Pledged To Protect Complete Box Set: Three Romantic Suspense Romances Read online

  Once in the living room, she let out a breath and placed her suitcase on the kitchen island. The light from the full moon shining in the kitchen window provided sufficient illumination to find what she wanted. Susan grabbed three apples, two oranges, the remaining four power bars, a few slices of bread, and two bottled waters.

  Next she put on her shoes. Jake had tossed the car keys on the counter when they'd come in. She patted the cool granite top in a slow manner, careful not to knock anything over. Her fingers touched the keys. Success! With care, she clenched them tight to keep the keys from rattling.

  With a last glance over her shoulder, she eased open the front door. The whoosh of cool air pushed the door backwards, causing the hinges to groan. She stilled, her heart beating way too rapidly. She was so close and didn't want to mess up now. When Jake's bedroom door didn't burst open, she stepped outside and inhaled the sweet smell of the damp night.

  Moving as fast as she could down the stoop steps, she made for the car parked in the drive. She tested the door handle in case Jake had left the vehicle unlocked.

  The latch lifted. Her adrenaline pumped with the thrill of victory. She wrenched open the door and the interior light clicked on.

  “Going somewhere?”

  Her heart stopped.

  4

  Jake was torn. He wasn't sure whether to gloat over the fact he'd guessed Susan's next move, or feel bad he'd scared her enough to want to run away. What kind of bodyguard did that make him?

  Her mouth dropped open. “How did you...?”

  Jake finished her sentence. “Know you'd try to escape? Simple. You think I'm the enemy. I'm not, but you can't be sure. Any rational person would try to run away.”

  She stood bathed in the glow of the front porch light, shivering in a t-shirt and jeans. They might be in Florida, but the nights turned cold, especially in February. She should have known better. He angled out of the car and slipped off his jacket.

  As he came over to her side, she scrambled into the passenger's side. He shook his head and would have laughed had the situation not been serious. With one arm, he grabbed her from behind to pull her out. She tipped backwards, and when her rear snuggled against his crotch, he failed to block the inappropriate lust.

  “Let go of me. You can't keep me here.” She wiggled her rear right and left to get out of his grasp and swatted her hands behind her, but he held on tight.

  “Yes, I can. It's my FBI prime directive. Keep witness safe at all cost.”

  “That's rich.”

  He turned her around and placed the jacket over her shoulders. The crisp breeze blew her hair back, and despite the patch on her cheek, the moonlight cast a shadow on her pretty face. He stepped toward her, his lips quivering. He then pulled her toward him and leaned over, his face inches from her.

  Shit, he'd almost kissed her. What the hell had he been thinking?

  She ripped free of his grasp and bared her teeth. “Don't touch me.”

  He understood the fear of being touched. As a kid, he'd recoiled from one of his foster father's cruel hands. He wanted to tell her she could relax, but only time would convince her he wasn't the bad guy here.

  She tightened her grip on his jacket, and he soaked in the irony of her cuddling in the perceived enemy's clothes. Jake stepped back and held up his hands. “No problem.”

  When had he decided he wanted to offer her more than FBI protection? The moment she ran?

  “I'm serious.”

  “So am I.” He picked up her dropped suitcase. A light turned on across the street in the second floor window, causing his body to shoot to alert. “I think we're being watched.” He nodded toward the building.

  Susan cast a glance at the townhouse and shivered. “Do you think they know who I am?”

  “I can't imagine how they could, but if you continue to make a scene, they might call the cops, and we don't need the notoriety.” The light in the apartment clicked off. Good.

  “I wasn't shrieking or anything.” She rushed past him into the house and slammed the door behind her.

  He liked her feisty attitude. She'd need her spirits high for the long months that lay ahead. He just wished he could get her to cooperate instead of doing battle.

  Then again, sometimes a challenge spiced up life a bit.

  He stepped inside, the warmth comforting his stiff muscles. He expected Susan to be upstairs with her door barred and locked. Instead, she was at the refrigerator scrounging through the items on the shelf.

