Absolution (2 page)

“What? Me? Why the hell would someone send
you to protect me? I’m a teacher, for Christ’s sake. I’m in no
danger. Well, maybe a kid will puke on me, but it’s no reason for a
guard.”

“Your father disagrees.” Joseph crossed his
arms over his chest and raised his eyebrows.

“My father put you up to this? But he hates
you.” If her father had asked Joseph for help, then he must be
worried. And if he had a reason to be worried, well, then, so did
she. “What’s going on?”

“I’ll tell you everything. But not until I
get you inside. Take me to your place.”

She laughed. “Hell, no.” Worried or not, he
would get nowhere near her apartment ever again. “I told you when I
kicked you out you’d never be welcome inside my house again.
Nothing has changed. I’m a big girl, I can handle myself.” She took
a step away and once again he took her by the elbow.

This time, Joseph didn’t halt but grabbed her
and dragged her behind him. “No, you can’t. And if you won’t take
me to your place, I’ll just lead the way. Either way, I’m getting
in.” He tugged her toward the red-roofed, stucco building Eva lived
in, and she tensed.

“Go to hell!” She struggled against his hold,
but he didn’t even pause. She tried to dig her heels into the
cement and yanked her arm but failed to free herself from his grip.
“I’ll scream.”

He leaned toward her, getting in her face.
“You wouldn’t dare.” Without waiting for her reaction, he continued
to escort her toward her building.

She opened her mouth, took a deep breath, and
yelled, “Help—”

Joseph stopped, eyes wide. He spun her until
she rested against the wall of a nearby building. She had time to
yelp before he crushed his lips to hers and thrust his tongue
inside her mouth.

She pushed against his shoulders, and he
groaned, deepening the kiss. She longed to bite his tongue, to kick
him in the balls, but damn it, he felt so good. It might have been
six weeks since he’d last kissed her, but her body remembered him
well—including all the feelings he brought out within her—and
wanted more.

She pulled him closer while he slid his palms
down her back and cupped her buttocks, hauling her up tight against
his erection. She groaned in unison with him. He tore his mouth
away and nibbled on her right ear.

“God, Eva, I’ve missed you so much.”

Nothing he could have said would have sobered
her more. Man, but he had some
cojones
telling her he missed
her! He’d cheated on
her
, not the other way around. She
jerked out of his hold and slapped him hard across the face.

He covered his cheek with his hand.
“Damn.”

“You’re a nasty son of a bitch. You broke my
heart.” Her voice cracked, and she grimaced at the tears stinging
to her eyes. She’d cried so much over this man already, how could
she have more to shed? “And you stroll back into my life, kiss me,
and tell me you missed me? Fuck you!”

He pressed his lips together and shrugged. “I
can’t help it if I miss you. I can’t help it if I regret what
happened every single day of my life. One night. One night of bad
decisions, and my life got ruined. And has been ever since.”

Her heartbeat sped up, and she raised her
fists. “
Your
life was ruined? Have you any idea what it felt
like to find you with that…together?”

He kicked the wall and grabbed her elbow.
“Yes, I do. But right now is not the time for this discussion. I
need to get you inside.”

“No.” A sharp tug freed her arm from his
hold. She ignored his scowl and raised her chin another notch.

“Tell you what, you’re going to follow me
inside your apartment, or I’m going to kiss you again and not stop
until you forget why you hate me. Do you understand?”

She could have argued, stood her ground, but
she feared he would do what he promised.

Unfortunately, she wanted him to.

***

While Eva unlocked the deadbolt to her
apartment, Joseph drew his gun. They entered the foyer, and he
quietly shut the door. Turning, he grabbed her hand and jerked her
behind him.

“Wait here until I make sure it’s safe,” he
commanded over his shoulder.

He strode into the living room, ensuring it
was clear of Cartel assassins before moving on through each room
until he reached the bedroom. Once satisfied of the apartment’s
safety, he returned to the living room, holstered his gun, and
motioned Eva inside. She glared and marched past him, tossing her
purse on the table. He moved to lock the door and leaned against
it. The smell of gardenias met his nose, transporting him back in
time to when he’d basked in her love. When he had been the luckiest
guy in the world.

