Make Me Melt(12)

“Thank you. I’m sorry to sound so suspicious.” She flashed him an embarrassed smile. “I know this is what you do and that your men have everything under control. I guess I’m just feeling a little paranoid.”

“That’s good. That means you’re on alert and you’ll be more aware of your surroundings. Once we get to the hotel, we’ll go through some safety guidelines.”

* * *

THE HOTEL WAS only blocks from the hospital, and Caroline wasn’t surprised to discover that Jason had sent one of his men ahead to register and retrieve the room key. The Fairmont was one of the most exclusive hotels in San Francisco, and their room was located in one of the luxurious towers. If they hadn’t just come from the scene of her father’s shooting, she might have thought Jason was being a little dramatic in how he carefully surveyed their surroundings as they made their way to the room. She found herself reassured, both by his vigilance and his strong, steady presence.

Colton Black opened the door at Jason’s curt knock, and Caroline found herself ushered into the room. She looked around, more than a little surprised at the size of the suite. She’d expected a studio, with a small living area and kitchenette and an adjoining bedroom. The suite of rooms that Jason had reserved was enormous, with a spacious parlor area and two private bedrooms. There was a fireplace, flanked by deep bookshelves, and a wet bar. A telescope stood in front of the wraparound windows, and the furnishings were rich and lush. Caroline turned to stare wordlessly at Jason.

He shrugged and walked across the room to the closest bedroom. He set her small suitcase down just inside the door. “We need a space large enough to accommodate the two of us, without you feeling like I’m right on top of you.”

His tone was casual, but his words conjured up decadent images of the two of them, naked and tangled in her bedsheets. A peek inside the bedroom only ramped up her lustful imaginings. An enormous bed dominated the room, heaped high with pillows. Through a wide door, she could see a spectacular marble bathroom equipped with a whirlpool tub and a flat-screen television. Pushing aside her own inappropriate thoughts, she turned back to Jason.

“Who’s paying for this?” she asked. “And don’t try to tell me that the U.S. Marshals Service provides five-star hotels for their clients.”

Jason scowled. “Don’t worry about it, okay?”

“Is this coming out of your own pocket?” When he tried to move away, Caroline stepped in front of him. “Is it?”

He looked resigned as he unfastened his shoulder holster with practiced fingers and removed it, then set the harness and weapon down on a nearby table. “The only thing you should be concerned about is your father. Nothing else.”

“Jason—”

“I can afford it.” His voice clearly said the conversation was over.

“Seriously, he can.” This came from Colton Black, who stood near the door, watching the exchange with amusement. “Hey, boss, I’m going to set up outside.”

Jason nodded. “Let me know when you change shifts with Deputy Mitchell.”

“Will do.”

Colton stepped out of the room, closing the door firmly behind him and leaving Caroline alone with Jason. She watched as he locked the door, deliberately avoiding any eye contact with her.

“Where is Deputy Black going to sleep?”

“He and Deputy Mitchell have a room across the hall. They’ll take turns watching the corridor and the stairwell.”

“And you’ll stay here? With me?”

He turned to look at her. “You bet.”

“For how long?”

“However long it takes.”

“You’re sacrificing a lot, coming up to San Francisco to babysit me.” She picked up a small decorative bowl from an end table and turned it over in her hands, pretending to study it. “Doesn’t your girlfriend object?”

A ghost of a smile touched his lips, and Caroline knew her pathetic attempt to find out about his personal life had been completely transparent.

When he didn’t answer, Caroline put the bowl back and sank down onto the nearest sofa with a weary sigh. She didn’t know how she was going to bear Jason Cooper’s company for the next few days, or for however long it might take for authorities to catch the shooter. She only knew that the years had done nothing to diminish her attraction to him. If anything, she found him even more sexy and appealing than she had as a teenager.

Part of her was appalled by her reaction to him. She should be thinking about her father and what she could do to help him, not what she could do to get Jason into her bed. Especially when he’d made it abundantly clear that he didn’t hold her in very high esteem. She knew how close he was with her father, and although he hadn’t said anything, she suspected he was all too aware of how seldom she’d returned to the bay area to visit. How would he react if he knew that one of the reasons she hadn’t returned to San Francisco was because she didn’t want to risk an encounter with him? She needed to maintain her distance from him, but she doubted her ability to hide her feelings from Jason, especially if they were going to be living together. But there was no way she’d ever give him the opportunity to reject her again.

Realistically, she knew she should be grateful to Jason for volunteering to protect her. He had an important job as a U.S. marshal in San Diego, and it couldn’t have been easy for him to leave his district and travel to San Francisco to watch over her.