His Christmas Assignment
Once a bad boy, always a bad boy.At least that’s what Candace Baker tells herself after being scorned by fellow bodyguard Garek Kozminski. And her hot Payne Protection co-worker hasn’t just returned to his lawless ways…but his old girlfriend, too! Heartbroken, Candace is determined to send Garek back where he belongs – jail.No one – even sexy Candace – can know Garek is faking his criminal comeback to bring down a mobster. But when a curious Candace almost blows his cover, Garek must come clean to her – risking both their lives. Now the bodyguard duo is forced to keep their enemies close…and the danger closer.
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âSo you came back to pick up strange men in bars?â
She glared at him. âYou say that like you doubt I can.â
He hadnât meant to challenge her. He knew she could pick up any man she wanted. Even him â¦
And he had no business letting her affect him. But his body ached with wanting hers. âI say that like I wonder why youâd want to,â he clarified.
âI think itâs safer picking up strangers than taking a chance on a man I know.â She sighed. âThe men I know always disappoint me.â
âMaybe you didnât really know them,â he said.
She met his gaze and held it for a long moment before nodding. âMaybe not â¦â She wriggled down from the stool, and her body pushed against his.
He remembered that nightâremembered how close theyâd been, nothing between them as skin had slid over skin.
She leaned closer, her lips brushing his ear, and murmured, âOr maybe Iâve known them too well â¦â
Ever since LISA CHILDS read her first romance novel (a Mills & Boon story, of course) at age eleven, all she ever wanted was to be a romance writer. With over forty novels published with Mills & Boon, Lisa is living her dream. She is an award-winning, bestselling romance author. Lisa loves to hear from readers, who can contact her on Facebook, through her website, www.lisachilds.com, or her snail-mail address, PO Box 139, Marne, MI 49435, USA.
Special thanks to Patience Bloom for bringing the bodyguards of the Payne Protection Agency to Harlequin Romantic Suspense!
Contents
Voices rose in anger, penetrating the thin walls of Logan Payneâs office. Garek Kozminski closed the outside door so softly that it made no sound. He probably could have slammed it and they wouldnât have heard him enter. But he was used to moving silently. In the past, his freedom and even his life had depended upon it.
Not much had changed...
He crossed the reception area and approached Loganâs officeânot to eavesdrop. Due to the volume of their argument, he could have heard them from the parking lot. Usually Logan didnât yell; as the CEO of Payne Protection, he didnât need to yell to be heard. The other voice was female and easily recognizable to Garek even though Candace Baker didnât usually deign to speak to him.
Apparently she had no problem talking about him. âI canât believe you would consider offering this assignment to Garek Kozminski!â
He had figured Logan had called this meeting about a job. In the year that heâd been working for his brother-in-law heâd had many assignments. Had Candace protested every one?
âHeâs proven himself over and over again,â Logan defended him. âHeâs a damn good bodyguard!â
âGarek Kozminski is a thief and a killer!â she yelled. âI canât believe you would trust him. I never will!â
Garek felt a twinge in his chestâone he refused to acknowledge as pain. Candaceâs low opinion wasnât exactly a surprise or unwarranted. And of course he had done nothing to change it; heâd actually done more to provoke it and her.
Loganâs voice wasnât just loud but it had gone chillingly cold when he said, âHe helped save my life and my brotherâs lifeââ
âBecause of his criminal connections,â she interrupted.
âThatâs enough,â Logan told her. He didnât shout now; he sounded too weary to fight anymore. âGarek and Milek Kozminski are essential members of this team.â
âTheyâre your brothers-in-law...â
And maybe that was her real problem: Logan had married Stacy instead of her. She had obviously been in love with her boss for a long time; sheâd left the River City Police Department when Logan did in order to join the fledging bodyguard business heâd started a few years before.
âCandace,â Logan said, âif you canât work with them, maybe you canât workââ
âHey!â Garek said as he pushed open the office door before Logan could finish his ultimatum. He didnât want Candace fired. Sure, she hated Garek. But he didnât hate her.
He wanted her.
He had wanted her since the very first time heâd seen her. She was all long legs and sharp curves and sass. It sparkled in her blue eyes every time she looked at him. But she wouldnât look at him now. Instead sheâd tilted her head down so that her jaw-length black hair skimmed across her face, hiding her eyes.
âIâm sorry Iâm late,â Garek said, although heâd had a good excuse. Someone else had called him about a job, an assignment he might not be able to refuse no matter how much he wanted to...
âItâs probably a good thing you were,â Logan remarked. âIn fact you might want to give us a few more minutes...â
Candace lifted her chin and shook her head. âThereâs no need. Iâm doing what I should have done a year ago...â
