5. Chapter 5
CHAPTER 5
Chapter 5
~LIAM~
G unfire.
“Retreat! Retreat, goddamn it!”
They can’t hear me. My men are sitting ducks in the middle of the street, being picked off by snipers one at a time.
“Adams!” I scream his name, but my second-in-command can’t hear me. He looks around as if trying to find something, panic in his eyes. “I’m right here, damn it! Adams, get those men behind that building!”
He doesn’t respond, doesn’t follow my orders. Before my eyes, each of them dies, one by one until I’m the last one standing.
I run behind the building, and suddenly, there’s Adams. He’s talking fast.
“They’ve got snipers up on the top of the buildings,” he says.
“I know. We can’t get past them. It’s going to be a massacre.”
“We’ve got more firepower,” he insists. “We need to point up and keep firing until we get down the street.”
“It’s a suicide mission.”
Didn’t we just do this? What’s happening?
“I’m scared,” a private by the name of Beller says to the man next to him. “I have to tell my mom I love her.”
“There’s no time,” Adams says. “We’re going now. There’s no time to waste.”
“Don’t go,” I insist. “Do not do this. You’ll die. I’m telling you, you’ll die.”
It’s as though they can’t hear me. Again. Why the fuck won’t they listen?
They run away, and I hear the gunfire again. The screams. The cries.
I shoot up in bed, panting and dripping in sweat. The sheet is tangled around my legs. I barely free myself fast enough to hurry into the bathroom, where I heave until my stomach is empty.
I fucking hate the nightmares. Adams didn’t die in that firefight when it happened.
But yesterday morning, he put the business end of a Sig Sauer P320 in his mouth and pulled the trigger. In the note, he said the nightmares were too much, the meds weren’t helping, and he couldn’t deal anymore.
He left behind a young wife and a two-year-old daughter.
“Fuck.” I splash cold water on my face, rinse my mouth, and then stare at myself in the mirror. It’s been almost ten years since that horrible day, and the nightmares have been less frequent. When I sleep, that is.
But Adams offing himself was a hard blow. It’s been chewing at me since I received the call yesterday.
I need a run. The sun isn’t up yet as I throw on some running gear, grab my bear spray, and jog down to the kitchen where my night shift guy, Aaron Reynolds, keeps watch on the perimeter cameras.
“Anything happening?” I ask.
“It’s quiet. A couple of raccoons were on the driveway a while ago, but other than that, not much going on.”
“Good. I’m going for a run. I won’t be more than an hour.”
Reynolds nods, and I take off through the back door and head down the path that connects to the trail system the city of Cunningham Falls laid about ten years ago. I’ll go a short seven miles today, just enough to burn off some of this grief and energy.
Not to mention the sexual tension. Now that Charles and Nick are gone, accompanying Sebastian and Nina to Africa, I’m pretty isolated with Ellie. Which means I’ll have an easier time of being with her.
But that’s also bad because Ellie isn’t the kind of woman that you fuck a few times and then go on your merry way. No, she’s the type that sticks. I’ve always sworn that the sticking type isn’t for me.
Yet I’ll be damned if I can stay away from her. My blood runs thick when she’s around, and my dick seems to have a mind of its own. She’s just so damn beautiful.
And sweet. And everything good.
The pavement is even under my feet, the air brisk. Despite the heat during the day, Northwest Montana still cools off nicely once the sun goes down.
I push myself harder and faster, making my heart rate rise, and my breaths come quicker. The rush of blood in my ears drowns out the last of the gunfire from the nightmare. The sky starts to lighten from black to grey, and I decide it’s time to turn back toward the house.
Cunningham Falls is sleepy this morning, with only a few vehicles out and about, manned by those going to work for the early shift. A paperboy rides his bike past me, tossing papers onto porches.
It makes me smile. In most of the modern world, people read the news on their phone or tablet. But here in this little town, a daily newspaper is still delivered.
I like it.
I’m dripping in sweat again as I slow my pace and head down the path to the house. Movement on the dock near the boathouse catches my attention, and I veer that way to check it out.
Ellie’s sitting on the edge of the dock, her legs crossed, her eyes closed as she listens to the quiet.
