Protecting Rose (15 page)
Brett stood up on shaky legs to leave. Only to find his exit blocked by the same two goons.
“And, Brett.” Larsen picked up his glass for another sip of Cognac. “Next time we meet, you better have what I need if you expect to continue breathing.”
Unable to speak, Brett nodded his understanding. The two thugs stepped aside and allowed him to make his escape and with a sigh of relief, he exited the building.
Someone had information regarding her whereabouts and he needed to find it. Whether she was dead or alive, he had to know.
If she
had
somehow managed to survive the explosion, he would find a way to track her down...or die trying. At this point, he had nothing to lose. He was a dead man walking if he failed to bring Larsen proof of her death.
Rose awoke to the smell of freshly brewing coffee. Dazed from sleep, it took a moment to realize she was in Nate’s bed. Her cheeks flamed when she remembered pleading with him to let her spend the night in his room. Her heart raced as she recalled cuddling against him the night before, his warmth and strength surrounding her. In his arms, she’d felt safe, shielded from her nightmares. With a groan, she buried her face in her hands. Upset at her own weakness.
“Hey, sleeping beauty, ready for breakfast?”
Rose lifted her face from her hands. Nate leaned against the doorframe, sipping on a cup of coffee, wearing the sweatpants he’d slept in, his hair tousled from sleep. A morning shadow covered his handsome face, and his heavy, lidded gaze held a smoldering heat as he watched her.
Her mouth went dry and her heart kicked up a beat at the sexual vibes that rolled off him with no more effort than breathing. She was entranced by the patch of dark hair that started at his broad chest and ran down his stomach to disappear under his low hung sweats. And his muscular chest and washboard abs, bronzed by the sun to a deep golden brown, held her spellbound. Words froze in her throat when she opened her mouth to speak. When nothing came out, she clamped it shut, glanced down at her lap to regroup.
She took a deep breath and lifted her gaze to find Nate watching her. Only this time his eyes gleamed with amusement as he waited patiently for her to compose herself.
Something inside her snapped. He was so darn sure of himself. While it seemed like she was always having some sort of meltdown. A wave of irritation washed over her and she lifted her chin and flipped her hair behind her shoulder in defiance. She was done apologizing for her actions.
“Yes, actually, I am.” She threw back the covers and swung her legs to the floor with a snort of frustration. Trying to ignore the fact that not only had she spent the night in his bed, she’d spent it wrapped in his arms. She stood up with her head held high and brushed past him. The sound of his soft chuckle followed her down the hall and into the kitchen.
Darn, she fumed. He was the most frustrating, arrogant man.
Rose stormed over and jerked open a cupboard door in search of a coffee cup. Not finding one she slammed it shut and moved to the next cupboard. She was being unreasonable given the circumstances, but too overwrought to care. Over the last week, she had lost her memory, been attacked, shot at, knifed, and someone had even tried to blow her up. And then, she’d crumbled like some fragile flower when Nate touched her.
Now she was hiding out like a scared little rabbit. Was it any wonder she was having nightmares? Finally finding the cupboard that held the cups, she grabbed one and slapped it on the counter with a thud.
“Not a morning person, Rose?” Nate asked quietly as he came up behind her. Close enough that she could feel the warmth of his body against her back.
He reached his arms around her, caging her in. With slow, precise movements, he picked up the coffee cup with one hand and leaned over to retrieve the coffee pot with the other. Awareness rocked her. Held captive between his arms, his body pressed firmly against hers, he proceeded to pour a cup of coffee.
Her anger dissipated as quickly as it had started. His calming presence once again soothed her. Rose relaxed back against his chest and reveled in the feel of him wrapped around her. She grasped the cup with both hands. A tingle ran up her arms when their fingers touched. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He leaned down and kissed her lightly on the neck, just below her ear. The warmth of his soft lips sent a tremor of desire through her, and with a sense of regret, she felt his arms fall away.
“There’s not much for breakfast, but I can make some toast and juice to hold us over until we get to town.” He opened the refrigerator and glanced at her with that slow, sexy smile she’d come to know so well. “We’ll stop and catch a bite to eat, then pick up some supplies.”
“Okay.” She reached for the pitcher on the counter. “I’ll make the juice.”
It was about time she started doing her part to help. She wasn’t helpless after all.
“Great.” He popped two slices of bread into the toaster.
It didn’t take long for them to both eat and get ready for the trip to town. After they cleaned the kitchen, she changed into her freshly washed outfit from the night before.
The nearby town was nothing more than a long main street with a scattering of homes. Shopping was limited. They were only able to stock up on the most basic supply of food from the local grocers.
The only store available for clothing was a general store that offered a limited selection of items. Fortunately, she was able to put together a few outfits. With a wistful sigh, she added a couple plain white cotton bras and panties to the cart. She longed for the sexy underwear she had purchased in Chicago.
Nate reached into his wallet to pay for the items and glanced her way with a knowing smile. “There’s more shopping in the next town over, not far from here. We can drive over and pick up a few more things if you like.”
Rose blushed. Nate had done so much for her already. She didn’t want him to think she was ungrateful. “No, that’s not necessary. These will be fine.”
She helped him load their supplies into his car, and they headed back to the farmhouse. Her mind raced. She had passively allowed Nate to handle everything and it was past time she took control over her own life. When they got back, she would speak to him about a session with the psychiatrist. Her jaw set as determination settled in. She would not allow her chaotic emotions to control her any longer. She was already weary from running and desperately wanted her memory back so they could settle things.
