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Ch6: Heartless SOB

Shifting his chair, Jacob eased Leah over to straddle his lap. "What do you want, Leah?"

She rested her forehead against his, their mouths inches apart. "Right now, I don't know what I want. If you'd ask me what I need, then I would tell you that I need you. I lost my fiancé in a shootout and I've spent the past year going through a tumult of emotions: grief, guilt, fear and outrage."

Jacob kissed her forehead. "Why would you feel guilty, baby? Was it because you survived when the other two doctors died?"

Leah swallowed the lump in her throat, making it difficult for her to speak. "One of those doctors was my fiancé. Sam wasn't scheduled to work that night, but we had an explosive argument the day before. He'd changed his schedule because he wanted to talk to me once my shift ended."

"Couldn't he have set up another time for the two of you to talk?"

A small smile twisted Leah's mouth before she buried her face between Jacob's neck and shoulder. "If you had known Sam, then you would know he wasn't one to let things sit and simmer."

Jacob rubbed her back as one would a fretful child. "If you don't mind my asking, what had you argued about?"

"I'd bought a house from my cousin and hadn't told him about it."

"Was there something wrong with the house?"

Easing back, Leah stared at the man holding her protectively in his embrace. "There was nothing wrong with the house. Quil, who's an architect, designed the house as a wedding gift for his bride. After they divorced, I had asked Quil to sell it to me. The design has won a number of awards and it sits on prime Miami Beach real estate."

"It must be quite the showplace." Jacob's voice was shaded in neutral tones.

"It's magnificent, Jacob. But, Sam considered it an act of betrayal."

"Why?"

Leah paused, her gaze downcast as she recalled the acerbic words her late fiancé had flung at her. It had taken a full minute for her to react to his bitter tirade. She told Jacob about the clinic she and Sam had planned to open. "Sam used his inheritance to buy the building, and what he hadn't known was that I was going to underwrite the cost of renovating the property and the medical equipment. After he had discovered what I had paid for the house he went ballistic, accusing me of not loving or trusting him enough to tell him how much money I had."

"You weren't married to him, so your net worth was none of his concern."

"When I told him that, it just made him more incensed. I moved out of the apartment and into the house because I got tired of the sniping and hostile glares. I told Sam that I wasn't ending the engagement but needed to put some space between us. Living and working with someone 24/7 can put strain on a relationship."

Cradling her head in his hands, Jacob kissed the end of her nose. "I wouldn't know about that because I've never had a relationship with someone with whom I worked." Even when he had gone undercover with a female agent, Jacob had made certain not to become emotionally involved with her.

"I think Sam's ego was somewhat bruised. He hadn't expected me to move out."

Jacob kissed Leah again, this time on her mouth. "You can't blame yourself for someone else's actions. It was his choice to change his shift. It was beyond your control."

Looping her arms around Jacob's neck, Leah rested her head on his shoulder. "That's what I keep telling myself."

"Believe it, Leah."

She wanted to believe it but when she least expected, doubt would creep in, shaking her confidence. Leah sat up straight, going completely still when she felt Jacob's hand searching under the hem of her pullover. "What are you doing?"

"I want to see what he did to you."

It was a full minute before Leah realized he was talking about the shooter. "No, Jacob. I won't let anyone see it."

He chuckled softly. "I'm not anyone, sweetheart. Remember, I'm your personal bodyguard."

"You're really taking this bodyguard stuff to heart, aren't you?"

Combing his fingers through her hair, Jacob held the mop of wavy curls off Leah's face, "You just don't know how serious I am, Clearwater." He whispered, placing feathery kisses over her forehead, each eye, nose and mother. He didn't kiss her mouth like before he only caressed it with his lips.

Warming shivers swept through Leah; she was melting into Jacob's warmth and strength. He had appointed himself her personal bodyguard and she would let him protect her from fears and dangers—known and unknown.

Shifting slightly, she pulled up the right side of the pullover, baring her back. "I'm scarred Jacob… for life."

Jacob lowered his hands and tugged at the hem of her shirt, pulling it up and over her head. His gaze lingered on the soft swell of firm copper breasts rising and falling above the lace of a silk bra the same hue as Leah's complexion. "You're not scarred, Leah. You are beautiful."

"And you are one smooth liar, Jacob Black."

Without warning, his expression changed, becoming hard, derisive. "Did you call your late fiancé a liar when he said you were beautiful?"

"You heartless son of a bitch!"

