“Tell me you’ve got something useful for me,” Tavis demanded when he connected with Ryker on Wednesday afternoon.
Colette was in a lab where she’d be working for another few hours. He’d scoped the area out many times. There was only one way in and out of the room, so he felt confident walking a distance away as long as he could still see the door.
“I wish I had more,” Ryker informed him. “Still haven’t located Steve Lacoste. That doesn’t mean a damn thing of course. Just because the man is in the wind doesn’t mean he’s hunting down Colette. It’s been years since she dodged that bullet, getting him fired.”
Tavis kept his gaze locked on the lab door while he spoke. “I’m keeping him near the top of the list of possible threats since he can’t be located and he harassed her.”
“Okay, but keep in mind, your list is based on a gut feeling. You have no way of knowing there’s any actual threat against her life.”
Tavis sighed. “Something is off. I can feel it in my bones.”
“You still think her dad knows something he isn’t telling us?”
“I do.” Tavis shuddered. He’d gotten a weird vibe from the man when he’d spoken to him on the phone.
“But why would William Loughlin withhold information that puts his only daughter in danger? That’s risky,” Ryker pointed out.
Tavis nodded slowly, his gaze on the door as someone entered the lab. He recognized the guy from previous days. Isaac Sorter. A fellow PhD candidate. He was no threat to Colette. He might get his heart broken when she never returned his obvious affections, but that was about it for Isaac.
Tavis ran a hand through his hair, forcing himself not to feel jealous of Isaac. Yes, the guy got to spend hours upon hours with Colette. Yes, the man could also converse with her about a subject she was passionate about—a subject Tavis couldn’t begin to entertain her with. And yes, Isaac turned on the charm every time he was with her while Tavis watched.
However, Colette clearly didn’t return the affection. She spoke to Isaac politely, nodding and grinning when appropriate, but she also maintained a closed-off stance, arms crossed keeping space between them. Feeling jealous would be absurd. Colette made it perfectly clear she was into Tavis.
Not that he’d done a thing about it. Yet. Nor should he. Other than kiss her. He hadn’t even done that again since Sunday night. She’d stopped tempting him, and he’d kept his distance. It wouldn’t last forever, but the longer he could put off climbing between her legs the better.
“Tavis?” Ryker inquired.
“Oh, sorry. I was distracted.”
“Uh huh. Is there anything I need to know?” Ryker asked.
Tavis cringed. There was no way he could keep Ryker and Ajax from knowing about his attraction to Colette much longer either. “About what?”
“You seem overly concerned about Colette’s safety.”
Tavis straightened his spine. “That’s absurd. It’s my job. Isn’t her safety what I was hired for?”
“Of course, but other than a break-in at her apartment, which you yourself admitted could have been random, the rest of your suspicions are based on hunches.”
Tavis gritted his teeth and then drew in a deep breath. “You and Ajax have agreed from the beginning that something is off about this assignment,” Tavis pointed out.
“True, but I’m not sure I’d be going to great lengths to dig so thoroughly into every hunch. We’ve found nothing yet. It’s reasonable to assume her father is simply overprotective. He has been for most of her life.”
“Maybe.” Tavis chewed on the inside of his cheek. Was he overreacting?
Ryker sighed. “You’re into her, aren’t you?”
Tavis held his breath. Fuck.
“Aha. Is this going to affect your ability to do your job?”
“No,” he responded quickly.
“Are you sleeping with her?” Ryker’s voice was calm. Not accusatory or even angry. Just inquisitive. Which Tavis appreciated.
“No.” He cleared his throat and admitted, “Not yet.”
“But you’d like to be.”
“Yes. I’m trying to be professional.”
“Does she feel the same way?”
“Yes.”
Ryker groaned.
“Before you get any big ideas, no, I don’t want you to replace me. I wouldn’t be able to leave her. I’d lose my mind turning her over to someone else’s care. It’s out of the question. I need you to trust me to do my job and keep my head on straight.” He was asking a lot. He knew it. Ryker had every right to pull Tavis off the job this very minute.
“You know damn good and well any member of our team would lay down his life for her. Don’t act like Gramps, Keebler, Pitbull, Viper, or Loki couldn’t do as good a job as you, if not better.”
Tavis stiffened. “I don’t like your implication.”
