Protecting Rose (7 page)

“Good morning,” he said with a grin.

She shoved her unruly bangs away from her eyes. “Good morn...morning.”

His smile faded. His eyes drifted down the length of her body and back up, until his gaze met hers with such heat she couldn’t move...was barely able to breathe.

She blinked and clutched the short silky robe tighter around her naked body.

Nate’s jaw clenched and his right eye did a funny little twitchy thing before he quickly shuttered his emotions. “I’m going to make breakfast. You must be starved after missing supper.”

At the thought of food, her stomach answered with a growl. Unable to speak, she nodded in agreement.

“Great. Breakfast will be ready in half an hour.”

He took a step back, but continued to stare at her for a long moment before he turned and headed for the kitchen.

Rose stood frozen. The sound of his footsteps echoed on the ceramic tile as he walked down the hall and into the kitchen before she could move. With a sigh, she turned back into the room and shut the door. Her heart thudded and her hand flew up to cover her mouth when she caught sight of herself in the vanity mirror. Her eyes widened.

The robe was translucent in the early morning light. The material clung to her soft curves, her hair was tousled, and her eyes bright with emotion, the dark shadow of her core visible between her thighs. Her nipples peaked under the thin fabric. She looked like she had just rolled out of a lover’s bed...or was about to roll into one. A shower before breakfast is exactly what she needed.

A cold shower. On second thought, make that a
very
cold shower.

Nate entered the kitchen, opened the refrigerator door, and stared blindly inside. Visions of Rose at the bedroom door invaded his brain. Her robe had been transparent and left absolutely nothing about her sexy body to his imagination.

She had looked...hot. Damn hot. His blood burned at the memory, and his groin pressed urgently at his zipper. Nate groaned and slammed the refrigerator door shut.

He had done his damnedest not to ogle her gloriously naked body the prior evening. For all the good that had done him. He raked his hand through his hair and set his jaw. How much more of this torture could one man take?

His control had been tested the night before when he’d put her to bed. The innocent way she’d wrapped her arms around him in her sleep had been sweet. But the feel of her satin skin under his hands and her soft breasts pressed against him had nearly caused him to explode from the sexual jolt that had rocked him. He’d managed to put her into her top and tuck her in bed, before prudently hauling his ass out of her room.

“You’re here to protect her, jackass, and nothing more. Don’t forget that!” He smacked the side of his head with his open hand to reinforce the fact.
Shake it off, Stone, and get your head back in the game...and your other head under control
.

He recalled her distress from his unwanted attention the prior evening and it strengthened his resolve to keep his hands to himself. He was going to take her shopping in Chicago and show her a good time. He would be an absolute gentleman. And he would
not
cause her any more anxiety.

Get it...Got it...Good!

Jackass,
he reiterated before reaching for the eggs.

Twenty minutes later, Rose paused outside the kitchen and took a fortifying breath before stepping into the room. Nate stood next to the stove. “Good morning.”

“Morning,” he greeted with a smile.

His smile faded and he closed the distance between them to take her hands to inspect her wrists. His eyes flashed dark. “Does it hurt?” He glanced up at her and his gaze softened, although tension rolled off him.

“No.” She shook her head. “Just a little sore, that’s all.”

He glanced back down at her wrists and turned them over to inspect her palms. A vein in his neck pulsed hard. With a grunt, he released her and turned back to the stove.

“I hope you like cheese and veggie omelets.”

Rose shrugged. “As far as I know.”

She sat down at a table Nate had set that included toast and orange juice, impressed to see a vase filled with roses sitting in the center.

She watched him pour cut up vegetables into the pan and expertly stir the egg mixture. He added cheese before lifting the edge of one side of the omelet to fold it in half, covering the other half to create a fluffy crescent shaped mound.

On his way over, Nate loosened it away from the pan. With a flourish, he placed a perfect-looking omelet onto her plate. Her stomach growled loudly when the smell hit her nose.

“Don’t wait for me. Go ahead...eat.” He moved to the stove and cracked three more eggs into a bowl.

“Thank you.”

She picked up her fork and cut into the omelet. Chunks of steaming cheese and vegetables fell onto her plate as she lifted a generous portion to her mouth.

“Mmm.” She moaned in appreciation. “It’s good.”

“Cooking is a hobby of mine. I figure if I’m going to take the time to cook, I’m going to do it right.”

He added red pepper and vanilla to the bowl before he whisked the eggs.

He was certainly an enigma. She suspected that just about anything Nate did, he took the time to do right.
He’s a tough guy, no doubt, a fierce protector, handsome and strong. And he cooks, an intriguing combination.

From under her lashes, she took in his broad shoulders and muscled arms. Her heart raced at the sexy way his muscles rippled when he moved. Her breath caught. Her gaze continued down his narrow waist to his perfect butt, shown off to perfection in a tight pair of blue jeans. The sheer masculinity of his presence overwhelmed her in the tiny kitchen.

