Free Bedding The Bodyguard by Virna Depaul Page A

was the sexiest man she had ever seen. That he was not used to people seeing him this way was obvious. He was confused and trying to get his head clear and he wanted her gone, but she wasn’t going anywhere. Not until she knew he was okay, and that Bella was taken care of.
    “I can do that.”
    “I know you can. Why don’t you go take a shower instead,” she said as she turned away and set the bowls down on the counter. “You helped me, now let me help you. That’s only fair and it would make me feel bad, not to mention insulted, if you say no.”
    She reached to turn on the water when Luke’s hands gripped her upper arms and he turned her, gently but firmly. His hands left her arms and landed on the counter on either side of her.
    Her breath caught, her eyes widened, and a beat of desire throbbed low in her body.
    His scent washed over her, and his eyes held hers. She couldn’t look away. The urge to run her hands over his shoulders, to squeeze the muscles and test their strength, was so strong her hands came up but she halted them just in the nick of time.
    “You shouldn’t be so bossy, Kat. Especially with a man you barely know.”
    Kat swallowed hard. The pulse at the base of her throat raced and jumped, and her knees were weak. She’d never been so excited. Her lower body tilted toward his but he stepped back. As she watched in disbelief, he began to unbutton his shirt, his eyes still locked on hers.
    “Wh—what are you doing?”
    “Getting ready to take a shower, like you told me to.”
    “Ah. Well…that’s probably not going to reinforce your message that I shouldn’t be bossy. Not when this is the result.” Nervously, she licked her lips.
    He followed the movements of her tongue closely. A naughty smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “You sure about that? You haven’t really seen everything yet.”
    Shirt unbuttoned he pulled it off and as his magnificent chest came into view, she exhaled loudly. “Nope,” she said. “That’s not going to make me less bossy.”
    He laughed. “Then I’ll just have to get used to you being bossy. As long as you’re willing to take orders yourself, that shouldn’t be a problem.”
    She gasped.
    His rippling muscles shone in the soft light coming in from the windows. Shadows created craters under each individual muscle, defining them even more. A soft, thin line of hair trailed down from his belly button, disappearing under his jeans. There were several scars on his body that intrigued her. A long scar on one side of his stomach, and a rounded scar just below his shoulder. Not that she was any expert, but it looked like a bullet wound of some sort.
    He’d probably been shot in the line of duty.
    Her heart clenched at the idea of him being hurt. Almost dying. As a cop, it would be a possibility he’d face every day. The knowledge should have eviscerated any hint of desire she felt for him. Instead, it made her more desperate for his touch. For his kiss. For indisputable evidence that this gorgeous man was healthy and alive, blood flowing, heart beating, lungs filled with air.
    Luke stared at her, eyes hooded and drowsy. Heat curled deep in her belly and the sheer intensity of her reaction had her grasping for control.
    “Shower,” she blurted out.
    He grinned wickedly, hesitated for a tension-laden moment, then stepped back. Turning away, he left her standing there, caught in a web of desire and wanting.
     
    * * *
     
    In the bathroom, Luke turned on the shower water, stripped, then stepped under the spray. Head bent, palms braced against the shower wall, he let the cool water sluice over his body and closed his eyes, trying to get his rioting emotions under control.
    What the hell had happened? Yesterday morning, he’d helped Craig and Brandon pack up their stuff so they could head back to LA. Afterward, he’d had every intention of telling Kat who he was and why he was really here. He shouldn’t have waited. He should have headed back to the