Page 13 of Billionaire Protector

She couldn’t tear her eyes away from his blazing expression, fear as she’d never seen on the stalwart man. Not once, not even when they were children, had he shown such intense distress. Not when he’d shielded her from an attacking Rottweiler or when he’d broken his arm after a car accident. He’d never had a fear of heights, climbing trees twice as large without the slightest hesitation. Now he looked as if he were facing a dozen hungry lions.

“Cole?” she shouted again. He stared directly at her, utterly unseeing, adrift in a lost world. This was no joke or jest, no humorous prank. Whatever was happening was real, and it was serious. “Are you okay?’ When he didn’t respond again, concern turned to determination, and then to action. She lunged to the tree. “I’m coming up.”

Suddenly, the spell was broken, her words piercing its hold like a samurai’s sword. Cole blinked once, then twice, the fear vanishing as suddenly as it had come, disappearing first into a blank look and then one of intense yet unidentifiable emotion. “Don’t climb the tree,” he commanded. “You will not put yourself in danger.”

Relief trumped any frustration at his dictatorial behavior. She could finallybreathe. “Are you all right? You stopped responding.”

“I’m fine,” he responded gruffly. He opened his mouth to say more, hardened, and closed it.

Sarah hesitated. He appeared as strong and in control as always. “Are you sure? I can climb up if you need. No matter what, you should come down now. I should’ve told you before, but George is a –”

She didn’t get to finish.

Because at that moment, George made his appearance.

George the monkey.

Sarah wasn’t sure who was more surprised – the human or the monkey. The monkey squealed and jumped forward – straightontoCole. He landed on Cole’s head, his furry body covering his eyes. The would-be rescuer jumped back in shock, briefly losing hold of the tree.

Then… gravity.

Sarah bit back a scream as Cole slid a perilous journey to the distant ground, but just before he hit open air, he caught a branch. Holding himself with a single arm, he grasped the monkey with the other. He pried the squirming animal off his face and pulled, muscles bulging with Herculean effort. By sheer strength and determination, he ascended the branch, regaining control.

Relief hit for the second time in as many minutes, for this man who endlessly vexed her. The man who was now glaring ather with all the power of his emerald gaze. “What is this?” he roared.

She shouldn’t say it. Shouldn’t give in to puerile urges. But she simply couldn’t help it. “It’s a monkey.”

Cole’s expression turned thunderous.

“It’s George!” Mrs. Carmichael cried. “There you are, my naughty boy. Look, deputy, he likes you!”

Then Sarah’s mouth once more staged its verbal rebellion as she called up, “I think you have a new best friend.”

“A monkey.” His expression turned even darker. Then the animal stuck out its tongue…

And peed.

“Oh, George, no! You’ll get yourself dirty,” Mrs. Carmichael cried at the same time Sarah lost the last of her composure. She laughed and laughed and laughed some more, her hysterics rivalling the time she’d made good on her promise of putting a frog in Cole’s pudding.

Cole turned a very interesting shade of pink. Then a more interesting shade of red. He tucked the squirming animal under his arm, then used the other to rapidly descend the tree, jumping the last five feet. He completely ignored Sarah as he strode to Mrs. Carmichael. “I’m assuming this is your grandchild.” The monkey gave one last squeal, then leapt into the waiting arms of its grandmama.

“Oh yes,” Mrs. Carmichael gushed. “Thank you so much. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you. You deserve a commendation. Sarah, you’ll give him a commendation, won’t you?”

Sarah bit her lip to stop her laughter. It didn’t work. “Of course. I’ll even get his uniform dry-cleaned.”

Cole didn’t say a word, just gazed at her with a thousand promises of imminent retribution. She wasn’t scared. She’d beenon the receiving end of that glare many times before. Only he hadn’t been quite so large before…

Or so dangerous.

Oblivious to the silent exchange, Mrs. Carmichael coddled her charge. “It’s so frightening when little George gets stuck in a tree.”

Sarah looked down to hide her smile, as Cole pushed up his pee-stained sleeves. “I’m glad to be of service, ma’am, but there is one thing to consider. Don’t monkeys live in trees?”

“Ordinary monkeys might, but not my baby. No, George has his own queen size bed.”

“I see.” Cole’s lips twitched as the monkey hooted at him. Still, he kept calm, professional and kind with the elderly woman. “Perhaps he needs alone time in the tree. Instead of calling the police, maybe next time you could wait for him to come down on his own.”

Sarah waited for Mrs. Carmichael to turn him down, as she’d done every time she suggested such an obvious solution. Instead, the elderly lady nodded. “You may be right. Thank you, Deputy.”

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