Grayson flew back to Washington, DC, for a formal debriefing with his entire unit. As SAIC Simon had predicted, the internal affairs department wanted to review the incident at Roper King’s funeral, the one that had led to Grayson meeting Tessa.
He had to sit through several interviews and at least two screenings of the video of Tessa lambasting him over his procedure. The inquiry board informed him they’d let him know the results of their investigation when it was completed. Of course, there was no time frame for how long that might take, but Grayson took solace in the fact that he was being allowed to operate with Delta Team’s protective detail while he awaited their decision.
Grayson enjoyed two days’ leave with Maddie and his mom before being called back for another assignment. This time, his team was traveling to Philadelphia to protect a group of foreign heads of state sightseeing the birthplace of Independence.
The dignitaries and their aides had their own security teams and all were staying on the top floor of the Ritz-Carlton. The Secret Service agents were a secondary line of defense and their RON—remain overnight—status meant they were doubling up in rooms on the floor below. Grayson had drawn the short straw and been paired with Doherty, but luckily they were working opposite shifts and he didn’t have to put up with the man’s snoring. Or his wisecracking.
Until the night Doherty returned to the room unexpectedly to dress in his undercover clothes.
“Change of venues tonight,” Doherty said as he stopped at the hallway closet to hang up his suit jacket. “The prime minister’s daughter talked her old man into taking her to a Sixers’ game. If I show up to the arena wearing a button-up shirt and tie, someone might mistake me for one of the coaches.”
Grayson squinted at Doherty’s five-foot-seven-inch frame. “I’m pretty sure nobody’s going to mistake you for a basketball coach.”
Grayson lounged on top of the bed, still fully dressed from his earlier shift, waiting for his roommate to finish changing in the bathroom so that he could take a shower. He turned on the television set and half-heartedly began flipping through the channels.
Grayson froze when he landed on Tessa King’s perfectly polished image on the screen. Her hair was in a tight bun and her makeup was thicker than it had been on the ranch. In fact, she almost resembled a totally different woman than the one he’d spent time with on Twin Kings. He was so focused on analyzing her controlled posture and the way she kept eye contact with the camera that he didn’t even hear what she was saying.
Unfortunately, he also didn’t hear Doherty exit the bathroom. “You gonna go out tonight or are you just gonna stay in and make cow eyes over your girl, there?”
“No.” Grayson cleared his throat. “I was actually looking for a local news station, but all the channels on these hotel TVs are never the same. And she’s not ‘my girl.’”
He aimed the remote control at the screen, but instead of turning it off, he turned up the volume. Tessa’s voice was strong and precise, and sent a wave of awareness through his bloodstream.
“Right.” Doherty slid his holstered duty weapon onto his old leather belt. “Have you talked to her since Wyoming?”
“No.” Grayson managed to keep his voice neutral while he fumbled with the remote again until he found the mute button. It wasn’t like Tessa had slipped him her phone number or told him to stay in touch before she’d gone wheels up.
“Uh-huh. So then you probably don’t know that she’s here in Philadelphia right now?”
Grayson’s head snapped up. He looked between Doherty and the television that showed her talking, even though he could no longer hear what she was saying.
“It’s not a live broadcast, Agent Steamy.” Doherty retrieved his Red Sox cap from the top of the dresser. “That episode was prerecorded.”
“How do you know she’s in Philly?”
“Because I’m a Secret Service agent and it’s my job to know things.” Doherty straightened his earpiece as he crossed the room to the door. “Plus, I saw her name on the reservation desk’s computer when I ran the guest list against our security threat database.”
Grayson’s muscles tightened. “You mean she’s staying here at this hotel?”
“If you’re asking out of a personal interest, then I can neither confirm nor deny that. But if you’re only interested because you feel a certain professional courtesy toward her—say for example you wanted to advise her that the ice machine on her floor was out of order—then I’d tell you she’s in room seven nineteen.” Doherty chuckled knowingly as he walked out the door.
Grayson jumped to his feet and paced the room, trying not to glance at the hotel telephone on the desk. It had been over three weeks since he’d last seen Tessa. He didn’t dare show up at her room. For all he knew, she could be in town to meet some guy. Grayson wasn’t about to knock on her door only to be greeted by her date. His fingers dug into his palm before his brain reminded him that Tessa King was no longer his concern.
Although—he allowed his eyes to land on the phone—she’d probably appreciate him calling her to warn her that he was there, as well. Just in case they ran into each other in the lobby or something. He wouldn’t want things to be awkward between them if he caught her by surprise.
Before he could talk himself out of it, he had the receiver in his hand and punched in seven-one-nine on the number pad.