Until the night his life got fucked up beyond
belief. Hell, he didn’t even remember most of what happened the
night he’d lost her. It was all a blur—always would be. He gritted
his teeth. He’d give anything to do it all over again and stay home
instead of going out. He wouldn’t have gotten drunk and
reckless.

But he couldn’t. And instead, he got to watch
the woman he loved flop herself down on the couch and cross her
arms while scowling him. What he would give to have her twined
around his body, the two of them naked and rolling around on the
bed, wrapped in the blanket of her long hair….

Seeing Eva again had shaken Joseph more than
he’d expected. Sure, he’d known it would be tough. Being near her
always managed to leave him unsettled. Pure Mexican fire ran
through her veins—along with that temper—but her mother’s American
genes gave Eva’s skin a translucent hue. She’d managed to inherit
her mother’s blue eyes and her father’s dark hair. The combination
never failed to make his blood boil.

“Well, why are you here?”

Her voice ripped him from his reverie, and he
shook his head to clear it. “Your father is working on a mission,
and he managed to piss off his target. Imagine that?”

Arrogance ran thick through Hugo, which both
angered Joseph and brought a reluctant admiration from him. Long
ago, they’d even been friends—until Joseph had the gall to break
his little girl’s heart.

“They discovered he had a daughter and
threatened you to ensure his cooperation.”

She sucked in a deep breath, and her blue
eyes darkened. “Who is it?”

The seriousness of the situation seemed to
have broken through her thick skull. About damn time.

“The Cartel.”

She held a hand to her forehead, massaging
her brow. “The Cartel wants me dead? What about my father, is he in
danger?”

Joseph approached the couch and shook his
head at her utter lack of concern for her own welfare. “He’s fine.
It’s his job to be safe. You’re the one we need to worry about.” He
sat next to her and patted her knee.

She tensed and scooted her butt a few inches
away from him. “Don’t touch me. Why did he have to pick you, of all
people? Why not some other agent?”

“Because I’m the best.” He leaned back, laced
his fingers behind his head and propped his feet on the coffee
table. Every time he touched Eva, he couldn’t think straight. Hell,
even when he didn’t touch her, he had issues. No way did he have a
prayer of escaping this encounter unscathed. “And only the best
will do for his precious Eva.”

She scoffed. “I’m sure there are others who
can do just as well as you, if not better.”

“If there were, I wouldn’t be sitting here,
now would I? Your father hates me.”

“Gee, I wonder why?”

He ground his teeth, guilt heating his cheeks
at her sarcasm. “Look, you need to hear the truth about that night.
I’m sorry you had to see it. I’m even sorrier I have to be here
now, in your house, when you despise me.”

“Oh, shut up already. I don’t want to hear
your lame excuses. Just leave me alone.”

“I’m not leaving. Not until the job is
complete and you’re safe. Until then, how about we try to exist on
a business level?”

She turned to him frowning. “I’m not sure I
can be polite to you. Every time I see your bright green eyes
looking at me, I want to gouge them out.”

He pulled his sunglasses off his head and
perched them on his nose. “There, problem solved.” He motioned at
his face, smirking. “Now you don’t have to see them, and I get to
keep my vision. Win-win.”

She laughed and then covered her mouth. The
sound ended far too quickly and a scowl replaced her smile. He
couldn’t believe he’d managed to get her to drop her anger, even if
it had lasted a mere second.

“Nope, now I just want to punch your nose.”
She ripped his sunglasses off and threw them on the table. Angling
toward him, she cocked her head to the side. “Why do you even care
about any of this? We broke up six weeks ago. I’d think you
wouldn’t feel obligated to protect me anymore.”

“I’m not obligated. I’m doing it
because…because I am. It’s enough.” He wouldn’t be stupid and
confess he still loved her. He also wouldn’t tell her he would do
anything to hold her again, to be given one last chance. It would
be pathetic of him to beg, and he wasn’t pitiful.

“Not me. I want someone else,” she insisted,
tossing her hair over her shoulder. “This won’t do. I’m calling Dad
and telling him to find someone else. Anyone else.”

