He could only hope she was better prepared for him now.
“We know you, Cord. You go through more women than the three of us put together. Kayla is not another notch on your belt.”
“If you know me so well, Quinn, then you know that I would never disrespect your sister like that. Kayla is special.” He deliberately let his voice grow cold. He knew he wasn’t good enough for her, but selfishly, he couldn’t stay away any longer. And he was not going to trust her safety to anyone else, not even her brothers.
He’d tried to forget her, the memory of her lush body, of her sexy scent. It had been futile. Shocked as he had been by the depth of his reaction to her that night, he’d been even more stunned when he couldn’t get her out of his head.
She was the reason he’d stayed away. She was also the reason he’d returned. He hadn’t claimed her two years ago because she’d been too young and innocent for him. She deserved someone softer, more giving, someone worthy of her.
But he’d been unable to forget her. He’d been back only a few times in the last two years and never managed to catch more than a glimpse of her. Now he was back for good. He’d returned to see if the attraction was real or all in his head. The moment he’d seen her again, he’d known.
She was his.
“Special? What the hell does that mean?” Quinn sputtered, his hands fisting. Joe stepped between the two of them quickly, facing his twin. Quinn calmed a little, turning away.
“What are your intentions?” Joe asked, facing Cord now.
“I don’t believe that is any of your business. I am not one of those wimps you’ve run off in the past, and I will not allow any interference. Am I understood?”
“Enough,” Luke spoke firmly, his face serious. “Quinn, we’ve known Cord for years. We can trust him. And he’s right. He’s in the best position to watch over Kayla. This could have been a case of wrong place, wrong time. But I don’t think any of us really believe that. Why choose such a public place? When there were still so many people around. There’s something odd here. But, Cord, you’d better keep her safe. She’s very fragile. She needs caring and understanding. If you can’t give that to her then you have to walk away.”
Cord opened his mouth to speak, but Luke waved him off. “We’re not simply being overprotective of her. There’s a reason why we’re all so concerned about her. Something happened four months ago…”
Chapter Two
Over an hour later, Kayla stumbled into her apartment, immediately heading toward the small kitchen. Reaching into a cupboard, she grabbed a large bottle of gin. Cord’s hand bracketed her wrist, his fingers gentle but implacable as her arm was pulled back, the alcohol plucked from her grasp.
“Hey!” she yelled as Cord calmly placed the gin back in the cupboard. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“You don’t need alcohol.” Cord stared down at her, his voice like his body—immovable and hard.
“I’ve agreed to let you stay. Reluctantly. I didn’t agree to you bossing me around.” Kayla was exhausted, afraid, vulnerable, and she hated it.
“There may be times where you’ll have to do as I say without hesitation,” Cord replied calmly. “Times where your safety may depend on obeying me. So you might as well obey me all the time, hmm?”
She glared at him. He winked.
Oh, brother.
“I want a drink.” She wasn’t in the mood for humor—she wasn’t even sure he was really joking. He was so arrogant she wouldn’t be surprised if he really did expect her to do everything he told her. “Give me back the gin.” She made sure her voice was every bit as strong and imperious as his had been.
“Alcohol won’t help you deal with the panic attacks, Kayla.”
Her chin rose. “What makes you think I have panic attacks?”
Instead of replying, he grabbed her hand. Heat pulsed up her arm. Luckily he didn’t notice as he turned and tugged her along behind him through the living room.
“At least this place is better than the shoebox you used to live in. Where’s the bathroom?”
“Second door on the right. I don’t need you here, Cord. I’m not in any danger.”
“You know, if I didn’t have such a healthy ego, I’d feel crushed by your constant rejection.”
She bit back a smile, surprised she could feel amused after a day like today.
“Why is it you don’t want me around? Is it because you don’t think you need me?” he asked. “Or is it because you’re still mad about what happened two years ago?”
He stepped into the bathroom and turned to look at her. Kayla glared at him.
“Both. Neither. Urgh. Why are you here? You couldn’t wait to run out the door last time I saw you.”
“So you’re still mad. I thought as much.”
