Personal Protector

She pushed the thought away. She had to find Jones and head out. She had an interview set up with several families residing in Hope Place, the area currently suffering from serious gang problems. Next week it would be another block near that same area. It was an ever-evolving situation. But this time someone was trying to make a difference, trying to break that never-ending cycle.

Thus, a serious, in-depth look into the increasing gang problems in Atlanta’s less fortunate areas had been born. Piper planned for the story to include about five segments. And hopefully, call enough official attention to the issue to get something done. In an effort to help themselves, the families in the area now hit with the most strife had formed a neighborhood watch, which was good, but they needed far more help from local law enforcement. If telling the ugly truth on the news would get the residents that attention, Piper would take it as far as she could.

“What’s up?” Piper paused at her boss’s door and waited expectantly for whatever it was he wanted to say.

“There’s a situation we need to discuss that I didn’t want to bring up in this morning’s staff meeting.”

Dave looked too serious. He had that you’re-not-going-to-like-what-I’m-about-to-tell-you air about him. Tension raced up Piper’s spine. “What kind of situation?”

“Jones had to take an emergency leave. He’ll be out of town for a couple of weeks.”

Piper blinked, taken aback. “But I just talked to Jones last night. He didn’t mention anything to me then.”

“He didn’t know until this morning. It’s a personal family issue that he didn’t want to discuss at length. So he left for Detroit on the first available flight this morning.”

It must have been really urgent for Jones to leave without so much as a quick call to Piper. She couldn’t remember him ever doing that before. They were more than co-workers. They were friends. “I should call and see if there’s anything I can do,” she said more to herself than to Dave.

“I’m—I’m not sure that would be a good idea,” Dave hemmed and hawed. “Jones gave me the impression that it was a very private matter and that he would call us when he could.”

Piper flared her hands in a gesture of bewilderment. The whole thing sounded entirely too clandestine and made absolutely no sense at all. “Well, okay, if that’s the way it has to be.”

“In the meantime I’ve got a new cameraman for you,” Dave went on. At Piper’s distressed expression, he added, “Don’t worry. He’s only temporary until Jones gets back.”

“I didn’t know we had any new temps.” Piper tried to stay on top of personnel changes at the station. It made life easier when you needed something in a hurry. And she was relatively certain that no new faces had appeared recently. Well, other than the desk assistant, but he’d been there a couple of weeks already. Tech support personnel were usually replaced by temps who had understudied to the point that their ability to do the job could be counted on. It was the first rule of the station’s manager.

“I interviewed the guy just a few minutes ago,” Dave explained. “Here he is now.” The news director shifted his gaze beyond Piper. “Martinez, I’d like to introduce you to Piper Ryan.”

Great, just what she needed, some hotshot off the street. Piper turned to greet WYBN’s newest staff member. She felt her mouth drop open the moment her gaze lit on the guy in question, but she was too stunned to snap it shut again. A tall, extraordinarily handsome man walked slowly toward her. His hair was short and raven’s-wing black. A square jaw and chiseled features lent masculinity to a face that was most accurately described by the word perfection. And then there was that body. Piper felt the air rush out of her lungs as her gaze moved over that awesome body. Broad, broad shoulders were covered in one of those black silk shirts that wasn’t tucked into his black, loose-fitting trousers, the cutting edge of fashion. The man looked as if he’d just stepped off the cover of GQ.

He definitely did not look anything like any cameraman Piper had ever met. To make matters worse, the closer he came to her, the more convinced she grew that he knew just exactly how handsome he was, too. Confidence screamed in every move that lithe, muscular frame made. His walk, his posture, every part of him exuded blatant, cocky male attitude and a kind of smooth rhythm that made her mouth go dry. But it wasn’t until he stopped directly in front of her that Piper was certain of her assumption. It was right there in those dark, devastatingly alluring eyes that said, Close your mouth, baby, ’cause I already know just how good I look.

