Mission: Her Protection (Team 52 #1)(27)

Lachlan only had a simple bottle of multi-purpose shower gel. It would have to do. After she’d washed her hair and rinsed herself, she toweled off and grabbed her discarded pajamas and panties. She rinsed off the chlorine smell and threw them over a railing to dry.

Then she pulled on Lachlan’s T-shirt. It was huge and dwarfed her. At least it fell low enough that it covered up the fact she had no panties to wear. The shirt had the Marines emblem on the front—the eagle, globe, and anchor. She fingered the soft material again, trying not to imagine it resting against Lachlan’s hard chest.

When she headed out into the living room, she found him leaning against the countertop, drinking coffee. He obviously had a second bathroom, as he’d showered and changed as well. His jeans were a step beyond worn and white at the seams. His black T-shirt clung to tight muscles, the sleeves cutting into his biceps.

Her mouth went dry. Down, girl.

He held up a mug. “For you.”

The scent of hot chocolate hit her and with a groan, she took it. She didn’t care if it was the middle of the night. Any time your life was a mess was the right time for chocolate.

His gaze moved over her slowly, taking his time.

Rowan’s skin tingled. When his gaze met hers, his eyes were filled with something hot and satisfied.

She perched on a stool and turned in his direction, tugging the hem of the shirt to make sure everything was covered. “What happened tonight?”

“I was going to ask you the same question.”

She dragged in a breath. “I was asleep on the couch and woke up. I heard someone in my room. They…they…”

Lachlan grabbed her hand.

His touch steadied her. “They shot at the bed with a silenced handgun.”

His fingers clenched on hers and she saw a muscle tick in his jaw.

“They just signed their death warrants.”

“Lachlan!”

His lips firmed. “Go on.”

“I crawled to the balcony door and got out. I climbed down. One of them, the guy with a scar on his eyebrow, said they just wanted to ask me some questions about the artifact.” She wrinkled her nose. “I didn’t believe them.”

“Smart.”

“I got to the glass roof and they chased me. You know the rest. So? What’s going on?”

“One of those bad guys I mentioned to you on the jet-copter entered the game.”

Her stomach clenched. “Spell that out for me.”

“They want the artifact, and they want to know what it does. Likely, they would have tortured you to get the information they wanted, and then killed you.”

God. Rowan slumped forward, goose bumps breaking out on her skin.

Then Lachlan was there, nudging her knees apart and moving between them. “Nobody’s going to hurt you, Rowan. I promise.”

She stared into his handsome but scary face. She believed him. Lachlan had always kept his promises, even as a kid. And from what she could tell, he’d grown into a man who kept them, as well.

His fingers kneaded her shoulders. “I will protect you.”

She nodded, absorbing the warmth of him. It would be so easy to lean on him, depend on him.

“Time for you to get some rest,” he murmured.

Yes, far too easy to lean on him. And then when he walked away, which she knew he would do, it would tear her open. Lachlan would protect her from the bad guys, but it was up to her to protect herself from him.



*

Lachlan woke in his bed, sunshine peeking through the curtains, and a warm, curvy body snuggled against him.

Actually, Rowan was plastered half over him, a slim leg thrown over his, and her hand nestled on his bare chest. She was still asleep, her face relaxed and her lashes dark against her cheeks.

He should never have hopped in the bed with her. Even now, his body throbbed at the closeness. After they’d talked last night, she’d crashed. She’d climbed into his bed, wearing only his shirt, and been out like a light.

He’d checked on her later, his own exhaustion dragging on him. She’d been restless, clearly struggling with unpleasant dreams. He’d touched her arm, and she’d reached for him.

“Stay,” she’d whispered.

Lachlan had slid in beside her, and she’d wrapped around him and settled.

Now, with the sunlight giving her skin a golden glow, he breathed deep. She smelled like his soap. In his head, he kept seeing her dangling from that roof, kept seeing her falling.

He tightened his hold on her. Fuck. He pulled her closer and she stirred, snuggling into him. Then she froze.

She looked up, blue eyes blinking at him

“What are you doing in this bed?” she asked.

“It’s my bed. And actually, you asked me to join you.”

They stared at each other.

She gave a tiny shake of her head. “I can’t process this right now. I’ve got bad guys after me, my friends are dead, my life has gone crazy.”

She looked like she was about to hyperventilate. “Take a breath, Rowan.”

As she did, her breasts rose and fell under her shirt. His shirt. She pushed at her cloud of dark red hair. Damn, she was gorgeous.

Then her hand moved across his chest and her gaze dropped to watch it. Now he saw something different appear in her eyes. She deliberately stroked his skin.

“You must have, like zero percent body fat.”