Page 18 of Wrecked (McIntyre Security Bodyguard #16)

Monday, all hell breaks loose at the bookstore.

Erin shows the latest copy of The Chicago Scoop to Beth, who’s standing behind the check-out counter.

I glance over Beth’s shoulder to see what’s got Erin so riled up.

On the front page of the tabloid is a picture of Beth at the counter ringing up a customer.

Beth stares at the photo. “How did he get this picture?” She glances back at me. “You took the data card out of his camera.”

My stomach drops because I realize I fucked up. “He must have taken this with his phone. I didn’t think to confiscate his damn phone.”

The caption underneath the photos reads:

Beth Jamison lucks out as Chicago billionaire playboy Shane McIntyre’s new arm candy

As Beth reads the article that goes with the picture, her face goes even paler than usual. When her knees start to give out, I catch her.

“Sit down,” I say as I pull a chair close.

I read over her shoulder as she reads the rest of the article. It’s nasty, filled with vile accusations and blatantly incorrect information. Sanderson is making Beth out to be a money-grubbing gold digger who has latched onto Shane because he’s rich.

Poor Beth looks like she’s having a panic attack.

I lay my hand on her shoulder. “Are you all right?”

“I just need a minute.” Then she goes back to reading the article. “Why would someone print this garbage?” she asks, her voice breaking as she folds the newspaper and shoves it into a trash can behind the sales counter.

When my phone chimes with an incoming message, I glance at the screen.

Shane: Safe room now! Kline’s on his way to Clancy’s.

Shit!

Me: On it.

I grab Beth’s arm and lean in to hiss in her ear. “Come with me!” I haul her to her feet and try to pull her along with me. When she resists, I tighten my hold on her. “Now, Beth!” I steer her away from the check-out and toward the stairs.

“What are you doing?” she cries, struggling to keep up with me. She’s clearly frightened.

“Just move,” I say as I herd her up the stairs.

Mack is waiting for us at the top of the staircase, looking tense as hell.

“What’s going on?” Beth asks when we reach the second floor.

“Take her to the safe room,” Mack tells me. “I’ll watch the entrance and wait for Shane and the others to arrive.”

“Shane?” she says. “Why is he coming here?”

There’s no time for explanations, not until she’s safe. I steer her down the hallway, past the administrative offices, to an unmarked door, where I punch in the security code.

The door unlocks with a loud click. I open it and push her inside. The room’s pitch black because it has no windows.

Beth tries to back out, but I’m blocking her way. She’s starting to freak out, so I search out the light switch and flip it.

We’re in a high-tech control room, with a table of computers and monitors and about ten closed-circuit viewing screens, all aimed at different sections of the store.

“What is this place?” she asks. She sounds like she’s in awe.

I close the door behind us, securing the room. There’s a loud snick as the electronic lock engages. No one can get in this room without the code. “Have a seat.”

There’s a small seating area with a sofa, some armchairs, and a low coffee table. The room was designed to be comfortable. There’s a coffeemaker and a microwave oven next to a minifridge. I know the cupboards are filled with a variety of snacks.

“Make yourself comfortable,” I say.

She sits, her complexion ashen. “Sam, what’s going on?”

I quickly scan the bank of monitors, paying close attention to the view of the front entrance. There are two plain-clothed security guards scrutinizing everyone who comes into the store.

“Sam!” Beth cries. “Tell me what’s going on.”

“Howard Kline is on his way here. The surveillance team raised the alarm. Shane and Jake are both on their way. Shane instructed us to bring you here to the safe room and secure you.”

“Kline’s coming here ?” The pitch of her voice rises sharply. “Are you sure?”

I explain to her that the article clued him in as to where she works.

We see on one of the monitors the moment when Shane and his brother Jake arrive at the store. They quickly head for the stairs. A moment later, Lia walks into the store and races for the stairs.

I give it thirty seconds before they’re at our door. Sure enough, it’s not long before we hear a buzzing sound and a click, followed by the door opening. Shane walks in, followed by Lia.

Lia joins Beth on the sofa. “You caused quite a commotion today with your juicy newspaper interview!”

Beth frowns. “Did you read it? It’s awful!”

Shane is talking to his brother Jake over their ear comms, tracking Howard Kline’s current location. “Kline’s ETA is six minutes,” he says. “He’s off the bus and walking this way.”

The next half-hour is intense as Shane and his team monitor Kline’s whereabouts. Mack’s down there, as is Jake. They’ll make sure the staff and customers are safe.

