StrategicLust by Elizabeth Lapthorne Read Free Book Online Page A

genuinely in danger and the knowledge that there
were people out there trying to harm him for the bounty on his life could
easily alter their situation at any given moment. Having one’s life under
threat was no laughing matter.
    Kate, as his Guardian, was responsible for his wellbeing, a
job she took very seriously. Even had she not been in this position, she would
never have resorted to trickery to beguile Josh’s attention. Such actions never
worked in the long run, and Kate felt herself far above that.
    Instead of using the situation to her advantage—something
she truly believed would not last anyway once her deceit was unveiled—Kate
intended to enjoy every moment she could spend with Josh. Getting mired in
petty jealousies and useless angst was not on her agenda.
    She just needed to keep her wits about her.
Compartmentalizing had been hammered into her during her training—learning how
to analyze and collect data while simultaneously weighing options and keeping
her mind on dozens of things at once was part of her talent and what her job
required. Learning how to keep her private concerns and desires separate from
the job had been part of her training. The reality of Josh, however, and the
steady distraction he proved might be more than she could handle, truth be
known. Kate had never been so tempted before, nor her mind so divided. She
didn’t know how long their “separate work and play” compromise could last.
    Kate refused to destroy her professional reputation—she
would not let an Assassin slip by her guard or a bunch of thugs harm her
client. At the same time, though, she’d be foolish to ignore or turn a blind
eye to how appealing—how devastatingly distracting—she found Joshua. She’d
never needed to balance those two parts of herself before—never needed to
control her sexual urges and desire to flirt while maintaining her duties as a
Guardian and keeping her brain fully occupied with protecting someone from
harm.
    The issue of what the hell to do about Joshua Delamere was a
tricky, convoluted problem, and a puzzle she’d need to solve.
    Later.
    “Will you and Hayden go somewhere safe and lie low now?”
Kate asked, determined to not fall into her self-analyzing too deeply. Morose
thoughts were not part of her usual repertoire, and Kate was not about to let
her growing infatuation with Josh bring her so low as to indulge in that.
    Work was always the best way for her to keep her brain busy
and out of mischief, away from depressing thoughts. And heaven knew Kate had
more than her fair share of work to do just now.
    Kiera nodded, her dark curls bobbing as she swallowed the
last of her drink. “Hayden and I are going to swing by the store, stock up on
essentials and go back to his cabin,” she said with a swift glance at her
lover. “We’re planning on battening down the hatches and sequestering ourselves
there for the long haul.”
    Kate caught the faintly wry glance Kiera cast Hayden and
made an educated guess as to its meaning.
    “Don’t feel bad,” Kate reassured the petite brunette.
“Hayden needs to recover and you both need to lie low. We can cover everything
from here, honest.”
    “I know.” Kiera sighed as she ran a hand through her curls. She
and Hayden looked at each other, almost seeming to converse without the need
for words.
    “I just…” Kiera blew out another breath and began again. “I
know it’s for the best—it just doesn’t feel right to leave you all behind like
this.”
    “If you don’t go, I will personally see to it that the
hardest, most anal-retentive, strictest Guardian in the entire city is put on
your protective detail,” Daniel said dispassionately.
    Kate instinctively rushed to defend her colleges. “We’re not all —” she began, but Daniel cut her off with a dismissive wave of his
hand.
    “Of course I know you’re not,” he insisted. “But that
doesn’t mean I won’t find the most unbending rule-follower among you and make
certain