Guarded from Treachery (Blade and Arrow Security Bravo Team #4)

Chapter 17

17

ISLA

I ’ve never been woken up like this before.

Feather-light kisses trail along my neck as Matt’s lips brush across my skin, his familiar scent telling me he’s here before I can see him. A hand combs through my hair, gently pushing it back from my face, the touch so achingly tender it makes my heart melt.

His fingers roam to my cheek and then to the line of my jaw, leaving tingles of heat and electricity in their wake. It’s a delicious sensation, both sensual and comforting. I could open my eyes, acknowledge that I’m awake, but I can’t bring myself to interrupt this perfect moment.

There’s just something so special about being cherished like this. In my thirty-three years, no one else ever cared enough to focus all their attention on making me feel good without expecting something in return. Or they didn’t care about how I felt at all.

But with Matt? His love for me is a tangible thing.

It’s gentle caresses and sensual kisses and evenings spent rubbing the knots carefully from my shoulders. It’s his hand resting lightly on my hip or the small of my back. It’s his arm wrapped protectively around me.

And it’s the way he looks at me, all his emotions on full display—trust, affection, love, admiration, and this hint of hopeful wonder, like he still can’t quite believe I’m with him.

I know Matt spent years thinking he didn’t measure up. That he was too nerdy. Too awkward. That people weren’t interested in what he had to say. But that’s so far from the truth, it’s laughable. Matt is the smartest, sweetest, and most interesting person I’ve ever met. And for as long as he’ll let me, I’ll do whatever I can to make sure he knows how incredible he is.

As Matt’s lips press to my forehead, I feel him still for a second. And then, so quietly I almost can’t hear it, he murmurs, “I love you with all my heart, Isles. And little Dove, too.”

Oh.

My nose prickles. Tears burn behind my eyes.

In all this insanity, somehow I found everything I ever wanted.

A baby to love unconditionally. And the man I’ve been waiting my entire life for.

Swallowing against the threatening tears, I take a moment to compose myself before opening my eyes. And I meet Matt’s gaze at once, his melty-chocolate one, the one that makes me feel all warm and gooey inside.

Realizing I’m awake, a corner of his mouth lifts. “Good morning, gorgeous.”

My voice still rough from sleep, I reply with a smile, “Good morning to you, too.”

He strokes my cheek again. “I hope you didn’t mind me waking you up like that? I thought it would be nicer than the alarm.”

“Much nicer.” Rolling onto my side, I put my hand on Matt’s jaw, rubbing my thumb across his soft stubble. “I wouldn’t mind waking up like that every morning.”

“Even at five A.M. before I head to the gym?” he teases.

I grin at him. “Well. Maybe not that early. But after you get back?”

“You won’t mind me all sweaty?”

“Nope.” I pop the p. “I don’t mind when you’re all glisten-y.”

“Glisten-y?”

“Yeah. It’s a nicer and sexier way to say sweaty. And I wouldn’t mind.” After a beat, I add, “Or you could wake me up to take a shower with you. That would be nice, too.”

Interest lights Matt’s gaze. “So, you want to shower with me?”

“Well, it would conserve water. So we’d be helping the environment.”

His face breaks into a boyish grin. “When you put it that way, it would be irresponsible not to.”

I glance over at the clock, noticing we have just about an hour before we’re supposed to head into Seguin with Erik and Rhiannon. “It would save time, too. So we could shower and make love before we have to leave.”

Matt sits up. “Are you saying you’d like to take a shower with me right now?”

Following his lead, I let the sheet fall to my waist. As it does, Matt’s eyes jump to my bare breasts. Last night we fell asleep right after making love, and I was too comfortable in his arms to get up and get dressed again.

“If you don’t mind sharing the shower with me,” I reply.

“Would I mind?” Matt practically leaps from the bed. Then he scoops me into his arms and captures my lips in a soft kiss. “Now that you brought it up, I’d be crushed if you didn’t.”

I clutch his neck as he jogs towards the bathroom, a giggle bubbling up in my chest. “I could walk, you know.”

“I know. But I like carrying you.”

Once we get into the bathroom, he holds me with one arm while he turns the shower on with the other. It’s so sexy, this reminder of his strength—a perfect contradiction to the sweet Matt I see most of the time.

If you didn’t know Matt, you’d notice his muscles and intense expression and assume he’s just this tough guy—hardened after years in the military and experiences most people couldn’t even imagine, much less live through.