Leah's right hand swung up in an arc, stopping in midair when Jacob's fingers snaked around her wrist. Her free hand came up and within seconds she found herself prisoner to Jacob's superior strength. He hadn't hurt her, but she was unable to escape the fingers doubling as manacles.

"And you're a selfish, spoiled brat, Leah." Jacob countered. "You've come to the middle of nowhere to wallow in grief when you should be rejoicing that your life was spared, that your parents didn't have to bury a child like so many parents are doing nowadays because of senseless gang violence. You feel guilty because the man you'd planned to marry felt the need to try and control not only your life, but also his own and in the end he lost everything. Then, there's the fear. You fear letting go of your past so you can embrace your future. Have you thought maybe there's a reason why you didn't die with the others? That perhaps you were spared because as a healer there is someone out there waiting for you to help save their life? You talk about outrage. Just who are you angry with?"

"The little shit who has such a wanton disrespect for life that he thought nothing of shooting up an emergency room!" she looked left for a second.

Jacob smiled for the first time since he had begun his angry outburst. "Now you're talking. Hold on to that rage because it will be your testimony that will ensure that little punk will never see the light of day for the rest of his life."

"I intend to do that. And for your edification—I'm neither spoiled nor a brat."

"I'm sorry." He apologized.

Leah lowered her gaze. "I'll have to think about accepting your apology."

"What's there to think about Leah?" Jacob cupped her chin, raising her face to meet his eyes. "Maybe I should have called you a sexy nerd."

She flashed a dimpled smile. "At one time I was a nerd."

"What about now?"

Her smile grew wider. "I'm a free spirit in training." A moment passed. "Apology accepted and I'm sorry I called you heartless."

"I think the slur was a heartless SOB."

"That, too," she added.

"Are you really sorry?" he asked.

"Yes, I am."

"Show me Leah." His voice had lowered at the same time he stared at her chest.

Looping her arms under his shoulders, Leah pressed her breasts to his chest and brushed her mouth over his. She placed gentle kisses at the corners, then pulled his upper lip between her teeth before giving the lower one equal attention.

Jacob claimed the sexiest mouth of any man she had ever seen. His top lip was firm, but it was the lower slightly petulant and incredibly sexy lip that drew her rapt attention. Their tongues met, parried, engaging in a dance of desire. Leah's tongue simulated her making love to Jacob, her hips following suit.

His hands sliding down her denim covered thighs, Jacob anchored his hands under Leah's knees as he rose to meet her thrusting hips. He had hardened so quickly he feared passing out. He couldn't believe he was sitting on a chair in Leah's kitchen and she was giving him a lap dance.

Jacob closed his eyes rather than stare at the rush of excitement darkening Leah's face, her moist parted lips, heaving breasts, fluttering lashes and warmth and sensual scent of her perfumed body. She quickened her movements, both gasping at the same time to tamp down on the rising ecstasy threatening to erupt. He opened his eyes, going completely still when he heard it. Leah also froze. She had heard it too. Someone had rung the doorbell.

"Are you expecting anyone?" Jacob didn't recognize his own voice.

Leah shook her head. "No. My neighbor always calls before coming over." The doorbell chimed again. "I better go and answer it."

Jacob held on to her upper arm when she scrambled off his lap. "You're not going anywhere until you put your shirt on." He stood up. "I'll answer the door."

"No, Jacob!"

He turned to glare at her. "Have you forgotten I've promised to protect you? Now please get dressed before whoever is on the other side of that door will draw their own conclusions as to what we've been doing." Turning on his heels, Jacob walked across the kitchen.

"We weren't having sex." Leah called out to his broad back.

"You are right about that," he confirmed, not breaking his stride. "We were making love."

Jacob continued to tell himself that what he and Leah had shared was lovemaking when they weren't in love with each other. He liked her, wanted to sleep with her, but falling in love with her was not an option.

He peered through the security eye to see a man staring back at him. "Who is it?"

"Seth Clearwater. Is my sister here?"

He opened the door. Even if the tall man hadn't identified himself, Jacob would have recognized him as Leah's brother. They had the same coloring, hair texture and delicate features. He peered over Seth's shoulder to find a late model Lincoln sedan parked behind the Yukon.

"Please come in."

"Seth! What on earth are you doing here?"

Jacob turned to see Leah standing in the middle of the living room, both hands resting at her waist. She had put back on her top. She looked like a woman who had just been made love to, and he wondered if her brother would notice the heightened color in her cheeks or her lush mouth.