It rang twice before she answered. “Hello?”
Grayson’s heart thumped behind his rib cage. “Miss King?”
“Who is this?” she asked without confirming her identity. Clearly, this wasn’t the first time someone unexpected had gotten access to her room number.
“It’s Agent Wyatt.”
He heard the catch in her breath. “Grayson?”
So much for keeping things from turning personal. And, really, there was no longer any reason why they needed to maintain that professional boundary. He scrubbed a hand over his jaw and decided to leap clear across that once blurry line.
“Do you want to go get a drink?”
Grayson half expected her to show up in the bright red tailored suit and sleeked-back hair she’d been wearing when she’d been on his TV earlier.
So, an hour later, when Tessa walked into the nearly empty neighborhood bar down the street from their hotel wearing jeans, riding boots and a soft green knit cap over her loose blond curls, his heart beat faster. Now, this was the relaxed version of Tessa, the one he’d spent so much time with on the ranch.
“Hey,” he said, rising from his seat.
He’d hoped the place would have some discreet booths tucked in the back where they could talk privately. Unfortunately, when he’d arrived, his choices had been several vacant stools lining one corner of the massive black-lacquered bar or a handful of tall tables stationed directly in front of the plate-glass windows. Knowing that it could seriously affect their careers if the press caught wind of them being there together, Grayson had chosen the corner where she wouldn’t be on display to anyone passing by outside. Not that many people were out for a casual stroll this late on a blustery February weeknight.
She must’ve read his mind because she immediately scanned the room as though looking for anyone who might recognize her. It was nearly ten o’clock on a Tuesday night, so the place was empty except for the bartender and a guy in a bright green Eagles hoodie who only seemed interested in the car restoration show on the TV behind the bar.
Tessa shrugged out of her suede coat and asked, “How’d you find this place?”
“Doherty recommended it. He makes it a priority to know all of the less conspicuous drinking establishments within a fifteen-mile radius of wherever we’re stationed.”
She pulled off her knit cap and set it on the shiny bar top before running a hand through her hair. Grayson’s fingers twitched at the memory of touching the same silky strands over a month ago. Thirty-eight days. Not that he was keeping count.
“So Agent Doherty knows we’re here?”
Grayson wasn’t about to mention that Doherty was the one who’d casually suggested he contact her. “Let’s just say he’s a wealth of information when it comes to tactical planning and logistics.”
The bartender took a break from folding white dishrags and asked for their order. The woman was older, with a stocky build and a disinterested expression. She reminded him of Gunnery Sergeant Haggerty, his senior drill instructor who’d seen everything but, because he’d been closing in on retirement, hadn’t wanted to write up any reports.
If the bartender recognized Tessa King, she didn’t let on. Grayson passed the woman a twenty-dollar bill and murmured, “Thanks,” after she handed them their drinks.
He nodded at Tessa’s plain-looking vodka and soda before picking up his own pilsner. “No beer for you tonight?”
“Nope.” She took a careful sip. “It goes down too easily and I wanted to make sure I have a clear head.”
Dread crawled through his chest as he waited for her to politely tell him that what had happened between them on the ranch was a one-off. That their fleeting attraction had been the result of forced proximity. But she didn’t say anything else.
The guy at the other end of the bar paid his tab and left. The bartender asked if they needed anything before she stepped out back for a smoke. And still, he and Tessa sat there quietly as though neither one of them knew what to say to the other. Maybe having those boundaries of him being on assignment had actually made them both feel safer. Like they could dip their toes in the water, but always had a built-in excuse for why they couldn’t fully immerse themselves.
“Are you in Philadelphia for work?” he finally asked, wondering if things were this awkward between Freckles and Rider King when they’d seen each other again. Probably not.
Tessa nodded. “I’m following a lead on a story about election fraud in the next county over. Investigative journalism isn’t really my thing, but the whistleblower claimed he’d only talk to me. According to my producer, all that media coverage following my dad’s funeral put me in a more sympathetic light and made me seem more approachable.”
He finished his icy beer quickly, washing down the memory of Davis Townsend telling Tessa she was a cold, cutthroat bitch. When Grayson had intervened, he’d been hoping the congressman would resist the directive to walk out of the stables, thereby requiring a forced escort.
He flexed his fingers after he set down his empty glass. “I’m glad things are working out for you. Careerwise.”
“How about you?” She pivoted slightly on her bar stool. “What brings you to Philadelphia?”
He explained that he was on a protective detail with some foreign dignitaries, but didn’t give any specifics.
“So you’re back on the job.” Tessa studied him. “I’m glad all that business in Wyoming didn’t get you into any hot water with your bosses.”
