Seducing the Bodyguard (9 page)

“Yeah, our money,” Les laughed. “Next hand I’m going to kick your behind, Drew, just wait and see.”

“Oh yeah, you said that four hands ago and so far the only person who has beaten me is Harrison.”

“Yeah, yeah. Shut up and shuffle the cards,” Jeremiah laughed. “The night is still young and we’re going to win all our money back…or more like, I’m going to win all of your money back,” he pointed his finger at the other three players.

“Dream on, Red.” Harrison chuckled as he used the nick name Jeremiah seemed to hate for people to use. He had short cut red hair that stood out against his deep ebony skin. He hated being called Red, but he never once thought of dying his hair any other color. “I’d look funny,” he had said. “I’ve had red hair my entire life.” He was twenty-nine and twenty-nine years of red was enough to make him severely attached to the color.

“No. And she’s not available so don’t even contemplate anything beyond hello and goodbye with her,” he mumbled as he left the room. He heard the boisterous laughter followed by chants that he’d fallen hard for the exotic goddess.

“Okay. Well I hope you won’t mind if I hide out in here for a few minutes. Drew is kicking our butts out there and I don’t want to lose any more of my money.”

She laughed. “You don’t pay attention,” she said. “You can tell when he has a good hand and when he’s bluffing if you’d only pay attention.”

“Or killed,” she stated. “Drew raises his eyebrow the moment he looks at his cards. When the hand is good you’ll see that right eyebrow edge upward. It’s subtle and quick, but he does it every time. Now when the hand is mediocre I noticed he doesn’t make a move, but when it’s bad he narrows his eyes when he looks at the cards. He only does it at first sight, so you have to watch him for it.”

“Wow. I didn’t notice that.”

“You don’t pay attention,” she stressed. How many times had she told him he needed to pay attention? It felt like at least a hundred. He shook his head and smiled.

“Chester hitches his right ankle to his left knee when his hand is good and vice versa when it’s bad. Jeremiah gets this quirky need to scratch his ear. It’s kind of cute actually, but when he does it I know he has a hand he thinks he can win with. Now whether he can or not depends on what everybody else has. And Les, well he’s kind of the hard read, but if you pay attention long enough you’ll notice that he shifts to his right when he’s trying to figure out if he has a shot in the dark at winning, but he leans back in his chair when he’s certain his hand is good.”

“Wow, you got all that from just a few minutes of observation?”

She shook her head again. “You really have to learn to pay attention to your surroundings. All of you should, but right now you’re the only one I’m worried about. When somebody enters the room you need to take note right away, not ten minutes past their arrival.”

“You weren’t there that long. Were you?”

“I was there long enough to know you bluff a good game, but that you give yourself away when you have a solid hand because you caress the back of your cards with your index finger. It’s a subtle rub in an up and down motion. Drew has definitely noticed it, but I would have to observe longer to tell you if the others have picked up on it.”

“Wow,” he exhaled slowly. “I think I need to invite you to a few of our games so you can help me win.”

“You don’t need my help to win,” she said. “You just need to pay attention to your surroundings. Now,” she placed the book she was reading on the nightstand and stood up. “You have a game to play.”

“Yes I do,” he smiled knowing he was going to play that game from an entirely new perspective the moment he sat down.

“Let me know before they leave. I want to make sure I’m out there before that door opens.”

“You’re too serious,” he shook his head wondering just when she would relax completely. Probably never he assumed, not unless he showed her his perfect way of relaxing. “But I’ll let you know,” he said quickly knowing she wasn’t thrilled with his ability to still take the situation lightly. Seriously, nobody was trying to hurt him, and she needed to get that through her beautiful head sooner rather than later. In fact, Drake and Geneva needed to get it through their heads too. He probably had a better chance at convincing them than he did at convincing Valencia. Either way, he was sure trying to convince any of them was a near impossible task—probably completely impossible. But the day he could say, “I told you so,” would be a day he would relish. To see the look on Drake’s face when that day came would be worth its weight in gold. Drake always thought he was right about things like this and he wanted to prove the man wrong on so many levels—but, if it weren’t for his obsession with being right Harrison wouldn’t have met Valencia so in some small way he should probably be thanking Drake for being a little crazy with his danger lurking around every corner type of thinking.

He returned to the game with a new perspective on how the men surrounding him played. He watched each of them with keen eyes to see if they did the things Valencia had said they did, and sure enough, she had been right. She was the ace up his sleeve because thanks to her he managed to win the next three games. He grinned thinking of the specific reward he intended to give her. He promised a reward and he never went back on a promise—not unless it was to save somebody’s life.

The moment the door closed Harrison pulled her into his arms and smiled with a devious grin. “I won my money back, plus some,” he looked her over appreciatively. “Reward time,” he said and then quickly executed his descent so that his mouth covered hers. He knew if she wanted to she could hurt him. She could break a few bones or knock him flat on his behind, but she did neither. Instead, she parted her lips and allowed his tongue to slip inside her warm mouth. He slid his hand up her back to the nape of her neck and gently pushed her forward as he deepened the kiss, allowing his tongue to explore every crevice of her mouth.