Seth took off a yellow slicker, hanging it on a coatrack of the entry. Bending over, he removed his shoes, leaving them on the mat with Jacob's. Minute lines fanned out around a pair of large black eyes that had spent too much time squinting in the sun. "I wanted to surprise you."

Arms outstretched, Leah closed the distance between her and her younger brother. "Well you did." She kissed his smooth cheek when he lifted her off her feet. "What are you doing so far from home?"

Seth, mindful of the injury that had almost cost his sister her life, cradled her gently to his chest. "I was on business, but decided to make a detour on the way back to the farm." He pressed his mouth to Leah's ear. "Who's the linebacker?" he whispered for her ears only.

Leah pushed against Seth's shoulder. "Please put me down." Reaching for his hand, she smiled at Jacob. "Seth, this is my friend, Jacob Black. Jacob, Seth." The two men shook hands while exchanging perfunctory greetings. "Seth is the brother who owns a horse farm in Virginia."

Jacob took in everything about the younger man in one sweeping glance. He was several inches taller than six-feet and lean with curly hair, tanned skin, and dark penetrating eyes that missed nothing. Jacob could almost hear him thinking—who the hell are you, and what are you doing with my sister?

"Thoroughbreds?" he asked. Seth nodded. "Beautiful animals."

"Yes, they are." Seth confirmed.

Leah noticed the strained tension between the two men. Looping her arm through her brother's she rested her head against his shoulder. "Jacob and I just finished eating. Can I get you something?" What she couldn't reveal to Seth was he had interrupted her giving Jacob a lap dance.

"I'll have whatever you have to drink." Seth hadn't taken his gaze off Jacob. "How do you know my sister?"

Jacob forced back at smile. It had taken Seth Clearwater less than two minutes after being introduced to ask the question. "You'll have to ask her."

Seth's eyebrows shot up. "Lee Lee?"

"Seth! Must you always be so over protective?"

"Just answer the question." Seth's southern drawl had become more pronounced as he tried to control his temper. "I decide to drop in to visit my sister, only to find her with a man who—"

"He's my bodyguard." Leah said, interrupting him. "He's here to make certain I'm protected until I return to Miami."

Seth's gaze shifted from his sister to Jacob, and then back again. "You hired him?"

Leah released her brother's arm and walked over to stand next to Jacob. "Yes, I did. I realized what you and Brady were up to when he said you wanted me to stay at the farm." Her eyes narrowed. "You know I'm afraid of horses, Seth, so why would you suggest I come to a horse farm? Once I decided to leave Miami I contacted an agency that provides personal protection. Jacob was available, so you can tell the others that I'm quite safe."

"If you want to have me checked out, then I'll give you the name and number of the company who contracts my services." Jacob suggested.

The skin over Seth's high cheekbones tightened when he clenched his teeth. "I'll be certain to have you checked out. Where did you get your training?"

Folding muscular arms over his chest, Jacob gave the brash young man a sardonic smile. "Ranger School."

Seth smiled for the first time. "You were military?"

Jacob returned the smile. "75th Ranger Regiment," he said proudly. "What about you?"

"I broke family tradition when I went to the Naval Academy. After graduation, I had to decide whether to go to flight school or spend time on the water."

"I'm willing to bet you chose the water."

"That's right!" Seth confirmed with a wide grin. "However , I wound up under the water instead of on a battleship or carried. Spending months at a time on the bottom of the ocean tested my sanity and resolve."

Leah exhaled a breath. If Jacob and Seth were both ex-military, then she knew they would go on for hours. "Why don't the two of you go and hang out on the back porch? Seth, I'll bring you coffee. By the way, are you in a rush to get back home?"

Seth angled his head. "What's up, Lee Lee?"

A soft smile touched her mouth. "I'd like you to judge a food competition."

The formal Naval officer turned horse breeder's gaze shifted from his sister to the man she had hired to protect her. "What am I judging?"

Jacob inclined his head in deference to Leah. "Tell him, Lee Lee."

Leah glared at Jacob. Her brothers knew she detested the annoying nickname. She explained the details of the competition, with pork as the main ingredient. "You will have the responsibility of judging which dish you like best."

"I can tell you now that I'm partial to roast and pulled pork, so I'm not going to be much of a judge." Seth sniffed the air. "I can tell you now that whatever is cooking smells incredible."

Jacob flashed a Cheshire cat grin. "That's my pulled pork."

"You're all right, Black," Seth seemed like he was won over.

"Why thank you, Clearwater," Jacob said, winking at Leah. "Do you need any help in the kitchen Leah?"