“You resemble my implication, Bones.” His voice rose, still not in anger, but to make a point. “I’ve been in your shoes. I know what you’re feeling. Don’t forget I was on assignment with Xena hunting your ass down in Ethiopia. I know exactly what it’s like to fall for the woman I’m working with.”
Tavis wanted to argue this was different. Colette wasn’t his coworker. She was someone he’d been assigned to protect. But he knew he’d be arguing semantics if he pointed that out.
“Is your head in the game, Bones?”
“Yes.”
“If that changes, I expect you to let me know immediately. Don’t you fucking let your guard down with her. I know I spent the first part of this conversation pointing out that maybe there is no real legit threat against Colette Loughlin, but we both know I could be wrong. There’s just as much chance someone is after her. I need to know I can count on you to do your job.”
“You can. You know you can. No matter what, she’s safe with me.”
Ryker sighed.
Tavis continued, “You also know I could have lied to you and told you I didn’t want something more from Colette. But I didn’t lie. I told you the truth. Please respect me enough in return to make the best decisions where her life is concerned.”
“Okay.” Ryker’s voice was calmer. “Okay,” he repeated.
“Check another angle for me,” Tavis requested, changing the subject.
“Give it to me.”
“Dig around and see if you can find any dirt on Secretary Loughlin.”
Ryker sighed audibly through the phone. “Already on it.”
“Thanks. I hope I’m wrong, but he wouldn’t be the first or the last powerful man to have something going down on the side that put him at risk for blackmail.”
“Let’s touch base again in a few days.”
“Sounds good.” Tavis ended the call but continued to stand where he was, watching the exit to the lab. So far, no one had realized he was assigned to Colette, and he considered that a win for her. Since it was important to her. He hadn’t expected to go more than a few days keeping his assignment to protect her a secret from her classmates, but it had now been over two weeks. Either no one had noticed him or they chose not to say anything to her.
A few minutes later, several students filed out of the lab, including Colette who was talking to Isaac.
Tavis tried not to react to Isaac having Colette’s undivided attention. It was natural. Isaac was a colleague. They shared a similar interest and knowledge base. A subject matter Tavis would never know enough about to carry on a conversation.
An unreasonable sensation crawled up his spine as he watched Colette nod and smile at whatever Isaac was saying. Tavis wasn’t up to her standards. He didn’t have an advanced degree. He may have been a Navy SEAL, but as far as her coworkers would be concerned, he would be nothing more than a bodyguard when they caught on to the ruse.
Why did that unnerve him so much? It shouldn’t. And he should remember how incompatible the two of them were the next time he adjusted his straining cock. Pursuing her was incredibly irresponsible. He would never fit into her social circle.
Hell, her father would have a coronary if he had any idea the kind of thoughts running through Tavis’s mind. None of them were pure. That was for sure.
Jeez. Tavis rubbed his forehead as he watched Colette continue to speak to Isaac. He narrowed his gaze and considered approaching when he saw her cross her arms and take a step back. She was still smiling, but it was forced now. What had Isaac said to her?
Tavis took a step closer but then stopped himself. She was fine. No need to interfere. A few moments later, she looked around, found Tavis, pointed at him, and then waved.
Isaac’s eyes widened as he spotted Tavis. He blinked a few times and then jerked his gaze back to Colette. He was visibly shaking and took a slow step back, increasing the space between himself and Colette.
That’s right, buddy. She’s mine.
Tavis shook the ridiculous thought from his head. Could he be any more of a caveman? Thank God he hadn’t said that out loud. Or in front of Colette.
It hadn’t been a full minute since he’d reminded himself he wasn’t right for her, and here he was mentally fist pumping whatever was going on between her and Isaac for no good reason.
Finally, Isaac waved awkwardly at her and turned to rush off in the opposite direction.
Colette came toward Tavis. She was already rolling her eyes as she approached. “Your head is so large it’s a wonder you’re able to hold it up over your shoulders,” she teased as she reached him.
He ignored her and glanced back toward the lab. “What was that all about?”
“He asked me out. I had to think quick, so I told him I had a boyfriend.”
Tavis lifted both brows. That was even better than he’d expected.
She licked her lips. “I know that was overstepping and irresponsible. I shouldn’t have said it. Now I’m stuck pretending you’re my boyfriend for months. Are you mad?”