When he arrives, Kline walks around the store, presumably searching for Beth, and when he ultimately doesn’t find her, he leaves.

Once the coast is clear and the threat is over, Shane tells Beth, “Let’s go, sweetheart. I’m taking you home. You’ve had enough excitement for one day.”

Then he presses the mic button on his comm unit. “Jake, Lia, Mack, come back to the penthouse with us. We need to review security protocols at the bookstore.”

Then, he extends his hand to me and we shake. “Thank you, Sam, for taking care of Beth. Why don’t you come, too? You’re a key part of the team now.”

I nod. “Sure. No problem.”

I’m glad to be included, but then I realize, oh shit ! What are the odds that Cooper will be there, too?

* * *

Half an hour later, we’re all seated at the dining room table in the penthouse—Shane, Beth, Jake, Lia, Mack, and me.

Shane looks to Jake. “Where’s he at now?”

Jake checks the latest surveillance report from his team on his tablet. “He’s on a bus heading back home.”

Shane nods, obviously mollified. “Good. Mack, I want a heightened security presence at the bookstore for the foreseeable future. Make them plainclothes—I don’t want to scare the customers. Beth, I don’t suppose I can talk you into staying home until this thing with Kline is resolved.”

Beth gives him a look. “I am not staying home. I have Sam. I’ll be fine.”

Shane turns his attention to me. “Thank you, Sam. Good work today.”

“I can’t really take the credit,” I say. “I was just following protocol. And it’s my fault the reporter got a picture of Beth. I confiscated the data card in his camera, but he must have gotten a picture with his phone when I wasn’t looking.”

“No one blames you for that,” Beth says. She’s sitting across the table from me.

The foyer door flies open, and in stalks Cooper, looking livid. “What the hell happened? I just got word Kline was in the bookstore.” His gaze goes right to Beth. “Are you okay, honey?”

“I’m fine,” she says. “Sam took me to the safe room.”

Cooper’s gaze shifts to me, and for a moment, he studies me. “You okay?”

I nod, but don’t say anything.

“Where’s Kline now?” Cooper asks Jake.

“On his way home. Don’t worry. We’ve got eyes on him 24/7.”

Cooper looks satisfied with the current state of events. Then his hard gaze returns to me. He nods toward the kitchen door. “Sam, come help me with something in the kitchen.” It’s not a request.

I’m shocked that he called me out in front of everyone.

“It’s okay, go ahead,” Shane says, excusing me from the team meeting.

I feel everyone’s eyes on me as I get up and follow Cooper into the kitchen. They’ve got to be wondering what the hell is going on. As far as they all know, Cooper and I are little more than strangers.

As soon as I step into the kitchen, Cooper closes the door behind us and turns on me. “Are you sure you’re all right?”

“I told you, I’m fine! What are you doing? We’re in the middle of a team meeting.” As someone who claims he wants to keep his private life private, Cooper’s not doing a very good job of it.

Cooper seems agitated. “Jesus, Sam, when I got word that Kline was in Clancy’s, I about lost it. I knew you’d be there with Beth. All I could think about was one of you getting hurt.”

“Beth and I were perfectly fine in the safe room. Shane and Jake arrived before Kline got there, with backup. We were never in any danger.” I reach for the door handle. “I’ve got to get back to the debriefing.”

Cooper throws his arm out and stops me. “Sam.” He steps in close, too close, and his heated gaze scans my face. “I—” He grabs hold of my hand and leads me out the other kitchen door. “Come with me.”

He leads me down the hallway to his room, one I remember very well. Once we’re inside, he closes the door and backs me up against it.

“Sam.” He cups my left cheek and leans in, his gaze locked on my mouth.

I know what he wants. He wants to kiss me. And if he does, we’ll be right back where we started, and that’s not good enough.

I press a hand to his chest. “No.”

For a moment, he pauses, letting me hold him back. He takes hold of my hand and stares at the fading bruises encircling my wrist. “What happened here? Who did this to you?”

“Seriously? You did, Cooper. When you pinned my wrists to the mattress.”

He looks genuinely shocked. “I’m so sorry. I never meant to hurt you—mark you.”

“It’s fine.”

He captures my other hand and examines the faint purple smudges that ring both wrists. When he lifts one wrist to his mouth and gently kisses it, my stomach drops, and my heart starts galloping.

