Under His Protection (Protect and Defend 1)

Closing his eyes, he scrubbed a hand over his face. Let his palm rest against his mouth. He hadn’t been tempted like this…ever.

These last few years he’d lived and breathed the Secret Service, had come up the ranks in a relatively quick time. And like a damn fool, he was tempted to do the wrong thing. As if he had no control whatsoever.

It took everything within him not to stalk over to Blake’s cabin and pull her into his arms. Kiss her until they were both breathless. Strip her of that silky, sexy nightgown and lick every inch of her gorgeous body.

Shit. He let his hand drop and rest over his erect cock. A hand job would bring him no real satisfaction, though he planned on it anyway. He had to. His cock was so stiff, he needed some sort of relief, no matter how temporary it might be.

What she offered, he couldn’t take. No matter how much he wanted to. This was his job. She was his job. Allowing Blake to distract him was getting him nowhere. His behavior put her at risk. He had a duty to fulfill above all else.

Protecting the vice president’s daughter.

Chapter Four

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Blake slung her purse over her shoulder and counted to three before she turned and faced Mason. She schooled her expression, completely neutral as she watched him approach. “I’m walking into town.”

A single dark brow lifted. “And you weren’t going to tell me?”

She shrugged. How she wished she could blink three times and make last night’s mortifying events disappear. The aborted strip tease had been a catastrophe from start to finish. The only positive part being that she knew, even for a fleeting moment, she’d affected him.

Not enough to push him into action though.

“It’s not that far to town. And it’s a gorgeous morning.”

It was. And for once, she just wanted to be normal. Do something simple. Like take a walk and bask in the sun. It shone warm and bright, though the air was brisk, accompanied by a slight breeze. A perfect mid-October morning and her protector, as usual, was trying to put a damper on it.

Not that she could blame him. Her pretending everything was all right and nothing bad happened last evening was just another coping mechanism. Blake didn’t need a psychologist. She self-analyzed on a daily basis.

If she thought about it too hard, she was a complete and utter mess.

Was it really so wrong, these feeling she had for him? Maybe it was. She made him out as some sort of hero but really, he was just a man. With faults and bad habits, needs and wants, just like anyone else.

She needed that daily reminder almost as much as she needed a cup of coffee to wake up.

“You really need to tell me when you’re going somewhere.” His mouth was grim, his eyes dark. She’d irritated him—what else was new?—and he wasn’t afraid to let her know it. “That’s why I’m here, you know.

“I’m sorry.” She tried her best to sound contrite, tried even harder not to stare at him but he made it so damn hard.

Like looking absolutely delicious in a pair of worn jeans that clung to his muscular thighs, a flannel shirt hanging loose and open over his white T-shirt and a pair of very expensive-looking hiking boots on his feet. He was the ultimate gorgeous and very slick mountain man.

“I’m coming with you.” It wasn’t a question. And she knew she would get nowhere arguing with him. Besides, she really didn’t want to.

Why she thought it was a good idea to try and sneak out for a cup of coffee in the early morning hours, she didn’t know. Having Mason at her side made her feel safer anyway.

They started down the driveway, the gravel crunching beneath their feet. Blake shoved her hands into the pockets of her thick black cardigan, kept her head bent. She didn’t know what to say. Last night’s events hung heavy between them. Should s

he mention it? Apologize for her stupid behavior?

In the harsh light of day, it didn’t feel right bringing it up.

So she kept quiet, utilizing one of his tricks and letting the silence stretch. It didn’t seem to bother him whatsoever. He’d slipped his sunglasses on, the epitome of casual cool.

As they turned onto the road toward town, she noticed the slight tilt of his head, how he scanned their surroundings beneath the shield of his glasses. He was checking everything, constantly on the lookout for her safety and she liked that. It gave her a perverse little sexual thrill.

This man was her protector. He would give his life in order to save hers without a second thought. He would just do it and damn the consequences.

It was a most sobering realization.