Wanted By The Marshal (American Armor Book 1) Read online

  There was no television in the apartment. They were definitely living bare bones, at least for the moment. With nothing to divert his thoughts he grabbed a travel magazine he’d shoved in his pack. When he had time, he loved to travel, especially places where he could hike or ski. Last year he’d been to the Swiss Alps and the year before that, the Canadian Rockies. He didn’t have a trip planned yet but...

  He pitched the magazine aside. It skidded across the worn wooden coffee table before stopping in a precarious hang at the edge. The magazine had done nothing to ease his mind. This assignment, this safe house, was going to be much more challenging than he’d ever imagined. Here, there was no avoiding each other. That hadn’t mattered before. But it mattered now. His attraction to her had escalated to the point that, for him, there was no turning back. He wanted her in every way a man wants a woman. He couldn’t go there. But the space was so incredibly small that there was little opportunity to avoid the attraction that was threatening to overwhelm him.

  * * *

  IF SHE’D BEEN a braver woman, Kiera would have turned the tap from hot to cold. But, despite growing up in Wyoming, she hated the feeling of being cold. All that aside, she wasn’t sure if cold water would have done anything for her unwanted feelings other than make her damned uncomfortable. She wasn’t sure if it was because the last two years had been a dry spell as far as romance was concerned, or he was just that hot. But something about Travis had had her falling for him the minute she’d laid eyes on him. She wanted him like she hadn’t wanted a man in a long time, if ever. Her mind kept turning to inappropriate thoughts. She wanted nothing more than to run her hands along his skin, to feel the muscle that defined a body that was as much eye candy as it was alluring. But it wasn’t that. It was him, his strength, the way he looked at her, even the awkward way he’d picked up Lucy. Uncomfortable, yet willing to put himself out there. There was nothing about him that she didn’t like. The problem was that she feared that it was more than like.

  “Get it together,” she muttered reaching for the soap. She had to get rid of these thoughts, her feelings—her need for him, her desire for him. But the feelings were growing with every minute they spent together.

  She tried to think of the practical, the place she was in life. She tried to think of this apartment and where she would be kept safe until the trial. It was exactly like Travis had said. Here, she needed for nothing. Everything had been provided. Everything except a safe place where she could retreat from the unrelenting attraction she felt for the man assigned to protect her. She couldn’t escape him. Somehow, she had to learn to deal with that attraction. She didn’t know how she’d survive days trapped with him in this small apartment. For it was different than when they’d been at her place. There she’d been distracted by the nightmare that she’d so recently escaped and the phone calls that had followed. There, she’d had a bit more space. But even then, she’d been aware of him.

  Without danger distracting her at every turn there was nothing to stop her awareness of the man assigned to protect her. He was no longer safely in her driveway, making cameo appearances. Now he was front and center, and she wanted him.

  “Damn it,” she muttered as she rinsed conditioner from her hair and turned off the shower. Ordinarily, she loved time in the shower. She’d often spend extra minutes just letting the water wash over her. The water and the quiet time settled her mind on many occasions.

  Not today.

  Everything was too different. Her life was upside down and the only constant right now was Lucy.

  Lucy. She hadn’t taken care of her, hadn’t thought of her except to release her from her carrier.

  “Darn it,” she muttered. What had she been thinking? But she knew what she’d been thinking, outrageous irresponsible thoughts that had no relevance here.

  It was a relief to have the concern for her pet push away her inappropriate feelings for the man who was her protector. She hadn’t put food out for her, nor had she unpacked the litter box. She’d been too caught up in her own needs, or more important, her need to escape her desire.

  When she stepped out of the bathroom with her hair still damp and dressed in jogging pants and a sweatshirt she stopped and smiled. Lucy was standing over her bowl and eating; her water bowl was on her other side and to the right and in the far corner, she saw the litter box.

  “I was going to put that in the bathroom, kind of out of sight,” he said.

  She looked at him with a smile. “Perfect.”

  Everything about him was perfect.

  “Are you going to shower?” she asked.

  “Not now,” he replied. “I’ve only got part of the family fed.” He laughed.

  “Thank you, Travis,” she said softly, taking in his sexier-than-hell physique and totally falling for his softer side. He was everything a man could be, everything she’d dreamed of and what every man, until now, had failed to be. His only downside was his damn job. Despite that, she looked at him with new appreciation and if it were possible, heightened attraction.

  She wasn’t sure when he’d closed the space between them. She only knew the moment when his hands were on her shoulders. The moment when heat streaked through her, seeming to curl in her belly and ignite her desire all over again as anticipation amped it all. She was pressed against him like he would never let her go. Her arms were around his neck and she didn’t remember putting them there. She was caught in the moment, in the feel of his lips on hers, on the need for more and deeper. Her body easily folded into his. But her lips didn’t immediately react to his kiss, it was like her brain wouldn’t turn off, wouldn’t allow her body to do what it knew to do instinctively. For a second and then two, she didn’t react. Her lips were stiff against his. This was what she’d wanted since the first day she’d met him and none of what was happening felt real. She’d frozen in place.

