Chapter Twenty-Nine
Adrenaline rode Danny as he navigated the Mustang south through Charlotte’s thinning late-night traffic toward Bella’s home. Only he wasn’t coming off the usual high following an adventurous but successful security assignment.
Fury coated his insides, cold to the touch and relentless.
Despite his efforts, Omar had gotten too close to Bella. Close enough that he could have hurt her—maybe even killed her, if Talia hadn’t bought Danny a precious few seconds by launching herself at the guy.
“You’re awfully quiet,” Bella said from the passenger seat. Fabric whispered as she shifted beside him.
“I fucked up.” The admission was acid on his tongue.
“How do you figure? You got the bad guy.”
“He got close to you, Bella. He fucking had his hands on you. That never should have happened.” Danny had taken him to the floor in a headlock, the cold metallic scent of the man’s cologne and the sharp tang of sweat imprinted on his memory even as his actions were automatic, not requiring thought.
He knew exactly how quickly a situation could go sideways.
When he’d been on the Teams, plenty of missions hadn’t gone according to plan.
He still remembered Joe Logan, his chief petty officer.
One second Joe had been alive. The next, Danny was helping carry what remained of his chief onto a medevac. Too late.
They’d all been too late.
Her soft palm slid over the back of his hand. “I’m okay.”
“Thanks to Talia.” It galled him that he’d proven Talia right. He hadn’t protected Bella when it mattered.
“Thanks to you.” She sighed, her head meeting the back of the car seat with a soft thud. “Thank God the gala is over, and I can return to my normal life.”
His hands locked on the wheel, knuckles pulling tight.
Not yet.
The most the district attorney could charge Omar Hassan with would be trespassing. Maybe simple assault and resisting arrest. None of those charges would keep him in jail for long.
Tomorrow, Danny would have Bella file a restraining order. Hell, he’d personally escort Hassan to the airport and put the bastard on a flight to California if that’s what it took.
Until then, he wasn’t taking anything for granted.
When they reached the house, he made her wait in the car while he did a sweep of the interior.
She opened her mouth like she was about to argue, then closed it again and folded her arms across her chest.
She was still sitting in the same position when he came out to escort her into the house.
Gathering her dress in her hands, she dodged Trip and hurried up the stairs. “I need to get out of this gown before Trip covers it in dog slobber and fur.”
“I’ll let him out to do his business.” He wasn’t as concerned about the tux. He’d get it dry-cleaned when he got back to DC.
Shit.
Back to DC.
The realization brought him up short. He’d told Bella he’d stay, but they hadn’t discussed what staying looked like. A week? A month?
Permanently?
He’d have to go back long enough to pack up some more clothes and personal items from his apartment. He’d asked for time off, but another assignment would come along soon that required travel. And another after that.
He stepped outside with Trip and tipped his head back to gaze at the sky, as if he’d find answers in the stars overhead.
Could he keep his promise to Bella? He’d been living his life on his own terms since he was nineteen, moving from one adrenaline rush to the next.
A warm nose nudged his hand. He gave Trip a pat on the head and crouched to peer into soft brown eyes. “I love your mama.”
He still hadn’t said it to Bella, and he wasn’t sure why. Maybe because telling her felt like a commitment—marriage, family. Forever.
He wasn’t sure he knew how to be the kind of man who built a life instead of chasing the next adrenaline rush.
But he wanted to try.
Dragging his hand over his sternum, he pressed against the ache building there. “I love your mama,” he repeated. Soft enough that only the dog could hear him. “I hope it’s enough.”
In the living room, Bella waited on the couch in a pair of gray sweatpants, a faded pink tee hanging off one shoulder. She’d removed her makeup and her hair fell in waves around her shoulders.
She gave him a soft smile, her golden eyes shimmering in the light from the table lamp next to her.
His breath hitched. Damn. She was as beautiful now as she’d been all dolled up.
Tell her.
The words crowded his throat, elbowing each other to break free.
She might not even believe him when her father still employed him as her bodyguard.
When the threats to her were over, he’d do it right. Take her out somewhere fancy. Buy her flowers. Bring her home and make love to her.
Say the words.
In the meantime…
He deliberately arched a brow. “You’re dressed.”
She glanced down at herself, then back up at him, her nose wrinkling in a way that reminded him of the girl he’d known in high school. “I changed into comfy clothes. Aren’t you going to?”
“Nope.” He reached for her hand and tugged her to her feet. “I’m going to get naked. As are you.”