He was certain his brows lifted even higher. “Mad? No. Why would I be mad? Makes my job easier.” And keeps me from having to confront would-be suitors.
He reached out and slid his hand under the strap of her backpack to slide it off her shoulder.
“What are you doing?”
“Carrying your books. That’s what boyfriends do.”
She rolled her eyes again and jerked out of reach. “Not mine. My boyfriends treat me as an equal who’s capable of carrying my own luggage and books.”
“And how many of these boyfriends have you had?”
She groaned and stepped past him, heading for the SUV.
He took two strides to catch up to her, grabbed the back of her pack, and gave a little tug to halt her progress. Leaning over her shoulder, he asked, “How many?” He pressured her purely to fuel his ego for no good reason.
“You already know the answer,” she grumbled. She spun around to face him and met his gaze. “Don’t get all cocky on me. Just because I haven’t had a long-term boyfriend doesn’t mean I haven’t dated. I’m not a virgin. Nor am I some wilting flower.”
Okay then. That answered his next burning question. He hadn’t really thought much about her amount of experience until now, but if she hadn’t had a boyfriend at all then it was a logical possibility.
Tavis slid his hand down her arm and threaded their fingers together. “Am I permitted to hold your hand, temptress?”
“Of course.” She glanced back toward the lab. “No one will believe you’re my boyfriend if you don’t.” She gave him a fake grin.
He narrowed his gaze, stepped closer, and tipped her chin back. “How much of this is fake, Colette?”
She swallowed. “I don’t know.”
He nodded slowly. “Okay.”
“You’re the one keeping me at arm’s length. Sleeping next to me night after night in my bed without touching me. You tell me when it’s no longer fake.”
He stared at her for a long time, ten thousand concerns eating at him. Finally, he turned toward the path and tugged her in the direction of the car. This little game they were playing was serious. He needed to get his head on straight and be careful before one or both of them got hurt.
The truth was he really liked her. He’d tried to ignore his feelings for the last several days, but his feelings hadn’t diminished. He found himself watching her more than necessary to keep her safe.
His favorite time to watch her was when she was sleeping. She was so peaceful and sexy. The temptress slept in a T-shirt and panties. Sometimes she kicked off the damn covers and gave him far too much of a show.
He’d seen her panties from the front and the back. The woman had fucking amazing taste in lingerie too. Sexy lace panties in every color. He also knew she shaved her pussy because he’d gotten a close enough look several times.
And her butt. Jesus. Her ass was fine. Tight and round and tempting like the woman it belonged to. He wanted to cup it with his hands and squeeze.
He didn’t meet Colette’s gaze when they reached the SUV. He simply took her bag, tossed it in the back seat, and helped her into the vehicle.
The drive home was silent, though he was aware of her staring at him. He wasn’t sure how to handle this situation. He needed to man up and make a decision and fast. His head told him to nip this in the bud, tell her they couldn’t be a couple under no uncertain terms. His heart was screaming at him to flatten her to the wall as soon as they entered the apartment and ravage her.
By the time they got home, he was even more wound up. He let them in, reset the alarm, and set their bags on the sofa.
When he turned around, Colette was in his face, flattening her palms on his chest. “Talk to me. Are you mad that I told Isaac we were a couple? I can undo that easily enough. I can tell him we broke up or something if you want. I shouldn’t have made that decision without speaking to you first. I wasn’t thinking. I just said the first thing that came to mind when he asked me out.”
Tavis shook his head and slid his hands up her arms to her shoulders. “No. I’m not mad. I was jealous of Isaac to be honest. It wasn’t rational, but I was. When he glanced at me with that deer-in-the-headlights look, I suspected you’d told him something along that line. I did a silent fist pump.”
Colette smiled. “Good. Then it’s settled.”
He narrowed his gaze. “What’s settled? I don’t think anything is settled. You belong with a man like Isaac. Not someone like me.” There. He’d said it.
Her eyes went wide. “Are you fucking kidding me right now?”
“No. He’s intellectual. He’ll stimulate your mind. You get excited when you discuss epidemiology with other people. I can’t give you that. I’m—”
She reached up and flattened her palm against his lips. “Don’t you dare fucking go there, Tavis. Do not finish that sentence. Are you shitting me? Isaac? You think I need his kind of intellectual stimulation to be happy?”
