Page 17 of My Bodyguard Neighbor
Chapter Five
The safe house wasa nondescript cabin forty minutes outside the city, hidden among towering pines and accessible only by a winding dirt road that would give them plenty of warning if anyone approached.Holly had spent the first day watching Jonah check windows and exits with the kind of thoroughness that spoke of years of training, helping him inventory supplies, and trying not to think about the fact that someone wanted her dead.
By the second day, she'd reorganized the kitchen cabinets twice.
By the third day, she was losing her mind.
There was no TV, no internet, no phone service unless you walked to the top of the ridge.She was rapidly running out of art supplies.There wasn't anything else to do but stare at pine trees and watch Jonah perform his security checks every four hours.
Holly stood in the rustic living room, watching him examine the door locks for what had to be the fifth time that day.He'd been like this since they'd arrived—all business, no trace of the passionate lover who'd worshipped her body just days before.
"How many safe houses do you have access to?"she asked, more to break the silence than because she cared about the answer.
"Enough."Jonah's tone was clipped, professional.
Irritation spiked.Three days of one-word answers and emotional distance were starting to wear on her nerves."That's not really an answer.In fact, you've been giving me a lot of non-answers since we got here."
Jonah didn't look up from his inspection."I'm trying to keep you alive.Everything else is secondary."
"Everything else?"Holly moved toward him, frustrated by the monotony, the isolation, and his sudden transformation into a security robot."Is that what I am now?Secondary?"
That got his attention.Jonah's gaze snapped to hers."You know that's not what I meant."
"Do I?Because you've barely looked at me since we got here, let alone touched me."Holly crossed her arms."I've been stuck in this cabin for three days with nothing to do but watch you check the same locks over and over.The least you could do is talk to me like I'm a person instead of just another item on your security checklist."
"Holly—"
"Are you regretting what happened between us?Because if you are, just say so.I'm a big girl.I can handle it."
Jonah was across the room and backing her against the wall before she could blink.His hands braced on either side of her head, his body caging her in with predatory intent.
"You think I regret having you?"His voice was low and rough."You think I regret the way you felt wrapped around my cock, the sounds you made when I was buried inside you?"
She blushed at his words, but arousal pooled low in her belly."Then why are you acting like it never happened?"
"Because if I start touching you again, I won't be able to stop."His gaze dropped to her mouth, and Holly saw his control wavering."And right now, I need to focus on keeping you safe, not on all the ways I want to fuck you senseless."
"Maybe I don't want you to stop."
"You don't know what you're asking for."
"Then show me."
His mouth crashed down on hers with a hunger that bordered on violent, all tongue and teeth and desperate claiming.Holly moaned into the kiss, her hands fisting in his shirt as he devoured her mouth like a man starved.
"You want to see what you do to me?"he growled against her lips."How crazy you make me?"
His hands moved to her hips, spinning her around until her palms were flat against the wall and her ass was pressed against his straining erection.Holly gasped at the sudden change in position, at the way his body covered hers from behind like he was claiming territory.
