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  Her mother raised her eyebrow when she swung a shocked gaze her way, but frankly she had been surprised by her Mom’s accurate answer. “Wow, Mom. You’re more in the know than I am, and I’m guarding him.”

  “Didn’t you think your brother would tell me about the stalker? He knows I like Nicolas—always have. Who on earth would have any reason to shoot at him?”

  “I have no idea. I haven’t even seen Nicolas since I’ve been home, but that’s about to change. Is St. Nick still as geeky as he used to be?”

  “You answer first. Am I right about David making you wear those clothes?”

  “Yes. The outfit is David’s idea of creating a distraction.”

  Megan grinned at her mother’s husky laugh.

  “Well, it certainly is that. And the answer to your question is ‘yes’. Nicolas is still geeky, but has filled out into a man quite nicely. Now I’m not suggesting anything, so don’t start blasting me for saying he’s turned out well. I know he’s probably not your type, but evidently he’s someone’s type. The man never lacks for female attention. . .when he wants it. . .which doesn’t seem to be often if what David reports is true. There was a time when they were in college when I thought Nicolas might not like girls at all.”

  “Great. First David accuses me of being a lesbian. Now you think Nicolas is gay. What is with everyone’s assumptions these days? Not dating does not mean you’re sexually confused about your orientation.”

  Megan turned because her mother was too adept at reading her expressions. Still—she couldn’t help but defend the man’s masculinity. Maybe she was defending both of them.

  “Nicolas likes girls, Mom. Trust me—I know this for a fact.”

  When her mother raised an eyebrow, Megan swore under her breath.

  “I see. Am I allowed to ask how you know for sure that Nicolas likes girls?”

  “Of course you can ask. You’re my mother. You can ask me anything,” Megan replied innocently.

  Before really answering, she twirled her red-suited body in the mirror again, finally satisfied about what could be seen—and not seen as she moved.

  “But. . .if I tell you how I know for certain, you’ll eventually slip up and tell David who will razz me without mercy. Then I would have to hurt my own mother. That would definitely not please my VA counselor who has already stamped my shrink exam and declared me as normal.”

  Megan snickered when her mother fisted one hand on her hip as she glared over the threat.

  “Megan Lynx—I know you’re a hard-ass Marine after eight years, but you should still be kissing the feet of an amazing woman like me. Who taught you how to jump up on the merry-go-round after you got it running faster than any of the boys could make it go? Don’t you think I have earned some slack for expressing idle curiosity about my daughter’s secret love life?”

  Megan giggled. Her mother and Kendra were the only females who had ever understood her. . .and accepted her just as she was.

  “Okay, Amazing Woman. You win. But if you ever tell David, I swear I’m never sharing another thing with you. Geeky Nicolas was my first kiss. He was also my introduction to what happens when a guy gets physically interested in you. St. Nick and I stopped with the kiss, but I never forgot it. He kissed well. . .for a geek.”

  Megan sighed when her mother crossed her arms and grinned. Now she’d have two people teasing her over her lack of a love life.

  “Fascinating. Was the kiss Nicolas’s idea or yours?”

  Shaking her head at the futility of dodging the rest of her mother’s questions, Megan grinned back.

  “Mine, of course. I wanted to get my stupid first kiss over with so David would stop teasing me. Nicolas was twenty at the time, but he was still the safest man I knew to ask. It took me like an hour to talk him into it, but it ended up being worth it. It was a great first kiss. What? Why are smiling like that, Mom?”

  “Honey, you might want to think twice before you ask the older version of Nicolas for any similar favors. I think the eight years you were away might have made the man a little less safe.”

  Megan’s genuine laughter filled up the room. “Don’t worry, Mom. I’m not in need of any more favors from Nicolas. Besides. . .I’m used to Marines. If I can deal with those macho men making passes, I’m sure I can deal with anything St. Nick might dish out.”

  “Okay. But remember, Megan, Nicolas playing Santa in a parade doesn’t mean he’s really St. Nick like you call him. I’m just saying he might not live up to his nickname next time you ask for a kiss.”

  “Lame warning, Mom. . .really lame warning. . .and totally not necessary. I have no intentions of asking St. Nick something so embarrassing again. For heaven's sake,” Megan exclaimed.

  She frowned when her mother shrugged her shoulders.

  “If you say so, Megan. All I’m saying is you better stay off Santa’s lap or you both might find yourselves on the naughty list this year.”

  Megan rolled her eyes and sighed. “This is why I never told you. Nothing between us ever went in any sort of serious direction. Neither Nicolas or I ever mentioned our kiss again after that day—I mean like ever. The kiss was just one of those crazy high school things you do and laugh about later in life. Nicolas is thirty. I’m twenty-six. I’m sure I’m just David’s younger sister to him now. I suppose after I keep his ass from getting shot, we might become a little more intimate. Who knows? I may end up being as good a friend to him as David is.”

  She could tell her mother was stifling other warnings she wanted to offer. In the end, the woman who looked just like her, merely smiled and waved as she left.

  “Mom—I know what your ‘we’ll see’ look means—but you’re wrong this time. You can stop worrying,” Megan declared, raising her voice as her mother walked farther away.

