Clandestine Christmas. Elle James

forming in her eyes, she punched Hank’s number and walked toward the barn.

      As was typical of Hank Derringer, he answered as if they were continuing a conversation. “Oh, good, you made it there.”

      “Hank, my body to guard is in the hospital.”

      “What happened?” he asked.

      She filled him in on the details and added, “Marsden wants me to stay on, even though Sadie is in the hospital.”

      “I think you should. Perhaps you can figure out what’s going on.”

      “That’s just it.” She screwed up the courage to back out of her first assignment. “I don’t think I’m the right person for this job.”

      “Kate, darlin’, I wouldn’t have sent you if I didn’t think you could handle it. You’re the best shot, and you know how to defend others as well as yourself.”

      “You recruited me and sent me here because I’m female,” she stated, her tone flat. “Don’t you have someone else who could take my spot? I’d rather chase down drug cartel members or serial killers.”

      “I’m limited on female agents right now. Maybe if you tell me what’s wrong about the job, I can help you figure out a way to handle it.”

      Her hand shook as she held the phone, trying to think of the words to describe all that was wrong with this assignment. None of the words she came up with sounded nearly convincing enough in her head. She stared down at the teddy bear she still held in her other hand. “I just can’t.”

      “Well, do me a favor and stay on the job for at least a couple days while I see who I can pull to take your place.”

      She wanted to wail and gnash her teeth. A couple of days might as well be a lifetime. The more she was around these people, the more she’d be reminded of what she no longer could have.

      “Kate, I’m counting on you,” Hank said softly. “And so are they. Do this for me until I come up with a plan.”

      Her shoulders sagged. Short of quitting her job working with Covert Cowboys, Inc. she had to do as asked. “Okay. I’ll do what needs to be done.” She sucked in a breath and let it out. “But only until you find a replacement.”

      “Tell him to send someone to guard Sadie,” Chase said from behind her.

      “I heard,” Hank acknowledge. “I can get one of the cowboys up there tomorrow, but getting a female to take your place will be trickier.”

      “Do what you can.” Kate ended the call and stared out at the snowcapped mountains and clamped her teeth together.

      Chase placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her toward him. He stared into her eyes, the starlight reflected in his blue eyes. “Are you leaving us?”

      Kate sighed and faced the man. Though her first instinct was to run as far and as fast as she could, she had to say, “I’m staying. For now.” She had no choice, other than to quit. And Chuck Rivers didn’t raise a quitter.

      Hank’s offer had been the only one she’d gotten in the past six months. Who else wanted to hire a broken former Texas Ranger?

      Chase let out an abrupt sigh. “Good. With Sadie in the hospital, I could use all the help I can get. Jake lost his mother not long ago. He needs to know he has people who aren’t going to leave him.”

      Guilt settled like sour milk in the pit of her belly. “I said I’m staying,” she snapped, angrier at herself for her desire to leave Chase and the boy behind.

      “Thanks.” Chase tugged her hand, bringing her closer.

      Kate staggered forward frowning. “If it’s all the same to you, I’ll call it a night.”

      “Not yet.” Chase reached up and brushed her cheek with his thumb. “I’d give anything to know why you were crying.”

      She froze. The touch of his thumb on her cheek and the warmth of his hand surrounding hers sent a rush of heat all the way through her body and out to the very tips of her ears and toes.

      His cool blue eyes seemed to burn a hole through the wall she’d so carefully constructed around her emotions. The same wall that had taken a direct hit when a little boy asked her to kiss him good-night. A moan rose up her throat and out her parted lips before she could stop it. She tugged at the hand held tight in his.

      He refused to let go. “Tell me. What made you sad, please.” His rich baritone wrapped around her like a lush, sexy blanket warming her in the chill night air.

      Her gaze shifted from his eyes to his lips and a new fire burned from the inside. Chase Marsden was a good-looking man with full, sensuous lips that begged to be kissed.

      “Let me help you.”

      “I’m supposed to be here to help you,” she whispered, feeling herself fall into the man’s eyes.

      He bent and lightly swept his lips across hers, the touch so soft, at first Kate thought she’d imagined it. Then he crushed her to him, his arms clamping around her waist pressing her body against his, his mouth coming down over hers.

      The second time his lips touched hers, she had no doubt she was being kissed.

      When his tongue slipped between her lips, she opened to him, allowing him to delve into her mouth and caress her in a long, warm, wet glide.

      Kate leaned into him, her knees suddenly too weak to hold her steady. Her arms rose to lace behind his neck as the hard evidence of his desire nudged her belly.

      For a moment she lost herself in a kiss that should never have happened.

      Eventually, they surfaced to breathe. At that point, a rush of awareness slammed her feet back to the cold hard earth and she tugged against his grip. “I can’t do this.”

      “Do what?” he breathed against her mouth and traced her lips with his tongue.

      She wavered, her body swaying toward him. “I can’t. Do. This.” Finally, she planted the teddy bear against his chest and pushed back. “This is wrong.”

      He let her step back, but retained his hold on her wrists. “Please. Don’t go. I promise not to ask you to do anything you’re not comfortable with. All I ask is that you stay and help protect my friends. They need you.” His gaze burned into hers and she could feel herself melting.

      “I told you I’d stay.” She finally pulled free of his hold, and pressed the teddy bear to her chest, holding it like a shield to guard her from a man who had heartbreak written all over his face. “Now, if you have a blanket, I can sleep on the couch.”

      “As far as my housekeeper and foreman are concerned, you’re my fiancée and my guest. I have plenty of bedrooms. You can sleep in one of them. I’ll have Mrs. Quaid prepare one for you. Shall we step inside before we freeze out here?”

      Feeling the cold for the first time since she stepped outside, Kate preceded Chase into the house. His hand rested on the small of her back, reminding her of how dangerous it would be to like this man. He was a job, nothing more.

      Even if his touch sent tingles across her skin and filled her chest with a sense of anticipation.

       Chapter Three

      Chase rose before dawn, a terrible habit he’d picked up when he’d moved to the Lucky Lady Ranch. This far out in the mountains, when the sun went down, there wasn’t much to do but sleep.

      All the years of late-night partying with beautiful women and staying up until dawn had taken their toll. The thought of going back to that lifestyle held no appeal to him. After a year on the ranch, he’d become accustomed to the slower pace and the clean, fresh air. After two years breathing clean mountain air, smoky bars would kill him.

      He’d