“I need to get back to the meeting,” I say. I pull my hands free. “Shane will wonder—”

“Don’t worry about Shane.” Cooper cups my face. “Sam, I need to talk to you. I’ve been trying for days now, and you won’t take my calls. You won’t answer my texts.”

“There’s nothing more to say, Cooper. You made it perfectly clear what you wanted from me.”

Cooper closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.

“Sam, I—you have no idea what it was like growing up gay in the sixties, especially in the South. It just wasn’t done.

It wasn’t talked about. It could be dangerous for anyone to even suspect.

I know it’s different now. A lot of guys, especially the young ones, are open about it, dating in public, wearing gay pride T-shirts and walking in parades.

I didn’t grow up like that, Sam. I grew up keeping everything about my sexuality a deeply guarded secret. ”

Cooper’s eyes are full of pain. I suspect there’s a lot more he’s not telling me. I don’t want to pry, but—

“I want to see you again,” he says. “I want to spend time with you. I miss you.”

I shake my head. “No. I’m not going to be your secret fuck toy that you can play with whenever you get an itch.

You snap your fingers, and I come running?

You fuck me, and then pat me on the head and send me home?

No thanks. I have more self-respect than that.

” I try to pull away, but he catches my hand.

“Sam, wait. Hear me out, please. I have a proposition for you.”

My pulse is tripping, but I try not to get excited. I’ve had enough disappointment already. “What?”

“What if we spend time together? I’ll make us dinner at your place. Or, I’ll take you out to dinner if you like, to a bar or to the movies. Whatever you want. It’ll just be the two of us, exclusive.”

“Cooper, what you’re describing is called dating . Only you want to do it in secret.”

He closes his eyes as if in pain. “I’m sorry. I just can’t handle people knowing about my private life. I don’t want our co-workers to know. Shane would know, but that’s it.”

“Not even Beth?”

He shakes his head. “No, not even Beth.”

“What you’re suggesting is dating , Cooper.”

“Okay fine. We’ll call it whatever you want as long as it stays between us.” He lifts my hands, grasping both wrists in one hand, and raises them above my head, pinning them to the door. But this time, his hold is gentle.

His other hand grips my jaw to hold my face still. “God, I want you. I can’t stop thinking about the first time. I need that again, Sam. Please.”

“I don’t know.” Who the hell am I kidding? Of course I want to be with him, even if it’s under less than ideal circumstances. Maybe, over time, things will change. “I guess we could try.”

He sighs. “Okay, good. Can I come see you tonight?” He’s practically holding his breath as he waits for my answer.

Deep down, I figure this is another mistake. But I want him just as badly, so I’m going to take a chance and risk getting hurt yet again. “What time?”

“After Beth turns in for the night, around ten o’clock.”

“All right.”

“Can I spend the night?”

My pulse rockets into the stratosphere at the idea of the two of us sharing a bed all night long. “I don’t know. Let’s play it by ear.” I pull my hands free. “I’ve got to get back now. They’re going to wonder where I am.”

Cooper nods. “Okay, sure.” He cups my face and gazes into my eyes. “First, I really need to do this.” And then he kisses me.

His lips settle on mine, gentle at first, then becoming more demanding. This isn’t just any kiss. It’s a heart-pounding, soul-stealing kiss. His lips mold themselves to mine, nudging them open so his tongue can slide in. I groan.

I am so in over my head with this guy.

One of his hands slips around behind me, and he grips one of my ass cheeks and pulls me tight against him. There’s no mistaking how he feels. His erection is thick and long and so damn hard, and I’m quickly catching up.

He presses himself against me, groaning as he grinds his dick against mine. “God, I want you.” His voice is like gravel. “I—”

We both jump when someone knocks on Cooper’s door.

“What!” he snaps, irritated by the interruption.

“Cooper, if you don’t mind, can I have my employee back so we can wrap up our meeting?” It’s Shane.

Cooper releases me and takes a step back. “Tonight,” he says, keeping his voice low. “I’ll be at your place around ten-thirty.” And then he opens the door.

Thank goodness Shane’s not standing there to witness my humiliation.

Without looking back, I head for the dining room. Fortunately, my growing erection is no longer a problem. Shane interrupting us was like getting a bucket of cold water in the face.

I’m going to see Cooper again tonight, just the two of us alone in my apartment. I try not to get too excited. I’ve already been burned by him twice. How desperate do I have to be to give him another chance to let me down?

Pretty desperate, I guess. Because I can’t make myself walk away.