Page 11 of Silk Shadow

Unsure what to do, she froze. "Shit, I'm sorry."

Move! the voice in her head screamed, but she couldn't take her eyes off of him.

A brawny chest with a smattering of dark hair over an intricate military tattoo, bulging arms, and sculpted washboard abs sporting a six-pack—or was it an eight-pack?—she wasn't sure. Her gaze drifted lower. Tight boxers hugged those powerful thighs and beneath, stretching the fabric and leaving little to the imagination, was an impressive bulge. To give him credit, he didn't gasp or reach for a towel, he simply stood there, unfazed.

"Sorry, ma'am. You caught me by surprise. I wasn't expecting you."

Clearly.

She cleared her throat. "My mistake. I'm going down to the pool for a swim. See you there." She made to walk past him, but he shot out an arm, blocking her way.

"I'm sorry, I can't allow that, ma'am. If you'll give me a minute, I'll accompany you."

She paused, trying not to ogle. He was so close, she could reach out and touch that taut, muscly arm. For a crazy moment, she pictured running her hands up it and over his rippling shoulders. Down girl! What the hell had gotten into her? She wasn’t usually this… hormonal.

Spinning on her heel, she said, "Okay, I'll wait in my room."

CHAPTER 6

Viper sighed in annoyance. Trust her to barge in like she owned the place without so much as a knock. That woman gave no thought to anyone else's privacy but her own. Well, after today, she might think twice about doing that again. She'd certainly flushed redder than a lobster when she'd seen him standing in his boxers. Served her right. Women like Izzy thought the world revolved around them.

But damn if she didn’t look good in that swimsuit. More than good. Fucking phenomenal. Those breasts! Full and womanly, spilling over the top of her swimsuit. Jesus, he had to fight not to stare at them. It was all he could do to keep it in his goddamn pants. Thank goodness he'd managed to keep his cool.

He quickly pulled on jeans and a white T-shirt, it would be cooler in the harsh Californian sun. Now that they were at their destination and not in transit, he didn’t bother with the vest, or the suit. That would just attract attention. It was unlikely anything would happen here, under the hotel’s top-notch security cameras, but you couldn't be too sure. It seemed everyone knew Izzy’s itinerary in advance, which meant the threatening letter writer could also be aware of her movements.

When he was ready, he knocked on the connecting door. "Miss Beaumont?"

She opened it, those gorgeous breasts within touching distance, a thin cream-colored sarong tied around her waist.

"I'm ready." She strode past him toward the door. He could see the perfectly rounded globes of her butt through the sheer fabric.

"Wait."

She stopped.

"Stay behind me."

She remained silent as he opened the door and checked the corridor, although he sensed the daggers she was glaring at his back. Tough, there was nothing he could do about that. His job was to keep her safe, and he was following protocol. "Okay."

He gestured for her to follow him.

They walked down the hallway and got into the elevator. She didn't say a word on the way down, simply stared ahead at the steel doors as if praying they would open. When they did, he put out an arm. "Let me go first."

This time she sighed but obliged. Miss Beaumont obviously wasn’t used to being told what to do.

Viper surveyed the lobby, the balcony, and the door to the stairwell. As a trained sniper, he knew where to find the vantage points, but they were all clear. He clocked visitors, guests, and staff. Nothing out of the ordinary. He gave a curt nod.

They walked through the lobby, Izzy staying close to him, and out onto the terrace and to the swimming pool. Again, he scanned the guests. It was fairly crowded, but nothing struck him as odd. People were laughing and enjoying themselves or sunning on loungers.

He scanned the brush around the edge of the pool, the palm trees, and glanced up at the hotel balconies overlooking the courtyard. Clear.

"Darling, over here!" Emily beckoned from a lounge chair. She’d reserved the one beside her for Izzy, while the enormous red, white, and blue sun umbrella in between provided some much-needed shade. "I'm sorry, Viper. I didn't book one for you. Should I have?"

"No, ma'am," he replied. "I'll be standing back here." He took a few steps back.

"Always on guard," Emily mused, turning to Izzy. "So sexy." Izzy's reply was lost as someone dived into the pool with a splash.

He pulled out his sunglasses and slipped them on. It was very bright out here. Light reflected off the swimming pool into his eyes, making him squint. A shooter would use that to his advantage, masking the glint of the rifle scope. He couldn’t afford to miss anything.