Chapter Three
Griff caught up to Honor as she reached the door. “Slow down. You’ll draw less attention if you act normal.”
She knew that. God, what was wrong with her? She was reacting, and that wasn’t like her. She needed to calm down, take some deep breaths, and figure out how to explain everything to Jack Madigan in the morning.
She needed to be honest, but worse than making herself look stupid or pathetic would be sharing something that would make him reach out to her father.
That would be bad, since she was doing everything she could to protect him.
. If things went well, maybe everything would be taken care of before her dad returned from his current job.
Safe and sound. He, his team, and whoever they’d gone to extract.
Then she felt the body heat of the man following her.
Why had Jack chosen Griff to be her escort?
She stifled a moan when his palm pressed against the small of her back.
If he knew how many of her sexual dreams he’d starred in, he’d run in the opposite direction.
No file could ever do him justice. He was so alive.
She swore she felt his body thrumming with sexual energy.
He practically vibrated with it. She swore she could feel it like a static charge across her skin. Especially where he touched her.
“I was afraid Stace would see me if I didn’t hurry. I don’t know what I’m doing,” she admitted. “I wasn’t thinking clearly, or I would have waited until morning.”
“It’s good you came. You’ll be more secure where I’m taking you than at the hotel.”
“I’m sorry you got stuck with me tonight. I’ll be quick, so you can get back to your friends’ party.”
“No worries. I wasn’t really in the mood for a party tonight.” He smiled at her, and her toes tried to curl in her shoes. She’d done her research on this guy. He was one of the good guys.
“I like that.” His grin did funny things to her stomach.
“What?”
“You think of me as one of the good guys.”
Crap! Had she spoken the thought aloud? She stopped at the door to her Jeep.
“I rode over with a friend. I’ll just ride with you, if that’s okay,” he said.
She would die if he’d been on a date, and she’d interrupted. “I’m so sorry. I really didn’t mean to pull you away. You can go back inside. I’m sure I’ll be okay until the party is over.”
“No can do.” He grinned at her. “When Jack says go, I go.”
“Is there someone you need to check in with and say bye to?”
“If you’re asking if I had a date, then the answer is no. I’m single. I’m not dating at all, in case you’re interested.”
She laughed. “Am I so transparent?”
“Maybe, I was wishful thinking? How well do you and Tyler know each other?”
“He’s like a brother to me.”
“Good to know.”
“Why can’t I ever meet a guy like you when the timing is right?” Honor bemoaned.
“I’m one of a kind,” he assured her with a lazy grin.
“I bet you are.”
“You’ll be a true believer once you get to know me better.”
“I know a little about you. Griff Daniels. Six-feet-six-inches. Black hair. Blue Eyes. Owned a martial arts studio before coming here. Now, you work for Jack. You still teach a few MMA classes during the week and help with personal safety training at your sister-in-law’s gym.
You’re the perpetual Boy Scout, always prepared and probably helping little old ladies across the street whenever you can.
You have major issues with your mom and her recent marriage to Caesar Davis, also known as Roman.
Cool nickname, though I would prefer the power behind a name like Caesar. Don’t you agree?”
Temper flashed in his eyes at her words.
Lord, she needed to think before she spoke.
Yet again, she’d proved how easy it was for her to piss off people without meaning to.
Nice way to let him know you basically cyber-stalked him.
She blamed her father for her lack of social skills.
Nothing like being homeschooled by a bunch of former military personnel.
“Fuck you,” Griff growled, hard voice portraying exactly how angry he was with her little biography.
Definitely not an invitation of the sexual variety.
Probably for the best. She was in danger, and anyone involved with her would be, too.
Plus, sex muddled the brain. Wasn’t that one of the rules in horror movies?
Avoid sex, drugs, or alcohol. She should keep Griff away.
The best way to do that? Insults. Wound his ego, and he’d give her a wide berth.
“Oh, I bet you’d like to fuck. I’m sure I would, too. You look like a man who knows his way around a woman’s body. But I’ve never been one for crowds. You know, taking the road less traveled and all that.” She let her gaze sweep him from head to toe, letting the insinuation sink in.
* * * * *
Griff took a step back. If it wasn’t for the lust in her eyes, he’d really be pissed.