“Well, clever you,” she replied sarcastically. “I’m not mad. To be mad would mean I actually cared. I don’t. I got over you ages ago.”
“Kayla, I was supposed to protect you from players like me. You deserved more. Still do.”
“And you just decided that because I’m an idiot who doesn’t have a mind of her own?”
“No, because you were an innocent. You were probably dreaming of forever-afters. I wasn’t.”
Well, that struck a little too close to home. She had been foolishly dreaming that he would declare his undying love for her. Of course he hadn’t been thinking the same. Why would he want her when he could play the field? She’d thrown herself at him, he’d taken what she’d offered and he’d left. That she’d wanted something more was her problem. A problem she didn’t have anymore.
Really, she didn’t.
“How do I know you’re going to stick around this time? That I’m not going to wake up one morning to find you gone?”
His eyes narrowed. “Look, think of this as a business arrangement. Being your bodyguard is a job and I never walk away from a job. I’m here to protect you. This isn’t about sex. It’s about your safety. And I take that very seriously. You’re my best friend’s little sister. I’m not about to let anything happen to you.”
She supposed that should make her feel better, and yet she couldn’t help but feel hurt. He really didn’t want her.
But she knew that he spoke the truth. He wouldn’t walk away from the job and he wouldn’t leave her unprotected. Physically, she was safe. Emotionally, well, she’d just have to protect herself.
Stepping up to the bath, he turned the taps. Kayla was a bit piqued at his presumption. If he’d wanted a bath he could have at least asked first.
“Kayla, Luke talked to me. I know you had a panic attack tonight. That’s why you just sat there when the van was coming toward you, isn’t it?”
Kayla shifted her shoulders, uncomfortable with his probing. She trembled as tonight’s events threatened to overwhelm her. Ruthlessly, she shoved it back into the recesses of her mind. No doubt it would come thundering back when her defenses were down. But for now she needed all of her strength to deal with Cord.
“When did you speak to Luke?” she asked suspiciously.
“Tonight, while you were waiting in the office. He told me everything.”
“Everything?”
He knows about the attack?
Cord nodded. His face was calm but his eyes betrayed the depth of his anger. They raged. “We’ll talk about it later, okay? I think you’ve been through enough tonight.”
Kayla took a deep breath. He knew. Part of her had hoped to keep it from him—out of shame, and because she hadn’t wanted him to find out how much of a wreck she was.
Yet now that the choice had been taken out of her hands, she actually felt relieved. The knots in her stomach eased a little. She’d never been a good liar, and Cord had a way of piercing through any fabrication.
“There are blankets in the linen cupboard. Help yourself. I’m going to bed.” The light grip of his hand around her wrist stopped her from leaving.
“No you’re not.”
“Damn it, Cord. I don’t need to talk. You got your way. You’re here. Do me the courtesy of leaving me alone!”
“I can’t.”
He let her go. A pang of loss stabbed her as his touch left her skin. She scowled, as angry at herself as she was at him. When would she stop reacting to him? How much rejection did she need to suffer through before her body got the point?
“I still don’t understand why you volunteered for this. You could have stayed out of it.”
“Kayla,” he sighed. For a moment she could have sworn she saw longing in his eyes. But he averted his gaze, and when he looked back his expression was guarded.
“Jed is my best friend. I’ve known you a long time and the thought of someone trying to harm you sickens me. I have nowhere else I need to be. I can protect you—if you’ll let me.”
He brushed the hair from her face before running the tips of his fingers down her cheek.
She froze, wondering if he was going to kiss her.
He stepped back suddenly. “You will do what I tell you, won’t you, Kayla.” It was an order not a question.
“You’re not the boss of me, Cord. This is ridiculous and unnecessary. I don’t need protection. I agreed to let you stay with me to appease my brothers.”
“You don’t
want
to need protection,” he corrected her. “Object all you like, angel. But I can’t shrug off what happened and hope for the best. If you can’t accept me as your bodyguard then you’ll have to move in with your brothers. And they don’t have the skills or background I do.”
“Jed does.” Her youngest brother was still in the armed forces.
“Jed’s not here. I am. And I know he’d want me to do everything I could to take care of his baby sister.”
