His Holiday Bride

But like it or not, they had to go. She had a basketball player to seduce.

As she rounded the corner leading into the living room, she heard something that sent a chill up her spine. It sounded like a woman moaning in sexual pleasure. Amber slowed her steps upon hearing the noise, which was followed by a deep, satisfied, masculine groan. She paused, feeling the hair on the back of her neck stand up. Every instinct in her was telling her to turn around and flee.

Instead, Amber forced one foot in front of the other and continued until she was standing in plain view of the large living room. Then she felt the blood drain from her pretty face.

Chapter 2

With Paul’s connections, finding Amber Lockhart had been a matter of a couple of phone calls. Of course, the fact that she was staying in the penthouse of a five-star hotel with a famous athlete who was recognizable on sight didn’t hurt matters.

Paul entered the lobby of the Mondrian Hotel and headed in the direction of the check-in counter. Although he had no desire to disappoint Luther, Paul was pretty sure he already knew how this was going to play out. After all, the girl was twenty-one and, from what Luther told him, something of a wild child. He doubted seriously if she would willingly leave Dashuan Kennedy’s penthouse.

Paul’s plan was simple. He would find the guest phone, call the penthouse and ask Amber to come down and meet him. If she agreed, he would express the concerns of her family and friends. She would probably tell him to mind his own business and return to the penthouse suite.

Then Paul could tell Luther she was okay but refused to leave, and that would be that. Paul sighed in exasperation, thinking that between Lacy Hill and Amber Lockhart he’d had his fill of spoiled brats for one night.

After the desk clerk pointed him in the direction of the guest phones across from the elevators, he glanced at his watch, surprised to realize it was after midnight, not that that meant much in a town like L.A. He decided he would catch a late dinner once he finished up here and head home. He picked up the guest phone and dialed the extension the clerk had given him for the penthouse. He leaned against the counter and listened to the ringing.

The elevator doors parted in front of him and there stood an angel. Paul tilted his head to the side as if considering what his eyes were seeing. She wiped at her nose with the balled-up tissue in her hand, and blew loudly into it. The uncouth gesture was enough to make her real.

Paul watched as she stepped forward out of the elevator with slumped shoulders and fresh tears in her eyes, and he wanted nothing more than to drop the phone and take her into his arms. She looked around the large lobby as if surprised to find herself there.

Her golden eyes settled on him and ran the length of his long body in quick assessment, before returning to his face and moving away. She sniffed again, and Paul frowned, wondering what kind of monster would make an angel cry.

She just stood there holding shopping bags in each hand and looking so lost and forlorn, it touched his heart. The penthouse phone had rung several times. Paul was tempted to hang it up and go offer his assistance to the angel. But he’d promised Luther he would find Amber, and that had to come first.

Seeming to finally get her bearings, she began moving away from the elevators. Just then, the doors on another elevator opened, and out stepped Dashuan Kennedy. Paul only recognized him from sports clips on ESPN and newspaper write-ups. Paul himself wasn’t exactly a Chargers fan.

Dashuan raced across the lobby and headed straight for the angel. Paul twisted his mouth. Of course the angel would be with the pro athlete. He slammed the phone down on the receiver and followed Dashuan Kennedy. By the time he reached them, Dashuan had the woman’s arm in a vise grip and they were arguing loudly enough that people were beginning to stare.

“Just come back upstairs and let’s talk about this!” Dashuan was hissing at her.

The woman’s golden eyes were wide with anger and some other unreadable emotion. “Let me go! There is nothing to talk about. I saw what I saw!”

“What do you think you saw, Amber? What are you going to tell people?” Dashuan was holding both her arms so tightly, he was slowly lifting her off the ground.

“Let her go.” Paul’s deep baritone seemed to ripple on the air.

Still holding Amber tight, Dashuan spun around to confront whoever would dare to get in his business. “Keep walking, man. This doesn’t have anything to do with you.”

Ignoring Dashuan, Paul looked directly into Amber’s startled eyes. “If that’s Amber Lockhart you’re holding, then I’m afraid you’re wrong.”

Her thin sandy brown eyebrows crinkled and she tilted her head. Paul realized that a confused angel was as adorable as a sad one.

