3. Damian

Damian’s phone lit up and began vibrating against his desk, bringing his thoughts back to the present. Picking up the phone, he saw the name across the caller ID and furrowed his brows. It wasn’t usually a good sign when a fellow marine called you while they were still deployed.

“Greyson Sterling, what’s up, brother?” he greeted warmly.

Damian had served in the military for eight years, and during his time in the service, he’d come across some of the best men he’d ever known. Greyson Sterling was one of them. Grey was still in the marines, and the last Damian knew, he was in South Korea.

“Hey, brother. Listen, I don’t have very much time to talk right now, I have a training mission that I have to get ready for, but I need a big favor.”

Grey had saved Damian during one of their actual missions. That was how they’d become friends. It had just been a coincidence that they were both from Seattle and into the same type of lifestyle.

“Anything, what’s up?”

“My sister is in trouble. She needs an around-the-clock bodyguard. Her ex-husband is fucking with her, and I don’t know his end game or how crazy he is. The guy is a fucking asshole. I never liked or trusted him. Her car was vandalized a few weeks ago and her business today.”

Damian straightened in his chair and started looking through his scheduling program to figure out who he had available to send to Grey’s sister.

“No problem. I can get someone on her immediately. She’s here in Seattle, I assume?”

Grey sighed, “Yeah, she’s in Seattle. Listen, I don’t want just anyone on her, Damian. I want you. I know you, and I trust you. I also think you would be good for her.”

“Good? How exactly?” Damian asked curiously.

“Let’s just say she could use a firm hand to keep her in line.”

What the fuck.

“Jesus, are you trying to hook me up with your sister, Grey? I provide bodyguard services. I’m not some kind of rent-a-daddy.”

His friend chuckled, “Let’s just say that she needs a Daddy, and you have my blessing.”

Damian ran a hand through his hair.

Damn.

“Greyson, you know what kind of women I like. You know what I am, and how possessive and controlling I can be. We’ve topped women together. You’ve seen how intense I can be.”

“I do, and she needs someone like you. She will tell you that she isn’t a Little, but she is. She just needs the right man to bring that out of her and show her that it’s okay to be vulnerable sometimes, and to enforce some much-needed boundaries.”

He couldn’t believe what his friend was suggesting, yet at the same time, he was also a bit intrigued.

“You say that like she’s a troublemaker or something.”

“Oh, she’s a troublemaker. And a potty mouth. And a total fucking brat sometimes who is going to challenge you every step of the way. But she also has a heart of gold, and deserves someone good in her life.”

Super. Just super. He preferred submissive and obedient, with a playful side. Bratty Littles weren’t usually his cup of tea and pure defiance was a complete turn-off for him. He loved to discipline, but he didn’t want someone who was deliberately disobedient or disrespectful.

“I don’t know, Grey. I’m happy to provide her with a bodyguard to keep her safe.”

“Damian, I just want to remind you who carried your hulk-sized ass out of an ambush after you got said ass shot four times, and who gave you first aid until the helicopter medics arrived. I still have shoulder pain from carrying you and will probably have lifelong back issues.”

Damian blew out an exasperated breath, “Fuck, fine. Fine. I’ll fucking go, but I make no promises about Daddying her, and if she ever comes complaining to you about her ass being sore, you just remember that you’re the one who came to me.”

Grey let out a bark of laughter, and Damian couldn’t help but smile. He was curious, that was for sure. But for some reason, his mind went straight to the curly-haired makeup artist and he wished he could be her Daddy.

“She needs a sore ass. I’ll send you her address and details. I have to go. I love you, brother. Keep me posted.”

Great. Just freaking super. He had to babysit a brat all because he had gotten shot. He should have just told Grey to leave him lying on the ground in Afghanistan. Damn people cashing in on their favors.

Damian grinned at the thought. Even if Grey hadn’t saved him, he would still help the guy out. That’s what brothers did. Once a marine, always a marine.

He wondered what sort of trouble this woman was actually in. He hadn’t gotten any specific details about it over the phone since his friend was in such a rush. He just had to wait until Grey sent him the information he needed to get in touch with the woman. He had said that his sister needed around-the-clock protection. Surely, Grey didn’t expect him to stay at her house with her. Should he bring her to his house? It wasn’t uncommon to provide constant protection, but usually, guys would work in shifts so the others could go home or go to their hotel room to sleep.