She turned away, feeling a ridiculous stab of disappointment. She knew he wasn’t here because he cared for her, but did he have to keep rubbing it in? For the moment she was stuck living with him. She couldn’t move in with her brothers. She didn’t believe there was a threat, but if she was wrong, she didn’t want them to get hurt.
Cord was strong, tough. He wouldn’t let anyone harm her.
She’d be fine as long as she didn’t do anything foolish.
Like kid herself into thinking he wanted her.
She wasn’t about to open herself up to any more pain. She’d let him stay because there was no other choice available. And as soon as she proved there was no danger, he’d be gone.
“When it comes to safety, I’ll listen to you. But only in that,” she warned him. She knew him—he’d take over if she let him.
“Bath’s ready, Kayla.”
“Oh, okay.” She flushed, turning to walk out of the room.
Idiot.
“Where do you think you’re going?” he asked, tugging her back.
“I-I’m leaving you to b-bathe,” she stuttered.
“I drew the bath for you, Kayla. You need to relax or you’ll never sleep.”
She didn’t sleep much anyway.
“Fine,” she muttered, longing for the bath but irritated by his high-handed assumption that she’d want one.
He ran his thumb over her knuckles, stirring warmth in her belly. She moved closer to him, drawn by his sensual pull.
“Need any help undressing?” He grinned devilishly and suddenly Kayla realized she was standing flush against him.
She stumbled back, flustered. “You better leave before the water gets cold,” she snapped, annoyed by the arousal surging through her. She hadn’t reacted this way to a man in ages.
“If you need me, yell out.” He left, shutting the door behind him.
What was wrong with her? He annoyed her, he was a high-handed jerk.
And still she was attracted to him. Urgh, someone up there was having a laugh at her expense. This was unbelievable. Even if she’d been her old self, Cord was the absolute last person she should want.
She locked the door and quickly stripped. Climbing into the bath, she let out a deep breath as warm water soothed her tense muscles. Closing her eyes, she lay back and let herself relax.
* * * * *
Cord paced outside the bathroom door. He’d made some gains tonight. He shouldn’t push her any further. Kayla had accepted his presence, his protection—mainly because he’d deliberately misled her about why he was here. He wasn’t here because of his friendship with Jed. He didn’t consider this another job.
He was here for her.
If his small lies gave him time to build her trust in him and meant she accepted his protection, he would keep up the pretense.
He was thankful he’d listened to his instincts tonight. He didn’t want to think about what might have happened if he hadn’t gone looking for her.
Luckily her brothers were like him—overprotective and paranoid enough to think the worst. He’d shamelessly used their fear for her safety to his advantage and now he was exactly where he needed to be. Faster than he thought he would be and with far more complications. But he was with her. That was what counted.
Fury burned as he remembered her pale, shocked face tonight. And what had he done? Berated her for not fighting back. He should have held her, comforted her. But he’d been so scared, so furious that he’d reacted without thought.
Another man had manhandled his woman, had tried to harm her. A low growl erupted from Cord’s mouth before he could stop it. He gazed down at his clenched hands and deliberately relaxed them. He had to retain control. He couldn’t show her this side of him—the hard, vicious part he’d inherited from his father.
He wasn’t sure Kayla could love someone as dominant as he was. But he was going to do his damnedest to convince her. To win her over.
He’d fought against his own needs and given her time to find someone better, kinder.
But she hadn’t.
And he was through denying himself her softness, her light. He might not be gentle or sweet or flexible, but he would always ensure she was safe, he would always put her happiness before his own and he would never, ever leave her again.
Having her in danger ripped at his control. If he hadn’t run before, then she would never have been attacked four months ago, she wouldn’t have been alone, wouldn’t have been vulnerable, been hurt.
Cord took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. This wasn’t helping. She didn’t need him angry and raging. She needed understanding, caring. He wasn’t sure he had it in him to give her that, but he’d try.
Cord checked his watch, frowning. It had been thirty minutes and she hadn’t stirred. She needed sleep.
He knocked on the bathroom door. Nothing. He called out as he turned the knob. Finding it locked, he cursed and yelled her name.