As it was, he’d let his temper get the best of him when she’d made the comment about his mom.
He sighed. Honor smelled like warm honey and something else, some type of exotic spice maybe.
The scent toyed with him, getting into his senses and making him hot.
Christ. How long had it been since he’d made love to a woman?
Too long if she was getting under his skin this easily.
He never used the ‘f’ word around a woman, not even during sex.
His mind filled with a movie reel of the two of them.
Hot, naked and sweaty, contorting into positions he hoped they’d both enjoy exploring.
He groaned. Maybe, it was all the love floating in the air around him.
It seemed as if everyone had found their perfect match and hooked up lately.
All three of his siblings were married and had kids.
Out of the people he worked with, only he and Chetan were still single.
And Chetan had been a little odd lately. Odder than usual.
“What’s the matter, Honor? I thought you didn’t fear anything?
” He forced a laugh. “Seems to me, maybe, you do. Maybe, I’ve suddenly become the big, bad wolf, and you’re afraid I’ll eat you up.
” He leaned in close and whispered in her ear.
“I would, too. I’d savor every delicious taste and keep coming back for more. ”
“Fuck you.”
He liked the flash of temper in her eyes.
It turned him on. “Oh, you’d enjoy me fucking you.
You’d wrap around me like a second skin and never want to let go.
I’d make you feel things you’ve only dreamed of or read about.
” He shrugged and stepped back, heading around the front of her car to the passenger side.
“But I’ve got little old ladies to help across the street. Or some other stuff like that.”
She glared at him. He smiled back. Damn, if his cock wasn’t hard as a rock.
“Honor?”
“What?”
He had to bite his lip to keep from laughing aloud at her snarl. “Unlock the car, so we can go.”
She looked at the car and seemed to realize they still stood in the parking lot. He hadn’t enjoyed himself this much in a long time. Too long.
“Fuck,” he heard her mutter before the locks clicked open.
He liked the dazed look in her eyes. He rattled her, which he thought was fair play as she did the same to him.
He wasn’t yet sure what it was about her that set his blood on fire.
He’d figure it out eventually. Until then, he’d enjoy the verbal foreplay as much as he anticipated enjoying the physical one to come.
He had a feeling Honor would keep him on his toes and give him pure hell. He focused on her mouth. Soft, full lips perfect for kissing or even better, for sucking… He shook the thought from his head.
Down boy, he told his cock and opened the door to get in.
She was moving some bags from the passenger seat to the back.
He watched her gaze flick toward his fly, and his cock pulsed against his zipper.
There wasn’t much he could do to hide his aroused state.
He wasn’t a kid anymore, so he refused to be embarrassed by the hard-on he sported. Especially since she was the cause.
Her gaze flew to his, and he lifted an eyebrow as he finally sat in the seat, adjusting it to suit his long legs. He watched her swallow and lick her lips as she put the car in gear. It sent his mind right back to the thought of where he’d like to feel those lips. This would be a long night.
“Everything I brought is in the back,” she offered quietly. Neither of them said anything as she put in the address to his building without asking.
They rode to the apartment building in silence.
Since she’d left nothing in her hotel room, there was no reason to go back there.
They’d take care of vacating her fully from the room tomorrow.
Plus, if anyone had followed on her heels, they’d think she was still at the hotel.
It might be a good idea to leave her checked in there.
That didn’t mean she’d need to stay there.
Maybe, he could talk her into staying with him, once they worked through whatever was happening at the moment.
He enjoyed the way she did her best to ignore him.
It had to be hard to pretend a guy as big as him didn’t exist. But she gave it her all.
He adjusted his position as much as he deemed necessary, making sure to brush his elbow across her arm.
He managed to hold in his chuckle when she clenched her teeth and tried to shift away.
Every time she did, her scent wafted across the space between them.
It was intoxicating, filling his head and making his mouth water.
“What’s that perfume you’re wearing?”
“What?”
“Your perfume. It smells nice.”
She gave a snort but refused to answer.
“Turn into the lot here.” He pointed to the private parking for the apartment building and gave her the code to raise the bar, so she could drive in.
“What can I carry?” he asked once she’d parked and they’d both stepped out of her Jeep.