Montana SEAL (Brotherhood Protectors #1)(13)
Another spike of anger bolted through her, and she propped a hand on her hip. “What exactly are you trying to say?”
“If I’m to be your bodyguard, our relationship will be strictly business.” His gaze captured hers and held it as he moved closer. “There can be none of this.” Hank leaned forward and pressed his lips to her forehead.
Sadie’s breath caught and held in her throat as his firm, soft lips met her skin.
Every last ounce of resistance evaporated and she braced her hands on his chest.
“And at all costs,” he whispered, “we can’t do this.” He leaned his head to the side, caught her earlobe between his teeth and nibbled gently. “Or this,” he said, his voice pure smoke and gravel as his mouth skimmed across the line of her jaw, stopping when his lips came in contact with hers.
Too soon, he lifted his head.
“You’re right,” she whispered. “We can’t do this. It would be wrong.” Sadie leaned up, touching her lips to his. She couldn’t tell whether he was claiming her, or she was claiming him. It didn’t matter. What did was that everything about the kiss felt so right, she couldn’t back away. Instead she moved closer, leaning her breasts against his chest, her hips melding to his. The hardened evidence of his desire nudged her belly, reminding her of how very long it had been since she’d made love.
None of that mattered when Hank kissed her, his mouth moving over hers, his tongue tracing the seam of her lips. She opened to him, allowing him through to stroke her tongue, caressing it in a long, sensuous glide. He tasted of coffee and mint, a familiar blend that brought back so many memories of kisses long ago.
What had started as her desire to fire him, had turned into fiery desire. How could she hope to keep him at arm’s length, when all she wanted was to be in his arms?
When they finally broke apart, Sadie was breathless, and her body trembled from head to toe. This was Hank. The man she’d given her heart to as a teen. Her first love. Since they’d parted, no other man had ever measured up to him.
She’d dated other Hollywood stars and had been the target of many tabloid rumors, but she hadn’t committed to anyone. In the back of her mind, she couldn’t help comparing them to Hank.
She stepped away and pushed her hair back from her face, squaring her shoulders as she got a grip on herself. “Look, if we’re going to make the arrangement work, we have to treat it as a business-only deal. I’ll hire you as my bodyguard. But we can’t do…” she waved her hand between them, “this.”
He reached for her. “Why?”
She edged backward, out of range. “We’re different people now.”
“You’re still Sadie McClain. I’m Hank. You know me.”
Sadie shook her head. “We have different lives. Vastly different lives. And when I leave Montana, I’m going back to my life in LA, and you’ll go back to your unit.” She couldn’t risk breaking her heart again. The first time, she’d pushed him away for his own good. This time was no different. Hank didn’t belong in her world. He’d be miserable.
Hank’s eyes narrowed. “What if I don’t return to my unit?”
Sadie’s heart fluttered against her ribs. A glimmer of hope rushed in, only to be squelched by common sense. She shook her head. “You love being a SEAL. I wouldn’t want you to give that up. Besides, LA can be ruthless, heartless and a completely foreign environment compared to Eagle Rock, Montana.”
“And I wouldn’t fit in. Not even as your bodyguard? Surely they have bodyguards in LA.” When she opened her mouth to explain, he raised his hand. “Don’t worry. I’m not pressuring you into taking me back to your world. I got the memo. I’m just the hired hand, here to protect you while you’re in the wild backcountry of Montana. That’s it. No kissing the boss. And we won’t talk about what just happened in this room. As far as I’m concerned, nothing happened.” He strode to the door and held it open.
Sadie stepped through. She couldn’t deny the tightness in her chest, or the way her eyes stung. Yes, this was the way it had to be. But she didn’t have to like it.
5
As Hank followed Sadie’s vehicle back to Eagle Rock, he could still feel the heat of their kiss on his lips. After all those years, she still made him hot all over and want so much more than a simple kiss. Not that their kiss had been simple. It still radiated throughout his body, making him count the seconds until he could hold her again.
But after the kiss ended, Sadie had made it perfectly clear—their association would be purely platonic. She didn’t want to rekindle a teenage infatuation. No. She was a big star now. She’d made it abundantly clear that he would not, and could not, fit into her world of glitz and glamour. Not that he wanted to.
Unless it meant being near her, holding her in his arms and making love to her through the nights.
Hank groaned. His best bet was to tell her to hire that bodyguard she desperately needed. Someone with whom she didn’t share a past. Someone who didn’t burn to kiss her again and hold her close. Damn. But hiring a bodyguard wasn’t as easy as making a phone call. She had to get someone she could trust. In the meantime, Hank couldn’t let her go gallivanting around Montana with a shooter on the loose, gunning for her.