He felt her hands clasp his shoulder, but instead of pushing him away she pulled closer, matching his tongue thrust for thrust, lick for lick. He didn’t miss the soft moans escaping her mouth. Moans that had him deepening each thrust, making love to her mouth with his tongue, and wanting so much more. There was no mistake in what he was doing to her, how he was seducing her. His mistake came the moment he let his free hand ease down her back, cover over her behind and pull her flush against his hardened member, knowing full well that he was trying to tell her just what he wanted to do with that erection she was feeling pressed against her belly.

She placed her hands against the front of his shoulders and pushed him back while taking a step back herself. Her tiny fingers stroked a delicate line over her wet, swollen lips. “Please don’t do that again?” Her voice was husky with desire.

“I can’t promise you that,” he could hear the desire and need still heavy in his own voice. He stepped closer to her, backing her up against the closed door and placing both hands at either side of her head.

“I could hurt you,” she reminded him.

“But you won’t,” he said with certainty. “You won’t because you want this as much as I do. I want you Valencia. Don’t fight this. Don’t fight us.”

“You just want to take me to bed, Harrison. I’m a novelty to you, a toy you want to play with and then cast aside. I don’t operate on that level and I won’t start now.”

“Yes,” he admitted. “I want to take you to bed. I want to play with you all night long, getting to know your body intimately. I want to hear those soft moans you give turn into loud screams of ecstasy. I want to hear you call my name with pleasure. I want to watch you come for me,” he moved one hand to slide a finger over her still swollen lips. “But make no mistake about it, love. I want more, much more, than a bed buddy. I want to know everything about you; inside, outside,” he slid his hand down her body to cover her right breast, caressing and squeezing, getting to know what her soft curves felt like beneath his touch. He wanted so much to touch her skin, to hold her small mound in his hand and caress it until she cried out with pleasure. “I want all of you, Valencia.”

“I can’t give you what you want,” she said breathlessly.

“Yes you can.” And on those words he once again took control of her lips, of her mouth, kissing her with the fervor of a man in need—a man on a mission who wouldn’t give up until he captured his conquest. If she had wanted to push him away she could have, but she didn’t. Instead she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him closer, deepening the kiss with intensity and passion.

He hoisted her and she wrapped her legs around his waist, kissing him hotly, intently, arousing more passion than he had ever felt building within his body. He tugged the fitted blouse free of her pants, sliding his hands beneath the fabric and caressing her warm, solid belly as he kissed her deeply, wantonly.

His mouth left her mouth only to explore another area of her body. He let his lips trail over her neck as he listened to her breathy cries, felt her body undulating against his as her legs began to tighten around his body. He suckled at her neck, letting his hot mouth enjoy the sweet, intoxicating taste of her. He wanted, he needed, more than anything to be inside her, but he would take it slow. He would relish every second this beautiful woman was giving him.

“Harrison,” she whispered on a breathy cry.

“Yes, baby;” he continued to suck on her neck, taking gentle nips with his teeth.

“We…can’t…oh God,” she moaned when he let his mouth close over the sensitive area between her shoulder and her neck—an area he sucked long and hard on. She cried out, arching into him. He could feel the heat from her hidden center, feel the way she squeezed him with her legs and he wondered if the muscles of her inner chamber would hold him just as captive as her legs were doing now. He was ready to find out the answer to his question. He would do it right here, right now. He wouldn’t risk getting her to the bedroom because between now and the time it would take to get her in his bed she might just come to her senses and change her mind. He wouldn’t risk it. They were good for each other and they would be good together. He just needed to get her past the initial resistance.

He had just gotten his hand between their bodies, and poised to unzip her pants when the knock came on the door. She untangled herself from his hold so fast it nearly made his head spin. Not even a second later she had reached up to her hair and pulled a knife out of what he thought was just a hair pin.

“Valencia?”

“You’re not expecting anybody?”

“No. But is this…” He didn’t have time to finish his sentence before she pushed him back into the sitting room, told him to stay and then returned to the door. No, he wasn’t expecting anybody, but whoever it was at the door was going to pay for mucking up a perfectly good situation.

“Who is it?” He heard her say.

“Room service.”

He didn’t stay as she told him. He could tell from the look of anger in her eyes that she wasn’t happy with his refusal to stay behind the wall partition.

“Well it’s just a delivery of wine and cheeses. It’s a gift from…” he heard the man’s voice trail off as if he was looking for the name of the gift giver. “I’m sorry; it doesn’t say who it’s from.”

“Take it back.”

He stepped past Valencia and quickly opened the door. She had placed her hand over the wood and slapped it back shut before cutting him a look that told him she would kick the snot out of him if he defied her again. He didn’t care. “You work for me,” he reminded her. “Let the man in. And secure your weapon.” He knew the moment the words were out of his mouth that he had just set his seduction of one Valencia Dugan-Mishoto back to square one, maybe even negative one at this point.