When she reached for her purse, he grabbed
her and threw her back against the cushions. He leaned toward her
face, stopping an inch from her lips.

Eyes narrowed, she cried, “Stop throwing me
around!”

“I’m not leaving. I’m the best, and I won’t
allow you to be killed because you’re too childish to be around me
again.”

“But—”

“No buts. You listen to me, now. I won’t take
advantage of you. I promise to try to behave myself and to stay out
of your way as much as possible. But I’m not leaving your side
until you’re safe.” He didn’t know if he could resist touching her
if she gave even the slightest hint of interest, but he would do
his damndest. He couldn’t be held at fault if his trying fell short
of expectations, now could he?

“How long will it take?”

“About three days.”

She blanched. “Three days?”

“Yeah. When your father’s undercover mission
ends.” Joseph stared at her pale face for a few seconds and then
pushed away to return to his seat on the couch. But a bit closer
than before. “Worried you can’t keep your hands off of me for so
long?”

He sure was. Already, his palms itched to
grab her and throw her down, so he could have his way with her.

“Pft. I think I can handle myself.” She wrung
her hands, scooting a few inches away from him while avoiding his
gaze. “I’m more concerned about whether I’ll manage to avoid
murdering you.”

“Well, you’ll have to do your best. For the
next week or so, I plan to be no more than five paces from your
side at all times. If you shower, I’ll be outside the bathroom
door. When you sleep, I’ll be next to you. When you—”

“Hold up.” She raised a hand. “Sleep? You
aren’t sleeping in my bed, you ass. No way.”

“Scared?” He grabbed his sunglasses and toyed
with them. Truth be told, he didn’t want to share her bed, either.
Okay, that’s a bit of a lie
. He longed to share it, but as
her lover. Not her bodyguard. Big difference, there.

“I remember what you do when you’re asleep,”
Eva snapped. “How many times did you wake me up, making love to me
in your sleep?”

Memories flashed through his head of a few
more unforgettable moments, and his cock hardened. He shifted on
the couch to accommodate the apparent growing of said body
part.

“And I remember how horny you are in the
mornings. So, yes, I am. You can sleep on the floor,” Eva
finished.

Her words brought out images in his head of
her rising over him in the morning, a sleepy smile on her face as
she licked him from head to toe. It wasn’t just him who woke up
horny. But, like a gentleman, he would refrain from mentioning it.
“Like a dog?”

“If the shoe fits….” She arched a brow.

He flinched. “The floor’s fine. I just need
to be close to you to keep you safe.”
And to love you
.

“Fine, whatever. But keep your hands to
yourself.”

“Indeed. At least, until you ask otherwise.
Then all bets are off.” He grinned, trailing a finger down her arm.
He couldn’t help himself. She was so fun to torture. She made it
too easy.

Her face turned bright red, and she slapped
his hand away. “Don’t hold your breath. You’ll suffocate.”

“I don’t know. I have a very high tolerance.
You should know from experience.” He wiggled his eyebrows and
smiled. After he received the expected glower, he asked, “So, what
are we doing tonight?”

“We’re not doing anything. I have a
date.”

Joseph’s heart squeezed in his chest, and he
straightened. “The hell you do. Fucking cancel it.”

Eva watched Joseph’s green eyes darken with
rage, and she bit her lip. She hadn’t expected him to be happy
about her plans. But she shouldn’t have to back out of the date
just because her ex had come into town to guard her.

Right?

“I’m not canceling. I happen to like this
guy. He’s sweet, generous, and attractive. And I bet he won’t screw
a stripper in my house.”

He growled and loomed over her again. “He
sounds great. But unless you want me to murder him in front of you,
you’ll cancel until next week. I’m not letting you out of my sight,
remember?”

She gulped and pushed him away. “Stop getting
in my face. It’s not gonna scare me.”

“No, but I know one thing that scares you.
This.” He closed the distance and kissed her.

No, he didn’t kiss her. He ravished her,
digging his hand into her curls and plundering her mouth. His
tongue stroked hers, and she moaned. At some point, he must have
lowered her back against the cushions because she didn’t even
remember moving.