“Well, the inquiry board is still investigating.” It helped that none of the Kings had filed a formal complaint. “So they haven’t taken my badge yet.”
“Speaking of your badge...” She took another sip of her drink before moving in closer. Her knee glazed against his and his pulse skyrocketed. “You told me there would come a time when you were no longer on duty.”
There was no mistaking the intent in her eyes. It had been the exact same look she’d given him on Pine Top Point. Just like then, his desire threatened to consume him. Unlike then, though, he no longer had to fight to control it. Anticipation raced through him as he flashed a wide grin.
“I am definitely off duty. At least, where you’re concerned.” He placed his hands on either side of her face and pulled her mouth against his. He stroked his tongue against her lips and when she opened up to him, he kissed her slowly and thoroughly—not caring about his promise to her that the next time they got physical, she could be in the driver’s seat.
Later on, they’d have all the time in the world to take turns being in control.
“Grayson?” She pulled back, her lips already swollen and her eyelids half-closed. “Take me back to the hotel.”
Tessa’s pulse pounded in her ears as she rode the elevator alone to her room. Although Grayson was technically off his shift, he explained that he still had to keep a low profile while inside the hotel and would follow her using the service elevator.
It was for the best, she reminded herself as her fingers drummed against the brass handrail. Neither one of them wanted to risk being seen together in the lobby. Scratch that, Tessa thought as the number for her floor lit up and the doors opened. Being seen in public with Grayson wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. For her, at least. She hadn’t been lying when she’d told Grayson that the public’s perception of her had changed after the pictures of them together had surfaced.
Tessa let herself into her room and barely had enough time to shrug out of her coat before there was a discreet knock on the door. Grayson stood in the hallway in his jeans and a snug black T-shirt under an open shearling-lined coat, his gaze just as intense as it had been at the bar. All the blood rushed to her head and she braced her hand on the doorjamb to steady herself. This is really happening.
“Are you okay?” he asked, concern immediately replacing the passion in his expression.
“Grayson...” She moved to the side, refusing to let her knees buckle as she held the door open for him. “I’m no longer the damsel in distress. You don’t have to treat me with kid gloves.”
“Good.” He dipped his head as he passed through the open door, dragging his eyes down the length of her and then back up. As though he was calculating which part of her body he wanted to caress first. “Because the wait nearly killed me.”
The next thing she knew, the door whooshed closed with a definite click and her shoulder blades were arching into the entryway wall. Her arms circled his neck and his hands followed the outline of her curves until settling under her rear end. He barely had to apply any upward pressure and she was lifting her legs, wrapping them around his waist as he thrust his tongue deeper into her mouth.
He groaned and pressed closer. Using his body to brace Tessa against the wall, he peeled his hands away from her butt long enough to shrug out of his jacket. She took the opportunity to tug on the soft cotton fabric between his shoulder blades and pulled the T-shirt over his head.
The motion broke their kiss, but it also allowed him to return the favor. Grayson made quick work of her sweater and the camisole underneath. She leaned forward so that he could access her bra clasp and he secured her hips under one forearm as he set her aching breasts free.
He kissed her again, their bare chests coming together. She moaned as tingling sensations shot through her tightly budded nipples. Recklessness coursed through her and she slid her hands over the smooth, warm ridges of his biceps, pulling him in even tighter so that she could fuse the heat of her skin with his.
Tessa had always been so precise, so careful, so controlled. She needed to let go and Grayson was only too willing to oblige her. She nipped at his lower lip and said, “Take me to the bed.”
“Not yet,” he murmured against her lips. “Next time, we’ll make it to the bed. But right now, I need you here.”
He elevated her even higher and spun them toward the entryway table. When he swung her onto the edge, something went crashing to the floor. Maybe it was a lamp, she thought as she felt for Grayson’s belt buckle. If he wasn’t going to worry about it, then neither would she. Drawing in a ragged breath, she slipped her hands below his waistband. He was hard and ready for her.
Tessa’s entire body vibrated with need. Specifically, the need for him to take her hard and fast. Anything slower or gentler would just be patronizing. She was done with him thinking of her as some sort of delicate flower that needed coddling.
Grayson captured one of her calves and pulled it away from his waist just long enough to unzip her boot and yank it off. The other one followed and, in a matter of seconds, his wide palms were skimming both her jeans and panties off her hips, sending them sliding down her thighs.
He withdrew something from his back pocket right before she pushed his jeans down lower. She heard the tearing of the foil packet. Grayson reached between them to sheath his length in a condom then positioned himself at her entrance. A tremor started deep inside Tessa’s core and she was afraid she would lose herself before they’d even started.
