Mission: Impossible to Protect (The Impossible Mission Romantic Suspense Series Book 6), стр. 23

Chapter Twelve

The heat of Lars’s broad chest warmed Danni as he carried her from the bathroom. She was lightheaded from the drugs, nothing to do with his hot arms or hot body enveloping her in a cocoon of safety. She wanted to just float in the warm sensation, like a current in a slow-moving stream, allowing her worries to float away.

She surprised herself by how much she liked his caveman act. The drugs were affecting her cognitive function—breaking down all of her defenses against him, which wasn’t a good thing. But who could blame her for needing a little comfort after what she suffered? The memory of his tender kiss, the softness of his lips, was embedded in her brain.

She’d screwed up, and now she was trapped…with Lars. She had to be impaired since she couldn’t think of one reason to object to Lars taking over and canceling her plans.

She now was toxic to anyone she knew. She would never endanger her friends. She had to distance herself from everyone, including Alex and her investigation. She didn’t want to stop her search for the stalker. She had to find the connection between the stalker, the T-shirt store, and the cartel.

She was stuck for the next day or two until her ankle improved, and then she could leave, or she might lose her resolve. She hated that she was responding to Lars’s fiery closeness, his male musky, spicy scent, and his tender touch. She needed to remind herself why she didn’t want to be involved with a serial womanizer who had the power to break her heart.

She gave her standard self-talk to remind herself that he was only interested in the game, only interested in “pursuing their smoldering connection.” It wasn’t difficult for someone adept at reading men’s intentions to read the subtext by the way and amount of time Lars spent watching her. Sex was all he wanted. Jordan and Sophie had been very clear that Lars had never had a serious relationship in all the years they’d known him.

She examined his angular face. She could reach up and bring his mouth to hers and… She really needed to get off the pain meds and back to Seattle. Except his blue eyes right now were the bright color of a cloudless summer sky in Seattle. She had discovered that the color of his enigmatic eyes changed with his moods. When he had returned to the room after his phone calls, he was in his commando mode, his eyes the dark steel-blue of Puget Sound. He was upset by what information he acquired, which didn’t help her already crappy day. She was touched by the way Lars, a blunt soldier, the man with no tact, stumbled over his words.

She didn’t need him to advise her that Miro was a psycho. Miro’s piercing stare as he tracked from her legs up to her bustier was burned deep in the back of her skull. It wasn’t a look of lust or appreciation or any of the totally sexist bullshit women endured. Something deep inside her had recoiled in fear, which was unusual since she wasn’t easily intimidated by men. Primitive recognition of evil was hardwired into all humans.

Nope. She wouldn’t involve any of her women friends. But it wouldn’t stop her from contacting Aiden, Jordan’s fiancé, who just happened to be very protective of Danni as well as an ex-Delta and a badass. With Aiden’s protection and Reeves’s help, she could keep up her investigation from Seattle. It wasn’t ideal to be out of town, but she wouldn’t abandon Alex. She had made a commitment.

Once she had a phone, she’d call Aiden, who wasn’t a part of Jenkins Security, moving her out of Lars’s control. Aiden could set up her protection detail from his unit’s retired members. She had enough money to handle the week or two that she needed to be in hiding before Lars and the DEA tracked down Miro, and then she could go back to…what? She wasn’t sure what she wanted now that her job as a bodyguard had stalled.

“I thought you might have fallen asleep.” She heard the amusement in his voice as he placed her on the edge of the bed.

She almost felt guilty hatching her plan to get away from him, but a woman had to know what was best for herself. A caring and sensitive Lars would dissolve all of her post-Jax resolutions to only be involved with men whom she had no chance of developing feelings for. Like she had planned with Alex. No feelings, no strings, and no hurt.

She couldn’t believe she had totally forgotten about Alex since they arrived at the safe house. She hadn’t taken the plunge, and now, with a broken wrist and sprained ankle, she couldn’t even function as his bodyguard. He would insist on protecting her since he’d feel responsible for the injuries, she’d acquired trying to track his stalker. And she couldn’t handle another man wanting to protect her right now. Lars Jenkins was enough to handle.

“I need to call Alex. Do you have a burner to use?”

“I’ve already called Hardy. I’ve explained everything. The DEA is looking for Roland Young and was en route to interview Hardy. He was very upset and wanted to rush over here. But once I explained, he understood that your location and contact had to remain dark. He offered to pay for your security detail, but Jordan and Sophie already stepped in to cover the expenses.”

Danni’s eyes welled with tears. God, she