Tempted By The Bodyguard. Elle James

“You know what you are? A scaredy cat. A big ol’ scaredy cat.”

      He grabbed her finger and yanked her hard, slamming her against his chest. He caught her lips with his in a crushing kiss that stole her breath away and made her head spin.

      When he shoved her away from him, she reeled backward.

      He poked a finger into her chest. “For the record, I didn’t ask for this assignment. I was stuck with it. For the record, I don’t like babysitting little girls who don’t know what’s best for them. And for the record, I didn’t run away from you. Did you ever think I might have left because I didn’t want to make love to you again?”

      That hurt like a punch to the gut. Shelby fought to keep from doubling over at the slam. “Good. Because I don’t want you touching me.” Damn. She tried to stop it, but her eyes teared up and her bottom lip trembled. “Ever again.”

      Daniel stared at her, his jaw hard, his face impassive. Finally he eased her back into his arms and pressed his cheek against her hair. “You scared the crap out of me.”

      “I thought you didn’t care.”

      “I don’t want to.” He stroked her soft brown hair, twisting his fingers in the silken strands.

      “But you do.”

      “Yes.” He sighed and took her hand in his. “Let’s get you back to the house.”

      With her hand tucked in his big, warm one, Shelby leaned against him as they walked back to the mansion.

      Kate met them in the foyer, her brows coming together in a worried frown. “What’s wrong?” She glanced at Shelby’s legs. “Why are your knees skinned?”

      Shelby hadn’t realized she’d been hurt. The adrenaline rush and near miss had blocked the pain. “I fell.”

      “The hell she did. She was attacked again,” Daniel said.

      “Dear God.” Kate wrapped her arms around Shelby. “Are you okay? Should I call the doctor?”

      Shelby hadn’t been hugged by a female relative since her mother died and she’d been almost too young to remember. Kate’s hug was warm, welcoming and seemed genuinely heartfelt.

      After nearly being taken again, Shelby let the woman hug her. She liked the way Kate Winston smelled of honeysuckle, and she was warm and soft. She could see how a man from the Outer Banks could have fallen for the pretty socialite.

      “Shelby?” Her grandfather hurried down the stairs, dressed in jeans and a polo shirt. “What’s going on?”

      The front door opened and Thad entered, followed by Jed Kincannon.

      Thad smiled. “Looks like I’m just in time for the party. What’s going on?”

      Everyone started talking at once. Shelby’s head began to ache and her skinned knees stung.

      Daniel whistled to get everyone’s attention. “We aren’t accomplishing a thing.” He curved his arm around Shelby’s waist. “We’re going to clean up.”

      “Yes, yes. Of course. Shelby’s injuries need tending to.” Kate waved toward the hallway. “Let’s take this discussion into the kitchen while Daniel takes care of Shelby. I’ll make breakfast, and we can talk about what we want to do.”

      “Are you sure you don’t need me to help?” Patrick asked.

      Shelby smiled. “You patched up all of my skinned knees as a kid, but I think I can handle this on my own.” She leaned close and kissed her grandfather’s cheek. “I love you, Granddad.”

      “Not as much as I love you, little girl.” He patted her shoulder and followed Kate toward the kitchen.

      Shelby had always been the only woman in her grandfather’s life, and he’d never dated anyone that she knew of. She’d assumed he hadn’t dated because he’d been too busy raising his daughter and then his granddaughter. Could it be that he had never gotten over his first love?

      Shelby stared after her grandfather’s retreating figure. A little nip of jealousy was quickly overridden by the thought that her grandfather might still be in love with the beautiful and powerful Kate Winston. How sad. With her in her mansion and him in his bar on the Outer Banks, they couldn’t be farther apart.

      Her heart aching for her grandfather, Shelby turned to follow Daniel.

      “Wait,” Thad said. “You’ll need the first-aid kit.” Thad ran to the kitchen and returned with a red-and-white box.

      “Thank you.” Shelby reached for it, but Daniel got there first. She frowned. “I’m not an invalid, you know.”

      “I know, but I’d rather you concentrated on getting up the stairs unscathed.”

      “Again, I think I can handle climbing and carrying a little box.”

      Daniel gave her lopsided smile. “Are you always this argumentative?”

      Patrick snorted from the hallway. “She can be a pill sometimes.”

      “You’re not helping, Granddad,” Shelby shot back, crossing her arms as she turned on Daniel. “Are you always this domineering?”

      “Let’s agree you’re argumentative and I’m domineering and maybe we’ll get cleaned up sometime today. We have bigger fish to fry, and arguing down here isn’t getting the oil hot.”

      Shelby started to give him a scathing reply, thought better of it and clamped her lips shut.

      Daniel led the way to her room where she sat on the edge of the big tub in the bathroom while he cleaned the gravel from her skinned knees and applied ointment and bandages. His hand lingered on her thigh and she held her breath, waiting for him to lean close and claim a kiss.

      When he didn’t, she wanted to scream with frustration. Instead, she turned the tables on him. “My turn.” She took the kit and stood. “Sit.”

      “I can manage on my own.”

      She gave him a meaningful stare and pointed to the edge of the tub. “Sit.”

      With that gorgeous lopsided grin that made her go weak at the knees, he sat.

      She wet a clean washcloth and dabbed at a gash on his cheek where he’d been punched. “You’re going to have a bruise.”

      “I’ll live,” he said, his smile slipping as she leaned closer. “You don’t have to get so close.”

      “Yes, I do.” She straddled his lap and sat with a smile. “I haven’t properly thanked you for saving me.” Shelby applied ointment to his cheek.

      He caught her wrist in his hand and stared at her hard. “Don’t make this any harder than it has to be.”

      “What do you mean?”

      “When the threat is gone, you won’t need my protection. I’ll be reassigned.”

      Her heart fluttered. She’d already come to that conclusion, but hearing him say it drove it home. Forcing a smile, she shook her hand free. “I know that. In the meantime, let me take care of you for once.”

      His lips tightened, but he let go of her wrist. She applied a butterfly bandage to pull the edges of wound together and taped a gauze pad over it. “There. That shouldn’t leave much of a scar.” With her thighs rubbing against his, she could tell her position in his lap was having the desired effect. She patted his bandage softly and shifted her gaze to his mouth, tilting forward until her lips hovered over his. “Thank you for coming to my rescue.” She swept her mouth across his, her lips barely skimming his.

      He sat like stone for an excruciatingly long moment, his hands bunching into fists.

      Shelby thought he’d mastered his self-control and that she’d overstepped her bounds.

      Then