She realized her hand was suspended halfway to her mouth with a forkful of eggs as she stared at him. Her gaze dropped away. Had he noticed?

Nate brought his plate over and sat down across from her. She glanced up and met his amused grin and twinkling eyes.
Yes, of course he had. He’s a cop
.

She blushed clear to her toes and lowered her eyes to her plate.

Nate chuckled. “Today we’ll head to Chicago for some shopping, so make a list of things you need.”

“Why Chicago?”

“There’s less chance of being seen. But just to be on the safe side Joe dropped off a black wig and dark sunglasses for you.” He reached to his left, picked a bag off the floor, and handed it to her.

“As soon as you’re ready, we can head out.”

Finished with her breakfast, Rose picked up her plate to load the dishwasher. Nate placed his hand over hers.

“I’ll clean up, sweetheart. Why don’t you go get ready?”

Without looking at him, she nodded, then snatched her hand back and hurried to her room. The sound of his low chuckle followed her down the hall.

She made a list of things she needed before changing into a mid-length jean skirt that covered the bruises on her legs, and a pink crushed velvet top. She found a pair of cute blue tennis shoes in the closet, and added a pair of pink socks to tie the outfit together. Looking in the mirror to put on the wig and sunglasses, she topped it off with a baseball cap Joe had provided.

She grinned. That should do it. She barely recognized herself.

Nate waited for her near the front door. He nodded in approval as she neared. “You look cute,” he said with a laugh.

Rose blushed, pleased with the compliment.

He opened the door, stepped outside to scan the hall, then motioned for her to follow. Her body tingled when Nate once again placed a possessive hand at the small of her back and directed her toward the elevator. Her heart raced at the now familiar touch she was beginning to ache for.

Joe stood near the entrance when they exited the elevator. It was early morning, and the lobby was deserted except for the cleaning crew vacuuming the halls.

“Hey, Nate, your car’s out back.” Joe handed Nate a set of keys.

“Miss.” He tilted his head at Rose in greeting.

Rose gave him a shy smile in return.

They exited the building to find a black Ford Taurus waiting, fully gassed. Nate held the door open for her, and she slid inside.

Rose sank into the luxurious leather seats with a sigh. She looked forward to today’s trip. She opened the Chicago brochure he had given her to leaf through it. It seemed like she’d been under stress for as long as she could remember. Which, as a matter of fact, she had.

It was hard to believe only three days had passed since she’d awoken in the hospital with no memory. Three long, stress-filled days. She wondered if that was why Nate was willing to take her out on such an excursion. To help take her mind off her troubles and have a little fun? There really was no other reason for him to take her shopping. Someone else could have picked up what she needed. He was just a nice guy.

They pulled onto the I-94 ramp toward Chicago. She studied him from under her lashes. Before she could relax and enjoy the day, she needed to know what happened. “Nate?”

“Yes?”

Rose hesitated. However, she had to know.

“About last night. What happened?” There was a moment of silence before Nate answered.

“Nothing happened last night. You fell asleep after your bath. Probably due to the combination of exhaustion and the muscle relaxer you took. All I did was put you to bed.”

She nodded her head, hesitating before continuing. “You put me into my top?”

“Yes, I did.” He met her gaze. “But I promise,” he said with mock sincerity. “I didn’t look.” One hand lifted in a Boy-Scouts-honor gesture as his eyes danced with devilish amusement.

Rose couldn’t help it. He was just so darn cute. She laughed, her tension draining away.

“Good to know.” She gave him a big smile before turning back to the Chicago brochure. “This is going to be fun.”

The sound of Rose’s musical laughter filled the car. The radiance of her generous smile captivated him and he intended to keep her smiling like that all day long. He wanted her to have some good memories to hold onto in case things got ugly. He figured whatever her mind refused to remember, was bad—really bad.

He met her gaze, and she gave him an adorably sweet smile. She had expertly covered her bruises with make-up, and they were barely visible. Her eyes shone with excitement and her cheeks glowed with a soft, rosy flush. Her beauty dazzled him.

His body tightened at the memory of her pressed up against him the night before. A surge of possessiveness swept through him like a tsunami and he ground his teeth, until the ache forced him to stop. He wiggled his jaw to ease the pressure. His feelings for this woman had him tied in knots, and he needed to get himself under control and focus on the job. The job of keeping her alive.

Although he tried to convince himself it was just a symptom of the long months of abstinence while undercover, he wasn’t quite buying it. His eyes drifted back to Rose.

Frowning, he considered what it must be like for her to wake up with no memory. How confused and scared she must feel knowing someone wanted her dead. Besides a few rough moments, she seemed to be holding up pretty well. Nate gripped the steering wheel tighter, determined to find out who was after her. Rick had the team’s best men investigating her case and it was up to him to keep her safe in the meantime. That was his top priority...his
only
priority.

“So, what would you like to do first?”

“I don’t know. There is so much to see.”