She glared at him. "No." turning on her heels, she retreated to the kitchen while her brother and bodyguard walked in the direction of the enclosed back porch.

She had lived in the house a year before deciding to enclose the porch so she would be able to utilize the space year round. A contractor had installed pocket doors and built in bookcases along the wall. There was also a retractable awning which shielded the porch from the intense summer when converted to a loggia for outdoor dining.

Leah looked forward to beginning and ending her days on the porch with stunning vistas of mountains, verdant valleys and waterfalls as a panoramic backdrop. Although she had hiked a few trails in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, she could never convince Sam to join her. He had said his skin was a deterrent to prolonged outdoor activity. She intended to ask former Army Ranger Jacob Black to go hiking, fishing and white water rafting with her and if he refused then Leah would never let him live it down.

Picking up the remote, Jacob turned on the large flat screen television mounted on a far wall, tuned to ESPN and raised the volume. It was his turn to put Seth Clearwater on the defensive when he asked, "Did you stop by just to visit your sister, or is she in real danger?"

Seth took a sip from a mug filled with warm, milk, coffee and sugar, peering at Jacob Black over the rim. "Someone broke into her home despite it being wired. By the time the police got there they were gone. Footage from surveillance video showed a landscaping truck in the driveway. When the police enhanced the image they discovered the plate was stolen and the company doesn't exist."

"Does she live in a gated community?" Jacob asked.

Seth took another sip of the coffee infused sweetened beverage. He had come to western North Carolina to try and convince his sister to return to Virginia with him until it was time for her to testify. He was prepared for a volatile confrontation, and had been given a direct order from his father not to leave North Carolina without her.

When the police had contacted Harry Clearwater to inform him that his daughter's house had been burglarized, it was the only time in his life that Seth heard his father spew expletives he hadn't known existed. Once Harry regained his composure, he ordered his son to go and bring his daughter back or he'd have her abducted and forcibly returned to Florida.

"No," Seth replied. "But there is a private road leading to the house."

Jacob rested his elbows on his knees. "How close is her nearest neighbor?"

"The houses are set on half acre lots, facing the ocean. My dad installed more cameras and armed guards monitor the property around the clock."

"Who knows Leah is staying here?"

"Just the family."

"How about co-workers?"

Seth shook his head. "I wouldn't know. She's been away from the hospital since last July, so I'm not aware if she's been in contact with anyone there. Maybe that's something you can ask her."

Jacob laced his fingers together. "Are you going to tell her about the break in?"

"I was before you told me she had hired you to protect her."

"I'm not going to let anything or anyone harm her," Jacob stated solemnly.

Seth forced a smile he didn't feel. "I believe you. I lied to Leah when I told her I was here strictly on business. My father's orders are to close up this place and take her to Virginia. Clearwater Farms is a fortress. Every inch of the property is wired and patrolled. No one can enter or leave without detection, and signs are posted around the perimeter stating: Trespassers Will Be Shot On Sight and If Still Alive, Then Prosecuted."

Jacob suddenly had a newfound respect for Leah's brother. Under Seth Clearwater's almost too pretty masculine face was a man who would go to great lengths to protect his sister. He had promised Leah he would protect her without regard to why he was in western North Carolina, and had given her brother the same assurance.

He had received orders to hold his position and wait for Embry Call to contact him; however Jacob had no idea whether the undercover special agent would contact him the next day, week or month. "I've agreed to protect Leah because a client postponed an overseas business trip until late summer," he lied smoothly. "But if his plans change and he decides to leave sooner, then I'll arrange for a replacement." He made a mental note to call his cousins to have a protection expert on standby.

Seth placed the mug on a side table. "I'd like to ask a favor of you."

"What is it?"

"Can you bring her to the farm? She doesn't have to know she's not coming back here."

Vertical lines appeared between Jacob's eyes. "Why the subterfuge? Why can't I just tell her where she's going?"

Stretching his long legs out in front of him, Seth crossed his feet at the ankles. "My sister was thrown and kicked by a horse—no I take that back. She was kicked by a pony, so she has an aversion to beings of the equine persuasion regardless of their size. So, to suggest she come and spend any extended time with me is not going to sit well with her. I've had to remind my parents that Leah is an adult and therefore she can't be forced to do anything she doesn't want to do. All I can do is talk to her, and hopefully she'll understand where the family is coming from."

Jacob pulled his lip between his teeth as he pondered an alternative to get Leah to Virginia if or when his orders changed. "How long are you staying in North Carolina?"

