Page 51 of Billionaire Protector

Yet for her safety, he had to end it as soon as possible. He wanted to arrest the men as much as she did, but it might not go smoothly without backup. The criminals had a lot to lose if they were caught – they wouldn’t go down without a fight. The best way to safeguard Sarah was to wait, and the best way to do that was to stall.

If only stalling wasn’t so enjoyable. He couldn’t go all the way, of course, not even close. At some point they would have to force the arrest. So he moved his hand in leisurely slowness as he explored. His encircled her waist, moved lower, lower, lower….

The door burst open.

“Freeze! Police!”

Sarah jerked as a dozen police officers in full uniform stormed the house. Momentum pushed herflushagainst him, tender limbs against solid muscle, softness against hardness. Intense desire seized him, to protect, to possess, to have and to hold. If they had been alone, he would have captured her as every instinct demanded.

Unfortunately, he knew what he had to do now.

With willpower honed with military precision, he moved away, breaking the contact. Desire overfilled those beautiful eyes as they locked gazes in a million minutes of silence. A heartbeat later, she composed herself.

The other men groaned and shouted, but with so many officers, they had no choice but to immediately surrender. Cole moved back as two officers rushed him. “Hands up!”

Of course, they wouldn’t know who he was. Wise enough not to disobey officers in the heat of the moment, he complied. “I’m a cop. I work with Sheriff Sloan.”

Guns still drawn, the officers looked to Sarah for confirmation.

Who should’ve immediately given it. Instead, she looked at him and…

Smiled.

And suddenly, every thought in that beautiful head of hers became clear. The little wildcat was considering temporary amnesia. As in momentarily forgetting he was a cop.

He narrowed his eyes. Gave his own wicked smile. Let her know without words exactly what he would do if she even contemplated such a move.

“Do you know him?” the cop asked.

She hesitated a second more, then finally spoke, “Yeah. He’s with the Harmony Creek P.D.”

Cole let out a deep breath. He hadn’t actually thought she’d do it, but his assumptions about Sarah had grown shaky lately. So had his assumptions about himself.

When he’d first spotted her pretending to be a prostitute, he’d wanted to lift her up and carry her caveman style back to his lair. The urge had been strong, compelling and nearly insurmountable. When the thug had suggested sharing, a raging volcano had consumed him, threatening his normally stalwart control. That control had slipped yet again when they’d gotten close, only in an entirely different way. Even now he wasn’t sure how far he would’ve gone. He was sure about something, however:

He was in trouble.

With Sarah, matters were far more than physical. More than plain desire, basic lust, simple attraction. A connection existed between them, always had and always would. It was time to stop ignoring it.

The police officers were wrapping up the arrests and leading the men out. They debriefed Sarah and Cole, and he learned the exact details of the plan, as well as the reason for the delay. Apparently, a tractor-trailer had overturned, and the cops had to wait precious minutes to circumvent it. Now he understood why she’d left her equipment at home, although he was grateful he’d come. If he hadn’t–

He shook his head, even as his heart slammed pure fear at the thought. He had come, and that’s all that mattered. He had been here to protect her.

That felt more right than he ever imagined.

* * * *

“Thanks for the lift again.” Sarah shifted in the butter leather seat, as the charming buildings of Harmony Creek came into view. Outside the tinted windows, the sun was shining brightly, bathing red brick homes in amber light and painting a postcard visage of lush green lawns and rainbow wildflowers. The scent of lilies permeated the car, mixed with Cole’s tantalizing spicy aroma. His stalwart presence both calmed and excited her, eliciting an impossible tangle of anticipation, desire and unease.

The mission had been a success, albeit in an unexpected way. Although she was grateful for Cole’s assistance – she wouldn’t think about how it could’ve gone otherwise – she hadn’t planned another ride in his sleek vehicle, next to the disconcerting man. Only her car was still in the shop and Harmony Creek didn’t have enough patrol cars for every officer, so she’d left the vehicle for the deputy working the day shift. She’d taken a bus to the assignment, and one of the local deputies planned to drive her back. When Cole offered to give her a ride, she couldn’t inconvenience the deputy. So here she was again, only this time she wasn’t wearing a whole lot.

“That’s the most grudging thank you I ever heard.” Cole’s eyes twinkled. “You sound like you’re thanking me for running over your dog.”

Had it sounded that bad? Of course, he was running over her general ability to think straight. “I appreciate the help,” she conceded. “However, you did infiltrate my mission, not to mention my–” She stopped. What had she been about to say? My personal space, my sanity,me?

Darkened eyes said he knew exactly how he affected her. “You weren’t exactly on your best behavior. Don’t think I didn’tnotice your hesitation when they asked if I was a cop. Did you suddenly forget who I was?”

Now she smiled. “You know, my memory isn’t perfect. Sometimes I forget the silliest things.” She waved her hand. “These lapses just appear out of nowhere. But don’t worry, I always remember… a week or two down the road. I wouldn’t have sent you to jail for too long.”

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