Gwen and Will had a…contentious…relationship. Mostly because Will thought he should be able to control everyone and everything around him.
And Gwen didn’t want to be controlled.
“Protect her. Find out who the hell is harassing my girl. And…” Will reached for his coat. “I’ll make sure you have more clients than you can count.”
“I can get my own clients.” He didn’t need the guy’s help. But…Gwen…if she was in danger…
“Don’t knock the help I can give you.” Will held his stare. “Gwen’s safety is priority one for me.” He hesitated. “You’re on the case?”
“I’ll protect her.” As if he’d ever be able to turn away from Gwen. Not her.
“Good.” Will inclined his head toward him, then headed for the door. He slipped out of Chance’s office and then Chance heard Will talking to someone else in the lobby.
Chance didn’t move to follow the guy out. Gwen. Hell, was he really about to jump right back into the fire with her again? He’d barely walked away from her before. And as it was, every single night, the woman came to torment him in his dreams.
A light knock sounded at his door. He glanced up and waved in one of his partners, Lex Jenson. Lex came in and shut the door behind him. “So that’s the big bad-ass.”
Chance exhaled. “He just hired us to protect his daughter.” He ran a hand over his face. “Or tried to.” But I’m not taking his money. Not for Gwen.
Lex’s eyes widened. “Gwen? Your Gwen?”
She wasn’t his. That was the problem.
Or at least, she hadn’t been…
“He thinks someone is after her.” Chance reached for his coat. Why waste time? He knew where Gwen lived. He could start this case right now. “He wants us to find out who it is…and he wants Gwen to have twenty-four, seven protection until the guy is eliminated.”
Chance brushed by Lex.
Lex grabbed his arm. “You told me how things went down the last time you two were together.” His green eyes searched Chance’s face. “I thought she never wanted to see you again. Isn’t that the whole reason you agreed to jump ship and start this agency with me and Dev?”
No, that hadn’t been the reason.
“Gwen is important.” He stared grimly at his friend. “So let’s not screw up.”
Chance passed Lex. He grabbed for the door—
“As long as you don’t screw her,” Lex murmured. “I think we’ll be golden.”
His teeth snapped together. Buddy, that’s one promise I can’t make.
Because he’d already kept his hands off Gwen for far too long. She was the one woman he wanted the most. The one who tempted him and who could rip his control to shreds with just a look.
Twenty-four, seven protection…it was going to be hell.
Or heaven.
Chapter One
The music was loud, pounding. The crowd was thick. And Gwen Hawthorne danced right in the middle of that pack, waving her arms and trying to shout to her friends. She felt good right then. No worries. No fears. For just a few minutes, she was able to pretend that she was just like everyone else round her.
Even if she wasn’t. Not really.
Because everyone else truly was happy. They weren’t wearing a mask. Gwen…well, she knew she specialized in deception. It was a family trait.
Her dance partner—of the moment—pulled her close, smashing her body right against his. And, yes, the guy was good-looking, in a pretty-boy, too styled way. He was trying hard to grind against her hips and Gwen knew what the fellow was hoping would happen next.
A quick hook-up. Hot sex in the dark.
Not happening.
Gwen put her hands against his chest. “I need a break.” She had to shout those words twice, then she pried herself out of his grasp.
“I can break with you, baby,” he offered at once.
She shook her head. “Keep dancing.”
His features tightened.
“I’m only here for the music,” she told him, her voice firm. “Really, keep dancing.” And look for another hook-up partner.
He nodded and, for a second, anger flashed in his gaze. But then a pretty redhead came by. She rolled her hips and the guy turned away from Gwen.
Sighing with more than a touch of relief, Gwen pushed her way through the crowd. It wasn’t that she had anything against hot sex, but…well, she’d sworn off sex after her last disastrous experience. Or at least, she’d sworn off sex for the time being.
One hot hook-up had cost her too much. She wouldn’t make the same mistake again.
She had almost reached the bar when she felt eyes on her. It started as kind of a vague awareness, an itch at the base of her neck and Gwen knew…someone was watching her.
Unfortunately, Gwen had experienced this same feeling all too often lately. It was seriously starting to creep her out.
She turned her head, sweeping her gaze over the men seated at the bar and then—
A pair of dark eyes—so dark they almost appeared black—caught her attention. Deep, dark eyes.
For a moment there, Gwen actually forgot to breathe.
He can’t be here. He can’t be here. He can’t be—
Chance Valentine rose from his bar stool. He stalked toward her. Oh, crap, he most definitely was there. And he was coming right toward her.
As a general rule, courage had never been Gwen’s strong suit. And since she’d pretty much made an absolute fool of herself the last time she’d crossed paths with Chance, she figured turning and running would be a good option for her.
So she turned.
She tried to run.
The crowd was too thick. The dancers too drunk. They were in her way and some guy caught her wrist, pulling her toward him because he must have thought her frantic moves were a cry for a dance partner.
They weren’t. She just wanted to escape.
“You smell so good,” her dance partner told her as he leaned in close. “You smell like—”
“Back the fuck off,” a low, growling voice told the fellow as Chance stepped forward. Only Chance must have decided the guy wasn’t backing off fast enough, because he grabbed the man’s shoulder and shoved him away.
“Hey!” The younger, smaller man snarled. “What gives? You can’t just—”
Chance, all six feet, three inches of him, glowered at the guy. “She’s with me.” Considering that Chance was seriously muscled and had to outweigh the other guy by at least fifty pounds, Gwen wasn’t particularly surprised when the would-be-dancer backed away and disappeared into the crowd.