His phone sounded off with a text message from Grey.

Caroline Sterling, 7808 NW 26th St. Seattle WA. Take care of my sister. I’m trusting you. She’s expecting you. Good luck. You’re gonna need it.

He tightened his fingers around the phone and cursed. Shit. What the hell had he gotten himself into? Good luck? That didn’t sound ominous or anything. And why the hell didn’t Grey include her phone number in the text? Damn, he shouldn’t have answered his phone.

After stalling for as long as possible, Damian grabbed his keys, gun, and phone and left his office. If the woman really was in trouble, he needed to get to her as quickly as he could. As he drove, he went through a mental checklist of questions that he needed to ask and steps that he could take to ensure her safety.

As he pulled up to a row of townhouses, Damian scanned the neighborhood. The homes were all crammed together on a narrow road that made the area feel claustrophobic and cluttered. He hoped the woman he was meant to be protecting would let him bring her to his house. It would be safer and provide them with much more room to coexist without stepping on each other’s toes.

He knocked on the door and waited, hearing the sound of someone running down the stairs inside before the door swung wide open. Damian froze as a mess of bouncy curls and curves that he’d seen the other day stood in front of him. It only took a second before he regained his composure and scowled, fighting the urge to put her over his knee and spank her perfect bottom for being so careless with her safety.

“You didn’t even look out of the window to see who was at your door.” He growled. “I could have been someone coming to hurt you, and you just opened the door and rolled out the red carpet to welcome me in.”

The woman seemed just as surprised to see him standing in front of her as he had been when she’d opened the door. She quickly schooled her face and then glared back at him.

“Are you here to hurt me? Are you stalking me or something? Did you follow me home from the TV set the other day?”

Wow. Just wow.

“Yeah, not quite, little girl. I assume you are Caroline?”

Her face tightened, “It’s Carly.”

She was already being the brat that Greyson had warned him about, and yet that possessive feeling that he’d felt at the news station came over him again. He wanted to mark her, to claim her as his, and he didn’t like that feeling. He hadn’t had that feeling in years. Not since his last long-term relationship.

“Right. Caroline is your full name? Greyson is your brother?”

“How do you know my brother?” Her eyes widened. “Don’t tell me he sent you as my bodyguard.”

She stood in front of him wearing an oversized t-shirt that nearly came down to her knees, and she had no socks or shoes on. It was the middle of freaking April in Seattle. It wasn’t all that warm. Where the hell were her clothes?

“I served with your brother in the marines. My name is Damian Scott. I own a personal security company, and yes, he sent me to be your bodyguard. May I come in, or are you just going to stand there and glare at me?”

He was being a bit of a dick, but his patience was already shot for the day, and now this smart-mouthed little girl was getting under his skin and, at the same time, also making it hard to think clearly.

She opened the door wider and walked away down the hall, leaving him standing on the doorstep.

Yeah, she definitely needs a sore ass.

Damian shook his head and stepped inside, shutting the door and locking it behind him. He walked down the hall to the living room to where she was standing in the middle of the room with her arms crossed over her chest.

“I don’t need a damn bodyguard. I’m fine. Greyson is being overprotective and annoying. Really, there’s no need for any of this.”

Damian stood across from her and leaned against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest as well. If she was going to be difficult, he would be difficult right back. He could hardly wait to spank her bottom. His hand was itching already.

“That’s too bad, princess. Your brother already hired me. Pack some bags. You’re coming to stay at my house until I have a better understanding of everything that’s going on and the severity of it all.”

Carly’s eyes widened, and he could see the defiance flaring in her expression.

“I am not going to stay at your house. I have a home. I’m a grown fucking woman, and I can take care of myself. He may have hired you, but I am firing you.”

He scowled at her, “You can’t fire me, and watch your language, little girl. Go. Pack. Now.”

When Greyson had told Damian that she needed some boundaries and a firm hand, he certainly hadn”t been lying.