But he’s so much more than that.

As the water starts steaming, Matt touches it with his hand, checking to make sure it’s not too hot. After a moment’s assessment, he carries me into the double shower and sets me down so I’m facing him. The rain shower head sends a cascade of warm water over us, dampening Matt’s golden chest and darkening his hair.

One stray lock of hair sticks to his forehead, and I reach up to push it out of the way. In doing so, my body presses against his, and I feel his arousal jutting hard against me.

Matt cups my butt, drawing me closer yet. Heat builds at my core, and a different sort of dampness grows at the apex of my thighs. My nipples draw into taut peaks; incredibly sensitive as they brush across his firm chest

Gazing down at me, his eyes traveling from my head to feet and back again, he says, “I still can’t get over how beautiful you are.” One hand palms my breast, lightly squeezing. The other dips between my legs and strokes along the slickness there, sending ripples of pleasure through my body.

His finger slips inside me and curves to hit that spot, the one only he’s found. Need surges through me and my inner walls clench around him.

Then a second finger joins the first, moving slowly at first, then faster.

My legs go weak when he finds my little bud and works it with his thumb, flicking and rubbing and caressing.

Desire coils in my belly, an insistent aching demanding to be filled.

I wrap my fingers around him and make that little motion I know Matt loves, and he lets out a low groan as he surges in my hand. His eyes fall shut for a second as his head tips back, his pleasure a visible thing.

And seeing how turned on he is makes me even more desperate to feel him inside me. To be joined in the most perfect of ways. To share myself with him in a way I’ve never done with anyone else.

To show Matt how much I love him instead of only saying the words.

“Matt,” I breathe. “I want you. Inside me. Now.”

Without hesitation, he lifts me, and I wrap my legs around his waist. His velvety heat notches between my thighs, nudging at my center. “Are you sure you’re ready?” he asks. “Because I didn’t really spend that long?—”

I tighten my legs, holding him to me. “I’m ready.” Then I nuzzle that spot under his jaw, loving the little shiver of pleasure it evokes. “Trust me.”

Matt leans me against the shower wall, using his hand to cushion my back. Then he slowly plunges deep, stretching and filling me until I can’t tell where one of us ends and the other begins.

When we’re connected like this, it doesn’t feel like two people. It feels like two long-separated parts that finally became whole.

And it only gets better from there.

As we move together, Matt angles my hips so he hits in just the right spot, sending shockwaves of electricity with every thrust.

We kiss, nipping and suckling and our tongues exploring. I clutch the back of his neck, tunneling my fingers through his hair and letting my fingernails lightly scrape his skin.

It’s magic, feeling this fire blossoming inside me, building bigger and more intense with every thrust.

Then Matt turns, so his back is against the shower wall. In a move so sexy I almost implode with desire, he effortlessly lifts me up before pulling me back down and filling me completely.

My eyes move to his biceps, slick and golden and bulging. Little veins pop as his muscles flex, something I never considered sexy before I met Matt.

He tilts me back so he sinks even deeper, hitting that mystical spot once again.

God.

It’s incredible.

Matt’s incredible.

He reaches between us and rubs that little bundle of nerves.

Plunges deep.

And this time, I convulse around him in ecstasy.

Fireworks explode. Stars burst to life. A wall of bright light fills my vision.

Seconds later, Matt goes impossibly hard and pulses inside me. He throws back his head and lets out a guttural groan. The tendons in his neck go tight.

But even in the midst of such bliss, his hold never wavers. Just like always, I know he’ll never let me fall.

We stay connected, aftershocks sizzling through our bodies, as our hearts and breaths settle back into a regular rhythm. Finally, when the water starts to run lukewarm, he sets me back on my feet with a small huff of disappointment.

He pushes my hair back from my face and kisses me. Then he chuckles. “I’m not sure if we actually conserved water. But I’m definitely in favor of sharing the shower.”

I smile at him, my heart filled with a light, fizzy joy. “I’m definitely in favor of it, too.”

“Remember, you can take as much time here as you want.”

Matt glances around Rock a Bye Baby, the maternity and baby shop in Seguin, his gaze softening as he takes in all the adorable little outfits and cuddly toys. He’s still in high-alert mode, his posture rigid and shoulders tight, a hint of tension evident in his features. One arm is wrapped around me, keeping me nestled against his side.

“We have the store for the whole day,” he continues. “Aside from you, me, Erik, and Rhi, the owner is the only one here. And she knows how important it is that we have complete privacy.”

