Guardian (19 page)

Deeper.

Faster.

Encouraging him like her breathy gasps that she was
close, so close
. Sweat slicked his skin and hers, melding them flesh to flesh. A flush spread over her chest, broadcasting her own rising pleasure.

She arched hard off the desert floor, her cries flung out. No need for quiet or careful holding back. Her release clamped around him, taking him, holding him,
then sending him over the edge after her in pulsing wave after wave. Her nails scored his back, her body bowing in aftershocks.

Panting in the aftermath, he rolled off her, scooping her into his arms and shifting to sit on his shirt. As he cradled her against his chest, he couldn’t hide from the truth. This out-of-control encounter wasn’t just a by-product of adrenaline.

He was falling hard and fast for Sophie.

What the hell had just happened to her?

Silently, Sophie eased herself from David’s arms, needing some distance, and given they were in the middle of the desert, there was space to spare. Her nerves were every bit as sensitive as her well-loved flesh. While she felt the intensity of his gaze, thank goodness he seemed to understand she wasn’t in any way ready to talk.

Or maybe he was just as shaken as she was.

She shook out her clothes. Still, perspiration glued specks of sand to her skin with a reminder of what they’d shared here. Never had she lost control of herself that way—not in an argument and certainly never during sex. She didn’t consider herself inhibited, but she was the silk, candles, and romantic music sort.

Being with David here had been…intense. More than a little scary.

Out of the corner of her eyes, she watched him. David fastened his pants and whipped the sand from his T-shirt
before tugging it over his head. The front was dotted with sweat—from him or her?

Or both of them.

Finally, she couldn’t avoid his full-on gaze any longer. So she stared back, the wind whipping over her. He reached, and she braced herself for the power of their connection. His hand landed on her shoulder, a simple touch, yet more moving than a full-out stroke from anyone else.

She wished she could reach out as well, but even with her clothes on again, she felt bare and vulnerable.

Squeezing once, David’s hand fell away. “It’s safe to say the plane’s not going to blow up. I’m going to take a look around while we wait for the state trooper.”

“Good idea.” She nodded, finding a smile and hoping he could understand her silence came from how much their first time together moved her.

And what a crazy time to think of her first date with Lowell.

She’d been twenty, he’d been thirty-two, which had seemed so very worldly to her then. He’d gone all out with a five-star restaurant, paid the lounge singer extra to serenade her, even bought exotic flowers. She still had one of the blooms pressed in an album.

It seemed a little cliché now that she looked back. A lot of glitz and not much substance, especially as time wore on. But it had seemed so wonderful in the beginning.

Which made her question what she was feeling now.

Her gaze tracked over to David at the plane. He’d already opened the engine compartment and now he lay flat on his back underneath the belly of the craft. As a military systems tester, he would have a more in-depth knowledge of an airplane’s mechanics than the average aviator.

Of course nothing about David was average.

He tucked back out from under the plane and rolled to his feet. “Sophie, come here.”

She wasn’t ready to face him yet, but hiding seemed juvenile and would give too much credence to how rattled she was. So she braced her shoulders and walked to him.

“What’s wrong?” She closed the distance between them, sand in her shoe scratching her heel.

“You need to see this.” Frowning, he rubbed the back of his neck.

“See what?” she said just as the sound of an approaching truck rumbled in the distance.

David flattened his hand to the side of the Cessna, a scowl stamped deeply into his face. “There’s a hole in the fuel tank and it doesn’t look accidental.”

*    *    *

Three hours later, David climbed the stairs to his sister’s house. Sophie made tracks a step ahead.

They’d given their statement to the state trooper and showed him the hole in the fuel tank that looked deliberate. They’d questioned her on her cases, certain she must be the target, especially since she was involved in the high-profile Vasquez case. Investigators were on it, and Sophie had alerted the Office of Special Investigations on base to let them know someone had made an attempt on her life.

Prints would be lifted from the plane. Video camera footage from the airport would be watched. Hopefully answers would come soon. But not soon enough for his peace of mind. It was like Sophie was a sitting duck—a break-in, a car accident, a plane crash, all within the span of less than a week.

It was impossible to discount as coincidence. Someone
was after her. Most disturbing, how did that person know where they’d been going today?

One thing was clear, this threat was not going away. She needed round-the-clock protection, and her son and grandmother should leave town.

Not that she’d elaborated on her plans. She wasn’t speaking much at all.

“Sophie.” He pressed a hand to the door, stopping her. “We have to talk about what happened in the desert.”

She looked up, her eyes wary. “Now?”

“About what happened with the plane,” he clarified. “We should come up with a plan before we speak with the kids.”

“I know. I’ve been thinking since we left the station.” She rubbed her arms.

She was radiating a freaked-out, stand-back vibe he couldn’t miss. With grueling certainty, he realized he’d launched himself into a situation that made his relationship with Leslie look like a picnic.

“What did you decide?”

“I’m going to send Brice and Nanny to visit some relatives back in Los Angeles. I have to stay here because of the Vasquez case.”

He stepped closer without touching. “You have to know I can’t just walk away from you.”

“What happened between us today…”

He touched her lips. “I don’t think now’s such a great time to talk about that. Let’s take care of your son first. I’m going to send Haley Rose to stay with her mom. I’ll feel better if I didn’t have to worry about her being caught in any cross fire.”

Her eyes went wide and a little wild. “Oh God, David, I should just go.”

“We’ll talk once the kids are settled.” He opened the door, certain if he gave her the chance to argue, she would be out in a heartbeat. Voices from the kids playing video games echoed, the sounds of family and home.

He was fascinated by the woman in the desert, her passion and fire. He also wanted to be with the laughing, laid-back Sophie from the amusement park.