Tavis lifted his brows. He couldn’t respond. Not easily. Her hand was still clamped over his lips.
“I go to classes and work in the lab nearly every day of the week. I get all the intellectual stimulation I need when I’m there. No one in that lab or any of those classes makes my panties wet or my nipples stiffen. That’s all you. And it matters more than anything.”
He stared at her for a moment and then grabbed her hand and tugged it away from his mouth.
She pressed her body against his. All of her body. Enough that she couldn’t miss the rock-solid erection nestled against her belly. Her voice dropped when she spoke again. “Evidence would suggest you’re just as attracted to me. We’ve already been around this block. I get why you’ve held yourself at arm’s length. It’s messy. It’s complicated. It’s ten other things. The list is long. But it’s happening anyway.”
He was breathing heavily as if he’d jogged down the block to get to her. “Temptress,” he teased, smiling. He was still gripping her fingers and he brought them to his lips to kiss her knuckles one at a time. “When your father finds out about this, he’s going to fire me.”
“Who’s going to tell him?” She lifted a brow.
He groaned. She had a point. But he wasn’t really interested in a one-night stand with Colette. Nor was he interested in one week or one month. This was serious. Maybe she didn’t see it that way. Maybe for her this was a fling. “I think we need to have a come-to-Jesus chat, Colette.”
“Why do we need to invite Jesus? We’re dancing around each other every day. How long are we going to do that? How long can you sleep next to me at night and not touch me? How long are you going to watch my every move with that scowl on your face and not act on it? How long, Tavis?”
He slid his free hand around to the small of her back. “I have a how-long question for you too, temptress. How long do you see this lasting?”
“How the fuck should I know? It hasn’t even started yet and you want an end date?” Her voice rose.
“Temptress, it started the moment we met, and you know it. And no, I don’t want an end date. That’s the problem.”
She blinked at him. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying I’m really into you, Colette. I’m not interested in a quick fuck. I don’t want to be your Uganda man. If you can’t see me in your life, cut me loose now.”
The blinking switched to staring. “Oh.”
“Yeah. Oh.” He held his breath, half expecting her to turn and walk away. Maybe he’d asked for too much. But he needed to be firm. This was important. Not just because she had the power to break his heart but because he needed to work with her for five more months. It would be ugly if she ended things.
“Wow.”
This wasn’t going well. Tavis eased her away from him.
Colette stopped him, grabbing his shoulders and sliding her arms up around his neck. “Don’t misread me. I’m not saying no. I’m just surprised.”
“Why would it surprise you that I’m into you?”
“Because no one’s ever been interested in me like this before. I mean, men have pretended to be for their own personal gain, but no one serious. I’m processing. Give me a second.” Her chest was rising and falling. In a few moments she said, “Really?” Her voice hitched.
He chuckled. “Yes, temptress. Really. If you can’t see something long-term with me, don’t fuck with my head.”
“I’ve never fucked with anyone’s head before, Tavis. It’s not my style.”
He slid his hands up her back. “I know. That didn’t come out right. I just want you to think about things a bit.”
Her mouth opened and then closed before opening again. “So, you’re saying there’s actually a man alive who would put off having sex because he cares enough to want more?”
“That’s what I’m saying.” He smirked. “Gotta say, I’m rather surprised myself. It’s not just because I’m some kind of perfect gentleman. It’s also because your life could be at stake here, Colette. I won’t take a risk with your life. We don’t really know what we’re facing. If I’m going to climb under the covers with you instead of holding vigil on top, I’ll only be able to protect you if I’m sure I’ll be staying there.”
She nodded slowly. “Makes sense. Though it does seem you’re some robotic gentleman, I’ve got to say.”
He smirked. “I’m not. Or at least I wasn’t before I met you.” He brought his lips to hers and kissed her, keeping it light. Sweet.
“You’re not going to have sex with me tonight,” she pointed out.
“Nope.”
“Ugh. I’m going to develop a complex.”
He chuckled. “I’m going to develop blue balls.”
“Whose fault is that?”
“Mine and mine alone.” He slid his hands down and cupped her ass, something he’d wanted to do for weeks, and damn, it felt as fine as he’d expected. Better.