Free Protecting Rose by Cheryl Yeko Page A

gently caressed her cheeks.
    He couldn’t remember ever wanting a woman more than he did Rose. It took every ounce of his control not to pull off to the side of the road, take her into his arms, and kiss her senseless. Her soft heart and sweet nature had charmed him completely. Her beauty and inner strength amazed him, and her lush body inflamed him. Yep, he was screwed.
    The Chicago trip was meant to offer Rose a calming distraction, while at the same time purchasing a few things she needed. But hell, all it had done was to draw him further under her spell. He reminded himself, for about the hundredth time, of her emotional fragility. He would be a bigger jackass than he’d already been if he took advantage of that.
    Nate reduced his speed as he drew nearer to the I-94 tollbooth and veered into the I-Pass lane to bypass the fast growing traffic jam. Rose stirred, and he glanced over to see her stretch like a lazy cat.
    His heart pounded against his chest and his mouth went dry. He watched her fold her arms seductively behind her neck and arch her back. Her gorgeous breasts thrust forward toward the windshield, her eyes closed and her head tilted back. Her long wavy hair flowed around her shoulders as she swayed. Sensual perfection. He forced his eyes back to the road.
    She moaned softly, the seductive sound the final straw that forced all of Nate’s blood directly to his groin. Shifting uncomfortably, he licked his lips with the last bit of moisture left in his mouth. He shook his head to clear the image from his mind...focus man!
    Rose flipped her sun visor down and opened the mirror. “Where are we?”
    “Just leaving Illinois,” Nate informed her through gritted teeth. He cleared his throat. “We should be there in about half an hour, barring any unforeseen traffic delays.”
    From his peripheral vision, he watched as she fluffed her hair where it had pressed against the seat. She reached into her purse and pulled out lip-gloss. His body tensed when she puckered her lips and applied the gloss. He turned and watched in fascination when she pressed her moist lips together with a soft smacking noise, before running her little finger across them to smooth the gloss. Nate groaned and tore his gaze away, imagining the pleasure those lips could provide.
    “Is everything all right?” Rose snapped the mirror shut and flipped the visor up before she glanced over at him with concern.
    He glued his eyes straight ahead on the road, “Uh, yeah...everything’s fine.”
    “Are you sure? It sounds like you’re in pain. Was the Tiramisu too rich? We could stop and get some Tums or something?”
    Nate almost laughed at the concern in her voice. If she really knew what he was thinking, he’d probably get slapped. “I’m fine. How about you, are you hungry? He glanced over at her. “We could stop and grab a bite. Or, if you prefer there’s leftover pizza from last night.”
    Rose blushed and looked away.
    Nate chuckled. Was she remembering why she’d missed supper the prior evening? He found her quickness to blush sweet and appealing.
    “I’m pretty tired. Let’s just head back to the condo and have some pizza.”
    “All right.” He turned off the freeway toward the lakefront. “You should put the wig back on, Rose.”
    She sighed and retrieved the black wig and put it on, followed by the baseball cap.
    Nate picked up his cell to call Joe for a spot-check on security before they arrived.

Chapter 6
     
    Joe met them at the back door when they drove in. He gave Rose a nod and smile. “Did you guys have a nice time?”
    Nate raised a brow. “Did we, Rose?”
    She laughed. “Yes, we had a very good time. It’s too bad the day had to come to an end.”
    “Great,” Joe said. “Go ahead and go on up. I’ll take care of the car and have someone bring your bags up later.”
    “Thanks.” Nate tossed him the car keys.
    Rose had taken a nap in the car and wanted the evening to continue. Her emotions still ran high from