  “I’m sorry,” he said pulling away. “That should never have happened.”

  “Never be sorry.” Her voice sounded strange even to her own ears. There was a husky edge to it. All she knew was that she wanted more and that, if necessary, she would make it happen. That had only been a teaser. She reached up, taking his face between her two outstretched hands. His eyes met hers in an erotic, almost hypnotic way, as if the dance she now led was hers alone.

  “Never,” she repeated against his lips and turned the kiss from tentative to one that couldn’t be stopped.

  “I’ve never met anyone like you,” he whispered against her lips.

  She didn’t say anything. She wanted him now. She didn’t want delays and talking meant delaying.

  She knew in her heart that she wanted him with everything she had as she ran her hands down his back, feeling the defined lines of a body that was sculpted through hard work and many hours at the gym. Like the man, his body was defined by will and character. It took determination to maintain such a sculpted body and she appreciated every hour he’d worked and every inch of skin that he’d toned.

  “Beautiful,” she murmured.

  He pulled back but didn’t let her go. Instead he gave her a rather quirky, possibly self-deprecating smile. “That’s a first.”

  “No one’s ever told you that before?”

  “It’s you who’s beautiful, sweetheart.”

  His hand skimmed her cheek as if reluctant to take it to the level to which she’d already led him. She felt the edge of disappointment when he turned the tables, taking their passionate game back a notch.

  But the disappointment lasted only seconds before he made his intentions clear.

  “Come,” he said softly, taking her hand and leading her to the bedroom.

  In the small bedroom, she again took the lead as she sank down onto the bed and pulled him with her. She was on her side, as she slipped her hand under his T-shirt, skimming the hard-toned flesh. He let her for a minute, maybe two—the time melted away.

 
“Kiera.” He spoke her name in a way that was as provocative as his naked skin against her hand.

  She pulled his shirt off and caught her breath. She’d known he had a beautiful body and that wasn’t even one of the reasons she was here with him now. She’d also fallen for the spirit that shone so beautifully from him. He was perfection—toned and hard, golden tanned skin that reflected his active job with hours spent outdoors. Her breath caught as she ran her hand along his flesh, feeling the tingle of her palm and the tingles of anticipation that ran through her body. She wanted more.

  He wasn’t going to give her more. He stilled her hands in their erotic exploration.

  Disappointment ran through her at the rejection and was soon masked by expectation as his hands began to run over her, making her hotter than she could stand.

  “Travis...” She wanted to feel him, touch him. She wanted her skin against his.

  “Let me,” he said in a gravelly murmur.

  He pulled her blouse over her head. The cool air gently wafting through the room seemed to kiss her skin and she shivered. But that was immediately followed by the warm, erotic touch of his lips on her neck. She shivered as the caress dipped to her shoulder.

  His hand rode over her bra before he had it unfastened, as her attention was on discovering the definition of his chest, of the slim taper of his hips.

  “Stop,” she said and grabbed his fingers that had been caressing her breasts, kissing his fingertips. Then she sat up, turning around, her knees taking her weight as she straddled him and slipped his jeans down over his legs and off. His underwear followed.

  But he hadn’t stopped. He’d been making putty of her body while she was doing that. His caresses had her so hot that she could barely think.

  She barely noticed as her bra fell away, she could hardly say when the rest of her clothes followed, for his fingers danced across her skin and sent sensations rising in a mercurial flood that was quickly reaching the point of unstoppable. She wanted him, and she wanted him now.

  He kissed her, hot and passionately, his hand running over her body, gently squeezing her breast. Her arms were around his neck, her lips on his as her tongue danced against his.

  Even the second when he slipped on the condom was a second too long. And when he entered her it felt as if she’d been waiting for this moment, this man, all of her life. It was where she wanted to be again, and again and again.

  Later, in his arms it was as if she’d never been anywhere else, as if it had always only been the two of them. As if nothing had come before. And the nightmare, for now, had slipped away, masked by the warmth of his arms and the beating of his heart against hers. For now, it was just the two of them, made safe in a world of their own.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Kiera looked at her watch. The watch felt foreign for she was used to her smartphone but she’d left that behind. She grimaced. It was only ten o’clock and felt like three. They’d been in Denver for four days and this morning began their fifth full day. The days were long but the nights... She smiled wistfully. The nights were like nothing she’d ever imagined. She felt hot just thinking of the positions they’d tried and the games they’d played. The nights made the days worthwhile.

  An hour had passed since Travis had left. He’d gone for milk and bread—standard supplies for their small kitchen. She wondered if there was another reason for his supposed grocery run. For, despite how intimately she knew him, there were things about him that she didn’t know at all, things he kept close to the vest. The tall, strong, silent type could be utterly frustrating.

  He’d been gone too long. She felt edgy, out of sorts and she didn’t know why. In his absence, she was realizing that his presence was part of the reason she felt safe. She paced the room, holding Lucy for as long as the cat would tolerate it. Minutes later, she set her down and the cat paced, obviously wanting to go out. She didn’t blame her. Neither of them had been outside since they’d moved to Denver. She would have loved to put a harness and lead on the cat and take her for a walk. She smiled at the thought. Her neighbors in Cheyenne had laughed when they’d first seen her walk the cat. But she was a firm believer in the fact that a cat should be no more left to roam free than a dog. She was in the minority in that thinking.

