Colton Black opened the door at Jason’s curt knock, and Caroline found herself ushered into the room. She looked around, more than a little surprised at the size of the suite. She’d expected a studio, with a small living area and kitchenette and an adjoining bedroom. The suite of rooms that Jason had reserved was enormous, with a spacious parlor area and two private bedrooms. There was a fireplace, flanked by deep bookshelves, and a wet bar. A telescope stood in front of the wraparound windows, and the furnishings were rich and lush. Caroline turned to stare wordlessly at Jason.
He shrugged and walked across the room to the closest bedroom. He set her small suitcase down just inside the door. “We need a space large enough to accommodate the two of us, without you feeling like I’m right on top of you.”
His tone was casual, but his words conjured up decadent images of the two of them, naked and tangled in her bedsheets. A peek inside the bedroom only ramped up her lustful imaginings. An enormous bed dominated the room, heaped high with pillows. Through a wide door, she could see a spectacular marble bathroom equipped with a whirlpool tub and a flat-screen television. Pushing aside her own inappropriate thoughts, she turned back to Jason.
“Who’s paying for this?” she asked. “And don’t try to tell me that the U.S. Marshals Service provides five-star hotels for their clients.”
Jason scowled. “Don’t worry about it, okay?”
“Is this coming out of your own pocket?” When he tried to move away, Caroline stepped in front of him. “Is it?”
He looked resigned as he unfastened his shoulder holster with practiced fingers and removed it, then set the harness and weapon down on a nearby table. “The only thing you should be concerned about is your father. Nothing else.”
“Jason—”
“I can afford it.” His voice clearly said the conversation was over.
“Seriously, he can.” This came from Colton Black, who stood near the door, watching the exchange with amusement. “Hey, boss, I’m going to set up outside.”
Jason nodded. “Let me know when you change shifts with Deputy Mitchell.”
“Will do.”
Colton stepped out of the room, closing the door firmly behind him and leaving Caroline alone with Jason. She watched as he locked the door, deliberately avoiding any eye contact with her.
“Where is Deputy Black going to sleep?”
“He and Deputy Mitchell have a room across the hall. They’ll take turns watching the corridor and the stairwell.”
“And you’ll stay here? With me?”
He turned to look at her. “You bet.”
“For how long?”
“However long it takes.”
“You’re sacrificing a lot, coming up to San Francisco to babysit me.” She picked up a small decorative bowl from an end table and turned it over in her hands, pretending to study it. “Doesn’t your girlfriend object?”
A ghost of a smile touched his lips, and Caroline knew her pathetic attempt to find out about his personal life had been completely transparent.
When he didn’t answer, Caroline put the bowl back and sank down onto the nearest sofa with a weary sigh. She didn’t know how she was going to bear Jason Cooper’s company for the next few days, or for however long it might take for authorities to catch the shooter. She only knew that the years had done nothing to diminish her attraction to him. If anything, she found him even more sexy and appealing than she had as a teenager.
Part of her was appalled by her reaction to him. She should be thinking about her father and what she could do to help him, not what she could do to get Jason into her bed. Especially when he’d made it abundantly clear that he didn’t hold her in very high esteem. She knew how close he was with her father, and although he hadn’t said anything, she suspected he was all too aware of how seldom she’d returned to the bay area to visit. How would he react if he knew that one of the reasons she hadn’t returned to San Francisco was because she didn’t want to risk an encounter with him? She needed to maintain her distance from him, but she doubted her ability to hide her feelings from Jason, especially if they were going to be living together. But there was no way she’d ever give him the opportunity to reject her again.
Realistically, she knew she should be grateful to Jason for volunteering to protect her. He had an important job as a U.S. marshal in San Diego, and it couldn’t have been easy for him to leave his district and travel to San Francisco to watch over her.
“I’m sorry,” she finally said, raising her head. Jason had come to stand at the end of the sofa. The windows were behind him, and, although it was growing dark outside, they hadn’t turned on any interior lights and she couldn’t read his expression. “I’m sure this is hard for you, too.”
“You have no idea.”
His wry tone caused Caroline to look sharply at him, unable to tell if he was joking or not. Before she could ask him what he meant, he turned away.
“I asked Deputy Black to order room service for us. Nothing fancy—a couple of steak sandwiches and salads.”
Caroline wasn’t hungry, but knew she should eat something. “Thanks. A salad is fine.”
Jason arched an eyebrow and swept his gaze over her in one all-encompassing look that missed nothing. His cell phone rang, and he gave a grunt before turning away to speak quietly into the phone. Caroline sighed and pushed herself to her feet, then wandered to the tall bank of windows. Below she could see the city streets and beyond that the shimmering water of San Francisco Bay beneath the setting sun.
A few moments later, Jason came to stand beside her. “I said earlier that there were some safety rules we should go over, and one of the most important is to stay away from windows. You make yourself an easy target for anyone outside, especially at night.”
“You think there’s someone standing down there, watching the hotel?” she asked in disbelief.
“No,” he admitted. “Not here, but while we’re at the hospital, I think it’s better you not go near the windows. Until we know what we’re dealing with, I’m not taking any chances. Second rule, don’t answer the phone or the door. I’ll do that. Third, you don’t go anywhere without me. If we’re at the hospital, you don’t even go to the restroom unless I’m with you. Got it?”
Caroline hugged herself around the middle, feeling a chill wash over her. “You’re scaring me, Jason.”
To her surprise, he took her by the shoulders and turned her toward him, dipping his head to look directly into her eyes. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you, okay? As long as I’m with you, you’re safe.”
Before she could respond, he pulled her against him, enfolding her in his arms. He felt so solid and strong that Caroline instinctively hugged him back. His woodsy scent transported her back to being sixteen years old. Desire hit her like a sledgehammer, and she drew in a ragged breath, intensifying her hold on him. Beneath the crisp fabric of his shirt, she felt his muscles bunch and tighten.
“Caroline...” His voice was a husky rasp against her ear.
Lifting her face, she met his gaze. For just an instant, she saw the raw hunger in his eyes, and his expression gave her courage. She couldn’t deny that she’d thought about kissing Jason far more than she should have since he’d first walked through the door of her law firm. Fixing her attention on his mouth, she told herself she would give him one kiss, just to thank him for everything he’d done. There was no harm in a simple gesture of gratitude,