Protecting Her

“I’d like to agree, but he’s the best we’ve got.”

“I’m right here,” I remind them.

“We know,” they both say at the same time.

“Make that an extra large chocolate shake and some fries,” Catriona adds.

I do as I’m told as I’m not a complete idiot. After we get the fast food, Catriona and Laura’s moods improve. They chatter about Catriona’s work and Laura’s gun skills while I take us back to the safe house. Once there, the two enter the house. The door shuts in my face.

I grab the handle and then stop as the realization sets in. Catriona is mad at me. For what, I’m not sure. Maybe kissing her this morning. Maybe not finishing? It’s something I did, though, and I need to figure it out myself. I’ll take watch duty but this isn’t over, not by a long shot.

“Eat your ice cream, but this door isn’t going to keep me out forever.”

I walk the perimeter of the property, checking all our cameras and our sensors. Everything is in working order until I get to the southwest corner. There I find a small depression in the earth. It’s faint, but it’s definitely not made by any animal.

I pull out my phone and radio it in.

“Should I call Fred in?”

“No, but relay the information to him. Let’s get the trainees here to guard the perimeter. They’re green, but they’re bodies.”

“What should I tell Catriona?”

I hesitate. My first instinct is to say nothing, but she said she wasn’t the type to put people in danger, so it might be best that she knows what’s going on. “I’ll come and talk to her myself.”

“Okay, boss. I won’t let her out of my sight until you arrive.”

After I hang up, I call the office. They promise to send out a team of four to do the perimeter work. Laura and I will maintain the interior with Laura switching out with Fred.

When I arrive at the house, I find the two of them sitting in the den. Other than the panic room on the second floor, this is the safest room in the house. There are no windows and only one door. Catriona is bent over her computer while Laura lounges near the door. She snaps to attention when I approach.

“I’m going to get some water,” she says. “Want anything, Cat?”

Cat? My scientist waves her hand. “No, I’m good.”

I cross the room and hunker down beside Catriona. “What’s with Cat?”

She flicks a thick lock of hair over her shoulder. “Catriona is a mouthful, don’t you think?”

“It’s a beautiful name.” I want to call her Cat. Seems unfair that Laura gets to call her by a nickname and I can’t. I’m the one who had my tongue down her throat. “So do I get to call you Cat?”

“If you want,” she says as if it doesn’t matter.

“I want.”

“What do you call your other women?”

“What other women? My mom?”

Cat shoves her laptop away and glares at me. “Your mom? Really?”

Confused, I scratch the side of my face. “I don’t have any other women. I told you that this morning. Maybe if I had other women, I’d have a better understanding of what I did to piss you off.”

Cat’s pretty mouth flattens. “You don’t have to lie to me. It’s fine if you’ve had other women. It’s the lying that makes me mad.”

“I’m not lying, though.”

“It’s completely unnecessary,” she continues as if I haven’t said a word. “I’m a grown up. I know that it’s natural for humans to have relations with others. It’s why we have sex organs. They’re meant to fit together and—“

I haul her into my lap and kiss her. I didn’t come in here to do that. I came in to tell her about the threat, maybe apologize for something I must’ve done but don’t know what, ask her more about her work. I wasn’t supposed to maul her until after the threat had been extinguished, but I can’t listen to her talk about sex with anyone if it’s not going to be me. She might not be the jealous type, but just hearing her talk about someone else drives me insane. She’s mine. Mine. Mine. Mine!

Chapter 11

Catriona

His mouth moves against mine, and I melt into him, wrapping myself around him. I kiss him back, missing his taste from this morning. His hands tangle in my hair as I rock myself against him.

I gasp when his hard cock lines up with my sex, hitting my clit each time I move my hips up and down. The feeling isn’t like anything I’ve ever felt before. How does he do this to me? There is something about this man that pulls me in.

“Take what you want,” he says before kissing me again. My nails dig into his shoulders as I rock against him fast. His warm hand slips under my shirt, cupping my breast though my bra. It’s another reason to hate bras. I want to feel him against my skin. My body begs to have his warm touch.