Chapter 4
ROWAN
My reaction to Sera’s declaration that she was moving in with me was the opposite of what it should have been.
I'd never lived with a woman before. Not even close. The small amount of dating I’d done since getting drafted never reached the relationship stage.
My focus had been on my career and my mom.
I should've felt the need to protest the idea of having Sera in my home, but instead, I felt the same rush as I got when I threw for a game-winning touchdown. The adrenaline coursing through my veins made me feel like I could conquer the world. Even the end of my career and what’d led me to make the decision to get out of football after this season. And a stalker.
“Don’t believe him, not even for a second,” I warned with a chuckle. “He can be calculating enough to come up with a devious plot like that, but he’s also a loyal motherfucker, so it’d never be aimed my way.”
Carl clapped me on the shoulder. “I might not always agree with your decisions, but I’ll still have your back. No matter what.”
I nodded in agreement. “The same is true for my mom. There isn’t a chance in hell she’d ever do anything to put me at risk. If anything, my stalker should watch their back because she’ll want to go apeshit on them once they’re caught.”
“She sounds like my kind of woman.” Sera grinned. “Go ahead and give her the sitrep. It’ll probably help maintain my cover as your girlfriend, too.”
“Thanks. It’s a relief to know I won’t have to lie to her since it wouldn’t work anyway.
My mom has always been able to see through me.
” A stray thought popped into my head, and there was no way in hell I could wait for an answer.
Not when just the possibility of what I was thinking had my hands clenching into fists.
“What about you? Is there a man in your life who’s going to be pissed when he finds out you’re living with me? ”
“Nope. No worries there.” Sera shook her head, and a lock of her dark hair slipped free from her ponytail and came to rest just above one of her tits. “I’ll only be missed by my plants.”
Devon cocked his head to the side. “Do cacti actually count as plants?”
“I don’t think so,” Whit answered.
“They do if they’re in my condo, and that’s what I want to call them,” Sera huffed.
Carl looked as though he was about to jump in on their banter. I didn’t want him to put his foot in his mouth with this crew again, so I asked, “Is today good for you?”
Their conversation stopped, and Carl shot me a dubious look. Sera's lips curled up in the slightest grin before she pressed them together. “Yeah, the sooner, the better is our motto where your safety is concerned.”
“Good. My schedule is jam-packed for the rest of the week. They only give us one off day when we’re in season, and today’s it.”
“Then we better shift this into high gear if we’re going to get me moved in tonight.” Sera stood and rounded the table. “Devon and Whit will fill you in on the particulars, and I’ll meet you at your place in about an hour.”
I tore my gaze from the sway of her ass as she departed to focus on what Whit was saying.
“While Sera is getting settled in, Devon and I will scope out the security situation at your house. If there are any tweaks that need to be made, you can always explain it away as wanting to make sure your home is as safe as possible for your new live-in girlfriend.”
“Basically, your job is to act like the perfect boyfriend while Sera takes care of any up close threats. Whit and I will handle everything else. Do you think you’re up for that?” Devon asked.
“I am.”
Carl snorted in disbelief and mumbled, “Sure, you are.”
Whit leaned toward Carl. “Go ahead and get all your shit talking out of your system now because we need you to get fully on board with this plan. You're close to Rowan. If people sense animosity or doubt from you about Sera being in his life, then they’re going to start asking questions. Once we walk out of this office, you can’t make any offhand comments about Sera or her relationship with your client. Will you be able to manage that?”
I answered for Carl. “If he can't, he's the one who's going to be out of a job. Not you two, and definitely not Sera.”
Devon and Whit’s eyes filled with respect as they nodded, but Carl hissed, “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”
“Nope. Not even a tiny bit. Unless you think you can back up my decision without being a whiny ass?”
“Fuck,” Carl groaned. “You know I can.”
That was what I thought he’d say.
The guys were in the middle of their security system audit when Sera pulled up in a red Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 with white racing stripes. The muscle car was sexy as fuck, and it was a perfect match for the woman driving it. I almost had to wipe the drool from my chin.
“I’m glad you found the place okay,” I greeted as she climbed out of the driver’s seat. “The guy at the gate didn’t give you any trouble, did he?”