A laugh burst from her, lighting up her entire face and stealing his breath. “I see where this is going.”
“You’d better.” Still keeping possession of her hand, he guided her up the stairs to her bedroom.
Lifting a hanger from Bella’s closet, he hung his jacket, then took a seat on the bed and tugged off his shoes. Next, he ditched the bow tie and removed his cufflinks.
Soft hands drifted over his shoulder as he unbuttoned his shirt. Bella’s teeth nipped his ear, bathing it in moist heat.
His fingers stalled. His dick came to life.
God, that felt good.
“I want to…” she paused, her tone hesitant.
The uncertainty made his ribs ache. He twisted his head to meet her eyes. “Want to do what, honey?”
Anything. Anything she wanted, he was up for it.
“I want to be in control.” Her words tripped over each other, like she might lose her nerve if she hesitated.
Lust surged through him, pressing his cock against the zipper of his trousers. Images of Bella leaning over him, having her way with him, swamped his brain.
He stood and yanked his shirt off, uncaring of the button that flew across the room and landed on the carpet. Next, he tugged his undershirt over his head, then dropped his trousers and ditched his socks and briefs before spinning back to crawl over Bella.
Her eyes had gone wide. Then she giggled. “Someone’s in a hurry.”
He could snort that giggle and get high on it.
“In a hurry to do your bidding.” He grinned. “You’re in charge. Although, if I may make one suggestion? Get naked.”
She gave a feminine pout. “If I’m in charge, you can’t tell me what to do.”
“Fair enough.” He leaned down and kissed her. “Get naked.”
“Okay already.” Her gaze fell, and she busied herself picking at her nails. “Can I do the same thing you did?”
He tilted his head, trying to track her meaning. “Be more specific.”
A blush pinkened her cheeks. “The thing with the scarves.”
Ahh.
He’d never been on the receiving end before. Never wanted to be, but this was Bella asking.
“You want to tie me up and blindfold me?” The words came out strangled because, damn, he didn’t think he’d ever been more turned on in his life.
He lifted himself off her and positioned his head on one of the pillows, arms splayed. “On one condition.”
She bit her lip. A lip he wanted to taste. “What’s that?”
“Get naked.”
Her laugh was a high note that shot through his veins like a narcotic. “You have a one-track mind.”
“Well, yeah. I’m a guy.”
She wagged a finger. “If you’re blindfolded, and you can’t use your hands, then it won’t matter if I’m naked because you won’t be able to see or touch me.”
“Baby, just knowing will be enough.”
A mock sigh of disgust spilled from her lips. But her eyes had darkened to amber, and her gaze darted to his very erect cock.
He crossed one ankle over the other and settled in.
This was going to be fun.
Isabella dug out the same scarves Danny had used on her the other night, her hands trembling from a mix of excitement and nerves.
She’d never done anything this adventurous in the bedroom before. But with Danny, the part of her that valued safety and stability loosened enough for her to tap into the part of her that wanted to throw caution to the wind and just feel pleasure without fearing its consequences.
Dropping the scarves onto the bed, she stripped off her T-shirt, sweats, and underwear. Danny’s hands flexed against the mattress, his gaze roving her naked body, making her wet and needy.
Seeing him stretched across her bed felt strangely right, as though he’d always belonged there.
“Nice view.” He gave her his wrists to tie to the bedpost.
His obvious admiration heightened her confidence. She leaned over so her breasts grazed his cheek. He turned, capturing her nipple between his teeth.
Pleasure streaked all the way to her core, threatening to take out her knees. “You’re bad at following orders,” she gasped.
“Actually, I’m very, very good at following orders.” His voice was that low, sexy rasp that sent flutters to the pit of her stomach.
She placed a kiss on the bridge of his nose and tied the leopard-print scarf around his head to cover his eyes.
Then she sat back on her heels and let her gaze wander over his beautiful body.
Tousled blond hair. Colorful tattoos decorating his body.
The generous erection that curved upward to rest on his abdomen.
She let her fingers follow the path her gaze set, rubbing strands of his silky hair between the pads of her thumb and forefinger before moving along the line of his jaw, rough with the beginning of stubble, to his chest. She traced the outline of his tattoos.
Dipped into the valleys of his abs and the cut above his hipbones.
Her body was needy, desperate to have him inside her.
But first…
She dragged her fingers from the base of his cock up to the head. Soft, but also hard. Like the man.
Danny’s hips jerked. A harsh breath escaped his lips.