Free Bachelor Unclaimed by Brenda Jackson

else I’m calling the police. You saw the sign at the bridge. You aren’t welcome unless you’re invited.”
    She crossed her arms over her chest. “How about letting Dr. Chambers speak for himself?”
    “No.”
    “You’re his bodyguard. Are you saying you’re his spokesman, as well?”
    He folded his arms over his chest and rocked back on his heels. “That’s exactly what I’m saying. Now I’ll be glad to escort you back to your car.”
    “I’m not going.”
    “Yes, you are. I would have come sooner to save you all the trouble, but I rather enjoyed watching you on that pole.”
    Winston smiled at the daggered looks she threw him. “I told you this place is secured. You should have known you would be seen.” He paused and added, “And you handled that pole rather nicely, by the way. Had I known you had those skills, I would have ordered up a pole to my suite before you ran off that morning. There’s nothing better than watching a sexy acrobatic woman in motion.”
    “Go to hell.”
    Suddenly, there was a loud roar of thunder. Winston tore his gaze away from Ainsley to stare up at the sky over the ocean. Damn. They were about to get one of those unexpected thunderstorms the area was known for this time of year. That meant the water under the bridge would be rising and it wouldn’t be safe to cross it unless he got her to leave now.
    He glanced back at her. Her attention had also been drawn to the ocean and the sky above it, taking in how dark it had suddenly gotten. “The weatherman said no chance of rain,” she said accusingly, as if he had something to do with the weather.
    He rolled his eyes. “You’re a tourist. They’re supposed to sell you on beautiful sunny days in January and not the ugly massive thundershowers we have on occasion.”
    He looked up at the sky again and shook his head. “Come on, you need to leave now so you can make it.”
    Her brows met in the middle of her forehead. “Make it where?”
    “Back to Hilton Head. Once it starts raining the water rises under the bridge. Leaving at that point is dangerous and you’ll be stuck here for a while.”
    Too late he realized he’d made a mistake in telling her that. He reached out to grab her and she darted out of his way and ran in the direction of the house, calling out over her shoulder, “Catch me if you can.”
    Growling with anger deep within his gut, he took off after her. She raced around in a lot of crazy circles but he was there, not too far away and right on her tail. And it was a tail worth being on, he thought when he lunged for her, forcing them both to fall in the sand. With a few quick moves he had her flat on her back with him over her.
    “Get off me!”
    “Not until I’m ready,” he said staring down at her. For the umpteenth time he had to ask himself why she had to be a reporter. And one who was so damn beautiful.
    “Get off me, Winston. I have sand all in my hair.”
    He chuckled. “I have news for you, there’s sand all over you. That’s what you get for running and trying to stall.”
    “Did it work?”
    He frowned down at her. “No, you still have time to leave since it hasn’t started raining yet.”
    And then, as if on cue, the entire sky fell open and huge raindrops pelted them. She laughed out loud as if pleased with the downpour. “It seems someone up there likes me, Winston.”
    He glared down at her and saw how the rain was washing her face at the same time it was pounding hard in his back. He stood and reached for her hand. “Come on. Hurry. Lightning this close to the ocean isn’t a joke. We need to get up to the house.”
    She all but jumped for joy. “Yes, we need to get up to the house.”
    He held firm to her hand as they sprinted across the beach. When they finally reached the patio he pulled her under the rooftop, away from the pouring rain. “There’s a shower house around the corner. We need to wash off all this sand before going inside.”
    Ainsley allowed herself to be led