Untamed (7 page)

Chapter 7

The plane had made good time in the cloudless sky. They disembarked
, and she was surprised that Brody or the General or someone had thought ahead and rented an SUV. She took the keys and slid behind the wheel. She was on her own turf now and knew the streets like the back of her hand. They drove in companionable silence from the sticks where the airport was located onto the busy strip of the beach. Women, in bikinis and flip-flops, walked down the sidewalk with towels thrown over their shoulders. Men in swim trunks, carrying beach chairs, followed dutifully behind them. Children, with squirt guns, raced around chasing each other, trying to soak their targets. 

She didn’t live on the beach; she lived in town just over the bridge
, on a quiet street only locals called home. Tourists visited every year during peak spring months and longer during the summer. The same tourists, that spent money at her bar and restaurant, paid her mortgage and the rent on the building they occupied. She crossed the bridge and glanced at Brody. The smile had slipped from his face. “You don’t live on the beach?”

She
held in her chuckle and shook her head. “Nope.”

She didn’t give him any details. She pulled down the long stretch of driveway
, parked in front of her two-story home, turned off the ignition, and climbed out of the SUV. He rounded the front. He gazed toward the side of the house, where she knew he had a peek of the turquoise water just beyond her house.

“I have my own corner of private beach, away from the tourists. I like it better that way.”

Brody’s grin grew. “It’s probably better that way; no one will hear you scream my name.”

****

Brody hadn’t been expecting her to live in seclusion but now he understood why. He pulled his sunglasses down over his eyes and got out of the SUV. She had a two-story beach house with enough privacy that no one would be bothering them. He caught a glimpse of the beach running behind her house and instantly had visions of their nude bodies tangled together on the sand. He had to adjust himself as he climbed out of the SUV. Just the thought of her finally giving in, to what he wanted to do to her body, made him hard.

He cleared his throat as he grabbed both of their bags and followed her up onto the porch.
He probably shouldn’t have made the comment about her screaming his name, but he’d been unable to stop himself. She was too much fun to toy with, and he had every intention of making her his playmate.

The windows were already opened
, and the curtains were billowing in what he assumed was a cross breeze off the water beyond. A wooden swing was attached to the overhang on one side, and chairs sat on the other, separated by a small table. He could see Tara entertaining guests out on the porch, in the evening breeze, and serving them iced tea. He realized that this place suited her. The quietness and tranquility of it all even soothed him. It was the perfect place to unwind.

He followed behind her into the house and s
et the bags by the front door. He’d guessed right; the windows in the back of the house were opened too. He watched as a gentle breeze ruffled her hair when he’d followed behind her through the open floor plan of her living room to the huge glass doors and windows at the back of the house.

The view was amazing. Like nothing he’d ever seen. The water was crystal blue
, the sand looked soft and white as flour without any imperfections, just as he’d imagine on a tropical island. She had a pool on her patio surrounded by lounge chairs. Just beyond, he could see where the steps lead down to the beach below. A pelican flew off in the distance and then dipped down into the water to grab its lunch. Yeah, he could live here and wouldn’t complain a bit.

He felt her behind him. “It’s pretty
, isn’t it?”

“It’s amazing.” He threw his arm around her shoulder and pulled her next to him. “No wonder you wanted to come home
. It’s your own slice of paradise. So, who opened the windows? Do you have a roommate?”

Only Brody would want more than one woman to seduce. “My mom sent me a text telling me that she’d open up the house and restock my pantry since I was coming home. Well…” Tara shrugged. “…I’m sure she didn’t handle it personally but sent one of the staff to take care of it.”

He waited to see if she’d shrug off his arm. He held back his grin when she didn’t. She wasn’t running from him, not anymore. He’d warred with himself on whether to kiss her back in the car. He’d been unable to stop himself. He’d seen the sad look in her eyes when he’d tried to make her jealous by dancing with Veronica and it had been like a punch to the gut. Even after his attempt failed, he’d had a hard time getting the woman to take a hint that he wasn’t interested. It wasn’t the nicest thing he’d done, but it wasn’t the worst. He could have slept with her. She’d been willing, but since he’d started working with Tara, he’d thought of no one else.

Brody ran a hand through his hair
, not liking the direction of his thoughts. “What’s on the agenda?”

She stepped out from under his arm and walked around the bar into the kitchen. He slid on
to a bar stool and waited as she poured two glasses of what looked to be freshly made sweet tea and handed him one. She cupped her glass and leaned forward on the bar. “First, I’d like to go see my Grams then stop by my bar.”

She sipped her tea. “If you’d rather stay here, I’ll understand. Maybe you could swim or lounge around by the pool.
You could consider this a vacation while I take care of business.”

He could hear the uncertainty in her voice
, and he wasn’t letting her off the hook. He planned to spend as much time with her as possible, just the two of them together in this paradise. “I don’t think that’s what the General had in mind when he said I was to escort you.”

She grinned. “I won’t tell if you don’t.”

He shook his head, unable to stop his own grin. “Sexy and rebellious, I like it, but no can do. It doesn’t work that way, sweetheart.” He slid off the stool. “Besides, I have to meet the family eventually.”

He walked over to his bag and picked it
up, surprised that she didn’t make a smart comment about what he’d said. He turned back toward her. “Where’s
our
room?”

Tara worried her lip even as she crossed her arms over her chest. He waited for her to decide. He wouldn’t rush her…yet. He could see the wheels spinning in her head
. She knew what he was implying, now if she would just let go and give in, they’d both have a hell of a better time while they were here.