I’m at once turned on by her and pissed that she’s out here alone.
I’m not quiet as I approach, but she doesn’t open her eyes.
“I could be an assassin.”
“But you’re not.” Her lips tip up into a small smile. I want to cover her with my body, right here on the fucking dock, and take her immediately. She’s so damn beautiful it takes my breath away, even when she’s in her workout clothes with no makeup.
Especially with no makeup.
“But I could be,” I repeat and prop my hands on my hips, still breathing hard. “I didn’t know you were an early riser. I wouldn’t have gone for a run.”
She opens her eyes and looks up at me. “I didn’t sleep much last night. I decided to come out here and watch the sunrise.”
“With your eyes closed?”
“I was meditating.”
“I have to go change,” I say, looking back toward HQ and cursing myself for not taking my communication unit so I could call up for someone to come stand here. Reynolds should have seen her on the live feed.
“I’m fine.” She smiles up at me innocently. “You can go change.”
“I don’t want you out here alone. I’ll send Reynolds out until I can change.”
“I can come with you,” she offers.
If Ellie comes with me, I’ll tumble her into my bed.
No. Bad idea.
“Can you just stay out of trouble for ten minutes?”
The smile remains in place. “Of course. I’m just sitting here waiting for the sunrise.”
I nod and jog away. When I walk into the kitchen, I see red.
“Wake the fuck up.”
Reynolds’ head pops up. “What? Who?”
“You’re fired.”
“Ah, shit.” He rubs his hands over his face. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep. It wasn’t more than five minutes.”
“Long enough for Her Highness to walk out onto the dock and sit alone for God knows how long. She could have been shot, taken, anything. Because you weren’t doing your fucking job. Now, collect your things and get the hell out of my headquarters.”
“I don’t deserve this,” he mumbles as he fetches a lunch box out of the fridge and slams the door shut. “I’ll sue for wrongful termination.”
“I dare you to do just that,” I reply calmly. “We don’t employ anyone who doesn’t take this job seriously, Aaron. I told you that when I hired you. You said you could handle it.”
“Night shift has me all fucked up. Put me on the day shift.”
“The low man on the totem pole always gets the night shift. And now you don’t get that either. Go on.”
He glares at me and then barrels out of the house, slamming the door behind him. I make a call to the two guys who were scheduled to come on duty in an hour, and they both agree to come in early.
Then I make one more call, clean up, and pull on clothes before jogging back out to the dock, where Ellie’s still sitting as calmly as can be, staring up at the bright orange sky.
“It’s so pretty here,” she says without looking over at me. And I can admit, right here and now, I want her gorgeous blue eyes on me.
“I could have been an abductor.”
She laughs and turns to look at me. “Sit.”
“I’m officially on duty.”
She shrugs a shoulder and pulls her knees up to her chest as she looks out over the lake again. “I just saw two bald eagles fly over the water. It was magical.”
“There’s a lot of wildlife here.” I shove my hands into my pockets and skim the area with my gaze. It’s calm and quiet. “We haven’t had any issues with the press since you’ve been here.”
“Only my family and a few close friends know I’m here,” she says. “It should stay pretty quiet.”
I’m grateful that she didn’t make a big production about leaving England. It makes my job easier.
“I have a plan for today.”
She glances up and arches a perfect eyebrow. “And what is that?”
“A breakfast picnic.”
“A date?”
“A lesson,” I correct her. “Lesson number two.”
“What was yesterday?”
“That was an extension of lesson number one.”
She laughs and then pushes herself gracefully to her feet. “Well, if frustration is lesson number one, I’ve mastered that. What do I need to wear for number two?”
“Casual. Pants, if you have them.”
“I’ll find something. We won’t be going out in public?”
“No.”
She nods and walks up into her apartment to change. Baxter and Bartlett arrive, and I brief them about firing Reynolds.
“I’ll find someone else soon. In the meantime, we’ll all be pulling a few extra shifts.”
“Not a problem,” Baxter says. “My wife wants to go to Hawaii for Christmas, so I’m saving up. I’ll take some shifts.”
“Thanks. I’ll block the time off on the calendar for you during the holidays.”