  Looking at her outfit in the mirror once more, she shook her head at the silliness of her mother’s warnings. She was glad now she hadn’t told her mother how the memory of her first kiss had been what kept her mentally calm during her time in the Afghan desert—for all three tours.

  A whole decade had passed since that innocent moment between Nicolas and her. While she maintained some idealized admiration for the man, they had each lived very different lives during those years she had served in the military. The idea of the two of them hooking up was fantasy worthy, but not likely in reality. Her embarrassment to still be thinking of their kiss was the primary reason she’d avoided him since her return.

  In her mind, it was no one’s business but hers that sex dreams of St. Nick were her own personal version of therapy for the mild case of post-traumatic stress her doctor had determined she had after the shooting. She for sure wasn’t ready to sacrifice those comforting dreams to the reality of dealing with a man who had probably forgotten her long ago.

  Unfortunately, there was no getting around having to see him in person during the next few weeks. Today she had promised her brother she would guard Nicolas with her life.

  Chapter 2

  Nicolas waited nervously in his office, one hand in his pocket. It was bad enough he had to have a bodyguard, but it was worse having his friends involved in the situation. But he’d had to ask David for help because the police didn’t have any clues.

  His troubled gaze couldn’t fully appreciate the rich cherry furniture which gleamed warmly from the constant polishing his office manager insisted on doing each week. The soothing ambiance his father had meticulously created in this room was completely lost on him today. Thinking of his responsibilities to the four hundred and sixty-three people who worked for his father’s company created the all-too-familiar knot of tension in his gut.

  Back when his father had first gotten sick, he’d been busy finishing his doctorate, but his brain had shifted into some split-mind mode allowing him to learn the business at the same time. Daily worry hadn’t started visiting until after the first time his stalker shot at him. That close call had painfully introduced him to the concept of his own mortality. It also had him w
ondering what would happen to all the people in his company if something happened to him. The second attempt had come after David’s guards had started seeing to his safety. But now he was like a prisoner in his own life.

  A knock on his door had him exiting his morbid thoughts and swinging to face his visitor.

  “Come in,” he yelled, snorting as he did so. He wished Leah would just escort people with appointments in to see him. The older woman insisted on maintaining the same casual approach to visitors his father had always used.

  His body relaxed and his hand came out of his pocket when his college roommate, and current protector, vaulted through the door tight as a coiled spring. David’s body vibrated with constrained energy all the time. He often got a contact jolt just being near the man.

  “Hello, Dr. North. Sorry to be running behind,” David said, grinning as he watched Nicolas sag in relief after seeing it was him. “How the hell do you make it through the day, Bro? You obviously hate this business shit.”

  “Yes. I do. But somebody’s got to run this place so all the people who work here can eat.”

  Nicolas answered while accepting David’s man hug, his hand lingering around his shoulder. David was one of the few people whose touch felt genuinely affectionate. They were an odd pair with not much in common, but they had remained good friends for a lot of years.

  “Dude, I hear you. You’re a good man for feeling that way,” David said softly, then froze when he felt Nicolas tense against his arm. He followed his friend’s gaze to the doorway where his clueless baby sister stood looking around. “About time you got here, Megan. What did you do? Jog over instead of drive?”

  “Stop whining, David. I got caught in traffic. Wow, St. Nick. This is a very nice office you have here.” Megan’s reluctant gaze finally swung to the man she’d accidentally seen hugging her brother moments before. Now she could see why her mother had been compelled to warn her about his changes. The man she had jokingly nicknamed St. Nick as a teenager had become a lean, well-dressed businessman with more poise than she’d imagined possible for him.

  About three seconds into their gazes locking, Megan realized Nicolas still had the same turquoise gaze she’d fantasized about for years. Yet, like the geek she knew he was under the fancy clothes, his confused stare further revealed he had no idea how much his intense scrutiny unnerved her. Her relief to have the maturity edge today—faked or not—was enormous.

  “I guess you ended up getting that doctorate you always talked about.”

  Unable to stop staring at the grown-up version of Megan, Nicolas walked away from David as he answered. “This was my father’s office. I merely inherited it. I can’t take any credit for the ambiance, but I haven’t changed it much. And yes. . .I did finally get my doctorate.”

  His body moved toward the woman across the room like a magnet slides toward metal without any control over the reaction. And a woman was definitely what Megan Lynx was now. Though still tall and lean, her body curved in womanly places and filled out the simple clothes she wore. Her eyes told stories of her experiences. Who knew what she had done and seen during the time they’d been apart? Her life had been a lot more exciting than his.

  “It’s good to see you moving around so well. David told me your injury was healing. I kept wondering how you were doing.”

  Megan shrugged in reply. “I’m fine. Good enough to get by, but a lame leg would have been a problem if I’d stayed in the Corps. Like the others who were shot when I was, I decided to cut my losses and get out. I miss the Marines, but it’s. . .well it’s just one of those things.”

