Chapter 16

 

Brie woke the next morning, tried to sit up, only to find herself tethered by her hair. Perplexed, she turned her head, and smiled as she saw Rye snuggled up against her back, his body wrapped around hers. Sometime during the night, he'd stretched out his arm, capturing her long hair underneath. Thus, the predicament she was in now.

Memories of their activities the day before rushed through her mind, sending her stomach tumbling in erotic delight and dampness appearing between her thighs. Her first time and Rye didn't disappoint. Not in the least.

They'd played around, then opted for a shower. She couldn't quite gather up enough confidence to share his, so they went separately. Afterwards, they lounged around, grew touchy-feely, and finally returned to bed. She'd wanted to further explore her newfound sexuality, but Rye stood firm on his resolve that she needed some time to recover before they went at it hot and heavy again.

Instead of arguing, she had latched onto his caring attitude and happily let him wrap his body around hers for some much needed rest.

Quickly taking inventory, she decided only a small soreness existed, compliments of her lost virginity. Nothing that would curtail any further activities, if she could convince Rye to ante up for another round.

Wickedly, she rubbed her rear against Rye's groin, noting the definite erection.

"Feeling frisky this morning, squirrel?" Rye's hoarse voice whispered against her ear.

She twisted her upper body in order to read his face. "Maybe."

"Uh-huh." He grabbed her hips and guided her motions, rubbing her bottom against his erection in a highly stimulating method.

Brie gasped at the sensual foreplay. Rocking back, she tried to envelop his cock, only to find Rye unrelenting. She whimpered in protest.

He soothed her with a kiss to her nape. "Patience, love. Besides I need to get a condom before we get serious."

As much as she wanted to tell him to forget it this once, she bit her lip instead, and watched him slide off the bed. He left the room and returned a moment later, a foil packet in hand. They'd just truly made the big initial step into the relationship. Pregnancy wasn't something they needed or she wanted right now. Maybe, down the road. Way down the road. She made a mental note to call her gynecologist and ask for a prescription. That way future mornings won't be interrupted by the need for a rubber.

She smiled at the erotic image Rye made walking around the house nude. The muscles of his sculpted rear snapped taut with each stride, his hard, jutting shaft bouncing along the way. Brie licked her lips and idly wondered if he tasted as good as he looked.

Before he could return his phone rang. She heard him swear, then answer. Curiosity led her to eavesdrop unrepentantly.

"Yeah? Shit. Just what I don't need another damn babysitting job. Who?" A long pause followed. "Destiny? That destiny? The supermodel and movie star, Destiny?"

Brie sat up, hearing the enthusiasm in Rye's voice.

"Okay. I'll pack a bag and be on my way."

Rye returned to her bedroom, still naked. His erection had begun to fade. "I'm sorry, Brie. Work needs me pronto. They have a person needing a bodyguard and I'm it."

"No partner?"

"No. Just me. The less people coming and going the better." He ran one hand through his errant locks. "The timing sucks, but I can't help it."

Her heart plummeted as concern replaced her earlier sensual hunger. "How long will you be gone?"

He shrugged. "Days. Weeks. Depends upon how fast we can catch a determined stalker."

Biting her lip, Brie carefully hid her upset. Rye was a cop, first and foremost. Things happened and he had to respond, no matter what the time or other plans he might have.

"Hey." He approached the bed and slid in next to her before enveloping her in his embrace. "It'll be okay. I'll be back as soon as I can. Besides, this break might be a good thing."

Her heart skipped a beat as a tendril of fear made itself known. "How so?"

He cupped her cheek. "You need some downtime to recuperate from your first time. By the time I'll be back, all those aches and pains should be gone."

She didn't share his reasoning, but knew her hands were tied in this matter. "Can I call you?"

"No." He blew out a slow breath. "I'll have to leave my regular phone here. They'll give me a new one, untraceable, when I get to work. It's a safety precaution to decrease the odds of being tracked. The less stuff taken into the safe house with ties to the outside the better."

She understood policy and the need for extreme measures to ensure the health and wellness of their star witness. However, that didn't make her feel much better in the scheme of things.