His teeth grazed the lobe of her ear as he asked, “You ready for this?”
“Please don’t stop now,” she told him and linked her ankles behind his back.
Grayson entered her swiftly and she gasped, shuddering from the fullness of him. He dipped his hips lower, adjusting his angle, and joined their bodies together again and again. She didn’t know where her breathing started and where his ended. The marbled entryway echoed every moan and whimper and sigh. Each thrust brought him deeper, brought them closer.
His breath was hot and fast against her cheek. His skin smelled of soap and eucalyptus, and she traced her lips along his jawline and back to his mouth, the whiskers of his five-o’clock shadow making her tingle even more. He captured her tongue once again and dug his fingers into the curve of her hips, holding her in place as he brought her to the highest peak.
He let out a final groan as he shuddered, his release coming right after hers. When the aftershocks faded, Tessa felt the rise and fall of his chest against hers. Their heart rates returned to a normal pace and he buried his mouth against the softest part of her neck.
Tessa didn’t think it was possible, but Grayson lifted her even closer to him. He held her tightly as he walked toward the bed. When he lay down next to her on the white sheets, his finger started a trail at her collarbone, moving between her breasts and dipping below her belly button.
She shivered then offered him a satisfied smile. “Now what?”
“Now—” he moved over her “—I’m going to take my time.”
Grayson caught sight of a bruise on Tessa’s right hip as she stretched in bed early the following morning. Wincing, he asked, “Did I do that?”
“I hope so.” She smiled at him. Her eyes glanced at the bedside clock and she gave him a sly grin. “Do you have time before your shift starts to kiss it and make it better?”
Growling, his hand snaked around her waist and he pulled her to him. But before they could start another round of lovemaking, her smartphone vibrated on the nightstand with an incoming call. He tried to ignore it, but then there were a series of pings as the screen lit up with several notification bubbles.
Tessa sighed. “I should probably get that.”
She stretched across him to reach for her phone and he took the opportunity to playfully lick the pink nipple poised directly over his head. Unfortunately, her groan wasn’t one of pleasure.
He scooted out from underneath her and saw that her face had lost some color. “What’s wrong?”
Instead of replying, she showed him her phone screen and his stomach sank. The image on the screen showed Grayson and Tessa clinging to each other in a passionate kiss. In the picture, he could make out the rows of liquor bottles behind them, the green knit cap sitting on the bar beside Tessa.
He didn’t bother asking the question he already knew the answer to. The photo could only have been taken last night, when they’d been so engrossed in each other, he hadn’t thought about anything else. Grayson sagged against the upholstered headboard, resting his elbows on his knees as he rubbed at his face and dragged his hands through his hair.
He breathed in through his nose several times as he struggled to bring his frustration under control. When he finally raised his head, Tessa was staring off into the distance. He put his hand under her chin and forced her to look at him. “I’m sorry, Tess. I should’ve had better situational awareness. I knew the huge windows were a risk and I let my guard down.”
Instead of berating him—like she had the first time they’d met—she smoothed his hair off his forehead. “You weren’t on duty, remember? It wasn’t your responsibility to protect me or my reputation last night. Besides, it’s not like anyone could really confirm it’s us.”
The tiniest flicker of hope spiked through his chest, even as he lowered an eyebrow in doubt.
“Look.” She held up the phone again. “It only shows the sides of our faces and they’re all smooshed together...”
Her voice trailed off as her thumb swiped the screen and another image appeared. This time, it was a picture of them turned toward each other, not quite kissing, so their profiles were easier to identify. She swiped again and there they were, facing the camera—wherever it had been hiding—and holding hands as they exited the bar. In the third shot, there was absolutely no question that the people in the photo were Grayson and Tessa.
Damn. His fist clenched the pillow as he fought the urge to throw something across the room. Instead of succumbing to his mounting frustration, he slipped the phone from her hand and brought it closer so he could read the article underneath. His eyes landed on phrases like “bodyguard for hire” and “boy toy” and “Davis Townsend’s replacement.”
But the worst part of the article was the last paragraph where it listed his name and what exactly he did for the Secret Service, including his office location and team assignment. There was even a picture of Grayson in full tactical gear with several other agents when he’d been on the counter assault team a few years ago.
He was no longer the mysterious Agent Steamy, he realized as his blood ran cold. Not only had his cover been blown, his entire career had been turned into tabloid fodder. It would only be a matter of time until the press got wind of Maddie and started showing up at her hospital.
“How do you deal with this all the time?” he asked, unable to hide the disgust in his voice.