  “I’m sorry, Luce, not today.”

  The phone that Travis had picked up for her rang. New phone, different number and still her heart jumped at the sound. She answered on the first ring.

  “Where’ve you been?”

  “You’re sounding jealous, sweetheart,” he said with a laugh. “Did you think I was with someone else?”

  “Oh, give it a rest,” she said but the disdain was missing from her voice. Instead there was a smile and a small laugh. It felt like she’d known him forever.

  “Meet me in the parking lot and I’ll take you for lunch,” Travis said. “I think you need a break from that shoebox we’ve been cooped up in. Maybe a burger.”

  “Sounds fantastic,” she replied.

  She hung up with a rush of happiness. Leaving the apartment, going outside, made her feel like they’d successfully left the danger behind. Soon, everything would be alright.

  * * *

  TRAVIS HAD TO SMILE as he disconnected. Kiera had sounded like a long-term girlfriend or a wife. She was playing her part well. Too well. It was hard for him to pretend, for it made the growing feelings he had for her feel justified. Except they were in a fake marriage, a made-up relationship. She was going by her middle name Jenna and using his last name, Johnson. Fake or not, somewhere along the way, the relationship had become, to a certain point, real. Never would he have thought that the victim of a brutal crime would be the woman he fell for. It was neither the time nor the place for a romantic relationship. Except he didn’t know if he could turn it around or if he even wanted to. She was the woman in his bed, the woman he wanted in his life, and he couldn’t see himself walking away from that. The passion he felt for her had been played out every night since they’d reached the safe house. There was no going back for him and he hoped for Kiera too.

  He pushed the thoughts from his mind. He was two minutes away from the place that they now called home. It was the home that they would be living in for the next few months. He couldn’t imagine where their relationship would go in that amount of time. It frightened him as nothing in his life ever had.

  The parking lot was just behind their apartment building and shared with two other buildings in the area. He was just about to turn in when movement caught his eye. Someone was in the lot. That wasn’t unusual. Even as he hoped it was Kiera, his gut screamed that something was wrong. His foot was on the brake, as he put the vehicle in Park. Then he saw her. She had her dark hair braided as she liked to do. She’d said it kept her long hair out of her face.

  Kiera.

  He smiled. He was looking forward to seeing her, even though it had only been a little over an hour since he’d left. The truth was that he never tired of her optimistic chatter.

  Then something else caught his eye and dread locked in his gut. She wasn’t alone. He opened the door and got out, closing it as softly as he could, his eyes never leaving the scene in front of him.

  Something shifted. Now he had a clear view. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. She was struggling. Being held—against her will.

  What the hell?

  Kiera’s hooded captor was half a foot taller than her. She was held with an arm around her neck. As the pair struggled, he could see a glint—the possibility that her attacker held a gun.

  Anger boiled within him. He’d made a colossal error, thinking that she was safe. Now she was in danger because of that mistake, his mistake.

  Dread raced through him.

  He was moving closer, cautiously to keep his presence undetected. He was at the edge of the parking lot, hidden by shrubs. Her captor was holding her in a choke hold. She was in a pos
ition that ensured that at this distance, he couldn’t get a clean shot without risking hitting Kiera. And, as he considered his options, she was being forced backward, farther away across the parking lot. He couldn’t reach her in time. And he feared that if her attacker became aware of his presence and of his intent, they would as likely kill her as not. But, if she left the parking lot with her abductor, the outcome would more than likely be the same. There was no choice. He had to take her kidnapper out. But from here, he didn’t have a clear shot.

  He swore through clenched teeth. Despite the angry words, it was fear that raced through his veins. He wouldn’t let this happen. He couldn’t, not now when he’d found the woman he wanted to spend his life with, the woman he loved. Not now, when the life of the woman he loved was at stake. There was no way he could lose her now. It wasn’t going to happen. Someone would die. His attention focused on her attacker. It wouldn’t be Kiera.

  But, despite the weapon in his hand, his assessment of the situation wasn’t optimistic. He might have a shot if he could get closer. The weight of the Glock was unforgiving in his hand, reminding him of its success rate. Except here, he had no chance of an open shot. Unless of course he could get a head shot. The only way to free her was first to get closer and second, to get Kiera out of the way. He wasn’t sure how he was going to accomplish either of those things without making his presence known.

  And, as he was faced with a no-win situation and no other options, the unthinkable happened. Kiera was free. He’d seen her push back as if she might have driven an elbow into her captor. It didn’t matter how it had happened. It was his opportunity. With no seconds to lose, he fired, giving his position away. But her captor twisted in time and bolted away, unscathed. A shot was fired at him, as they stopped for a second to turn and shoot. The shot was wild. Then the hooded assailant was running toward a vintage van, thirty feet behind her.

  Kiera was nowhere in sight.