Rye brushed his lips over hers. "I've got to get packed." With that said, he left the bedroom and returned to his.

She could hear him opening the closet door, collecting clothes, and unzipping his duffle bag.

Get a grip. She sucked in air and shoved the hurt aside. Duty called and Rye had to go. To go live with a supermodel for weeks, without the ability to talk to me on the phone. Since the mood had long since passed, Brie threw her legs off the bed, and stood. She quickly pulled on underwear followed by shorts and an old, loose t-shirt.

Rye stuck his head back in the door. "I've got to get going." His eyes raked her once more. A flash of longing and regret etched across his face, with the flattening of his lips and the spark in his blue eyes. "I'm going to miss you." He strode over, hugged her tight, and kissed her sweetly.

She swallowed past the lump in her throat. "I'll miss you more." Her eyes met his.

He offered up a sad smile. "Don't get into trouble while I'm gone."

"I won't." What's the point when the guy she loved to trade pranks with wouldn't be around to see them?

"I love you, Brie."

"I love you too. Be careful."

"Will do." With those words, he gave her one last peck on the mouth, turned on his heel, and walked out the door.

The clicking of the lock made her flinch.

Sighing heavily, Brie glanced back at the bed. What had started out so promising just completely fell apart. She had her memories to keep her company and knew that apprehension would take a firm foothold over the next few days. How could it not? Protecting someone wasn't a prestigious job, not when bad guys stopped at nothing to get to the one the authorities tried to keep alive. Unfortunately, that wasn't her only concern. For the duration, Rye would be with one of the sexiest women alive. Alone.

The need to get her mind off the inevitable drove her to the kitchen. She opened a cabinet, took out the cleaning supplies, and went to work.

By early afternoon, the house glistened with cleanliness, and the smell of bleach products permeated the air. Most of the curtains had been washed and hung back up, while the final batch spun in the dryer. She'd done countless loads of laundry, filled the dishwasher, and even went through her closet, emptying out items that she hadn't or wouldn't wear, placing them in plastic bags for donation.

Tired, but too restless to sit, she stared at the computer sitting across the room. Destiny. Who was this woman? A supermodel and movie star. That she'd overheard. Reason dictated she was sexy, rich, and powerful. Her status ensured she pretty much attained everything she wanted, with hordes of people all too happy to be at her beck and call. Still, Brie needed to know more. Size up the competition. Stop that. It's a job, that's all. She snorted out loud.

Rye was a hot blooded man in his prime. Men looked. Men fantasized. Men dreamed and made overtures toward women all the time. The excitement of the chase, the challenge of the hunt. Some primitive instincts obviously hadn't been lost over thousands of years.

The question boiled down to one thing—did Rye love her enough?

Trepidation washed over her as she struggled with the reality that she might not be enough for him, given an opportunity to step up several notches with a famous beauty. They had a past, sure. One spicy and wondrous night together. They'd admitted their love for each other. But would that be enough to hold Rye's heart for as long as his assignment took?

She drew in a deep breath and made a beeline for the computer. Her mind warned her to leave it alone, she didn't need to know, but another voice demanded she check out this other woman, decide who she was up against, and figure the odds.

Several minutes later, she sat back in the office chair, frowning at the computer screen. Her worst fears came to pass in the form of a lithe supermodel, with curves in all the right places, big boobs, and flawless tanned skin. Long, toned legs would easily garner attention, especially in the skimpy outfits she seemed to wear the majority of the time, at least while being photographed. Perfect teeth were radiant when she smiled in the pictures, adding to the overall beauty. In essence, Destiny was a bomb. Heads and breasts above Brie in just about every category.

"Rye loves me." She uttered the words and clung to them tightly. As much as a temptation as Destiny might be, she believed in Rye and his loyalty to her. After all, if the tables were reversed, she'd stay true.

With that thought to bolster her waning confidence, she shut down the computer and looked around the house.

I need a hobby. A distraction. Something to get me out of here and keep me too busy to think.

She thought for a second, picked up her phone, and called her manager at work. "Mary? I have some downtime and could use the extra money. Do you need any more help?"

