would only be able to shield her with his body. But he’d throw himself in the line of fire before he’d let a single bullet hit Shelby.
The SUV whipped into Reverse and backed up after Shelby’s running figure.
Daniel reached her before the SUV, grabbed her hand and ran with her, dragging her faster and faster.
The SUV swerved in an attempt to hit them.
Daniel veered away from the road and headed through a stand of trees between two large houses. As he and Shelby emerged on the other side of the trees, the SUV was there, heading directly for Daniel.
Daniel had to let go of Shelby or risk her getting hit along with him.
Pushing her one way, Daniel dived in the opposite direction, narrowly missing the crush of the SUV’s tires.
Shelby staggered and fell to the ground.
As Daniel picked himself up off the pavement, a man wearing a ski mask leaped down from the SUV and ran toward Shelby.
She lay on the ground, motionless.
When the man reached out to grab her, she exploded from the ground, kicked the man in the face and rolled out of reach.
About the time the man reached for her again, the back door opened and another man with a ski mask leaped out. Daniel arrived at the SUV at that moment and slammed the man into the side of the vehicle.
Startled by the attack, the man swung, his fist connecting with Daniel’s jaw. Daniel’s head whipped back, but he balled his fists and aimed for the man’s belly, landing a hard one to the guy’s breadbasket. He doubled over.
A scream behind him gave Daniel the necessary incentive to end the argument sooner. He raised his knee with a hard jerk, hitting the man in the nose. He went down, holding on to his face, blood streaming from beneath the dark ski mask.
Daniel spun toward the other guy.
He had Shelby in a headlock.
“One step closer and I’ll break her neck,” the guy growled.
“I’ll give you one chance to let her go,” Daniel bluffed, wondering how the hell he’d get Shelby away from the gorilla.
Shelby’s face was red and she clawed at the meaty arm wrapped tightly around her throat.
At a standoff, Daniel edged closer.
Shelby went limp and collapsed in her captor’s arms. She’d done nothing to deserve this. She was an innocent pawn in a game of politics and deception.
His heart in his throat, Daniel lunged for the man, rage driving him forward.
As he reached them, Shelby jabbed her elbow into her captor’s groin. The man let her go and grabbed for his crotch. Daniel slammed his knee into the man’s face and shoved him backward; he tripped over the curb and fell on his backside.
Daniel gripped Shelby’s hand and ran back the way he’d come, dragging her along with him, praying she had the strength to keep up. If the men who’d threatened them followed, he wasn’t sure he’d be so lucky to get her away the next time.
Shelby ran next to Daniel, gulping air into her lungs and shooting glances over her shoulder to gauge whether or not the bad guys were still following. The man she’d bested helped the one with the broken nose into the SUV. The driver sent the vehicle up over the curb in his effort to get away.
Daniel didn’t let her stop until they’d reached the entrance to the Winston Estate. He punched the code into the keypad and the gate opened. Once he’d shoved her through, he hit the close button and the gate slammed shut behind them.
Shelby collapsed on the ground and lay there for a full two minutes until her breathing returned to normal. The adrenaline still spiking through her veins made her sit up. “Thank you,” she said.
Daniel paced away, the color high in his cheeks. His eyes blazed and he breathed through his nose like an angry bull. He stopped in front of her, towering over her. “I don’t know what was going through your head. I’m not here to make sure you have a good time. I’m not here to make love to you. My primary goal in this assignment is to keep you safe. If you insist on pulling stupid stunts like that, you can find yourself another damn bodyguard.” He stalked away, leaving her on the ground by the gate.
She rolled to her feet and went after him. “Really? You think I asked to be grabbed off the street? You think I planned on having a secret identity connected to the former vice president of the freakin’ United States?” She grabbed his arm, forcing him to stop, though he refused to face her.
She marched around in front him and stood with her arms crossed over her chest. “I didn’t want a bodyguard in the first place.” Jabbing a finger into his chest, she went on, “And I sure as hell don’t want one who has a problem with sticking around. You couldn’t get up and get out of my bed fast enough.” He stood rock solid, his face poker straight, his flashing green eyes the only indication she was making him angrier.
“What’s wrong with you? Are you afraid you might like me? Afraid you’re not good enough for me? ’Cause let me tell you, bubba, you aren’t. I need a man who doesn’t judge anyone based on their lineage. A man who will love me no matter who my parents or grandparents are or what they did.” On a roll, unable to stop her tirade now that she’d started, she poked him again. “You know what you are? A scaredy cat. A big ol’ scaredy cat.”
He grabbed her finger and yanked her hard, slamming her against his chest. He caught her lips with his in a crushing kiss that stole her breath away and made her head spin.
When he shoved her away from him, she reeled backward.
He poked a finger into her chest. “For the record, I didn’t ask for this assignment. I was stuck with it. For the record, I don’t like babysitting little girls who don’t know what’s best for them. And for the record, I didn’t run away from you. Did you ever think I might have left because I didn’t want to make love to you again?”
That hurt like a punch to the gut. Shelby fought to keep from doubling over at the slam. “Good. Because I don’t want you touching me.” Damn. She tried to stop it, but her eyes teared up and her bottom lip trembled. “Ever again.”
Daniel stared at her, his jaw hard, his face impassive. Finally he eased her back into his arms and pressed his cheek against her hair. “You scared the crap out of me.”
“I thought you didn’t care.”
“I don’t want to.” He stroked her soft brown hair, twisting his fingers in the silken strands.
“But you do.”
“Yes.” He sighed and took her hand in his. “Let’s get you back to the house.”
With her hand tucked in his big, warm one, Shelby leaned against him as they walked back to the mansion.
Kate met them in the foyer, her brows coming together in a worried frown. “What’s wrong?” She glanced at Shelby’s legs. “Why are your