She flung her arms out wide, “Oh, just great, not only did my brother send me a bodyguard, but he sent me a damn overbearing jackass who gets off on bossing women around. Jesus, do you guys travel in packs or something? Do you send out a howl to all the other overbearing men in the world, and you all become friends? Listen. To. Me. You. Are. Fired. I don’t need you.”

Damian didn’t move from where he stood and had to tamp down his amusement as she began nervously shifting from one foot to the other. The little tantrum she was having was cute, but he still wanted to spank her for it.

“Why are you dancing around? Am I making you nervous, or do you need to pee?” he asked.

When her face turned red, and her mouth dropped open, Damian nearly laughed, but he kept his composure, keeping the scowl plastered on his face.

“Oh my God! You are just as annoying as my brother! I’m calling Grey so he can fire you.”

She grabbed her phone from the coffee table and began tapping the screen angrily. Damian grinned as he watched her. She was fucking adorable, and he had to shift to allow his erection more room in his pants, hoping it wasn’t obvious. He wondered if she had shorts on under her t-shirt or if she was just wearing panties.

Now isn’t the time to be thinking about her panties.

“Greyson, what the fuck! This crazy guy is here saying he’s my bodyguard, and he’s telling me to pack my bags so I can stay at his house. I told you I would not let my life be disrupted over this. He won’t let me fire him, so you need to tell him he’s fired. I’m putting you on speaker.”

She switched it to the speaker and held the phone up in the air.

“Caroline, you need to do what he says. He will keep you safe until all of this gets sorted out. It’s for your own good. And if you don’t stop swearing, I swear to God, I’m going to wash your mouth out with soap when I get home from deployment,” Greyson barked.

Carly glared at the phone, and Damian sensed that she wanted to stomp her foot but was able to restrain herself.

“I’m not leaving my house to go stay with this… jerk. Why should I have to tuck my tail and run from the asshole who made my life hell? Why should I have to hide? I have a life and a job. I can’t just put all that to the side. I didn’t do anything wrong. He did. This isn’t fair.”

Her voice cracked slightly at her last words. Damian wished he could comfort her, but he had a feeling he might get kicked in the balls if he got too close to her at the moment.

“I never said you couldn’t have a life or do your job. I just said that you would come to stay at my house where whoever is after you won’t know where you are. I’m here to protect you.” Damian said.

“I don’t want to stay at your house,” she snapped.

“Caroline Elizabeth! You were raised better than this. Be respectful. He is doing something to help you, and you’re going to be a good girl and listen to him. Do you understand me?”

Damian saw her expression soften slightly.

“Grey, the guy doesn’t even smile. He just scowls, and he’s mean, and he called me little girl like I’m a child.”

Grey laughed through the phone, “You are a little girl, Caroline. And he isn’t there to smile. He’s there to protect you. Please just do this for me. I can’t be there to make sure you’re safe, but I trust Damian to keep you safe in my absence. It will make me feel better so I can fully focus on my job here.”

Damian could see her brick wall crumbling at her brother’s words. Greyson was her soft spot. He shouldn’t feel jealous that she had a soft spot for her brother and not him… right? She would have a soft spot for him eventually. He would make sure of it.

“Fiiiiine. I’ll go to his house. Seriously though, did something happen to the guy while he was in the marines that made it so he can’t smile anymore? Does he kill people with his eyes? Because the way he’s glaring at me right now, I think he’s trying to kill me.”

Damian wanted to laugh at her dramatics, but he didn’t want to show her his soft side just yet. She was being a brat, and if he buckled in any way, she would walk all over him.

“Caroline, just behave for Damian. He’s just being all prickly because I’m sure you weren’t very welcoming when he showed up, isn’t that right, Damian?”

“Nope, I’m prickly all the time. Just a big frowning meanie,” Damian replied.

Carly scowled up at him.

Grey laughed, “I really need to go. Be good and listen to Damian. I love you.”

In defeat, she sighed and dropped her shoulders, “I love you, too. Be safe.”

Damian pulled his phone out of his pocket and quickly typed a text to Greyson.

She’s mine, and she is going to have a sore ass soon. Thanks for sending her my way and for your blessing.

His phone buzzed with an almost immediate response.

I thought you might feel that way. Welcome to the family, brother.