"Absolutely. How much do you want to work?"

Brie chewed her lip. "A lot."

If she couldn't hang out with Rye on her days off, she might as well be earning a fat paycheck. Staying busy was the name of the game in order to keep her sanity.

 

* * * *

 

Rye stepped into the safe house, nodded at the officer he was relieving, and scanned the area. No woman in sight. "Where is she?"

"Shower." He checked his watch. "She's been in there for almost forty-five minutes. If she keeps to her typical schedule, she'll stay another fifteen, get out and spend another hour getting all dolled up. Why? I don't have a frigging idea."

Hearing a bite in the man's tone, Rye debated asking the question on the tip of his tongue. Deciding to wait and make up his own mind about Destiny, he went with the basics instead. "No activity so far?"

"Nothing. Windows are all locked. Doors too. There's enough food in the fridge to feed an army, but don't expect her to cook." The guy snorted, strode forward, and slapped Rye on the shoulder. "Good luck."

Pretty damn ominous. He blew out a long breath. "That bad?"

The cop grinned. "Oh, yeah."

"Great."

The back door shut behind the guy as he left without sticking around to shoot the bull. Also a bad sign.

Without much to do, Rye walked the house, searching for potential weaknesses or areas that could prove a way in for a determined stalker. He found none. Besides the obvious means of entry, the rest of the house seemed sound.

He stepped from the hallway into a bedroom. Nothing appeared amiss or unusual. Bed. Dresser. Mirror. Still, he checked the window to ensure it was indeed latched.

"Well, hello."

Swinging around, he stared at woman obviously fresh out of the shower, judging by the wetness of her hair, the drops of water dripping onto the towel she hugged around her body. Tall for a woman, she nearly matched him in height. Although her body build, from what he could see, leaned toward thin and fine. Without makeup, she looked fairly…ordinary. The fact surprised him somewhat. "I'm Rye. Your new bodyguard."

The corners of her mouth crooked up as she raked his body from head to toe and back again, lingering on his groin. Her blue eyes twinkled as she licked her full lips. "Aren't you the handsome one?" The soft purring tone would have captivated most men.

Rye, well experienced with women, resisted falling to her charms. "I'm just your guard. That's it."

She peeked up at him through long lashes. "If you say so."

He pulled on his patience. "You have money. Why didn't you buy a truckload of personal bodyguards instead of using the police?"

She shrugged, opened a drawer, and dug through for underwear. After choosing what she wanted, she dropped the towel and started putting on clothes.

Rye blinked, taking in the nude body of one of the most famous cover models around. He couldn't miss the flat stomach, long legs, the abundant breasts. Most likely they were bought, but he didn't care. The sweet spot between her thighs had been waxed. Her hair, long and straight, hung down her back. Dark now, he knew it would turn to blonde when dry. She was beautiful. Curves in all the right places. A man's dream.

"Why should I hire help when I already pay the salary of every police officer? It's your job to protect, right? So, I expect you to do your job, not just sit around a desk all day shooting the bull."

The dream fragmented in a thousand pieces. The attitude, the entitlement, and callousness rubbed him completely the wrong way. What might have been a pretty neat, once in a lifetime, mission turned sour. "Goes to show what you know about the police department. We don't have time to sit around and twiddle our thumbs."

She spared him a glance. "I really don't care."

He immediately thought of Brie. She cared. She risked her life to help them capture a big name in the crime world. Sweet and lively, she gave of herself. Often.

He doubted Destiny gave anything of herself to anyone. If he read her right, and he was rarely ever wrong, she embraced her prestige and wealth, and looked down at others from her high perch.

Now standing in a push up bra and miniscule pair of panties, she smiled at him. "What I do care about is you. Big and sexy. Just the way I like my men."

He scowled at her. "I have a girlfriend."

She glanced pointedly to his left hand. "No ring."

"That doesn't mean I'm free for the taking."

Striding closer, she rolled her hips with each graceful movement. "It doesn't mean you're not, either."

Rye stepped back. "I'm off the market, lady. No ifs, ands, or buts."

"We'll see." She smiled mischievously, a promise flashing in her eyes.