  Her frantic movements stirred his sympathy. “There's left over pepperoni pizza if you're hungry.” The meds-take-away-my-appetite claim had apparently been false.

  He'd have to remember the saucy lady was a convincing liar.

  She whipped around. “You ordered pizza? I love pepperoni.”

  He swallowed his smile. “The place was stocked with the frozen kind.”

  “Doesn't matter. I'm starving.”

  She pulled a container from the fridge and shoved two slices in the microwave.

  His cell vibrated and his heart plunged to his stomach. “Jesus.” It was two thirty in the morning. He flipped open the cover and relaxed. It was only Tom. “Don't you ever sleep?” Tom Traynor, or T-Squared for short, had been his college roommate for all four years at Virginia Tech and was the current FBI computer guru.

  “I'm on the night shift this week. Guess what?”

  He respected Tom, but his best friend drove him crazy with his guessing games. “What?”

  “Peter Caravello was just brought into custody.”

  Jake glanced at Susan, but her back was to him. Good. Tom's information was not the news he wanted to hear, and he was sure his face reflected his disappointment.

  The Bureau would be recording every call into and out of the FBI office. “That's good news, right?”

  “Sure is. Say, if you need to get a hold of me, call me at Joe's Bar.”

  Code for: call me on my secure line. “Will do. Thanks for the heads up.”

  “Get some sleep.”

  He would if people would stop calling him, and if witnesses would stay where they belonged.

  He tucked his phone in his top pocket just as Susan turned around, her mouth full. Her brow creased, and she held up a finger.

  He answered her unspoken question. “Peter Caravello was arrested tonight.”

  Her eyes widened and her shoulders relaxed. She swallowed. “Does that mean I can go home?”

  “Not yet.” He walked over to the kitchen and rested a hip on the stool. “Like I told you, Peter's not our man.”

  “So you say.” She wiped her mouth and tossed the paper towel in the trash. “Now that the world is a safer place, I'm going to bed. Goodnight.” Her curt announcement confirmed he still headed her bad guy list.

  “I'm right behind you.”

  She narrowed her eyes and pinched her mouth into a small circle. When they reached the top of the stairs, Susan slipped into her room. He followed right behind.

  She spun around. “Get out of my room. Now.” If she'd been a tiger, she would have extended her claws.

  He laughed at her indignity. “Go change.” He placed her getaway gear next to the bed.

  Her jaw dropped. “I will as soon as you leave.” She unclenched her hands grasping his jacket and jerked his coat off her shoulders. She winced. “Is this what you want?”

  “No.” He didn't care about the jacket. “How do I know you won't try to escape again?”

  Her mouthed opened then snapped shut. “You have my word. Now that Caravello is in jail, I have nothing to fear.”

  Her glance to the side, coupled with her trembling lip, convinced him she was lying. Again.

  Jake draped the leather jacket over his shoulder and stepped toward her. She retreated until the backs of her legs hit the bed and dropped down. Susan grabbed a big pillow and clutched it to her chest. As he neared, she scooted backward.

  “What are you doing?” she asked.

  His gut clenched at the
fear in her tone. “Keeping you safe.”

  He knelt on the bed and straddled her, concentrating on the job at hand and not on the attractive woman beneath him.

  His mind lapsed the moment Susan's mouth opened and the tip of her tongue peeked out and caressed her lips. His pulse zipped into overdrive, shocking him at the base urge to taste her mouth.

  “What the hell are you doing?” She reached up to punch his chest.

  Before she made contact, he caught her wrist using the least amount of force as possible. She gasped and he let go. “Look, I'm sorry to have to do this, but I can't chance you'll do something stupid.” He didn't say, again.

  She wrinkled her nose. “What's that supposed to mean?”

  Jake whipped out his cuffs from his back pocket, slapped one half on the uninjured wrist and clamped the other to the metal bed. “At least one of us will get a good night's sleep.”

  He stood back up and headed out the door.

  “You can't do this to me,” she yelled, as he made his way to his room.

  “I just did.”