"I'd like to be home before tomorrow evening, why?"

"Leave everything to me," he whispered like a conspirator.

"What are you two whispering about?"

Seth and Jacob turned to find Leah standing in the doorway to the porch. "Nothing," they said in unison, while coming to their feet.

Leah rolled her eyes. "Please sit down. It may sound rather clinched, but you two look like a couple of kids caught with your hands in the cookie jar." She walked in, and sat on an off-white love seat with colorful floral throw pillows. "How long can you hang out with me?" Leah asked her brother.

He ran a hand over his curly hair. "I can spend the night."

Kicking off her shoes, Leah pulled her legs up under her body. "I'd hoped you would stay longer. We don't get to see each other that often."

"It's not as if I haven't invited you to come and hang with me, Lee Lee."

Jacob gave Seth a surreptitious glance. "I've never been to a horse farm."

"Why don't you come with my sister?" Seth asked, quickly picking up on Jacob's cue.

Jacob raised his eyebrows questioningly at Leah. "How about it?"

"I'm afraid of horses," she mumbled, pushing out her lower lip.

Pushing to his feet, Jacob sat next to her. He rested a hand over her sock-covered feet. "It's not about riding, Leah. I just want the experience of seeing a horse farm up close and personal."

"Do you right?"

Jacob gave her a tender smile. "No." He didn't want to tell her that he had taken pony rides as a boy at county fairs. Pony and roller-coaster rides, along with the shooting gallery, were his favorite attractions.

Leah's gaze shifted from Jacob to her brother, then back again. "If we go, then what are we going to do with Terry?"

"Who's Terry?" Seth asked.

"He's my—he's our dog," she said, quickly correcting herself.

Seth waved a hand. "Bring the dog with you. He should get along well with the other dogs at the farm."

"How many dogs do you have Seth?"

He turned his head so his sister would see his smirk. It was a known fact that Leah had a soft spot for dogs. "Four." We a mama pup that should whelp her first litter in another week."

Exhaling an audible breath while closing her eyes, Leah wondered if going to Virginia and seeing horses up close would help her get over her fear of the,. She was only five when she had fallen off a pony. While she had lain on the ground he had stepped on her head, leaving her traumatized. She had lost count of the number of times Seth had asked her to come visit him at the horse farm, and after a while he had just stopped. She knew he had taken a huge risk when he had invested so much of his money in a failing farm, and within a couple of years managed to realize a profit for the first time. Seth had always supported her while she had never supported him.

"Okay." She opened her eyes, seeing the shock freezing her brother's face. "I'll come but don't expect me to go anywhere around your horses."

Seth flashed a wide white-tooth grin. "If you don't want to see horses, then you don't have to. Why don't you guys come next weekend?"

"What's happening next weekend?" Leah asked.

"There's an open house at a neighboring farm. Halestone Farms is one of the other few owned and operated horse farms in Virginia. Jasper Hale, who has gone into semiretirement, came to see me a week after I took possession and told me if I needed a mentor then he was the one. I've never questioned anything he said, and the result was a thirty to one long shot that came in first at the International Gold Cup."

Leah gave Jacob a sidelong glance. "What do you think?"

He smiled. "Sounds like fun."

"It will be." Seth confirmed. "Dress casual, so you won't have the excuse that you have nothing to wear," he said smiling.

Unfolding her legs, Leah stood up, both men rising with her. "I think it's time I put my pork in the oven. The refrigerator and pantry are full, so if you want anything to eat or drink before dinner, then you're on your own, because I have to work on a few needlecraft projects for a friend's baby."

Jacob, waiting until Leah was back inside, leaned over and bumped fists with Seth. "If the horses don't spook your sister, then you shouldn't have a problem having her stay with you when the time comes for me to leave."

Seth shook his head in amazement. "Either the shootout at the E.R. has mellowed her or you have some helluva mojo, Jacob."

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't get your nose out of joint. One thing Leah never has been and that's passive. She's stubborn, opinionated and a scrapper. Guys who liked her were always afraid to approach her because she has a 'screw you' face that kept them at a distance. Someone she interacts differently with you. I don't know if it's because she views you as her protector or if you're able to crack her tough exterior."

"It could be both, Seth."

Who got to go to Disneyland after three years of not going

Me, me me! *raises hand* and I went off of one hour of sleep...

Hints why I'm updating so late. :)

Hopefully I haven't lost anyone on this story.

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Who loves overprotective brotherly love? lol :)

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