Page 24

“This is the Schloss Leopoldskron Palace. They shot exterior scenes from the movie in the gardens and on the lake behind it. It’s now a luxurious hotel, but most tours only see the gardens from across the lake. I can’t believe we’re staying here. Oh, this is so kind of Brandon.”

Chase smiled at her effusiveness. Taking her elbow, he led her into the lobby, checking over his shoulder but not seeing anyone except their guards.

They checked in and were escorted to their rooms. The suite he and Lizzy were in was gorgeous.

She had a separate bedroom, and the main living area had a pullout bed.

It was slightly better than a sofa to sleep on, and no one could get into her room without going past him.

Chase wanted to hunker down and know she was safe, but it was still light outside.

“Can we please tour the grounds?” Lizzy begged, staring out the window.

“Sure.” He wanted to say no, but he couldn’t. This was what she’d been waiting for the past two weeks. Her Sound of Music obsession made him smile. It was a relief to smile, and Lizzy made everything brighter and happier.

Chase texted Macon, and Tony and Elijah shadowed them as they went outside.

The grounds were immaculate, the flowers beautiful, the lake peaceful.

The sun set as they walked around, Lizzy reminding him about how Maria fell in the lake, dumping the canoe with the children ‘right over there’ and how she cussed the Captain out ‘right here, on this very spot’, etcetera.

Chase smiled and listened and checked the shadows.

Every large tree could be concealing a threat.

Lizzy dodged around one of those large trees and into the shadows.

“Lizzy!” he exclaimed, rushing after her. He checked for threats but found nothing.

She leaned against the tree, blinking up at him. “Isn’t it romantic?”

Chase’s heart slammed against his chest. She was all things romantic to him, but he couldn’t let his guard down.

Especially not out here where they were exposed.

He glanced back across the lake. A sniper’s rifle could easily be trained on them.

Anybody could jump in a rowboat and slide right into this location.

Nobody believed Grady was in the vicinity, but Chase felt danger.

“We’d better get inside,” he murmured, taking her elbow and leading her through the grounds.

Lizzy’s disappointment was palpable, and Chase could completely understand. He wanted romance with her. He wanted it badly. When the threat was eliminated, he hoped they could get back to the comfortable yet exhilarating relationship they’d been building before her attack Saturday night.

They walked up the stairs and into their suite, and Macon did a sweep.

“Clear,” he muttered to Chase.

“Thank you.” Chase led Lizzy inside, bolting the door behind them and turning on the sensor Tony had installed. They’d only have one guard in the hallway since they didn’t have an entire home and property to monitor.

Finally, Chase turned to her.

Lizzy leaned back against the door, staring up at him, those soft brown eyes as alluring as anything he’d seen in his life.

“Chase?” she whispered, moistening her lips. “Do you realize you haven’t kissed me since Saturday?”

Chase realized. Oh, how he realized. A dull roar began in his ears, and he wanted to shut out everything and everyone and kiss Lizzy all night long.

“What happened?” she asked. “What’s wrong?”

What happened? Her being attacked was what happened. She didn’t have the military background or the intuition that he had developed.

Chase stared at her. How could he explain that he was on a mission but not holding her close and kissing her was killing him slowly?

“It’s okay.” She looked down, her cheeks reddening. “If you’re not interested in me anymore.”

“Not interested? Oh, Lizzy.”

Her revealing her insecurity broke the dam inside him. Chase stormed up to her, planted his hands on the door frame, and leaned in close. Her brown eyes lit up. She slid her hands around his neck and pulled herself against his chest.

He didn’t waste time with words. He bent and fused their mouths together.

Sweet release poured through him as he stopped fighting against his longing for Lizzy and consumed her lips with his own.

She whimpered and clung to him, matching him kiss for kiss.

He wrapped her up tight and lifted her off her feet.

The kisses intensified, a passion he’d never experienced obliterating all rational thought as he easily carried her to the bed.

He sank onto the mattress and flipped her onto her back, pressing his body against hers as he kissed her and kissed her. He would never stop kissing her.

Warning bells clanged in his head. He yanked back and stared down at her. Lizzy lay on the fluffy white comforter. Her dark hair was splayed around her, her lips full and red from their kissing, and her brown eyes were filled with passion and longing for him.

Lizzy was his. No woman had ever been so enticing.

“No,” he managed, pushing off the mattress. He stood on shaky legs.

Chase was never unsteady, never out of control. He was both at the moment. All he wanted was to lower himself onto the mattress and forget all self-restraint as he kissed Lizzy until she knew how interested he was.

“No,” he repeated, louder and more firmly. Passing a hand over his face, he backed up a step.

“No?” Lizzy whispered, staring up at him. Even with the passion in her eyes, she was still so innocent and trusting. She trusted him to take care of her, and he’d almost failed her.

“Lizzy, forgive me. I … can’t let down my guard. It’s not that I’m not interested; it’s that I’m too interested.”

She blinked up at him, and her eyes grew warmer with longing.

Chase had to retreat, or he’d be on that bed kissing her again. He backed cautiously away and then turned and rushed for the bathroom.

Slamming the door behind him, he leaned against it and shut his eyes. How had he come so close to losing control? It was his responsibility to keep Lizzy safe, in every way, and he was failing.