25

Cars lined up bumper to bumper in front of International Arrivals at JFK airport. My next assignment was to protect a French dignitary while he met with the French Ambassador here in New York. He would be in town for only a few hours for a meeting and then back on a plane before dinner.

Despite having seen his picture, I knew the man wearing a perfectly tailored blue suit and tie was my client. The French preferred style over comfort when traveling.

"Bonjour, Monsieur," I greeted him.

"Bonjour," he replied as I grabbed his bag and placed it in the trunk of my car.

"I've got the Frenchman in my car," I said into my earpiece.

"Roger that," Jager confirmed.

We didn't speak further during the car ride to The Ritz, where his meeting would be held.

Instead, my thoughts drifted back to her.

She returned to work today, unprotected. It was difficult not to follow her there and watch out for her. It took a large amount of restraint not to drive by her office. But I knew I would be late picking up my client if I did. I knew she could take care of herself, but ensuring her safety made me feel better.

Now that the assignment was over and the threat neutralized, she didn't need me to watch over her anymore. A dark question entered my mind. Will she get bored with this? The old me would have been spooked by the question, but I smiled when I thought of her curled up with one of her favorite books. I realized recently, the problem wasn't that I lacked spontaneity, it was simply that Janine and I weren't right for each other. Nikole, on the other hand, made me feel like I could be myself and not have to apologize for it.

I knew she could have any man she wanted. Hell, she could probably even have the president's son. They'd soon run in the same circles if her mother ran for president. Nikole could be with someone equipped to change the world, or at the very least, state policies. I just wanted to save one person at a time. But she wanted me. And that erased any further questions from my head.

The valet at The Ritz stepped forward to open my client's door, but I locked it. "Please wait in the car while I do a quick visual search of the premises," I instructed.

The man complied, and I climbed out. I handed the valet my keys as I looked around the building. Other guests were milling around their vehicles. Some loading their trunks, and others unloading. A quick glance didn't reveal anything suspicious, so I opened the passenger door.

"After you," I said and followed him through the glass doors and into the hotel. I quickly scanned the foyer for anyone looking directly at us and walked on when I detected no imminent threat.

It was a smooth delivery to the hotel room where the meeting would take place. Once inside, I waited in the living room while the group met and discussed their business in the dining room.

I stood near the window, watching the street below, both out of habit and ensuring nothing suspicious happened below while my client was inside.

My mind drifted back to last night when I held Nikole in my arms. I shook my head, trying to focus on the job. I'd never had that problem before I met her.

I smiled.

***

The drive back from the airport was excruciatingly long. The meeting had finished early, but that meant I was now stuck in traffic after having dropped my client off at his gate. There were no incidents on this assignment. It was short and straightforward.

Checking the time, I took the first exit into Manhattan and headed for her office. It was six o'clock. I'd told her I'd be back home by seven, but now that plans had changed, I wanted to see her sooner.

I parked my truck in the lot and was relieved to see her car still there. She hadn't left work yet.

My heart raced like a teenager on his first date.

"Oh, Mr. Devereux, I wasn't expecting you," said Mary. "Ms. Adams said you were no longer accompanying her to work."

"I'm not too sure about that, Mary," I said. "I may pop in from time to time."

Mary's face beamed upon hearing the update.

"Jake!"

My head snapped toward the back offices and I saw Nikole running down the hallway toward me. I would never get tired of watching her run to me. Ever.

I picked her up in my arms and held her tight.

"Hey, I wasn't expecting you. This is a nice surprise," she gushed.

Her cheeks blushed red and her eyes sparkled.

"My day ended early, and I wanted to see you." I leaned down and kissed her cheek. It was too appealing to resist.

"I'm done. I was just occupying myself until it was time to meet you. I'll get my things."

Nikole walked away, and I watched her body move and sway. Man, she really knew how to play up those curves with those tight skirts and high heels.

"Hey," another voice called. I hadn't heard anyone beside me, which was quite a feat, so I was surprised to find Christina standing there.

"Hey," I said, shoving my hands in my pocket.

"So, it looks like you're still in the picture."

"Yep. It certainly does."

She assessed me from head to toe, and for some reason, I felt the need to stand up straighter. I'd met Generals with far less intimidating stares than hers.

"Look, I know you're ex-military, but I mean it when I say, you hurt her, and we're going to have a problem."

Recalling Christina's background check, I knew it wasn't an empty threat, and I was glad Nikole had friends like Christina to protect her when I was at work.

"You have my permission to kick my ass."

She grinned and raised her chin to look me in the eye. "Sweetheart, I don't need your permission."

I nodded. I was impressed and, no lie, a little afraid.

"I'm ready," Nikole said, pulling her purse over her shoulder. "Should I leave my car here and pick it up later?"

"Yes. I'll send a driver to get it later."

She frowned. "You have a driver? I didn't know that."

True. I hadn't shown her a lot of my world. I'd been completely immersed in hers.

"I do," I said, extending my arm to her.

As we walked to my car, I dropped my hand and found hers, discovering her skin was cold. The weather had dropped since the sun had gone down and I rubbed her fingers. She squeezed my hand and smiled at me, warming my chest without even needing to lay a hand on me.

