Illicit Temptation (Astoria Royals #3)

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

Shea

T race calls his car service and minutes later, the familiar sparkling black GMC Denali shows up with the same driver who looks suspiciously like Ewan Quinlan. We get in and he holds me in the back bench seat.

I’ve been in and out of Manhattan so much. This should have been uneventful, but it led to a gunfight on the street in broad daylight. I know better. I should have waited in the lobby for Trace.

“I’m sorry.” I wait to hear that it will be all right. That’s what one of my brothers would say if I got into a pickle, and they had to help me. “I don’t want Kieran or Lachlan to find out someone tried to kidnap me.”

I know plenty of occasions where guards were punished, even killed for not protecting our family properly.

Stress paints Trace’s features. “I’m fighting my bodyguard instincts that’ve been hammered into me. With any other client, I’d already be on the phone with my boss.”

“I’m not a client. I’m your wife,” I say, and for the first time, instead of making me shudder, it calms me. “And you’re not just my bodyguard. You’re a Quinlan. My brothers will never hurt you. Lachlan has too much love and respect for Griffin.”

“I’m not Griffin.”

“I will take full responsibility if it gets out.” I wave my hand. “I forced you. You work for me.”

“We both know your brothers won’t buy that.” He glances at me.

“You might as well have left me with that crazy man,” I say snidely.

“Don’t say that. I’d never forgive myself if they’d been successful in abducting you.” Trace kisses my hand. “If it comes up, we’ll say, it was my idea. I’ll take full responsibility.”

A split-second decision that led to me being dragged into a car. “What a mess,” I say.

I don’t fear bodily harm for a second from my brothers, but with Kieran talking about marrying me off to someone, I worry for the very first time that the freedom I’ve enjoyed all these years is about to end.

“How did your meeting go?” Trace changes the subject. “The dancing bear was good news?”

With all the drama, it nearly got wiped away. “Good. Really good.”

“Will she sell you the business?”

“I have to make her a formal proposal. She emailed me her financials.” She takes a breath. “We’re leaving for Dunbar in a week. I’ll be putting in some late nights working to prepare everything.”

“I’ll wait up every night until you’re done. Then I’ll fuck you until you pass out.”