Free Guardian Bears: Lucas by Leslie Chase

from her.
    That thought brought back some of the reality of the situation to him. She might be his mate, but right now, she was supposed to be his client, and as happy as she looked in the moment, what would she think of her bodyguard when the afterglow faded?

9
    E mily looked up at him and smiled. That had been the most amazing sex she could possibly imagine. Just thinking back to it made her heart flutter again. But Lucas looked so serious above her, now that it was over.
    She reached up to stroke his rough cheek and sighed happily.
    "That was amazing," she told him, blushing to hear how raw her voice was. Hopefully the neighbors hadn't heard her shouting, that would be really embarrassing.
    His grim face lightened a little, but there was something hidden behind his stoic expression. Sadness, or guilt? She wasn't sure.
    "Hey, don't look so down," she told him. He pulled himself over to sit beside her on the couch, and she snuggled into the warm, solid, muscular bulk of his body happily. "Didn't you enjoy that?"
    He laughed, as she'd hoped he would. "Of course I did, couldn't you tell?"
    "Well, then, what's the problem? We both needed that, didn't we?"
    "Yeah." He still sounded pensive, and she didn't know what to make of that. His arm wrapped around her and squeezed her to him, holding her tight, and she realized that for the first time since this had all begun, she'd forgotten to be afraid. Lucas made her feel safe in a way she hadn't thought she ever would again. There was something about him – something beyond his size and strength and skills – which made her believe that she was in safe hands.
    She found herself smiling happily as she rested her head on his chest, his slow powerful heartbeat loud in her ears.
    But they couldn't stay like that forever. Eventually he groaned and moved, bending down to kiss her. Lifting her off him, he set her back on the sofa and heaved himself to his feet.
    "I should get myself cleaned up," he said, a note of regret in his rough voice.
    And with that, he strode out of the living room and into the bathroom, leaving her alone with her thoughts.
    What was I thinking? She stared up at the ceiling, trying to get a handle on what had happened. Lucas was her bodyguard, not her lover, and it this wasn't a very professional way for either of them to behave.
    The answer, of course, was that she hadn't been thinking, not really. Her attraction to Lucas was overwhelming, overpowering, and he made her feel safe in that way that no one else ever had. And she'd needed the release.
    But is that all it was? A little voice inside her didn't believe it. There was more to the connection between them than she understood, but there was a connection, more than just two people in lust. She was sure of it. But would it survive the end of their contract? She didn't know.
    What would it cost to extend the contract forever? She shook her head at the silliness of the question and tried to stop thinking about it.
    Lucas' return interrupted her thoughts. He was still naked, skin glistening wet from the shower, and he was gorgeous. Before, she hadn't had a chance to get a good look at him, but now she had the distance to see all of him at once and she stared. She couldn't help it.
    Standing in the doorway, he let her look him over, a small smile on his face. She let her eyes roam over him, trying not to let her embarrassment overwhelm her as she looked at his nakedness and admired every inch of him.
    No part of him wasn't worth lingering on. His muscular limbs, his washboard abs, his rugged face. And between his legs, his perfect… Emily felt her cheeks heat and glanced away, to Lucas' evident amusement.
    "You can look if you want to, you know," he told her, striding into the room and over to the large bag he'd brought in the night before. She watched him move, admiring his grace as he bent and pulled out fresh clothes for himself. If she'd not seen it, she wouldn't have believed a man so large could move so