Wyvern Protection Unit - Chapter 31: Chapter 31

It was too bad really. All that potential.
Kim had many flaws, but in the sexy times department, she was definitely a giver. And boy oh boy, did she want to give—to him.
“Everything okay?” he called out from the living room.
“Coming!” she replied, wishing it were true.
Dirty thoughts, Kim.
“Oh my god! Is that food?”
Kim would have been embarrassed by her reaction, but she smelled burgers and fries, and her stomach positively roared in anticipation.
“Yeah. I, uh, also brought this. It’s not much, but it was all that was open on the way.”
He shrugged, but she was practically dancing across the room. She grinned, taking in the two place settings that were loaded with fast-food burgers and fries. He’d also brought a six-pack of soft drinks and had them on the table as well.
“Awww, honey, you shouldn’t have,” she teased, batting her eyelashes.
“I’ll do some real cooking in the morning,” he said, but she was already sitting down and shoving a French fry in her mouth.
“Are you kidding? This is perfect. Really,” she said and unwrapped more of the food.
“I brought plenty,” he smiled.
“Good! I should warn you, I am not a dainty eater. And I was already craving fries before I heard you drive up.”
She sighed around a bite of cheeseburger.
“Eat as much as you want, Kim.”
“I should never do that. I would be big as a house,” she replied with a laugh.
“You’re perfect,” he told her, eyes narrowed.
“Ha ha! You don’t have to say things like that to me. I’m a realist. I know I’m chubby, but I like to eat,” she said and shrugged, taking another bite.
“Well, I don’t know what being a realist has to do with it, but I meant what I said. I think you look absolutely fucking beautiful, Kim,” he growled, those crazy glowing eyes zeroing in on her with such conviction, she had to squeeze her legs tight just to ease the ache that suddenly flared to life.
“Oh, um, thank you,” she replied, and cleared her throat.
“So, I know Agent Sanchez said I needed a bodyguard,” she started, and swallowed self-consciously. She peered up at him through her lashes.
The man had to be seven-feet tall, minimum. She wondered about his ancestry. Judging from his dark hair and light eyes, bronze-colored skin, amazing cheekbones, stubborn chin, and straight nose, he could be a mixture of any number of ethnicities.
Whatever. It did not matter to her. All she knew was that he was positively gorgeous, and there was something else, too. Some mysterious thing that seemed to pulse with awareness between them. She couldn’t be sure exactly.
“Yep. I’ve been assigned to protect you.”
“So, you’re my bodyguard?”
“Correct. And Kim, I want you to know that I promise to do whatever it takes to guard your body.”
Sexy, dangerous man.
“I see,” she said and coughed on a piece of fry that got stuck in her throat.
“You okay?” he asked and handed her a soft drink.
“Fine,” she nodded and sipped.
“So, Kim, what do you know about Shifters?”
“Shifters? Um, let’s see,” she said and tucked her hair behind her ears as she turned on professor mode. “I know a Shifter is a person who can change into an animal at will. I do not know the specific circumstances leading up to a shift or the mechanics behind it, but I am aware it involves some sort of supernatural phenomenon, Magic, for lack of a better word, that humans have never documented.”
“I see,” he smiled and urged her to continue.
“My friendship with Carolina, and acquaintanceship with Jennifer, have opened me up to this secret world, but I am well aware of the importance of keeping it under wraps.”
“Are you afraid of the supernatural?”
“I like to think of myself as a perpetual student, and fear of the unknown, though a human condition, is prevalent, I try to channel my fear by learning as much as I can about something. I know, I’m a nerd,” she said with a self-deprecating snort.
“I think you’re fascinating,” he replied.
“Well, I find all forms of life fascinating. Shifters, especially. Because of the importance of keeping the paranormal world secret, I believe it’s our job to learn what we can about each other.”
“Many people don’t feel the same. They think anything different should be eradicated.”
“Yeah, well, that’s something only education can fix,” she replied with a shrug. “If we take the time to learn about the things that are foreign, mutual respect can grow, and lead to understanding and peaceful coexistence.”
“That is a beautiful sentiment, Kim.”
“I think it’s more than sentiment, but yeah, guess I’m just naïve like that,” she said, and felt her blush deepen.
“I would say you were progressive, not naïve. Unconventional because of your willingness to admit what you don’t know, and altogether breathtaking for sharing what you do,” he said and placed his left hand on the table.
Her breath hitched in her throat as Larimar’s fingertips grazed hers. She shivered in response to the almost-touch. Kimberley might be mistaken, but it looked like the big, unbelievably attractive man was studying her.
Her throat went dry, and the already deep ache she felt throbbing inside seemed to grow. Was it foolish of her to read this as some sort of sign? Was it kismet that brought them together?
Gulp.
Sometimes, Kimberley got so caught up in rebuilding historical societies and mapping out how people used to act and behave in her mind that she forgot that reality didn’t work quite the same way.
This was not a fairy tale. This was her life. Bad guys were after her, and Mr. Hunky Pants was there to protect her.
Period. End of story.
More than likely, he was staring because she had ketchup on her mouth. Grabbing one of the wet wipes he’d brought with the lovely fast food, Kim wiped her lips and looked down.
No ketchup.
Didn’t matter. She could handle this. It was just small talk, for Pete’s sake. Kim just breathed in through her nose to settle her nerves—but wait a sec. Did he just call her breathtaking?
Okay, Kim was not used to compliments like that. It was a compliment, right? His blue-gray-green eyes continued to stare, but neither spoke. What could she possibly say? Grabbing her drink in haste, she nearly upended it all over the place.