She chatted about her day in the car, how Marty, her boss, took everything better than she'd expected. She said some of her colleagues gave her a hard time, but she was used to it and would just ignore it for now. I wasn't worried. I knew Nikole could handle herself and I also knew Christina had her back, so I was relieved.

"How was your day?" she asked when we stepped into my apartment.

"It was fine. The Frenchman didn't talk much. It was perfect." I hung up her coat.

She laughed. "Oh, what you must have thought when you were assigned to me."

I smiled, thinking back to that day. "I was terrified you were going to ruin everything."

"What?!" she scolded; her mouth exaggeratingly open.

I laughed and pulled her into my arms. "But I had no idea you would do the opposite. You not only helped save my job, you helped save me from myself."

She ran her hand down my cheek. "What do you mean?"

I grabbed and kissed her fingers. One by one. "Nikole, before I met you I thought there was something wrong with me. I didn't have the best track record when it came to relationships. I drove away that night because I saw something in your eyes. A feeling in my gut told me that I could fall head over heels in love with you if I let it happen. I didn't want to go through that again because I thought it would end up just like the last time. But you're not her. You're you. The smartest, sexiest, and most introverted lawyer I know. And you're perfect. I love you just the way you are. And I think you feel the same way about me. And that healed me in more ways than I could ever explain to you."

She wrapped her arms around my waist, and I buried my face in her neck.

"I love you, too," she whispered. "I love everything about you. And most of all, I love who we are together."

"Together," I repeated, kissing her neck.

Her scent aroused a passion in me that made my head spin. She was truly mine now. Not my client, not just a lover, but my woman.

"Take me to your room," she said, and I realized we'd never made love there.

"Our room, if you're ready for that," I said, and I watched her face as she blinked and then grinned.

"That's a little fast, but heck, why not? I'm ready."

My heart swelled, and my chest expanded from its effort to breathe in every word she said. I wanted to conquer the world with the adrenaline rush of knowing she was mine.

Some sort of instinct took over, and I couldn't wait any longer to have her. She squealed when I lifted her over my shoulder and carried her to our room.

I took my time undressing her, watching that tight skirt pool to the ground of my bedroom floor. She wore black panties that barely covered her round ass. My arousal intensified.

She pushed me down on my bed and I grinned while she unbuttoned her blouse. The red blouse revealed a black lace bra. Her nipples pressed against the thin fabric and I pressed my tongue to lap one of them in my mouth. She moaned as I sucked through the fabric, the sound making my arousal painful now.

Finding her hand, I placed it on my cock. She stroked me through the fabric and I growled, wanting more.

"I want you," I panted in her ear while I placed kisses along her neck. "I've waited all day to have you."

I groaned, knowing that waiting even a minute longer to be inside of her would be torture.

Not willing to waste another second to take off my clothes, I worked away on hers. Tearing off her bra, I lifted her onto my bed and tasted every inch of her body.

My cock pushed painfully against the rough fabric, but I focused instead on pleasuring her. I buried my nose in her core, intoxicated by her scent, and forgetting everything around me. There was only her. I poured every ounce of love and devotion into my kisses until her breathing intensified and her moans became shouts. She raised her hips off the bed, but I didn't stop circling her clit until she slowly came down. Her thighs fell to the sides and her head lolled against the pillow.

Satiated, she ran her hands through my hair. "That was worth the wait."

I laughed, and she squeezed her legs, holding me prisoner between her thighs. Fuck, I never wanted to be free from this.

"Your turn," she said with a smile, and I arched my brow.

She'd never sucked my cock before, and the greedy bastard jumped with excitement. When she stood up, I thought maybe I'd misunderstood, but then she pushed me down onto the bed and began unbuttoning my pants.

My cock sprang free, and I nearly groaned when she smiled down at me. One look and I was completely in her control.

She unbuttoned my shirt and ran her hands over my chest, teasing my flat nipples until they hardened between her fingers.

Her lips kissed between my ribs, and her tongue circled my belly button. The sensation sent shivers up my spine. She moved her mouth lower and my mind raced with images of her already licking my cock.

But the real thing was so much better. When she finally took me inside her mouth, my balls tightened and I grabbed the back of her head to steady myself. She worked slowly at first, but the pace was killing me. Gently, I pushed my hips forward, and she took me in deeper.

Fuck! That felt so good. So fucking good.

"Yes," I whispered when she hollowed her cheeks and I felt the blood rush to my dick. "Baby, I'm going to come," I warned her and tried to pull her head away. She ignored my plea and sucked harder, her tempo increasing.

Ah! I came hard and fast, my body convulsing uncontrollably. She didn't stop until I was still and immovable.

She gazed up at me with a grin, looking pleased with herself. That grin made me want to kiss her until she moaned my name. "Not bad?" she asked, knowing full well that what she'd done was incredible. She should be given a fucking medal for that performance.

"That was unbelievable," I said, and she snuggled into my arms, laying herself down beside me in our bed.

Not bad. Not at all. For the first time in my life, everything was really, really good.