“Deal with what? The complete lack of privacy?” Tessa shrugged, taking her phone back. “I grew up with it. My dad was in high-profile politics before I was even born. Being surrounded by cameras constantly is a tough lifestyle, but it’s all I’ve ever known.”
“Most of your siblings could say the same thing. Yet you’re the only King who sought a career in the limelight.”
“I didn’t seek it.” Tessa pulled the sheet up over her naked breasts and lifted her chin. “I majored in political science because it was a way to understand my father better, to understand the thing he loved as much as his family. It turned from researching to analyzing and, eventually, my dad coming to me for advice. I’d had a front-row seat to government in action my whole life and I was good at asking the right questions and digging for answers. The cameras were there long before I came along. I just learned how to do what I was good at while they were already rolling.”
“Remember that time you commented on how I never seemed to be off duty?” he asked then waited for her stiff nod before continuing. “Well, when does Tessa King ever get a break to just be herself? Don’t you ever get tired of constantly being on display for the world to see? With always having to fall in line with the public’s perception of you whether you agree with it or not?”
Tessa’s spine straightened. “Grayson, this is my life. My career. Yes, I chose it. And I’d choose it again because I’m doing a job that I love. A job that I think actually matters. People deserve to have a free press and access to global information. Not all journalists and reporters are like these guys.” She pointed to the name of the online gossip rag on her screen.
“I get that. But it’s nobody’s business whether or not ‘Beautiful Heiress Tessa King Slips Off to Love Nest with Sexy Bodyguard,’” he quoted the headline. “I never asked for this kind of notoriety.”
“Grayson, I never intended for you to be the subject of unwanted fame and attention. I don’t blame you for being upset. But at the end of the day, this is what my job entails. I want you in my life. However, if you want to have any sort of relationship with me, then this is part of the package.”
Grayson tried to latch onto the words he’d wanted to hear since he’d left the Twin Kings Ranch. Tessa King wanted him in her life. The bond they shared was way more than just a physical attraction.
Instead of euphoria, though, it was a bittersweetness that hung in the air between them. Because no matter how much they might want to be together, there was too much keeping them apart.
“Of course I want to have a relationship with you, Tessa.” Grayson climbed out of the bed and looked around the hotel room floor for his discarded pants. “I don’t want to have to sneak around to have one, either. When we were on the ranch, I fell for you harder than I could’ve imagined. The problem is that my job, my life, demands discretion. I’m trained to stay in the shadows and not draw any attention to the people I’m protecting. I can’t do my job if the paparazzi are constantly dogging me or flashing my picture all over the internet.”
He was also trained to retreat and reformulate a plan once he determined what he was up against. Or maybe this was it. The battle was over and it was time to admit defeat and tend to his wounds.
Grayson finally found his jeans on the marble floor in the entryway. Right next to the upended lamp he’d knocked over when he’d made love to Tessa before they could reach the bed. The memory flooded through him, taking some of the sting out of his disappointment. He yanked his jeans into place, trying not to think of her breathy little pants last night as she’d begged him for more.
Tessa appeared in the entryway behind him, her messy blond curls framing her proud face. She’d kept the sheet wrapped around her torso, but her swollen lips were turned down at the corners.
“When I met you at the bar last night, I’d hoped for a better ending than this,” she offered. “I fell for you just as hard. Literally. I’d tried to stay away this past month to give us space so we could figure out who we were outside of the ranch, and what we both wanted. But it looks like this is how things have to be if we both want to keep doing what we’re made to do. I’m sorry, Grayson.”
“I know.” He exhaled. “I’m sorry, too.”
She didn’t tell him to stay. She didn’t tell him that they could work through this together. Most important, she didn’t ask him to give up his job or anything else to be with her.
In that moment, Grayson loved her even more.
His phone pinged from inside his jacket pocket, where he’d left it last night. He pulled it out to see an incoming message from SAIC Simon. Just when Grayson thought his heart couldn’t take any more blows, another round breached his walls.
“Listen. I’ve got to go to work.” He didn’t add that Simon had just informed him he was officially off protective detail now that his temporary celebrity status could compromise the assignment. He didn’t want Tessa to blame herself.
Twelve hours ago, he’d never expected them to ride into the sunset together. So then why did it suddenly feel as though he was leaving part of himself behind? Grayson’s insides twisted with remorse knowing that this was the end of the road for them. Things had ended almost as quickly as they had begun.
The longing for her, though, would likely never go away.
Tessa stood there, the sheet clasped around her, her shoulders back and her chin high. She may be disappointed, but she wouldn’t admit it. Tessa King would dive into another new project in no time.
Before he walked out the door, he gave her cheek one last caress and whispered, “Take care of yourself.”