Protecting Rose by Cheryl Yeko Page A

nose. Small and graceful, just like the woman.
    “How do you think they were able to find us?”
    The slight tremor in her voice brought out his protective instincts. Which were never too far from the surface where she was concerned. She was terribly frightened, even though she tried to hide it. He fought the urge to pull the car over and kiss away her fears.
    He scowled. That probably wasn’t the best idea. Right now, she needed a protector more than a lover. He had to keep his distance from her until they got the situation under control. The last thing he wanted was to send her into another panic.
    The memory of her curled in the corner still ate at him. The guilt he felt for his part in her meltdown was never far from his mind. He needed to focus on her safety and nothing else.
    “Only someone with insider information would have been able to bypass the safe house security systems,” Nate said.
    “What do you mean insider information? You think a cop set the bombs?”
    “No. Not set the bombs. But someone inside sure as hell gave your location to the bad guys.” He gripped the steering wheel tight. The thought that someone on his team had betrayed them was hard to take. But there seemed to be no other explanation.
    “So, we’re going someplace where they can’t find us?”
    “Yes, until Rick is able to shut down the leak. He’s the only person I trust with our location. It’s not an official safe house, so it will be harder for them to trace us when they figure out we survived.”
    “How much further?”
    “A couple hours yet. Why don’t you try to get some rest?”
    “Okay, that sounds good.” She leaned her head against the seat and closed her eyes.
    They had been driving about twenty minutes when she stirred next to him. When he glanced over, he was amused to see her lean down and place her head in his lap. She’d managed to unsnap her seatbelt and was trying to get more comfortable. She pulled her legs up onto the seat and nestled her hands under her cheek. Her hands were only inches away from where he wanted her touch the most.
    Nate groaned.
    Then he chuckled.
    Damn, she was cute. To take his mind off the beautiful woman sleeping so close to his groin, he picked up his cell and called Rick.
    “Stone, it’s about time you called, buddy.”
    “Hey, Rick. Heard about the bombs?”
    “Yeah, I talked to Joe.”
    “Okay, here’s the deal. Let them think we died in the explosion. That gives me time to get Rose to a secure location before they figure out otherwise. You can also use that time to bait a trap and see who bites.”
    “Sounds like a plan,” Rick agreed. “Once we’ve ousted the traitor, it should be a short road to identify the shooter.”
    “Right,” Nate said. “In the meantime, I’m moving Rose somewhere safe on a need-to-know basis. If you need to know, call me. You’ve got my number.”
    “All right, good luck. If anything new turns up, I’ll contact you.”
    Nate clipped his cell onto the visor above him and glanced down at Rose. He scowled and traced his thumb over the fading bruise on her cheek. A reminder of the abuse she’d endured.
    The sweet earthy scent of woman filled his nostrils and worked its way to his heart. A sudden surge of affection for her hit him hard. He knew his heart was in some serious jeopardy with her. Everything about her set his temperature rising. The strength of his desire for her clouded his judgment.
    When he’d seen the bomb in her room, his only goal had been to get her to safety. The thought of her dying in a bomb blast, her beautiful body torn apart and her sweetness extinguished forever, had hit him like a ton of bricks and nearly broke his heart.
    He had dated many women over the years, and there had been a few special ones. None of them had ever caused his heart to soften with just a touch, or to race with fear at the thought of losing her. He’d also learned tonight that he needed to tread lightly where she was concerned. He needed