The Mighty Quinns: Declan

She blushed, then giggled softly. “Are you hungry? I could make breakfast for us. I think I have eggs. And English muffins. Or I could make French toast.”

“French toast sounds good,” he said, noticing how deftly she changed the conversation to suit her.

She walked to the kitchen as Dec retrieved his pants from the floor and tugged them on. He joined her a few moments later, sliding into a spot at the breakfast bar.

“I slept well last night,” she said. “I felt safe with you here.”

Perhaps she’d been safe from the stalker, Dec mused, but considering his own preoccupation with her, her virtue was definitely at risk. “I heard you talking in your sleep. Were you having a bad dream?”

She glanced up from the carton of eggs she’d opened on the counter. “I don’t think so. I don’t remember.”

“I was reading your file last night,” Dec said.

“Did you find it interesting?”

“There wasn’t any personal information in there, Miss Merrill.”

“Rachel,” she insisted. “I think we’ve gotten past formalities, don’t you?”

“Rachel,” he repeated. He liked the sound of her name on his lips. He wanted to say it a few more times, pleased with the added level of intimacy it gave them. “Tell me, Rachel. Is there anyone in your private life, an ex-boyfriend, a scorned lover, who might be writing those letters?”

She sat down across from him at the breakfast bar and braced her chin in her palm, toying absentmindedly with a pencil. “I wish it was someone I know, but it isn’t. I’ve tried to come up with a list. I have listeners. I also have clients from a small private counseling practice I maintain and from seminars that I conduct regularly. And then there’s my research work at the university which puts me in contact with more students.”

“So would you say we’re looking at thousands of potential suspects?”

She winced. “Yes. I suppose so.” Glancing up at him, she met his gaze. “You’re never going to catch this guy, are you?”

“We may just have to go about this another way. Sooner or later, he’ll make a mistake and I’ll be there to catch him.”

“How?”

“First, I’m going to make sure you’re never in any danger. From now on, you listen to me when it comes to matters of your own personal security. Understood?”

“It could be a her,” Rachel commented as she slid off the stool and continued making breakfast. Dec watched as she focused on beating the eggs in a shallow ceramic bowl. Her hair fell down around her face in pretty waves and every now and then, she glanced up at him as if his attention made her uneasy.

“Why don’t we start with boyfriends,” Dec suggested. He’d been curious since reading her file the night before. “Do you have a boyfriend now?”

“No,” she replied, her answer short and inviting no further probing. “Do you have a girlfriend?”

“No,” he replied.

She snatched the bag of bread out of the refrigerator and opened it, then tossed three pieces into the eggs. “You’re going to tell me that most stalkers are former boyfriends or lovers. But that’s not true in this case.”

Dec got up and stood next to her at the stove, watching as she heated oil in the pan. “How do you know?”

She drew a deep breath, then glanced over at him. “Because the men I’ve been with have been the ones to break off the relationship. I’ve always been the one to get dumped. That pretty much eliminates the ex-boyfriend theory.” Declan watched as her gaze fixed on his mouth. “I did have a dream last night,” she murmured. She shook her head, then forced a smile. “So are you the only one who’ll be guarding me or will someone else replace you when your shift is over?”

As 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.