She opened and closed her hand to steady it as she reached into her bag. She pulled out Taggart’s card and dialed. A sleepy voice answered, “Dupart.”
“Oh my, I forgot the time…” she stuttered.
“Madame Lillier, is everything alright?” Taggart asked.
She explained her situation. “Maybe I’m being paranoid.”
Taggart yawned. “With what happened today, you are not one bit paranoid. Put Mr. Chase on.”
“Tell me you’re the smart brother,” Kieran said, but then his teasing tone turned serious. “I need to get her someplace safe.”
“Kieran, put her back on.” Monique came back on the line. “Madame, the man with you is Kieran Chase; he owns Chase Security. I promise you; you are safe.”
“I’m sorry to awaken you, Sergeant. Thank you.” Her composure was fading. “Thank you, Mr. Chase. I have a suite at the Fairmont.” Her eye twitched.
Jack wrapped her in a hug. “Are you okay to go with him?”
“Yes. You’re such a love. And, George, I promise you, I’ll make this evening up to you. We need to celebrate your engagement.” She kissed both men on each cheek. They waved and left the area.
Kieran looked at her. “Ready to go?”
“Do you always rescue scared women in the middle of the night?” she asked plaintively.
“Part of the job.” Kieran took her hand and wrapped it around his elbow. The touch of her skin on his sent a jolt through him.
* * *
When the elevator door opened,Kieran held Monique back. Martin stepped from the car, his HK Mark 23 at his thigh. He used Monique’s keycard to gain access to her suite.
His heart jumped when a huge cat rubbed against his calves. The suite, in the main part of the hotel, was composed of two master bathrooms, a queen bedroom, a king bedroom, and a living area. Back to the wall, he moved around the entire area, checking closets and underneath each bed. As he reached the door, completing his circle, he called down the hall, “Clear.”
“Madame Lillier, we can go now.” Kieran’s hand rested between her shoulders. Her body seemed to sag into his.
Inside the suite, Martin smiled. “Who is your big friend?” The cat continued to rub against him.
“That’s Soleil. He usually hides with strangers. He must sense you’re both good men.” She yawned.
“Madame, it’s late. Why don’t you try to get some sleep?” Kieran scanned the suite. “Martin will be on the pull-out sofa. I will be back at ten to take you to breakfast and talk,” he said. Her combination of vulnerability and beauty brought his protective nature smoldering beneath the surface. He wanted to wrap her in his arms and hold her all night.
“Is this necessary?” she asked.
“Yes.” Kieran nodded at Martin and left the suite, hoping she could get some rest. That they’d done enough to make her feel safe.
* * *
“Madame,you can go to bed. I’ll be out here if you need anything,” Martin said.
She had wanted to refuse their help. But somehow Kieran’s command of the situation made her feel safe. Unlike her reaction of discomfort when Dean touched her in the hospital, she seemed to melt right into Kieran when he put his hand on her. The man was right out of her fantasy.
But she was still overwhelmed by all that had happened, so Monique nodded at Martin and closed the door to her bedroom. She sat on the corner of her bed and exhaled. Forcing herself up and into the bathroom to change, she realized she was still wearing Kieran’s suit jacket. Sliding it from her shoulders, her arms wrapped around it before she placed it on the back of the chair. Then she sat in front of the mirror to remove the remnants of her makeup.
Once stripped of her clothing, she dressed in silk pajamas. On second thought as she headed to her bed, she turned back and grabbed the jacket. Her head rested on the silk lining as she fell into an exhausted sleep.
Chapter 5
The apartment had no accents on the tables or shelves, but the one wall contained hundreds of pictures of Monique Lillier. Dean stood in front of it, anger bubbling up inside him.
“You bitch. I will not be dismissed. After tonight, you will no longer deceive me. If I repulse you this much, then no one will have you.” He flung a cup filled with acid at the wall. Pictures curled as the images faded.