“I don’t think I’ll need the entire day,” I reply. Leaning against him, I stretch up to kiss his bristly cheek. “Maybe just a few…” But I trail off as a particularly cute baby outfit catches my eye, a little pair of lavender overalls with a fuzzy bunny embroidered on the front of them.

Laughter in his voice, Matt asks, “Are you sure about that?”

I grab his hand and tow him across the store, over to the display of overalls in a rainbow of shades. “Maybe.” Plucking the lavender ones from the rack, I hold them out to Matt. “This is a neutral color, right? A boy could wear it, couldn’t they?” I pause. “Not that I’m saying it’s a boy. I’m still ninety percent sure it’s a girl. But just in case.”

“A boy can wear purple,” Erik calls over. He’s stationed by the store’s only entrance, keeping an eye on the parking lot to make sure no one suspicious pulls up or tries to come in. He glances at Matt with a mischievous glint in his eyes. “If little Eagle wants to wear pink, that’s okay.”

“Of course Eagle can wear pink,” Matt shoots back. “Whatever color he wants. If he—” His lips press shut and the tips of his ears go pink. A beat later, he looks at me and says, “Sorry, Isles. I shouldn’t have presumed. It’s your choice what little Dove or Eagle wears.”

But I want him to presume.

Though Matt’s not technically the father, the more time that passes, the more I wish he was. And the more I think—dream—about Matt making these decisions with me.

I want him to reassure little Eagle, if he’s right and I do have a boy, that it’s okay to dress in colors that aren’t blue and green. That it’s okay to be different. That being smart and good with computers isn’t a bad thing.

If it’s little Dove instead, I want Matt to show her how a man should act, so she always expects the same for herself. I want him to encourage her to pursue any interest, whether it’s dancing or baseball or chess. And I want Matt to be at the front door when she gets picked up for her first date, letting her hopeful suitor know he’s looking out for her.

I put the overalls back and turn to face Matt. “You weren’t presuming. I care about what you think. And I agree. Any color is fine.”

Matt catches my hand in his, enfolding his fingers around mine. Then he bends down to press a soft kiss to my lips. “Are you sure?”

“Yes.” I smile up at him. “I’m sure.”

“In that case…” He takes the overalls back off the rack. “Can I buy them? For little Eagle? Or Dove?”

For a second, all I can do is stare at him.

He looks so cute, this big guy holding this teeny outfit, his expression soft and contemplative as he looks at it. And I see a flash of a possible future; Matt carrying my— our? —newborn baby snuggled against his chest.

I know he said he wants to be in the baby’s life. But that’s not the same as being a father.

Still. I can hope. Right?

“We have lots of gender-neutral outfits,” the store owner, Lydia, adds. She points to another rack in the corner. “I know with the whole gender reveal thing it seems like everyone is finding out the sex before the baby is born, but there are actually still a lot of people waiting to find out.”

Rhiannon walks back into the front room of the store. She’s holding an adorable stuffed bunny in her hand and a pudgy elephant in the other. “You have to check out the toys, Isla. They are so cute.” She pauses, her normally confident expression turning hesitant. “Could I buy these for her? Or him? Would you mind?”

“Hey, don’t buy all the toys,” Erik interjects as he turns away from the view of the parking lot again. “Leave some of them for the rest of us.” He grins at me. “We’re all planning on spoiling the little one.”

My heart squeezes.

Somehow, amid the chaos and fear and confusion, I found the closest to a true family I’ve ever had.

Blinking back tears, I swallow a few times before replying, “Of course you can buy them. But you don’t have to go all out?—”

“Yes, we do,” Matt interjects. “You and Jade are going to have our first Blade and Arrow babies. In Texas, at least. And once the baby comes, maybe we can take him to New York to meet the Sleepy Hollow team. Cole and Maya have little Clara, Leo and Georgia have Lily, and I just heard Rylan and Charlie are expecting.”

Rhiannon sets the two stuffed animals on the checkout counter. “Ry and Charlie are expecting?” she asks Matt. “How did I not know?”

“They just found out,” Matt replies. “I was talking to Rylan a couple of days ago and he mentioned it. It’s still pretty new. I think they’re due the end of May.”

In a low tone, I ask, “Do you really want me to meet everyone in Sleepy Hollow?”

Matt’s forehead furrows as he stares at me for a second. “Of course. You’re my girlfriend. Why wouldn’t I want you to meet my friends?”

