Page 4 of My Reluctant Valentine

“You are safe with me. I’ve got over ten thousand hours of winter driving experience. Elite’s safety record is perfect.”

“You memorized your hours?” The tension eased slightly as I focused on that factual detail.

“Jake said you would appreciate the data.”

Don’t fall for the hot security guy, Ella.

Too late.

Now, my naughty side was finally showing up after all the years of feeling nothing towards the opposite sex. When, I grumbled at it, I could do nothing about it.

Cole was definitely off limits for so many reasons. The first and foremost was the fact that he knew my brother. Which meant he’d have absolutely no interest in teaching me the meaning of all those medical terms I’d memorized in med school.

Of taking my V-card. And I wasn’t talking about giving him a valentine.

I was a virgin. I’d concentrated on academics for so many years of my life, I wasn’t sure if I knew how to do anything else.

I glanced at Cole again.

Well, that wasn’t entirely the truth. Yes, I was lacking in practical experience, but my imagination was definitely filling in all the good parts.

Every shift of the car brought attention to how sensitized I was, how desperately I wanted him to touch me. My breasts felt heavy and my nipples tight against my bra. I was achingly aware of how wet I was, how empty I felt. I’d touched myself before—I was a doctor, I understood the importance of knowing one’sown body – but it had never felt like this. I’d never felt like this before. Felt this consumingneed.

And I’d just met him. He was my brother’s friend. My professional driver. I shouldn’t be imagining him pulling over and climbing into the back seat with me.

But, oh how, I imagined doing just that.

Reprieve from my lustful thoughts came in the form of the majestic Hope Peak Lodge. It rose before us in all its rustic luxury and mountain charm. I tried not to collapse against him as he helped me from the vehicle or wobble on shaky legs as he escorted me inside. But his hand against my lower back was sending sparks through my entire nervous system. Once I was checked in, he escorted me to my room. My thoughts went to other, hotter reasons why we might be riding an elevator to a hotel room.

He inspected the room with military efficiency, every inch the security professional despite the look in his eyes when he saw the king-sized bed. My thoughts took a downward turn when I thought of the times he’d probably taken a woman to a hotel room—for the very reason I was imagining him taking me.

“Everything okay?” He frowned as if sensing the change in my mood.

“Yeah,” I tried to smile, but it didn’t quite work. “Just tired I guess. I’m not used to traveling.” And I wasn’t. While airplanes didn’t hold the fear that cars did for me, it was still upsetting on some level. The lack of control.

“The front desk has my number if you need anything.” He must have seen the look on my face, because he held out his hand. “Give me your phone.” He handed it back and I saw where he had added himself to my contacts.

“Thank you.”

He walked to the door, one hand on the handle, but still hesitated.

Trying to put us both back at ease, I did what I did best. I deflected. “Hotel security protocols are quite fascinating from an epidemiological perspective. Did you know that—”

“Ella.” His voice held a rough edge.

Was that the usual sound of his voice, or was he, too, affected the same as me? “Yes?” I answered.

“Stop talking facts unless you want me to show you some very hands-on security measures.”

I guess that answered my question in spades. Score one for the shy, curvy doc. But I wasn’t quite that brave. Yet. “That would be highly unprofessional.”

“So is the way you’ve been looking at me.” His smile left me in no doubt that he was feeling some of the same spark of awareness between us. “Get some sleep, little doctor. I’ll pick you up in the morning.”

“For my first driving lesson?” The words came out small, betraying my nervousness.

He caught my chin, tilting my face up. “Baby steps. We’ll start with breakfast.”

This man was dangerous in ways that had nothing to do with his tactical gear.

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