“Nah,” she chuckled. “Even if he had, I would’ve handled it. I need to talk to Whit and Devon about how easy it was for me to drive right into your super-exclusive gated community.”
“They were expecting you because I gave them your name,” I explained, pulling a suitcase out of her trunk while she grabbed a duffel.
“Yeah, but they didn’t ask for my ID so I could prove who I was.” She made a tsk-ing sound and shook her head as she followed me into the house. “It’s a major oversight and needs to be addressed.”
I skimmed my gaze down her body and thought about how hot she’d looked behind the wheel. “I can see your point, but I also can’t blame the guy in the gatehouse for forgetting his job when he saw you roll up in your Shelby.”
Her lips curved up in a smug grin. “She is a beaut.”
I meant the woman driving more than the car itself, but I didn’t correct her.
Instead, I gave her a quick tour of the first floor of my house.
“I have four guest rooms you can pick from.” Standing next to the kitchen island, I pointed to the hallway on the right.
“There's a suite down here and four more upstairs, including the master suite.
They all have their own bathrooms so you don't have to worry about sharing with me.”
“The one down here won’t do,” she answered with a quick glance toward the hallway. “Let me see the ones closest to your room.”
I led her up the stairs and turned to the right, pushing open the first door. “The master suite is on the other side of the stairs, and the rest of the rooms are down here. This one's the closest.”
She shook her head. “This isn't going to work either. Show me yours.”
I doubled back and walked her to my bedroom. “When I bought the house, I had a crew come in to knock down the wall between two of the bedrooms to create this suite. It's more than double the size of the rest of the rooms, which is good because I don’t like feeling cooped up.”
“Being cooped up is definitely not a concern. You’ve got plenty of space to spread out.
” She wandered through the room, taking in the oversized, custom bed before turning her attention to the sitting area off to the side.
There were two large leather club chairs with a round table between them.
The seats were turned toward the eighty-inch flat screen hanging on the wall.
“I know the screen is a touch overkill, but it's necessary.”
“It’s not the size that matters; it’s how you use it. Right?” Her plump lips curled up in a teasing grin. “But seriously, I'm not going to judge anyone based on how big their television is.”
“I put it to good use watching game video,” I promised.
She winked at me. “Good because I was lying. If your screen was tiny, I probably would've judged you.”
“No worries there,” I chuckled.
“Yeah, the guys are going to be jealous when they get a load of my view each night.”
Her view each night? “Are you planning to kick me out of my room?”
“Nope, but the other rooms are too far away for me to be able to protect you at night. It’ll be better for me to bunk in here with you.” She dropped her duffel on the floor and crouched down to unzip it. Then she pulled out a sleeping bag and started to unroll it.
Not a chance in hell. “No way are you sleeping on my floor.”
“It's no big deal. I've slept in worse places in this,” she reassured me.
That was something I could've done without hearing.
But Brecken had said all of his employees had proven themselves on the battlefield, so it was safe to assume some of the places she had served had been beyond uncomfortable.
“It doesn't matter. If you're in my home, you're going to sleep in a bed. On that I refuse to budge.”
She tilted her head to the side and searched my expression. “It bothers you that much?”
“Yes, I won't be able to sleep well knowing I’m comfortable in my bed while you're on the floor. Sleep is vital to me getting my job done.” I pointed at the left side of my mattress. “If you need to be closer to me, do me a favor and sleep over there.”
“As gentlemanly as your offer is, I have to say no.”
“Come on, Sera. The bed is more than big enough for the two of us. You don't have to worry about me making something out of nothing if you sleep with me.”
“It's not that,” she reassured me. “I need to be closer to the door. If you really want me in your bed, then I'm going to have to take the other side.”
Fuck yeah, I really wanted her in my bed.
I knew I’d just told her I wasn't going to make anything of her sleeping there, but hearing those words come out of her mouth made my dick hard.
It was too easy to picture her laid out on my mattress with her dark hair spread over my pillows.
Even though having her so close and not being able to touch would wreak havoc with my sleep patterns, I wasn't about to change my mind. I’d never been one to look a gift horse in the mouth. “Sure, wherever you think is best.”