I wanted nothing more than to wrap Lena in my arms and hold her all night long, helping her to forget about the asshole with the grudge, the one threatening her life.
“We need to discuss the threat level.”
“DEFCON 2, maybe 1.”
Letting out a sigh, I asked, “Is there a pattern?”
Lena shook her head. “That’s what makes it the most unnerving.”
“Yet nothing happened in Cancún.”
She grinned. “Something happened but not with my stalker. The threats even stopped in Missoula while I was away.”
“The threat isn’t only in Missoula. The man…in New York.”
“Right. There was one time in…” She paused. “I travel so much that cities get mixed up. I think it was in Atlanta. Room service delivered my meal.” She looked down and took a deep breath, her breasts pressing against her silk top. “When I lifted the dome there was a clown fish on top of my meal.”
“What the fuck? How?”
Lena shrugged. “The delivery man said he’d never left the cart unattended. The kitchen staff claimed innocence. But there it was, taunting me, telling me I was being watched.”
I forced a smile. “The only one watching you right now is me, and let me tell you, you’re a stunning sight.”
“Yeah,” she said with a scoff, “I’m sure. I think I might like that shower you mentioned.”
It was then I remembered something. “I have a softball bag in my Range Rover.”
Lena grinned. “I think our chances are better with the gun than a bat, or are you suggesting a game? I was an all-star catcher in my day.”
“Now that’s not listed on your bio.”
“It was in high school, you know, when you were in diapers.”
I stood taller. “I’ll have you know, I was potty-trained at a younger-than-average age. My mom says it’s because I was trying to keep up with Colton.”
“I stand corrected,” she said with a grin.
“In that bag, I have extra shirts and shorts for when I don’t have time to go home to change. As our luck continues to hold out, they are clean.” I scrunched my nose. “I definitely wouldn’t offer if they weren’t.”
Her gaze fluttered over me. “I could wear a t-shirt to bed.”
“Yeah, I was thinking in preparation for bed. For the actual bedtime” —I lowered my timbre— “I’d like to recommend an alternative dress code.”
She looked down at her phone. “I should check in with Adam or Kelsey.”
That wasn’t the response I was going for, but she was probably right.
“I need to call Colton.” I met her soft stare. “Are you going to disclose our location?”
Lena shook her head. “I’ll tell them what I told Jeremy—I’m safe.”
“Okay.” I stepped down from the stool and leaned in, leaving a kiss on Lena’s cheek. “I’ll go get that bag and be right back.”
“Hurry back.”
There weren’t words to describe what I saw in her expression. The person who was doing this to Lena needed to be caught and deserved to be imprisoned. I didn’t know what transpired with her sister and brother-in-law, but I knew whoever this was sending Lena the messages was the cause of the anguish in her eyes. I also knew I’d do whatever I could to take that torment away.
The air beyond the air-conditioned house was heavy and hot despite the setting of the sun. After entering the garage, I lifted the hatch on the Range Rover and removed my softball bag. It was about three feet long with a place for my bat and a rather cavernous interior, filled with more than a few shirts. While I played on one team, I was a regular sub for a few others. It could be said that I had a competitive streak in me.
Closing the hatch and the garage, I went along the stone path toward the front door. There, standing at the window with one arm around her midsection, was Lena. She had her other hand near her chin. She’d taken off the high heels as soon as we arrived at the house. In bare feet and her blouse and skirt, I didn’t see the ice queen Colton saw. No, I saw a strong, successful woman who wanted the comfort that came with handing over the reins.
Once back inside, I locked the door and again brushed a kiss over her hair. “I thought of something else I have in here.”
I tilted my head toward the master bedroom suite. Together we walked down the hall until we were within the suite. Placing the bag on the bed, I unzipped the top. Digging to the right, I found a roll of toilet paper and presented it to Lena. “For emergency use. Some ballparks are…well, they need help.”
Laughter filled the room. “I hadn’t thought about it, but I’m glad you have it.”
Next, I pulled out a travel bag with hotel-sized soaps, shampoos, conditioners, and lotions. There was also a full-sized deodorant and toothbrush and toothpaste. “I collect most of this when I travel and throw it in here.”
It was her turn to scrunch her nose. “Share a toothbrush?”
I turned and pulled her flush against me. “I’ve had my lips on your pussy and you’ve deep-throated my cock. I think sharing a toothbrush is acceptable.”
As I spoke, a rosy hue filled her cheeks. Her eyelashes veiled her gaze for only a moment until she replied, “When you put it like that...”
“Let’s see what else is in here.” I removed three t-shirts all in different colors and a pair of nylon shorts. There were also cleats and long socks.
“It’s like Mary Poppins’s bag.”
I narrowed my gaze. “English nanny?”
“How can you be a genius and not know who Mary Poppins is?”
“I know who she is. I’ve never watched the movie.”
Lena’s smile grew as she shook her head. “Just when I was beginning to believe you were this well-rounded man.”
“Give me your thoughts on Mewtwo, Dragonite, or Tangela.” When Lena’s expression blanked, I added, “Pikachu?”
