Page 24 of Rescuing Erin

Unable to resist touching her, I let my hand wander under the bottom of her shirt and trailed my fingertips along the curve of her waist. The skin under my touch pebbled into goose bumps, doing nothing to help my hard-on deflate.

“How is it possible you’re still a virgin?”

Erin busting out laughing was not the answer I’d been expecting.

“Sorry.” She tried to control her giggles. “I’ve never been asked that.”

“How is it possible no one’s ever asked you? You’re almost twenty-five. It’s practically unheard of nowadays.”

“Sad, isn’t it?” She laughed some more.

Sad? There was nothing sad about it. As much of an asshole it may’ve made me, the fact that no man had been inside of her, yet there she was asking me to be her first, turned me on more than it should’ve of. Erin was a goddamn marvel, I’d say she was the eighth wonder of the world. Erin was sexy and smart and when she let down her guard, she was funny. It truly didn’t seem possible.

“Nothing sad about it, sunshine. I just can’t wrap my head around the fact.”

“It’s a lot easier than you think. Once my dad started running for president, we all got protection during the campaign. Someone was with me twenty-four seven. After he won, it continued. I wasn’t all that eager to give it up in high school anyway. But in college there were a few guys that had caught my attention, but as I said, the secret service were always there. Then, with the one serious boyfriend I had, I thought we were going in that direction but I overheard him talking to his dad about trying his hardest to get them an invite to meet my dad. I quickly ended things. After that, dating seemed like it was more trouble than it was worth. And sex was off the table.”

“What an asshole.”

“Then I met you. When I finally got up the courage to make the first move, you shut me down.”

Fuck, that stung.

“I was trying to do the right thing. I didn’t think I was good enough for you. Then there was the fact that I was hired to—”

“Protect me. I know. But you also didn’t like me much. You thought I was a spoiled bitch.”

“I was wrong.”

“About the spoiled part maybe. But I was being a bitch. By the time you came along and were placed on my detail, I was over being babysat. Over being told what to do, and where to be. Where I couldn’t go. After everything that happened with Olivia, I was wrapped in cotton and suffocated. I didn’t understand why, beyond the obvious, and no one would explain anything to me. I turned into someone I’m not proud of. You know what the worst part was?”

“What?”

“I was embarrassed. I felt like I was a child that needed watching over.”

“You never had anything to be embarrassed about.”

We both were silent for a long time. I was enjoying the weight of her body pressed onto mine, perfectly content to lay there all night with her in my arms.

“Thank you.”

“For?”

“For thinking I’m something special.”

She’d done the impossible—rendered me speechless. My stomach clenched, and my heart pounded in my chest. Something changed that night as I lay in the dark with Erin. Something deep and life altering. At the time I couldn’t place the feelings her words had evoked, but as the days passed, the emotion became evident. I was falling in love.

Chapter 9

Colin hadn’t been exaggerating when he’d said he wanted to get an early start. We left the motel before sunrise. Thankfully, no one had broken into the car while we’d slept. Though, as Colin said, it was a rental, and I didn’t think he cared all that much. Walking out that morning, seeing the condition of the driver’s side and the damage the bullets had done brought everything back into the forefront of my mind. There was no denying I was in serious danger. I couldn’t pretend my situation away this time and go about my day like I’d done over the last seven years my dad had been president. I’d always viewed the guards around me as a nuisance instead of a necessity, like Colin had pointed out. Now I was seeing the error in my thinking. If Colin hadn’t been there, I would’ve been dead or, worse, taken.

My biggest fear had always been being kidnapped. I knew what my friend Olivia had gone through, and she’d been extremely lucky. I doubted very much if someone got a hold of me the outcome would be the same. I was what the agents called a high value target. There wasn’t a question about whether or not I would be tortured, it was a matter of how badly. And that was something I prayed I never found out.

* * *

We’d been on the road for hours, and I couldn’t stop stealing glances at Colin. His blond hair was shaved close on the sides, but the top was long enough to look sleep tussled.

“What are you looking at?”