  **

  Jake woke up rather refreshed considering he'd spent two hours in the front seat of the car waiting for his escapee and then another two hours tossing in bed. Pleased he'd kept her safe for the night, he showered, shaved and dressed while ignoring the death threats coming from the room next door. Shakespeare's play, Taming of the Shrew, kept popping in his head every time she tossed some invective at him. He never liked confining someone, but in Susan's case, it was for her own good. Thank goodness, she only yelled for a few minutes last night before exhaustion took over.

  If she had succeeded in tricking him, he'd be looking for a new line of work. And if she'd been harmed on her foray to freedom, he'd never been able to live with himself.

  Not to worry. He wouldn't let her out of his sight again.

  Keeping an eye on her did come with one danger. If she was by his side for the next week, he might weaken and kiss her before he left. She'd probably slap him, but the stolen touch would be worth the trouble.

  He popped into her bedroom. “Good morning, sunshine.” He wasn't sure if his cheer this morning was because he avoided catastrophe last night, or if he enjoyed sparring with her.

  She narrowed her eyes. “When I get out of here, I'm gong to bring you up on charges for holding me hostage.”

  He did a mock shiver. “The Bureau gives me authority to confine you if need be. I was only thinking of your own good.”

  She rattled the cuffs. “Bullshit. Now get me out of these chains.”

  She actually snarled at him. It took all of his control not to laugh. “They're called cuffs.” Jake retrieved the key and freed her.

  She rubbed her sore wrists. “If you'll excuse me, I need to use the bathroom.”

  He'd forgotten about her need to go. When he served in Iraq before joining the FBI, he could hold it for days if need be. “I'll have breakfast on the table when you come down.”

  He backed up, half expecting her to throw something at him. She didn't. Instead she raced to the bathroom and slammed shut the door. Remorse welled inside him. Jake stepped to the closed door. “I didn't have a choice, you know.”

  “Go to hell.”

  If she didn't get a grip on her emotions, she might put herself in more danger. “Look, I'm sorry, but your safety comes first.”

  She banged a few cabinet doors and drawers not answering.

  “If you think I want to harm you, you're wrong. No matter how convinced I am that Peter is innocent, I won't let him near you.”

  “That's because he's in jail.”

  For now. At least she was listening. “Think about it. With you tied to the bed, I could have killed you. But I didn't. So can we call a truce?”

  She said nothing for a good ten seconds. “Maybe.”

  Her concession was more than he could hope for. “Coffee will be ready when you are.”

  He left her to do her womanly thing and headed down the stairs, happy he'd conquered at least one of her fears.

  **

  After her near escape and uncomfortable confinement last night, Jake had insisted what she needed was a day in the Florida sunshine. He claimed some shopping and a walk on the beach would take her mind off her situation.

  From the way he kept glancing at her with those sad eyes, she suspected the real reason for this outing was to assuage his guilt at having confined her. Susan begrudgingly admitted he had due cause—but she sure as hell didn't tell him that. Truth be told, she would have tried to escape again. Even though she probably wouldn't have gotten far, her goal had been not only to escape Jake, but to locate a phone to call her mom.

  Besides, sitting at home waiting for the next juror to die would have eaten at her nerves. Being in public would give her some sense of security that the killer, whoever he was, wouldn't kill her.

  They sauntered on the beach past hotels, condos and a handful of houses. Her chest hurt when she moved suddenly, but the rest of her body was healing nicely.

  “If you want to stop for a bite to eat, let me know,” he said with a smile that sent a quick shiver of delight down her spine.

  Tamping down a smile, she turned toward the beach and pretended to study the squawking seagulls picking up the bits of breads the tourists had tossed them. He was not going to sweet talk her into forgiving him. “Thanks, but we ate a little more than an hour ago. I'm not hungry.”

  The warm air scented with salt, together with the sand between her toes, had helped to calm her, but the depression over losing her job and basically her life, never lifted, even after a family of dolphins gave a show in the ocean.

  “My feet need a rest from the gritty sand,” he said.

