Undercover Protector

Bobby edged closer to her. “Don’t you worry, Annie. I’ll keep an eye on you.”

“That won’t be necessary,” she said.

“No trouble at all,” Bobby said. “I’ll make a point of patrolling your block.”

A growl rose in the back of Michael’s throat. He was here to protect Annie and he didn’t want interference. He didn’t want anybody else to be close to her. Not Bobby. Not Jake Stillwell. Nobody.

And that wasn’t because he was jealous, damn it. He had solid reasons, in addition to the wrenching in his gut, and the unreasonable urge to give Bobby two black eyes so he’d never look at Annie again.

Bobby said, “I’d be happy to protect you, Annie. Day and night.”

“Not necessary.” Michael stepped forward, placing himself between them.

“Oh, yeah?” Bobby stared up at him. “Why not?”

“I’ll be here to see to Annie. She’s my…fiancée.”

Behind him, he heard her gasp. An instant later she jabbed him in the back with her good left hand.

“How come I don’t see a ring on her finger?” Bobby demanded. “Too cheap to buy a diamond, Slade?”

“She has a beautiful ring,” Lionel boomed from his bed. “These two lovebirds are honoring me by using the engagement ring that belonged to my late wife.”

“You!” Annie gripped the cherry-wood rail at the foot of her grandpa’s bed. She looked ready to leap over it and strangle him. “You set this up!”

“After all,” Lionel continued, drowning out her objection, “you don’t think I’d let a single man stay in the same house with my granddaughter if they weren’t planning to be married, do you?”

“I guess not,” Bobby said. But he was still suspicious. “When’s the wedding?”

“Maybe in the fall.” Michael took her shoulders and turned her toward him. “Maybe at Christmastime.”

Her jaw clenched. Her cheeks flamed with a feverish red flush. “If you think I’m going to stand here and—”

“She wants the wedding sooner.” He talked loudly to cover her words. “And you know how stubborn she can be. She’ll get what she wants.”

“Here’s what I want,” she said. “I want you to get your sorry—”

Michael pulled her close. He silenced her with a kiss.

She twisted in his grasp, but he wouldn’t let go. Later she could yell at him, but right now he needed to warn off all the tomcats in town. Whether she liked it or not, he intended to keep her safe, and a fake engagement was a small price to pay.

Though he had only intended to keep her quiet, his kiss became real when her struggle calmed. She wasn’t fighting him anymore. Her arms encircled and embraced him. Her lips were sweet and soft. Her supple curves molded to him, and the fire of her anger took on a passion of its own.

Her tongue flickered across his mouth, and Michael gladly welcomed her probing. He deepened the kiss, and she responded with a moan.

He was stunned by the intensity of her mature passion. Eleven years ago, their kisses had been gentle as a softly played flute. Now, Annie’s kiss was a full-blown symphony.

He wanted more. But not now. Not with three other men watching. Reluctantly he broke away.

“I guess that settles it,” the police chief said. “If you two aren’t engaged, you should be. Congratulations.”

“I’m a lucky man,” Michael said.

Annie’s blue eyes were dazed. Her full lips parted, but no words came out.

Before they left, Chief Engstrom promised to have Bobby and the other officers patrol the neighborhood regularly. “We’ll come back in the morning when there’s some light. Then we’ll see if we can find anything that looks like evidence.”

With Bobby trailing behind, Engstrom left the bedroom. Michael listened as the two men went down the stairs and out the front door.

From the bed Lionel chuckled. “Congratulations.”

“Pretending to be engaged is the best way to keep all these guys away from Annie,” Michael rationalized. “Until we know who Bateman is involved with, we can’t take chances.”

Lionel yawned broadly. “It’s a good plan. To tell you the truth, I was worried about what people would say when they found out you were staying here. I didn’t want Annie’s reputation to be ruined.”

“My reputation?” Annie rolled her eyes. “I don’t believe for one minute that my reputation was your concern, Lionel. You as much as admitted that you wanted me and Michael to get together. You set me up.”

“Someday, Annie, you’ll thank me for this.”

“Oh, yes,” she said. “I want to thank you both for providing me with the single most humiliating situation in my life. Not only am I the only woman from my high-school graduating class who has never been married, but now I have a phony engagement to add to my record.”

Michael didn’t believe she was all that upset. There was a spark between them that couldn’t be denied. “It’s not so bad to be engaged to me.”

She slapped his face with her left hand. Her aim was accurate and her arm was strong.

Chapter Three

The palm of Annie’s hand stung from slapping the grin off Michael’s face. He reacted immediately. His jaw tightened. His fists clenched. She could tell that his instinct was to slap back, but he held himself in check.

She should have exercised the same degree of restraint.

“I was wrong to hit you,” she said. Physical violence never solved anything.

“Is that an apology?” His voice was cold.

“I’m sorry.”

But she didn’t turn tail and run. Though he hadn’t physically lashed out at her, Michael and her grandfather had been bullying her emotionally, forcing her into positions that were more and more untenable.

He’d grabbed her and kissed her without permission. Though the aftershocks of that incredible kiss still trembled through her body, he’d had no right.

Annie straightened her backbone. Like an athlete who had strained a muscle, she tried to shake off the lingering effects of Michael’s kiss. She had to regain control of the situation.

“I want both of you to listen carefully. I’m sick and tired of having things sprung on me.” She frowned at her grandpa. “Lionel, you should have told me ahead of time that Michael was going to stay with us and help out. For that matter, you should have told me you’d kept in touch.”

“You’re right, honey.” He yawned again. Now that the excitement was over, he was ready to go back to sleep.

She dared to look at Michael. His eyes were hot. His lips invited her. It took all her willpower to confront him. “You had no right to kiss me. And claiming to be my fiancé? It wasn’t fair.”