It was a little past noon by the time they made it back to the farmhouse, and she helped Nate put the groceries away.
“Nate?”
“Yeah, babe.” He lifted cans of food from the bag to store in the pantry.
Rose gave her lips a nervous swipe of her tongue. She noticed that Nate often used the more intimate term of
babe
when he addressed her. But she didn’t know what that said about their growing relationship. Or if he used endearments with all women?
After what had happened at the condominium when she freaked out, she wondered if he still wanted her. Or whether he considered her too emotionally unstable. Her temper tantrum in the kitchen earlier that morning hadn’t helped her cause any. She rubbed her temple and closed her eyes from a sharp pain that stabbed her.
“Hey, you okay?”
With a sigh, she opened her eyes. “I’m fine, just a bit of a headache.”
Rose placed a carton of milk in the refrigerator and turned back to the groceries they had purchased. “Are you sure this is going to be enough supplies?”
Nate glanced at the bags on the counter. “Yeah. I don’t expect us to be here more than a week. We can’t stay in one place too long, so we’ll be moving to another safe house.” He grinned. “Unless you’re a bigger eater than I anticipated.”
Her heart sank. A week? She brushed her hair from her eyes with a sigh.
“What is it?” Nate asked.
“I hoped to have my memory by then. Another week...” Her voice trailed off.
“I’m sorry, let me rephrase that.” He pulled her in for a quick hug. “If, you don’t have your memory back by the end of the week, we should move to a new location.” He leaned back to peer down at her. Concern shadowed his eyes. “But, chances are, this whole thing will be over by the end of the week...”
Her heart lightened with amusement. Okay, now he was rambling. She hadn’t meant to make him feel bad. “I know we missed the appointment with the therapist, but I would like to do something to help get my memory back. Could we reschedule and go see her soon?”
“I think seeing the counselor is a great idea. I’ll call Rick to set something up.” He chucked her under the chin. “Don’t worry, sweetheart.” He turned back to the bag of groceries and pulled out a can of chicken noodle soup, placing it in the cupboard. “You’ll like her. She’s a well-respected psychologist, and a nice person to boot I’ve been told.”
“Good. The sooner, the better.” Rose just wished she felt as confident as she sounded. Her insides quivered, thinking about the possibility of regaining her memory. Afraid of what she might learn.
She picked up her bags and took them to her room. After she folded her meager purchases and placed them in the dresser, she sat on the edge of the bed and pondered her confused emotions regarding Nate.
Her attachment to him went deeper than sexual attraction, even though she went up in flames whenever he was near. She was falling for his gentleness. The way he always seemed to put her needs first. He’d been nothing but wonderful since she’d awoken in the hospital. He calmed her when she was upset and let her cry or yell when she needed to vent. He was attracted to her, but she didn’t know if he had feelings for her beyond that.
Her entire body burned when she remembered the way he’d touched her at the condominium. Then there was his protective side. Her butterflies stirred when she recalled the times his warrior had surfaced in her defense. What woman wouldn’t want an incredibly handsome man as their personal protector? The knowledge that he would put his life on the line for her sent chills through her. Not knowing if they were chills of fear or delight made her frown. The reality that he could actually be hurt protecting her dampened the fantasy.
Flopping back on the bed, she threw her arm over her face with a groan. Could her life get any more complicated? She closed her eyes and let sleep overtake her.
A knock at the bedroom door woke her. She could feel something important, a memory from her dreams that hovered at the edge of her subconscious. Closing her eyes, she tried to hang on to it, but it quickly faded away.
The bedside clock read three in the afternoon. Her stomach gave a growl of protest at missing lunch.
“Rose, are you awake?”
She got up and opened the door. Nate stood there with his hand poised to knock again. A look of concern etched on his face.
“I am now,” she said teasingly.
His intense expression softened. “You must be hungry. I have some grilled cheese and tomato soup ready.”
Rose laughed as she followed him into the kitchen. “Nate, you don’t need to cook for me all the time. You make me feel guilty. Tonight, I’ll fix dinner.”
Nate grinned. “You’re on.”
They sat down to eat. The grilled cheese sandwiches were cooked to a toasted perfection, and the tasty spices he’d added to the canned soup brought out its mild delicate flavor.
“Where did you learn to cook?”
He smiled ruefully. “Well, at first it was out of necessity. After my father died, my mom worked long hours and I went through quite a few babysitters. None of whom could cook very well.” He shrugged. “I learned to fend for myself. Then, as I grew older, I was alone a lot. I liked to eat, so I learned to cook.”
Her heart ached for him as she visualized his early childhood. She remembered how he’d fallen in with a local gang. “But things got better when your mom met Tom?”
Nate picked up his sandwich, took a big bite, and nodded. “Yeah, eventually,” he said between bites. “Mom made sure one of us kids was always available to help out with dinner. So I spent at least one day a week in the kitchen to help prepare the family meal.”
“Your mom sounds like a wise woman.” She liked hearing about his family. She just wished she had family memories to share as well.
Nate smiled. “She is. I think you’d like her. Thing is, I found out that I enjoyed cooking.”
Rose laughed, “Bonus for me. Not only do I get a bodyguard, I get a chef.”