  Liar. It was her tender feet that needed the rest.

  He held her hand firmly until they reached the street. Did he actually think she'd try to run away from him—in the middle of a beach town? She'd run track in high school, but she could guess she'd be no match for Jake.

  Susan donned the sandals he'd bought her. “Where are we going?”

  “There's a shop across the street I think you'll like.”

  She held in groan when he marched her toward a bathing suit store. It was the third one they'd been in today, but she'd humored him. After trying on a couple of suits that didn't fit, she gave up. “Please no more suits. Even you said I won't be here that long.”

  He studied her for what seemed like an eternity. “You didn't have fun shopping? Or walking on the beach?” He raised his brows and turned down the corner of his lips.

  She refused to fall for his I-tried-so-hard-to-please-you act. “I will admit the ocean views were fantastic, and the warm sun wrapped me in a sense of security I never expected, but I'm exhausted. Do you mind if we head back?”

  He eyed her as if she had a defective gene. “We haven't seen every shop yet.”

  “Jake, please.” She tugged on his arm for effect.

  “Sure. Whatever you want. Home it is.”

  He didn't have to make her feel like a cad. She knew what he was doing—keeping her out of the house for as long as possible to show her life could be good again.

  Hold it. Did he have reason to believe staying in the townhouse made them a target? She shivered despite the delicious warm, salty breeze.

  He held open the car door and helped her in. Exhausted from the walk and the sea air, she closed her eyes the moment her butt hit the seat.

  The driver's side door squeaked open. “You okay?”

  He flipped on the heater. The air had turned cool when the sun had set.

  “I'm just tired.”

  At least he refrained from asking her if she trusted him yet. She wasn't sure how she'd answer if he had.

  When they returned to the townhouse, she headed straight upstairs.

  “Going to bed so soon?” he called after her.

  Near the top of the steps, she stopped and faced him. “Today was long. Goodnight.” He glanced up at her with sad eyes. She softened. “Tha
nk you for taking me to the beach. I enjoyed it.”

  No lie. He'd been gentle, considerate, and a good listener.

  “Me too.” He smiled, looking like the kind of boy a girl dreamed would ask her to the high school prom.

  Susan turned around and trudged upstairs, trying to ignore the tug on her heart. He followed behind her but kept his distance. When he stopped at the threshold of her room instead of heading down the hall, a queasy sensation filled her stomach.

  “Goodnight again,” she said. Though exhausted, she managed to smile.

  Jake didn't budge, his intense brown eyes focused on her. Fine. She stepped in the room and closed the door in his face. She'd barely slept last night and in her cranky mood, who knows what she'd say or do if he wanted to have a conversation about his shackling her.

  The sand in her toes and the sticky salt on her face demanded another shower. This time, getting undressed didn't cause as much pain. Yay. Maybe her wounds were on the mend.

  Her short shower helped relax her. After she dried off, Susan changed into her flannel pajamas. When she stepped into the bedroom, Jake was sitting on her bed, and her pulse raced.

  “What are you doing here?”

  He stood and waved a hand toward the bed. “Making sure you are safe.”

  She didn't move as she swallowed the anxiety that tinged her mouth. “Would you mind leaving? I can get to bed by myself.”

  He dangled the cuffs in front of her and raised his brows.

  “You're kidding, right?” How had she misjudged him?

  “I'm sorry, but I can't take any chances you'll bolt.”

  “You don't trust me?”

  “Hah. What do you know about trust?”

  Very little. She'd trusted her first husband until he turned on her. Cheating bastard.

  She glanced right, and then left. There was no way she could race outside without him catching her, so she crawled into bed, hoping her action would show she would cooperate. “I promise I won't try to leave. Besides, Peter Caravello is in jail. All this mess will be over soon, and I'll be back home with my family. I have no reason to escape.”

  “From the way you shifted your gaze and balled your fists just now, I can see you've come up with a way to blame me again. I would never harm you, but I'm not sure how to convince you. I thought today proved I'm a nice guy.”