She s
et her glass on the counter and moved to the staircase. She grabbed her own bag, and started up the steps. “
My
room is at the end of the hall on the right. The guest room, where you’ll be staying, is next to mine.”

“
Adjoining doors?” he said hopefully.

She chuckled. “You wish.”

It appeared he still had some convincing to do, and he would convince her.  He’d never had an issue getting a woman to eat out of the palm of his hand; he normally had most of them pantiless within ten minutes if he tried hard enough. His charm wasn’t working on her, though, and that was throwing him for a loop. He needed to up it to his A-game. She wouldn’t know what hit her until it was too late.

Brody was changed and lounging on the sofa downstairs
, when Tara emerged freshly showered and changed. The barely-there white and floral sundress would be almost transparent when outside in the sun. He swallowed around the lump in his throat. There weren’t many things in life that could make him speechless but, damn, she could surprise him and did so on a regular basis. She’s sweet and caring, yet able to take care of herself. She was unaware of her beauty. She was kind and funny and just….damn. Any man that gained her interest would be a lucky man, at least any man with a brain.  He stood and cleared his throat. “Ready?”

“Yep, just let me grab my purse.”

He walked to the door, trying to dismiss how scrumptious she looked in her dress. The perfect beach babe if he’d ever seen one. He walked out onto the porch, hoping the gentle breeze would kill his libido. It didn’t. Tara closed the door and galloped down the three steps of the porch.

He climbed in
to the passenger side and waited until she backed down the drive before he asked. “So…anything you need to warn me about? Gun-toting fathers, overprotective brothers, anything that could leave a scar on my handsome face?”

She chanced a glance at him and shrugged. “My father doesn’t own a shot gun, only a
Beretta; and I can handle my brothers. Why the sudden concern? You aren’t scared, are you?”

He chuckled
, hoping to hide his nervousness. This was going to be a first for him. Meeting the parents was something he generally avoided at all cost, never staying with a girl long enough for her to consider the relationship anything more than what it was. Even though overprotective brothers might be an issue, he’d win them over too. 

“Your face is turning green. You
look like you’re going to be sick.” She reached over and patted his leg before replacing her hand on the wheel. “Don’t worry. They aren’t that bad.”

He shifted in his seat. “How bad are we talking?”

Tara grinned. “My mom is still trying to talk me into getting back together with Peter. She doesn’t approve of my working with the Phantoms and thinks I should be at home, barefoot and pregnant.”

“Why on earth would she want you to get ba
ck with Peter after what he did to you”

Tara’s smile slipped. “I was too embarrassed to tell her what really happened.”

He could tell that she’d pushed it out of her mind. She shrugged and replaced her grin. The little minx had obviously caught on to his distress and was rubbing it in. “Besides, my dad and Grams support all of my decisions. They have all of my life.” She shrugged. “Now my brothers, on the other hand, still see me as the same kid they tormented growing up. It was always okay for one of them to pull my pigtails but never anyone else. I’m hoping to avoid them since we’ll only be here a couple of days.”

Brody dropped his head, now getting the picture. Tara’s mom was going to have a fit
. Not only had Tara brought home a man who wasn’t Peter, Brody was a Phantom Protector on top of everything else. “Sounds like I’ve already got two strikes against me where mom is concerned.”

Tara nodded.
“Yep.” She glanced at him. “Are you ready to go home yet?”

Brody leaned back in the seat and eyed her speculatively. He was on to her tactics. It was going to take more than an overbearing mother and
protective brothers to make him head for the hills. “Not on your life. This is going to be fun.”

He reached for her free hand
and entwined their fingers together. “Want me to help with mom?”

Tara raised a brow.
“How?”

Brody shrugged. “Well
, how I see it is that I’m everything she doesn’t want for you. I’m not Peter, and she doesn’t approve of my job. If we were a couple, maybe she’d leave you alone long enough to forget pushing Peter on you. When all of this is over, you’ll come back to your life, away from the Protectors, and you’ll be in her good graces again. Without worrying what she has in store next for your future.” He grinned. “Same goes for your brothers. They may hate me while I’m here, but imagine their relief when I’m gone.”

Come on...you know you want to.
Easy in, easy out. I’m right, just admit it.

Tara
shook her head and glanced at him. “I don’t need your help. I can handle them just fine…but thanks for the offer.”

Another
idea shot down. He could have used the excuse to get close to her, and she wouldn’t have suspected a thing. He could have explained it away as role-playing. Regardless, she was going to be his. He’d just find another way of getting her to open up. He squeezed her hand. “If you ever change your mind, all you have to do is ask.”

She tilted her head back and forth as if debating his proposal.

“No, I’m sure. It will all be fine. We’ll see Grams and be in and out before the arguing can begin. This should be a piece of cake.”

He wasn’t holding his breath that anything would ever be that easy.
“Anything for my partner.”

She narro
wed her eyes. “Give it up, Brody; we aren’t playing couple so you can get me into bed. Us sleeping together isn’t even on the table.”

Brody rolled his eyes to appease her even if the thought had crossed his mind. Sex with her tied to the bed, bent over the table, her riding his cock
while they lay on the couch, a slow fuck on the floor or hard and intense against the wall. Hell, maybe even wet and slippery in the shower under the water. He’d imagined all of those places and more. And, if he had his way, he’d conquer her in all of those positions, and he’d add a new one since seeing her house. He was going to have her hot and wet little body in the pool, on the sand, and in the ocean.

She turned into
the entrance to a country club and wound around the long winding roads.

“In and out
,” he reminded her.