“Do I know you?” she asked. Her soft voice cracked on the tears that continued to form no matter how she wiped them away.

“I’m a friend of Luther Biggens.” Paul paused, realizing this was going to play out a lot differently than he had first assumed. “He sent me to get you. That is…if you are ready to leave.”

She nodded her head frantically.

It was all the authorization Paul needed. His attention swiveled back to Dashuan. “I’m only going to say this once more. Let her go.”

“I don’t give a damn who sent you. This has nothing to do with you.” He turned his attention back to Amber. “We need to talk about this.”

“There is nothing to talk about, Dashuan. It’s over! You’ve made your preference perfectly clear!” Her mouth twisted in disgust. “And to think…I thought you were the one.”

Something like hope came into Dashuan’s light brown eyes. “Baby, don’t you see? Now that you know the truth, I can be the one. We can give each other just what we need. I’ll take care of you, Amber, I swear—”

Dashuan’s oath was cut short when Paul karate-chopped him on the shoulder. He released Amber and turned on Paul.

Paul stood in a battle stance, his muscular legs solidly placed. Even as his hand reached out for Amber, his eyes narrowed on Dashuan’s face.

Amber saw the large hand being lifted toward her and apparently needed no further coaxing. She rushed past Dashuan right into the arms of the stranger.

Paul’s strong arm closed around her waist as he pulled her close to his chest. He watched Dashuan Kennedy transform into some mad animal right before his eyes.

Dashuan reached behind him and pulled out a small handgun from the waistband of his slacks.

Paul huffed, looking at the small cap gun. Someone’s been watching too many movies. Still holding Amber against his side and trying to ignore how good her soft body felt nestled against his own, Paul lifted his jacket to reveal the long-barreled Magnum tucked neatly at his side. There was no mistaking the message. My gun could eat your gun for breakfast.

He glanced around at all the people who’d stopped to watch the confrontation, including several of the hotel staff. He wondered if 911 had been called yet. Probably so.

Paul quickly regretted letting his temper get the better of him and striking Dashuan. Now he realized this thing could get real ugly. He had to try and reason with the man before someone got shot. Given the way Dashuan was shaking, he hadn’t ever used the weapon. Probably just a showpiece, Paul thought.

“Now come on, Kennedy. Think about it. Do you really want to get into a shootout in a hotel lobby? Your face will be on the cover of every gossip rag in L.A. by morning. From what I hear your career is struggling as it is. Is this really the kind of publicity you want?”

Dashuan looked around, as if noticing for the first time that they had drawn a crowd. He quickly tucked the gun back in his pants but it was too late. Everyone had already seen him with it.

“Amber, please!” Dashuan pleaded. “Stay and talk to me. It’s not what you think.”

Seeing the desperation in his eyes, Paul could almost feel sorry for the guy. He looked down at the top of the golden head of the woman in his arms, feeling her soft breasts rise and fall with every heartbeat. Okay, he did feel sorry for the guy.

“I know what I saw, Dashuan. No amount of conversation is going to change that.”

Paul saw the elevator doors open again and a group of burly men step out. They came up behind Dashuan, and Paul took them for the basketball player’s bodyguards.

He looked into the faces of the men, sizing them up and knowing he might have to fight his way out of here. “We’re leaving. If you try to stop us this could get ugly, Kennedy. Just let us go.”

Dashuan was glaring at Amber. “Keep your mouth shut, bitch,” he said under his breath, but he never moved.

Paul felt Amber’s small, fisted hand dig deeper into his shirt. Don’t worry, I won’t let you go. He resisted the urge to kiss the top of her head in reassurance. Taking her hand, he turned and headed toward the door.

Halfway there he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. With lightning fast reflexes, he pushed Amber to the side. Paul swung around and saw Dashuan charging toward him. He was holding the small gun backward with the butt extended high over his head.

Paul heard someone scream “Look out.” He went in low tackling Dashuan right in his midsection. The ball player let out a whiff of air and collapsed on his side. In a second, Paul was back on his feet in a defensive posture as he watched Dashuan’s boys slowly moving in, determined to finish what he’d started.

He reached in his pocket and tossed Amber the car keys. “Get in the blue Focus parked out front.”

“What about you?”