Because I’m scared that Matt will decide my life is too complicated and I’ll end up devastated and alone?

Because I’m so close to the happiness I’ve always wanted and I’m terrified of it being taken away?

Because the scars my parents’ callous treatment left are healed over but not fully gone? And there’s still a little part of me that fears being rejected again?

But I don’t say any of that. Not now, when this is supposed to be a special time.

This trip is something Matt and his teammates planned for days—arranging for the store to open on a Monday, when it’s normally closed, running a background check on the owner, and coming here ahead of time to check the security. And they’ve all been so sweet about it, not once acting like this was a hardship or chore.

Instead of sharing my fears, I work my mouth into a smile. “You’re right. And I would love to meet everyone.”

“Maybe we could drive to Vermont to meet Rory, too.” As he talks, Matt grabs another pair of overalls and inspects them, this pair in pale yellow with a fuzzy monkey on the bib. “We could make a whole Northeast trip out of it. Sleepy Hollow, then up to the Adirondacks to meet up with a couple buddies up there. And after that, we could head to Vermont, visit Rory, and stop in to see some friends who started a new security company in this little town called Bliss, if you can believe it.”

“They live in Bliss?”

His eyebrows jump up. “You know it?”

“Yeah, that’s where Rory lives. Well, she’s more outside of town than in it, but yes.”

“Oh, wow,” he replies. “I wonder if she knows my friends.”

“I’m not sure. She keeps to herself a lot. Unless they came to adopt a pet… she runs an animal shelter, so she’s really busy on her farm, taking care of all the rescues.”

A contemplative expression moves across Matt’s face. “That’s such a crazy coincidence. I’ll have to ask Enzo if he’s ever been there. He and his wife, Winter, adopted a cat not too long ago. Maybe that’s where they went.”

“Maybe.” I notice the yellow overalls have joined the purple ones on his arm, and my heart gives another tug. “But the trip sounds really great. I’d love to go.”

“Hey, Isla.” Back from her most recent rotation around the store—which doesn’t take too long, considering it’s only three rooms—Rhiannon walks over to us. “I was walking past the maternity section, and they have some really pretty dresses.”

Her gaze skips from mine to Matt’s and back again. “Some cocktail-style ones. In case someone decided to plan another romantic date.”

Matt chuckles. “I might be planning another one.”

Rhiannon smiles. “Do you want to look at some of them, Isla? Or stick with the baby stuff first?”

Since my stretchy non-maternity dresses aren’t going to work much longer, and I’d rather not have a romantic date in sweats and a T-shirt, I nod. “Maybe some dresses first. That’ll be quicker, anyway. And then I can load up?—”

Out of the corner of my eye, I spot Matt adding a miniature onesie with eagles printed all over it to the growing pile draped over his arm. “Or Matt can keep shopping,” I add with a smile.

“We have some dressing rooms in the back,” Lydia offers. “Just head through those curtains right there, then take a left. And if you need to use the restroom, it’s just to the right.”

Matt stiffens. His gaze flickers to the ivory curtains hanging in the doorway.

“I’ll go with Isla,” Rhiannon assures him. “I won’t leave her alone for a second.”

“It’s okay,” I add. “Rhi can help me pick out something sexy for our next date. And maybe you could find some more onesies? If you want?”

He takes a deep breath and sighs it out. “Okay. I’ll pick out some cool stuff for Eagle.” Dipping his head, he captures my lips. Heat flares in his eyes. “And definitely find something sexy.”

A few minutes later, Rhiannon and I are situated in one of the dressing rooms, with half a dozen cocktail dresses waiting to try on. There’s a shimmery A-line in a deep orchid, a black silk wraparound, and my favorite, a floaty dress in shades of purple with an ombre effect.

Since the store is empty except for us, we leave the door open to the runway-style aisle in the center, so I can check myself out in the floor to ceiling mirror. As I pull on the purple dress, she smiles and says, “Oh, that looks gorgeous. And I hope you don’t mind me saying, but I think Matt will love it.”

My chest fizzes with happiness. “I think he will, too. And he loves it when I wear purple.”

“Well, it does set off your eyes,” she agrees. “You know, I’ve never met anyone with violet eyes before. My mother used to rave about Liz Taylor’s eye color, saying how she wished she had the same shade.”

