president of his own security company, Dec rarely did more than supervise his staff and attend the occasional social event. But after meeting Rachel, perhaps it was time to get back in the trenches and do some real security work. After all, it was good to keep his instincts honed. And if he couldn’t find Eden Ross, the least he could do was protect one of Trevor Ross’s most valuable business assets. “I’m with you until we find this guy,” he said softly, the urge to kiss her growing stronger by the second. “I don’t want to trust this to anyone else.”
“How will that work?” she murmured. “Will you move in here?”
Dec nodded. “And eat here, and follow you around and keep an eye on anyone else following you around. This person is going to show up sooner or later and I plan to be there.”
“And what are we going to do about this?” she asked, her eyes wide.
“What?”
Rachel reached out and placed her palm on his naked chest. Slowly, she let her fingertips skim down to his waist and back up again. The sensation of her touch on his body brought an instant response, causing his shaft to grow hard between them.
“This,” she said, pressing her hand to his heart. She glanced down. “And that.”
“Like you said, we’re both adults. I don’t mix business with pleasure and you certainly know the pitfalls of casual sex. So we’ll just have to have an understanding that this will go no further.”
Rachel let her hand drop to her side, then turned her attention back to breakfast. “I have to go over to the university today,” she said. “I assume you plan to come with me?”
“Yep.”
Dec busied himself making a pot of coffee as Rachel finished the French toast. As the coffee brewed, he sat back and watched her move about the kitchen with an ease and grace that he found fascinating. Her silky robe clung to her body and offered a tempting view of her legs.
Spending twenty-four hours a day with Rachel could hardly be considered work, but it would test his willpower. And resisting the urge to kiss her would be a chore. He’d just have to remind himself he was here to do a job. And that job did not include seducing Rachel.
She handed him a plate of French toast, then set the syrup down next to his plate. “I’m not much of a cook,” she said. “If it’s bad, you can have cereal.”
“It looks good,” Dec said.
Rachel sat down beside him and dug into her food. As she bent forward, her robe gaped open and offered a tantalizing view of her breasts. She was so intent on eating that she didn’t notice his interest.
“So,” she murmured, between bites. “Tell me something. When you masturbate, do you prefer to use magazines or porno videos?”
Declan gasped, hot coffee going down his windpipe. He coughed, unable to catch a breath. He cleared his throat and tried to stop his eyes from watering. “What?”
“Sorry,” she said. “I guess I should have saved that question for dinner. It’s just that I’ve been doing research on the subject and I’m curious to get your perspective.”
“Why don’t we save the discussion for the evening meal.” He shook his head. Talking about sex on the radio had obviously eliminated any inhibitions Rachel had about bringing it up in casual conversation. Dec couldn’t help wondering if she’d participate in an equally relaxed manner. Did her open attitude extend beyond the radio airwaves to the bedroom?
He took another bite of his French toast, then washed it down with a swig of coffee. This wasn’t going to be easy resisting her rather unusual charms. Especially since she seemed determined to expose every sexual secret he possessed. Talking about sex had never been a turn-on for him before, but he found himself curiously aroused by it now.
Perhaps he ought to appease his curiosity, just kiss her once and rid himself of this attraction to her. It would be so simple to just pull her into his arms and have at it. Maybe then, he could get his mind back on the job at hand, guarding Rachel’s body instead of lusting after it.
At the next available opportunity, he’d consider the tactic. After all, it would be for her own good.
3
RACHEL TUGGED THE cotton dress over her head and smoothed it down along her hips. She stared at herself in the mirror, trying to be completely objective about her appearance. She wasn’t drop-dead gorgeous, but she did have a pretty face and a nice body. And, in general, normal men should be at least mildly attracted to her.
Declan Quinn was attracted to her, he’d admitted that. And he was far from normal. He was every woman’s fantasy—handsome, charming, strong, and without a huge ego to get in the way. Since the moment she’d touched him in the kitchen, Rachel had decided that she’d find a way to get him into her bed.
For a long time, she’d been waiting for the right man to walk into her life. But as the months had passed, Rachel had begun to worry that she’d ever enjoy the pleasures of a man’s body. Perhaps it was better to opt for an occasional one-night stand while she waited.
It wouldn’t be difficult to get Declan to surrender. She knew the physiological effects of a woman’s touch, how the sensation of her hand on his skin went racing through his synapses, the neurotransmitters releasing endorphins and giving his brain its cue to feel pleasure.
Men had natural instincts they couldn’t deny and she knew exactly which buttons to push to send those instincts into overdrive. But she’d never used that knowledge to deliberately seduce a man. In a way, it seemed unprofessional. Could she truly enjoy a night in bed with a man who’d been so easily led?
“Of course you could,” she muttered. Rachel sighed and stared at her reflection in the mirror. “It’s time you start to practice what you preach, Dr. Lillian Devine.” She raked her fingers through her hair, then touched up her lipstick. She’d spoken at length on the radio about the various techniques that humans used for flirtation and today, she’d put those techniques to good—
Rachel stopped short, then closed her eyes. This man was supposed to be her bodyguard. And for a few short minutes, she’d forgotten why he was really there. Again, the fear prickled at her thoughts and she forced herself to think of other things. Maybe thoughts of seducing Declan were simply her mind’s way of coping, of relieving the constant stress of her situation.
Still, this attraction between them wasn’t imagined. She’d courted his attention by spraying him in the face with pepper spray, an unconventional approach, but it hadn’t scared him away. They’d begun talking when she’d offered her apology. She’d made her intentions clear by touching him that morning and admitting her attraction.
If they proceeded in a normal manner, there would be a gradual escalation until their bodies began to synchronize, moving together to caress…to kiss…and finally, to make love. It was all very scientific and quite predictable.
Rachel grabbed her sweater from the bed as she walked out of her room. She expected to find Declan dressed and waiting for her. When he wasn’t, she walked to the guest bathroom, finding the door open a crack. “I’m ready,” she said. “Are you?”
He pulled the door open and Rachel found him, dressed only in a towel, his face
