn’t she up yet?

He rolled to his ass for a series of glute bridges, centering himself while he stared at her bedroom doors. She rose by seven almost every day, drank her coffee, hit her books.

Was something wrong? She’d slept well, from what he could tell, her breathing steady, not as restless as she’d been most nights.

He switched legs and started firing, freezing mid-kick when the French doors opened, revealing Kate in nothing but tight black shorts like chicks wore for yoga, a top that could have maybe been a sports bra or just a really small tank top, hands on hips, hair pulled back in a tight ponytail.