Page 2 of Road Trip with Her Bodyguard (Love Along Route 14 #9)

DANE

J ust drive, Dane. Stick to the plan.

Ignore the fact that the luscious angel-faced girl sitting beside me with the light brown eyes and perky tits is my perfect dream girl.

When I first saw her photos on social media, I was positive she was using filters or something to make her look like a model.

Nope. No filters. Dammit .

Even worse, she’s sharp as a tack, and instantly followed directions to the letter. She also radiates an incredibly sweet energy – which makes me feel like a jackass for frightening her.

We drive in silence for about half an hour, Jorie apparently trying to calm herself down, and me trying not to look at her incredibly kissable lips.

Finally, Jorie asks, “So, did Dad hire you from some security company?”

She softens a little as I laugh. “No. That could easily be tracked. Apparently the people after you are tech folks.”

“So where did you come from?”

“My father and yours grew up in the same small town. They played baseball together. That’s why he trusts me, even though he has no direct connection to me whatsoever.”

Her soft eyes are glowing in the dim light. “Dad played baseball ? In a small town?”

“Yeah. Most of his life is, as you know, absent from any of his online bios. But even if anyone did manage to find the town he grew up in, they wouldn’t find my dad.”

“Oh,” she whispers. “I’m so sorry.”

“What? Oh! Nah, Ron is alive and well. He just hates technology. Doesn’t even have a cell phone,” Dane chuckles.

“Wow.”

“And don’t worry. We’ll pick up a burner phone for you tomorrow, so you can check maps and choose rest stops as we drive.”

She stares at the console in amazement. “You don’t have GPS?”

“Nope. But don’t worry, I know the way. You know how some people are super nostalgic for old American highway routes?”

“Like Route 66?”

“Exactly. We’re taking Route 14. It was my dad’s favorite, and I’ve driven it many times from coast to coast.”

Jorie fiddles with the radio and finds a classic rock station. “This feels like good driving music, right?”

“Perfect.”

I check the next highway marker, then my watch. “It’s over an hour until our first stop. You can have a nap, if you like.”

“Thanks.” She turns slightly to the window, curling up a bit. The next time I glance over, her shoulder is shaking slightly. Crap.

I reach out and rest my palm on it, rubbing in slow circles. “I promise you’re safe, Jorie. We’re just going on a road trip for a few days, then we’ll get the all-clear, I’m positive. Honestly, your dad could well be overreacting.”

“But what if we don’t get the all-clear?” She looks back at me over her shoulder, her beautiful eyes huge and worried. “What if I really am being hunted by kidnappers? Those mega tech companies mean business.”

“ Pfft . Let them hunt all they like. It’s a big country.

They won’t find out you weren’t on that helicopter until morning.

By then, we’ll be sipping coffee on our way to a fantastic lunch in a small town nobody’s ever heard of, where you have zero connections.

What are they going to do? Scan every single camera in every single town and city?

By the time they get even the smallest glimpse of anyone that could possibly be you, we’ll already be in a different place. ”

Jorie turns to face me, which unfortunately means I have to retract my hand. Her soft smile makes the center of my chest expand. “You’re right. Thank you. I really appreciate this, Dane.” Her eyes close, and she starts to drift off.

After a moment, I turn the music down slightly. Five minutes later, I lower it again.

By the time we get to Saddleback, Jorie is completely out. I put on a brown baseball cap and pull it low over my eyes, then park directly in front of the motel office so I can watch her while I check in.

Once I’ve moved the sedan closer to our room, I make my rough voice as soft as possible. “Jorie? Would you like to sleep in a bed instead of a car?”

Her eyes slowly flutter open, then she immediately jolts awake. She blinks rapidly but relaxes when she recognizes me, which warms my heart again. She looks past me to the parking sign out front. “Where are we?”

“A motel in Saddleback. We’re going to get some sleep and then hit the road in the morning. I need you to wake up just enough to play the part of my giggly girlfriend for the security cameras. Okay?”

A slow yawn rolls through her, stretching the front of her black t-shirt and drawing far too much of my attention to her perfect rosebud lips. “Okay. I’m ready.”

I walk around to open her door, taking her hand and giving her a twirl as soon as she’s on her feet. Jorie collapses into fits of giggles, gripping my arm for support. “You’re crazy!”

I grab her suitcase and my backpack from the trunk, then unlock our door. As soon as I pull her in and lock it again, I inspect the entire room. Too cheap for surveillance, and too bland for anything sketchy. Perfect.

I place her suitcase on the dresser next to the bed furthest from the door. “That’s your bed. I suggest hitting the hay as quickly as you can.”

“Thanks.” She looks around, frowning slightly at the faded scenic forest print on the wall. “Weird. I swear my dentist has that same picture.” Then she stares at her suitcase. “Wait. How did you…? That was in our hotel.”

I rummage through my backpack for some baggy shorts to sleep in.

“Your friends posted a video tour of the room you were all staying in. The video began outside your suite door, so I got the number. I posed as a food delivery guy, then broke into your room to get your stuff. Not sure if I got everything, but at least you’ll have a few changes of clothes. ”

She looks at me with an odd expression, then smiles sweetly. “Thank you. That was really thoughtful. Especially to grab my toothbrush and face wash.”

“Well, I had some time to kill while I was waiting for your dad’s helicopter and the lookalike that I hired from one of those task helper websites.”

Jorie shakes her head in disbelief, digging through her suitcase for pajamas. “She really did look like me from a distance.” Her head jerks up. “Wait. Was the lookalike your idea or Dad’s?”

“He said to keep you safe,” I say simply. I sit on the side of the bed, watching her eyes carefully. “His original plan, you could have been tracked. I’ll send him a message in the morning, letting him know you’re fine.”

Jorie’s teeth sink into her bottom lip, sending my pulse racing. “He might freak out and insist on knowing exactly where I am. I’m sure in his eyes it’s bad enough that I took off to a music festival without exactly asking first.”

I’m pleased to notice that she smiles when I roll my eyes. “You’re twenty-one. He needs to let you live. Also, it’s his own business crap that got us into this mess. If he doesn’t like my methods, he can, as my father used to say, go piss up a rope. ”

Jorie bursts into sparkling laughter that I feel deep in my soul. She’s such a bright light in my otherwise bland life. I know this road trip is the safest thing for her right now, but I’m also genuinely excited for it. To get to know her. To spend quality time together.

She disappears into the bathroom for several minutes, then comes out wearing a pink t-shirt and baggy peach boy shorts. Her long, toned legs catch first my eye, then other body parts…as I imagine them wrapped around me…wondering how she would clutch me close, pricking me with her short nails if we…

Dammit, I have to stop thinking about things like that.

She snuggles into bed, then whispers, “Thank you, Dane. I really do feel safe with you.”

“Good. How do you take your coffee?”

“Just a bit of cream. Or black…whatever…”

She’s already drifting off. My hand lurches, wanting to brush back her hair. Wanting to tuck the blankets around her tighter. Wanting to share her bed so I could keep her warm and safe in my arms all night.

I’m going to protect this precious angel. Not just from the men who might be chasing her: I get the sense that I need to put some serious space between Jorie and her father so she can take a close look at her life and decide what she wants to be.

I saw the flicker of excitement in her eyes when I mentioned a road trip. She wants to see more of the world, I can tell.

Well, I’m going to show her everything I can.