“Appreciate it,” the other man replies, and then they walk to the house to get settled in for the day and relieve the remaining night shift man.
I keep two men on property guard duty at all times. One stays in the house to monitor the cameras, and one walks the perimeter on foot. They switch off and on throughout the day. If we have more royals visiting, I can pull in police officers who aren’t on duty for extra help. Brad Hull, the chief of police, has been a valuable ally where the royals are concerned.
While Sebastian and Nina are gone, with Charles and Nick in tow, it’s just me and two other guards here at any given time. As long as Ellie keeps a low profile, that should be enough.
“Liam?”
I turn at the sound of my name and see Baxter escorting Aspen Calhoun, the new owner of Drips & Sips, down to the dock.
“She’s good,” I say to him and offer the woman a smile. “Thanks for doing this. I would have brought her to the coffee shop, but she’s trying to keep her time here on the down-low.”
“Oh, it’s my pleasure,” she says and passes over a basket. “There is coffee in there, along with some breakfast goodies.”
“It smells damn good. I have cash?—”
“I’m running you a tab,” she says with a shake of her head. “Just square up with me the next time you stop in.”
“I will. Thanks again.”
“Aspen,” Ellie says as she steps outside. She’s in a cute pair of red shorts with a denim top tied in the front. Her long, blond hair is up in a ponytail, and her makeup is simple but perfect.
She looks so damn young.
Compared to me, she is young. Which is another reason why this is a bad idea.
“Hey,” Aspen says and flashes a wide smile. “I was just dropping off this basket of goodies. I have to run back to the shop. I’m shorthanded today. But, Ellie, I’d like to invite you to have dinner with Monica, Natasha, and me at my place this weekend. You remember the girls from the salon?”
“Of course. That would be lovely.”
“I’ll need to have someone do a security check on your home,” I say to Aspen, ignoring Ellie’s scowl. “It’s protocol.”
“Anytime,” Aspen replies. “Dinner will be a lot of fun. Natasha makes the best margaritas.”
“What can I bring?”
“Just yourself. We’re going to have Mexican food and Natasha’s famous frozen margaritas on my deck. I have a great view. You’ll love it.”
“Thank you for inviting me,” Ellie says as Aspen waves and hurries away. Then she turns back.
“Liam has my number,” Aspen adds. “Just text me later, and I’ll send you the specifics.”
Ellie waves at Aspen and then turns to me with a sweet smile. I want to kiss the hell out of her. And I will.
Soon.
“Come on.” I nudge Ellie toward my car. “I have a specific place I want to take you.”
“We’re not having a picnic here?”
I lean in to whisper in her ear. “Too many prying eyes. I want privacy.”
She smiles and happily climbs into my car. I set the basket in the backseat, then jump in, start the vehicle, and pull out of the gated driveway, headed away from town.
I drive about three or four miles then turn onto a dirt road that leads down to the lake.
“This is a state park, but not many people come down here, especially at this time of day.” I park the car and lead Ellie to a grassy area that overlooks the water, giving us a great view.
“Oh, it’s pretty. Isn’t it awesome how the view changes so drastically, but it’s the same lake?”
“It’s a big lake.”
I spread out a blanket, and we sit next to each other.
“Coffee?” I say with a smile, pulling out a thermos and two Drips & Sips coffee mugs. “There’s cream and sugar in here, too.”
“I’ll take all of it,” Ellie says. “Do I smell scones?”
“Looks like huckleberry, still warm from the oven.”
“Mine,” she says, holding out her hand.
“Yes, ma’am.” I pass her a scone, grab one for myself, and take a bite. “Damn, Aspen makes good scones.”
“Mm-hmm.” She chews, devouring the thing.
“Why couldn’t you sleep last night?” I ask.
Ellie frowns, takes a sip of coffee to wash down the bite of scone, and shrugs a shoulder. “I guess I have a lot on my mind.”
“Like what?”
I’ve often wondered what can be so stressful for royalty. I know they have responsibilities, but they live a life of privilege. What could be so concerning?