Except now, she’d closed up. He’d seen warriors shut down in the heat of battle, and he could understand her need to numb herself until she had her child safe.

But he’d also seen people shut down permanently after one too many traumas. He wouldn’t have minded a little of that numbing for himself right now.

Caged energy rumbled around inside him looking for an outlet. Watching her walk away, he would have to be dead not to want her.

Dead. She could have died in the plane crash, the car accident, the break-in. Someone was seriously gunning for her. Clearly she must have been targeted because of something in her job. But what? David rested his forehead against the door frame and willed his heart to slow.

Bracelets chimed, alerting him of his sister’s approach a second before Madison touched his shoulder. “You’re later than I expected.”

“Sorry about that.” He turned to face her. “Insane day.”

“I’m not griping.” She leaned back against the entry-hall wall, a monogrammed hand towel in her fist. “I was worried. Is everything all right?”

David straightened, shrugging through the kink in his neck. “Fuel leak on the airplane. The landing was hairy, but we’re okay. By the time help arrived and we got back in cell phone range, I figured I was close to home anyway. It would be better to talk face-to-face.”

Madison tipped her head to the side, a frown wrinkling her brow. “David, I’m glad you’re both safe. I’ll tell Nanny to put the pork chops back in the fridge. We’ll order pizza.”

“Good idea.” The reality of what could have happened wouldn’t release him. He sagged back against the wall and let the weight of the day show through for the first time. “The fuel leak wasn’t an accident. Someone tampered with the plane and probably her car, too. Combined with the break-in, it’s too much. Her son and grandmother need to leave.”

“Oh my God, David.” She pressed the hand towel to her chest. “I don’t know what to say.”

“There’s nothing to say.” He kept his voice low, although the video game in the next room was so loud the kids wouldn’t hear a freight train. “I can’t just leave her out there alone. She doesn’t have anyone to turn to. So I’m going to watch out for her.”

“Of course you are.”

The sounds of his daughter’s laughter in the next room tugged at him, making him wish they could all just leave and live on a deserted island. “I think Haley Rose should leave, too.”

“You know I’ll look out for her while you work. I feel guilty that I can’t do more…” She squeezed his hand, her eyes full of…tears?

“Thanks, Madison, but I won’t be able to think straight if she’s anywhere near here. I’ll be too distracted. I need to get her away from here.”

“Where?”

Frustration twisted inside him. “Leslie can step up and be there for her daughter for a week.”

“Sounds like you’ve got everything planned out.” She
hooked an arm with him. “But who’s going to take care of you? You can’t run on adrenaline forever, in spite of what you think.”

Her words struck deep. “Sophie says I’m an adrenaline junkie.”

“An airplane crash will upset a person, especially one who lost her husband in a crash. She probably just needed to vent.” She hugged his arm closer. “Hey, consider yourself complimented she pegged you as a safe target.”

“Yeah, great.” David nudged Madison’s toe with his. “You didn’t answer me. Was she right?”

Madison shrugged. “Does it really matter?”

For once, David envied Madison’s float-through-life attitude. How strange that their father’s overbearing upbringing could have sent the two siblings to such opposite ends of the spectrum: Madison with no focus and David with too much. Too bad they couldn’t find a way to meet in the middle.

He let go of his sister’s arm. “I should call Leslie.”

“Good luck.” Madison’s smile faltered, her eyes still shiny with tears.

“Hey.” David searched her face. “Is something wrong?”

“You’ve got your hands full now.” She shook her head. “I’m okay.”

“You’ve saved my ass since my divorce. I don’t take that for granted. If you need something, I’m here for you, too.”

“Maybe we could talk later tonight?”

“We can talk now.” He stepped closer.

Madison fidgeted with her bracelets. “Later would be better. I need to feed everyone…”

“How much prep goes into delivery pizza?” His attempt at a joke fell flat, but it wasn’t a particularly funny day.

“I want to make sure when we talk, we’re not interrupted.”

Fair enough. He had to agree with her on that. He didn’t want the children to be frightened—cautious, but not traumatized. “All right. Later tonight.”

He needed to shower and change…But first, he stopped in the open doorway of Sophie’s room. She stood by her suitcase, pulling out a change of clothes. The pink kangaroo seemed to taunt David from its perch on the pillows.

A surge of protectiveness for all of them rolled over him like a rogue wave. And he knew full well if she saw what was in his eyes right now, she would only run further away. So he backed into the hall, reaching for his cell phone to call Leslie.

He didn’t know if Sophie could even open herself up enough to let him into her life, into her heart. But whether she wanted to admit it or not, she needed him.

*    *    *

Freshly showered, Sophie slid Brice’s shorts out of the drawer and stacked them in the small roll bag to go with Nanny to stay with relatives in Los Angeles—where she’d grown up before she’d come to Vegas for college and met Lowell.

God, he was all over her thoughts today.

Lowell hadn’t wanted her to go into the military, but she’d already committed to an ROTC scholarship to pay for college. She hadn’t wanted to be a burden on her grandparents when they’d already done so much, bringing her up after her father had died.

He’d even moved with her when she’d been stationed away from Vegas, vowing it was okay. He could start a
casino in North Dakota on a reservation when she’d been stationed at Minot Air Force Base. He’d made frequent trips back to Vegas, keeping a condo, but she had to give him credit. Then, finally, the assignment had come around here and they’d been able to move home to Vegas permanently.

This was supposed to be the time they would settle down, give Brice roots. But if anything, domesticity made Lowell even itchier. She wondered now if those breaks from family life when he’d commuted back to Vegas had enabled him to sustain their marriage in a way he couldn’t once they were together every day. Even when she’d deployed to the Middle East, Nanny had once again stepped in as the primary caregiver. Not Lowell.