“Whoops,” he grinned, catching the soda can and placing it solidly on the table. “So, I know you believe in Shifters, and you know I’m one⁠—”
“It would be difficult to assume otherwise,” she interrupted. “I watched your very human hands transform into talons with five-inch long, and undoubtedly razor sharp, claws on the tips just minutes ago. You used them to slice your way out of the motorcycle helmet I’d crushed onto your head with a cast-iron skillet, which I am very sorry for, by the way. Any human man would be concussed, to say the least, and very likely still stuck inside the thing.”
“You got me good with that pan,” he murmured, grinning at her.
Kim shrugged and gave up on trying not to blush. Pink and blotchy were not attractive looks on her, but she couldn’t help it. She could feel her cheeks burning, and unfortunately, that meant her ears and chest were also on fire.
Kim was a veritable basket case around this guy. He was simply too damn sexy for anyone’s good.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t tease you,” he apologized.
“No need. I clocked you pretty good,” she answered.
The rest of the conversation was much of the same. Little snippets of info mixed with some light flirting. Larimar was just really dang cute. He didn’t even seem to mind her snagging his fries when she’d eaten her own.
“Please, have another burger. I brought plenty,” he told her and handed her another wrapped goody.
They were small and she could easily polish off two or more, but Kimberley tried to watch what she was eating. Most of the time. After the day and night she’d had, maybe a second burger was warranted.
“Thanks.”
“You’re welcome,” he replied easily and started in on his sixth one.
If he didn’t eat so much, she might have been embarrassed, but the man was a bottomless pit. She wondered if that appetite applied to all aspects of his life, and immediately regretted thinking it. Larimar’s eyes flashed to hers, and his nostrils flared.
Fucking hell.
She had to stop thinking dirty thoughts. From what she knew of Shifters, they could use their heightened senses to tell how a person was feeling. And Kim was feeling horny.
It had been way too long since she’d had sex. Heck, she had pretty much forgotten what it felt like. But even if she’d had sex yesterday, she sincerely doubted it would match even the smallest of kisses from this man. In truth, her experience with carnal delights wasn’t all that memorable.
So why was her traitorous body practically waving a neon sign at the man? All her daydreaming about her hot bodyguard wasn’t likely to manifest into something real. Kim knew her physical limitations and men like that never wanted women like her.
With that utterly depressing truth pressing itself on her mind, Kim took a hefty bite of her second cheeseburger.
Yum. Extra pickles.
Exactly how she typically ordered her burgers. She sat back in her chair, chewing carefully. Larimar already finished his last one and was starting on his next. Two bites per burger was all it took for the mountain of a man to polish them off.
The admittedly tiny, little greasy bundles of goodness were small, but delicious. Hmm, she wondered if he normally ate like that. Must cost a fortune to feed him. Still, his manners were impeccable, and he didn’t make any loud noises when he chewed or burp at the table—impressive.
Not to mention the fact that he didn’t have an ounce of fat anywhere on all seven feet of him. Just muscle.
Gulp.
He dropped the rolled up wrappers back into the paper sack he’d carried the food in and lifted his soda can to his lips. She watched as he tossed the thing back and drained it in one long, slow, and soundless pull. The soundless was important to her. He licked his lips afterward, and she realized she was way more curious about his habits than she had any right to be. And yet, that curiosity was only just beginning. She should walk away. Excuse herself to her room before she made a fool of herself.
Oh well. The heck with it.
She was already on the run. Bad guys had actually shot at her, and her career was in shambles. Even if she was cleared, her professional reputation would take a hit. Life would never be the same for Kimberley. No matter what she did or didn’t do.
That realization weighed heavily on her shoulders for one single, solitary moment until suddenly it lifted. She looked at her sexy as sin protector and took a deep, fortifying breath. Traces of masculine musk seeped into her nose along with the deliciously greasy bounty he’d brought her. Kimberley licked her lips.
What do I have to lose?
What indeed, she pondered carefully. Taking risks was not exactly something Kimberley specialized in. Contrary to popular belief, archeology wasn’t all sexy adventures and intrigue. It was a lot of sandy, gritty, hard work, tons of reading and research, hours of phone calls, and mostly begging on her part to get foreign lands to allow her small department the opportunity to dig and study. Buckets of proof and recommendations were needed before access was ever granted. But none of that seemed as daunting as the proposition she had in mind for this man.
“So,” she said, needing to break the silence. “Why did you ask me if I knew anything about Shifters?”
“I should probably wait to explain,” he frowned as he spoke. Like he was choosing his words carefully. “You’ve got enough to think about right now with the stolen artifacts and you being accused of committing a crime.”
“You’re right, that is a lot. Do you believe that I did it?”
She had to know. Her professional reputation meant a lot to Kim, but even more, she cared about what he thought of her. Larimar sat back, meeting her stare with his own steady, clear gaze.
“Hell no,” he growled, and relief filled her.
“You don’t think I did it?”
“Absolutely not. I swear, Kim, we will find the bastards, and I’ll personally throw their asses in the slammer. You have nothing to worry about.”
“I hope you’re right,” she replied and plopped a now cold fry into her mouth, chewing it slowly.
“What are you thinking about over there?” Larimar asked, popping a fry into his mouth before leaning forward with both hands clasped on the table.
She paused, not meeting his eyes as she pondered his question. Truth was, he was asking the wrong thing. It wasn’t what was she thinking, it was should she even consider it.
“Do you want the truth?”
“Always.”
“Okay,” placing her palms down and straightening her shoulders, Kim answered him.
“I’m thinking about sex.”