  All the reasons he’d allowed distance between them over the years—both the logistical and the emotional kind—had slowly disintegrated in the past one. Though continents apart, people had ended up shooting at both of them. Now Megan was home and close, and he could finally see the truth of his emotions for what they were. He’d simply been giving her time to grow up—mostly out of guilt—a guilt he still hadn’t quite let go of.

  Seeing Megan again brought back the longing he’d always had for her. Seeing her looking healthy and whole sent relief washing through him like a wave.

  “David’s been keeping me updated. I hope you don’t mind.”

  Megan snorted and glanced at her brother who was shaking his head over Nicolas’s politeness. “Why would I mind?”

  She didn’t know what to think when he laughed and looked a little embarrassed.

  “Maybe that was a stupid thing to say.”

  Megan smiled patiently. Nicolas looked different, but he still acted pretty much the same.

  “It’s good to see you, Megan,” he said, letting the truth slip out.

  Her answer was a nod, but he could see he was making her nervous. He’d actually always enjoyed the fact he could.

  The gunshot wound prompting her exit from the military had banished the worst of his shame over lusting for her. Megan’s potential death had hit him almost as hard as his father’s had. The stalker now shooting at him had obliterated the rest of the emotional walls he’d erected.

  Attraction strong enough to survive their years apart compelled him now to put his mouth on Megan’s. Unfortunately, the urge came with bad timing in more ways than he could count.

  Yet before some stalker bullet changed his fate, he badly needed to know what time apart from the woman in front of him hadn’t shown him. Why had no other female’s kiss ever compared to the one he’d shared with the least feminine female he’d ever known when she was no more than a child?

  And he needed to know before his life ended if there was a chance. . .any chance at all. . .of the two of them. . .What? His mind always trailed off when he got to that point. He hadn’t managed to answer that question in a decade. What the hell did he want from Megan Lynx—besides the obvious—which probably wasn’t a good idea given his friendship with her family?

  Nicolas stepped a tiny bit closer to where she stood and his heartbeat instantly sped up. In her presence, he morphed from a logical minded man to attracted animal in only a few seconds. Being near the woman in front of him had always caused the same reaction and had done so long before it had been legal for him to feel that way about her.

  “David says you’ve signed on to be my bodyguard for the parade. Someone’s taken a few shots at me and missed so far, but odds are they’re going to actually get lucky sooner or later. You’re still recovering. Are you sure you want to take a chance on getting shot again?”

  Megan drew in a deep breath intending to vent her opinion of his lack of faith in her. But Nicolas had moved within her personal space and she was stuck inhaling his woodsy cologne. The protest died as her lungs filled with his scent. She told herself her lack of rebuttal had nothing to do with the way the man was looking at her like she was the only person in the room other than him.

  “I took a bad hit, but the sniper didn’t walk away clean. He lost a hand. . .at the very least.”

  Megan didn’t know what to think when Nicolas stepped fully into her and hugged her hard against him. Her mind started spinning with awareness. . .strong grip. . .nice body. . .hips lining up perfectly with hers. Her eyes started to drift closed to better enjoy the moment before she caught herself. Her hands came up to grip his arms. . . nice arms. . .very strong arms. . .even through his jacket. God, what kind of cologne was he wearing? She wanted to stay close and sniff him all day.

  “I hope to God you killed the sonofabitch.”

  The softly whispered, but vicious words uttered with such heartfelt sincerity in her ear sent tremors of reaction sliding through her. Before, during, and after the shooting—she’d never once melted down from what had happened. Yet the urge to cry hit full-on and hard in a split second because of Nicolas hugging her. What the hell? She hadn’t seen the man in years.

  Megan blinked against the threatening flood and backed up, forcing the man holding her to let her go. His frown and glare over her withdrawal was more confusing than the hug had been. Resistance at having to r
elease her was etching lines in his face.

  They stared at each other for a couple million minutes, which Megan hoped were only a few seconds in actual reality. Her startling epiphany about how much Nicolas cared for her, as well as how much she liked knowing it, was happening in bullet time.

  She was watching it—what she couldn’t do was figure it out what she wanted to do about it.

  And as if their hug wasn’t strange enough for her to process, her brother was probably going to spend the rest of the day grilling her about her shared grope with his best friend. A friend who was also at the moment a client in need of their protection and she couldn’t forget that.

  So—no. Not only no—but hell no. She was definitely not having any personal conversation about hugging Nicolas with her brother, David. She’d just pretend she didn’t know what was going on and think about it later—when she had time in private to do so.

  “It’s nice to see you again too. While David goes over the finer details of what he’s planned for your protection, I’m going to go talk to your office manager. I’ve read all the intel David has gathered so far, but I have a couple more angles I want to investigate. Do you think Leah will remember me after all this time?”

  Nicolas shoved both hands in his pockets to keep from reaching for her again. The urge was almost too strong to fight, even with David watching. “I’m sure Leah will remember. You’re pretty unforgettable.”

  Her embarrassed gaze over the compliment flew across the room to her brother who did nothing but stare at her with one eyebrow raised in the same manner their mother did when she got curious. She saw her own stunned reaction over what Nicolas had said mirrored back to her in David’s twisted mouth and surprised gaze.