“They’re not really violet.” I spin in front of the mirror, watching the skirt flare around my legs. “It’s really a dark blue. Only people with albinism can have truly violet eyes. But mine pick up the light in a way that makes them look purple most of the time.”

“Hmm. How did I not know that?” Rhiannon laughs, her face lighting up with it. “I only trained as a medic and took a bunch of biology and science classes.”

“They don’t really talk about violet, though. Just blue and brown. Remember the Punnet square?”

“Oh, yeah.” She glances over her shoulder towards the hallway. The soft rumble of men’s voices filters down the hall, punctuated by a short burst of laughter that I recognize as coming from Matt. “I remember. And I was so mad when I learned how it was both my parents’ faults that I wasn’t a blonde.”

“You wanted to be a blonde?” I can’t imagine her with anything but glossy chestnut hair.

“Back then I did. But I lived in L.A. So—” She shrugs. “It kind of went with the territory. Now I’m happy with what I have.”

“Me too.” I pause in front of the mirror a final time, assessing. “I think I’m going to get this one.”

“Definitely. And try the black one next. It’s simple, but so?—”

Rhiannon stops. Her body tenses. Her relaxed expression shifts to alarm.

In a low tone, she starts to say, “Isla?—”

But before she can finish, there’s a distinctive click.

A click I wish I didn’t recognize.

Rhiannon reaches under her shirt for the gun I know is tucked into a holster at her waist.

But even as she’s about to pull it out, a man steps into the dressing room, the barrel of his gun pointed directly at her.

I can see her posture go rigid. Her jaw goes hard. Intensity flares in her eyes.

I press against the wall, as if somehow, in my purple dress, I’ll magically turn into a chameleon and blend into the background.

“Don’t move,” the man hisses. His face is covered with a knit mask, so only his eyes and unruly brows are visible. A scar cuts through one of them, leaving a white line behind. There’s a coldness to his gaze, and it sends a shiver through me.

Despite his instructions, Rhiannon takes a slow step to the side, moving closer to me.

My heart slams hard against my chest.

My throat constricts.

Instinctively, my hands come to cover my belly.

Oh, God.

He’s here for me. There’s no other answer.

“Don’t,” Rhiannon says quietly. “This isn’t a good idea.”

She could take him down. I’ve seen her practicing self-defense with the guys, and she’s just as good as any of them.

For a second, I think she’s going to try.

Then.

A second man joins the first.

Masked. All in dark clothes. With a flinty, malicious gaze.

And another gun. This time pointed at me.

Fear surges through me so quickly, I’m breathless from it.

No.

This can’t be happening.

How? The store is locked. There’s only one entrance and Erik’s standing in front of it.

Unless. What if Matt and Erik aren’t okay? What if they’re hurt? Or…

No. I can’t think it.

Tears sting my eyes. A tremor shudders through my body.

“Don’t even think about moving,” the second man growls. “Or talking. If you do—” He jabs the gun at me, and I barely smother a yelp of fear. “We’ll start shooting.”

Rhiannon’s expression is hard. Angry. But carefully calm. “You don’t want to do this.”

“Oh, but I do.” His teeth bare in a rictus of a grin. “And you”—he gestures at me with the gun again—“are going to be our payday. You’re not getting away this time.”

“That’s right,” adds the first man, his gun still aimed at Rhiannon. “And if you don’t come with us willingly, we’ll have to shoot your little friend, here.” His eyes narrow at me. “You wouldn’t want to be responsible for your friend getting killed, would you?”

My heart stumbles. Stops.

A moment later, a burst of clarity brings it to life again.

They don’t know who Rhiannon is. What she is.

And as my hand inches towards my ear, I remember something else.

Something Matt showed me several weeks ago, when I asked him what would happen if he was ever in trouble.

“We all have rings,” he explained, showing me the plain silver band on his right hand. “Just like your earrings, they have trackers in them. And a little button we can push to trigger an alarm.” He took the ring off and placed it in my hand. “See where the little indentation is? It’s hard to push, because we don’t want to set it off accidentally. But if I push it, the team will know.”

And Rhiannon has one, too.

“Don’t fucking move,” the scarred-eyebrow man snarls in an undertone. My hand freezes midway to my ear. “I’ll shoot your friend. Don’t fucking test me.”

Logic tells me Erik and Matt will come right away.

But pure fear tries to convince me otherwise.

What if they’re hurt? What if Rhiannon tries to make a move and they shoot her?

What if they take me? And then?—

Oh, God.

What if they take my baby?