Taming the Lone Wolff(21)
He showered rapidly, not wanting to think of who and what lay so close at hand. If he went to her room, would she welcome him?
Beneath the covers, he sprawled naked and still damp, waiting for the thundering of his heartbeat to calm so he could sleep. Suddenly, the idea of taking her to Wolff Mountain seemed fraught with pitfalls. He knew the correct angle to take with Winnie. Practical and businesslike. If he allowed himself to break his own personal rules, he would only end up hurting her.
Larkin had no plans for matrimony. Ever. He’d seen a dysfunctional marriage close at hand, and it had tormented him, even if the whole thing had been over before he started school. Remembering the panic, the fear, the driving urge to protect his siblings, sent nausea roiling in his belly.
He liked being on his own. And Winnie Bellamy was not the kind of woman to let herself be used and tossed aside. She was a class act and deserved a man who would cherish her.
Spilling the Wolff Mountain plan without thinking it through was unlike him. He was seldom impulsive, though his ability to make snap decisions might seem so. Taking her to Wolff Mountain was unconventional, but expeditious. No fuss, no time commitment. He’d drop her off, enjoy the party and be on his way. If he changed the plan now, he would undoubtedly hurt her feelings. She had a backbone of steel when it came to protecting what was hers, but in her beautiful eyes he saw a wariness that was surely born of pain.
He didn’t want to be the man who hurt her. If sexual insanity was all he had to offer, surely it was best to back off. She’d responded to him like a flame set to dry tinder. Not by word or expression had she indicated that his kiss was unwelcome. And he knew women’s bodies well enough to know when pleasure was given and received.
Simple sexual attraction could be ignored. But the danger he faced was that something about Winnie called to him. He saw her waifish vulnerability and wanted to protect her. To shelter her. That was why he had to stay away. Because he had failed too many people in his life already.
At long last, he felt drowsiness claim him. He didn’t need a woman in his life. He was happy with his freedom. Sexual satisfaction was available to a man like him in many ways. It was better for everyone if he kept his hands off Winnie.
Five
A lousy night’s sleep made for a rough start to Larkin’s day. And it went downhill when he found out that Winnie had made a run for it. The pleasant housekeeper shared the information that Miss Winnie had gone into town to run errands.
Larkin seethed as he went about his work. He was worried about his brand-new client with the crazy blond hair and the pointed chin. And what bothered him was that the worry felt personal. Intimate. Because of that, he reminded himself she was a grown woman. He did his best to put his worry aside and focus on securing her estate and the safe house. The Bellamy property was crawling with Leland Security employees. Pretty soon, not even a gnat could infiltrate the place without an alarm going off. Larkin also had plans to station female techs in the safe house on rotating shifts. He wanted someone inside 24/7 as a precaution. But that would have to be subject to Winnie’s approval. In the meantime, until she decided to come back, all his people had orders to stay away from the brick building that housed Winnie’s hidden population.
By five o’clock, Winnie still hadn’t returned. The housekeeper departed with instructions about dinner. All of Larkin’s day-shift people went off the clock except for the team guarding the perimeter. Larkin had worked his ass off for hours. He was hot, tired and disgruntled.
Though most people would say it was a tad too early in the year for swimming, he’d taken note of the small but beautiful pool in the backyard of the main house. When he drew back the solar cover, the water gleamed pure and welcoming. Someone had already cleaned and treated it for the upcoming season.