Pressing her lips together, Lena shook her head. “I admit to having never heard those words before in my entire life.”
“They’re Pokémon.”
“What are Pokémon?”
A laugh bubbled from my throat. “You teach me about Mary Poppins. I’ll teach you about Pokémon.”
“Do I want to know what that is?”
“Not tonight, but if we ever go out with Colton and Devon, it would be best to at least pretend to understand what they’re saying.”
“Your brother and sister-in-law?”
“Yes.”
She took a step back. “CJ, let’s take this a day at a time. Once my life isn’t being threatened daily, I may consider a merger of real life and” —she motioned between us— “whatever this is.”
“A merger,” I said with a grin.
“Maybe.”
“Listen, I still haven’t dug fully into your bio, but if Lena Montgomery is mentioning a merger, I think I should hire a representative to investigate the fine print.”
“Absolutely not.” Her smile grew and her head tilted to the side. “I will only negotiate the merger with one person and one person only.” She took a step toward me and placed her palm over my chest. “And you should be warned, I have a reputation.”
Cupping her cheeks, I brought her lips to mine. Turning my face and hers, we melded together. The bedroom filled with her moans as our tongues fought for the lead. When the kiss ended, Lena’s lips were pinkened and puffy and curved into the perfect smile.
“You should be warned,” I said, lowering my tenor. “I know the woman behind the name. She’s my lioness, and I’m not afraid to use that knowledge to my advantage.”
Lena grinned. “You fight dirty. I like that.”
This was the Lena I wanted to keep, the one who pushed back with equal force and desire, the one who could let down her walls and live in the moment. Colton was wrong. There was no ice in the veins of the woman before me. On the contrary, there was fire.
Lena took one of my shirts and the travel kit. “I’m going to take you up on that shower.”
“Do you want company?”
“After the shower.” She looked at the screen of her phone. “Shit. First, I should contact Adam. The poor man will have a meltdown if I don’t.”
“I’ll give you some privacy.” I walked toward the bedroom door. “I need to call Colton. You’ve at least been in contact with Jeremy, Kelsey, and Adam. I haven’t talked to anyone.”
She nodded as she took a seat on the side of the bed.
One last glance told me that the lioness who had made a brief appearance was gone, replaced by a combination of the strong, successful woman and the terrorized prey of some lunatic. Closing the bedroom door, I walked to the kitchen.
With all the interior lights out, I could now see beyond the windowpanes. These windows looked out onto the driveway and the wooded area around the house. The trees in the distance were lit by a blue hue from the large moon hanging low on the horizon.
Colton answered on the second ring. “What the fuck have you done?”
I waited, trying to decipher his question.
“CJ. Do you have any idea of the trouble you’ve caused?”
“How did I cause trouble?”
Colton’s voice was hushed. “Ms. Montgomery’s security is livid. They’ve accused you of stalking and tormenting her. Tell me that’s not true.”
“They accused me?”
“Mr. Dillon said Ms. Montgomery would not want the publicity, but if you don’t produce her by nine tomorrow morning, he’ll be forced to involve the police.”
“He’s an asshole and has never liked me.”
Colton replied, “This isn’t a popularity contest. Where is she—Ms. Montgomery?”
“She’s safe. I don’t know what you know, but someone has been stalking her—long before we met—and no, it’s not me. Whoever it is continues to leave her calling cards. I’m not going into detail, but something happened today. She texted me.”
“She blocked your number.”
“And she unblocked it,” I said. “She asked for my help, and I said yes.”
“Lena Montgomery who has a full-time security team contacted you because why? You’re some kind of superhero and I didn’t know. Why would anyone believe that?” Before I could respond, my brother went on, “Listen, CJ. That’s not the story I’m hearing.”
“It’s not a story. I was with her when she called Jeremy. He knows she’s safe. She later called Kelsey or Adam; those are the two that follow her everywhere.”
“From what I’ve heard, Jeremy went back to Missoula. The other two are still here and pretending Ms. Montgomery is too, to the public. In private, saying that man isn’t happy doesn’t begin to cover it.”
Of course, he wasn’t happy. Adam has had something against me from day one. “Kelsey brought Lena to me.”
“Tell me where you are, where you took her,” Colton said.
I hesitated.
“What the fuck? You won’t tell me?”
“Someone is fucking with her, Colton. There’s someone close to her that can’t be trusted. The less you know, the safer you are.”
“Then tell me, why would you write that tweet? If this goes public…”
“What tweet? The deal is done. You have your money. I have mine.” I stood to my feet; the phone plastered to my ear. “Shit, this isn’t about the money. I don’t give a damn if somehow the deal is retracted. I only care that Lena is safe.”
“That isn’t your job…”
His voice trailed away as I met the gaze of the woman standing silently near the counter. There was something in the way she stood there in the darkness.
“Colt, I need to go. Tell anyone you want that I called. Ms. Montgomery is safe. That’s all anyone needs to know.”
I hit the disconnect button before he could respond.
Turning off my phone, I tossed it on the counter and went to Lena. “What happened?”