“Well, one of the charities I work with is for a children’s hospital in London. I visit monthly to look in on patients. One of the little boys who has been there for many months was very ill the last time I visited a few weeks ago. I was thinking of him. He’s lovely.
“I have several projects in the works for a facility for injured veterans who need both psychological and physical help, no matter their age in the UK. So, not just retired veterans. There needs to be much more outreach in that area.”
I’ve stopped eating and am just staring at her as she talks about the things that she’s passionate about. Her eyes are animated, her cheeks flushed as she gushes about her plans.
Ellie works her ass off. She’s not just an indulged princess. She wants to make a difference in her country, and it makes me like her even more.
“Well, I’d say you’re right. You do have a lot on your mind.”
“I’ve already sent emails this morning to check in on everything and get status updates. I know I’m out of the country, but I want to be kept abreast of the situation there. That doesn’t even include the conservation projects we have underway with endangered animals in Africa and Australia. I could bore you all day.”
“You’re not boring me at all,” I reply and find myself rubbing the back of my finger up and down her bare arm. “I like your voice.”
“Father tells me I talk too much,” she says. “I think it’s because I have so many older siblings. I had to talk frequently and loudly to be heard. Do you have any brothers or sisters?”
I feel the smile fall from my face. “I had a sister. Belle was younger than me.”
“Oh, no.” She scoots closer and cups my cheek in her hand, throwing me off-kilter with her gentle touch. “What happened?”
“She drowned,” I reply. “Here, in Whitetail Lake. I was sixteen, and she was about seven. We’d gone out on Lauren’s parents’ boat, and she jumped in to swim. She wasn’t a good swimmer and was trying to show off. She hit her head, and I couldn’t get to her fast enough to pull her out.”
“And then last summer, I decided to be an idiot and take off on a boat,” she says softly. “Now I know why you were so cross with me.”
“It scared the shit out of me,” I admit, my voice quiet. “It was that day all over again. I’m not afraid of the water. I can swim well, and boats don’t bother me. But not knowing where you were that day was my worst nightmare happening all over again.”
“I’m sorry,” she says again. “And I’m so very sorry about Belle.”
“She was a great kid. You would have liked her.”
“If she was anything like you, I know I would have liked her very much,” she says.
“Okay, enough sad talk.” I set the picnic basket to the side and turn to face Ellie. “Let’s get on with your lesson.”
“I’m a willing student. What is today’s lesson?”
She’s eager. And if the way she bites her lip is any indication, she’s a little nervous.
“Let’s recap what we know.”
“You’re killing me,” she mutters, making me chuckle.
I drag my fingers through her thick hair and brush it to her back, exposing her shoulder. Her denim top is sleeveless, so I gently slide my fingertips over the ball of her upper arm.
Just that simple touch is enough to set me on edge.
As my hand slides down her biceps, I lean in closer and press soft, light kisses to her jawline and up to her ear.
“You’re absolutely beautiful with the morning light flirting with your skin,” I breathe. Ellie inhales sharply, and I drag my lips down her neck to her collarbone, then back up to her chin. “You make me want things, Ellie.”
“Sexy things?” Her voice is shaky.
“Plenty of sexy things,” I confirm. I know she wants me to kiss her. She’s licked those luscious lips of hers twice. And she’s going to get it, but I want to build the anticipation a bit more.
It appears I’m a masochist.
I urge Ellie onto her back and lean over her, one hand braced on the blanket by her head, the other still making lazy circles on the bare skin of her arm and shoulder.
She plants her hands on my sides, fists my shirt, and moans when I lay wet kisses on her neck.
“Oh, that’s nice,” she whispers.
“I think we’ve mastered the first lesson.” I brush my nose across hers. “Now, lesson two.”
With my eyes open, I lay my lips over hers. Softly at first. But when those hands of hers fist even harder on my sides, I can’t help but give in to the kiss I’ve been dreaming about for a year.
I lick her lips, urging them open, and then I sink into her. I alternate between nibbling on her lips and exploring her mouth with my tongue. I let my hand roam from her arm to her side, and then cup her small breast over her shirt. I don’t want to startle her.
But she’s not alarmed at all. She arches into my touch, coming alive beneath me.
Jesus God, she’s fucking incredible.