This man didn’t belong behind a camera, Piper protested silently. He belonged in front of one decked out in Ralph Lauren’s latest. Either that or on MTV belting out a Latin pop song and showing off that to-die-for body and the seductive moves he could no doubt execute. But he damned sure didn’t look like a cameraman Piper wanted to drag around Atlanta for the next two weeks. And if his ego in any way compared to the attitude that emanated from every square inch of his unbelievable body, she wasn’t sure it would fit into the WYBN-TV news van.

“Ric Martinez,” the Latin hunk said smoothly, then extended his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Ryan.” Just a hint of south-of-the-border flavor accented his rich baritone.

Several seconds passed before Piper had the presence of mind to place her hand in his, and when she did, she lost whatever ground she had gained. Long fingers curled around her hand, sending a shiver through her, followed immediately by a flash of heat.

“Could you excuse me, please, Mr. Martinez?” she said abruptly, yanking her hand back with equal suddenness. Swiping her tingling palm against her hip, Piper rounded on her boss and ushered him backward into his office. She waited for the door to close behind them before she spoke.

“You can’t be serious,” she demanded in a stage whisper.

Dave frowned, then glanced at Martinez who waited outside the glass walls of his office. “I don’t see the problem,” he countered as his concerned gaze came back to rest on Piper’s. “Hell, he’s more than qualified. I called every single one of his references before I even interviewed him.”

Piper immediately suppressed the ridiculous quivering her insides seemed determined to do at the mere thought of that…that…Martinez. “Look at how he’s dressed.” Piper stole a glance at the tall, handsome man waiting patiently outside the office. “He looks like he’s about to stride down a fashion runway or pick up a hot Saturday night date, but he definitely doesn’t look like a cameraman. At least not my cameraman.” Jeans and T-shirts were Jones’s favorite fashion statement.

Dave’s brow furrowed with impatience. He hated conflict. Especially among the members of his staff, temporary or not. “You know I’ve never dictated dress unless you’re in front of the camera. So the guy’s a little flashy. What’s the big deal?”

“Flashy?” Piper lowered her voice an octave. “He looks like…a high-priced gigolo.” A heart-stunningly good-looking one, she had to admit. She squared her shoulders, her irritation building as the possible complications related to her new cameraman piled one on top of the other in her whirling thoughts. “This isn’t going to work. Can you see me walking around Hope Place with him strutting along beside me? How will I ever get anyone’s attention? They’ll all be looking at Lover Boy as if he were the last loaf of bread on the shelf before a winter blizzard. This isn’t going to work.”

Instantly, as if she’d said something completely hilarious, a broad grin spread over Dave’s thin face. He glanced Martinez’s way once more, then settled a knowing gaze on Piper. “Don’t tell me you’re afraid this slick guy will get more attention than you?”

Piper seethed at his remark. She bit back the first retort that came to mind. After all, Dave was her boss. And her friend. “I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that. You know that isn’t what I meant.”

Dave narrowed an accusing gaze at her then. “If you think you can’t handle yourself around him…” He shrugged noncommittally. “I mean, if you think there’s some sort of unprofessional attraction that might—”

Her drop-dead glare stopped him cold. “You don’t want to go there,” she warned. She had a contract and a high-powered agent. For that matter, she had definite seniority. She shouldn’t have to do this if she felt uncomfortable. She definitely wasn’t going to be accused of…whatever Dave had just accused her of.

A weary breath huffed from her boss as he passed a hand over his face. “Look, it’s only for two weeks. Besides it’s out of my hands.” Dave sagged onto the arm of a nearby chair. “Martinez must be related somehow to the station manager since he instructed me to hire the guy.”

Piper rolled her eyes. This just kept getting better and better. “Great. So I’m supposed to baby-sit the Casanova for two weeks while he learns the ropes of his long-lost relative’s business.” She threw up her hands. “That’s just perfect. It isn’t bad enough that I’ve got the Feds tailing me everywhere I go, now I have to entertain Mr. Too Sexy.” She glowered at Dave, some of her resolve crumbling as the memory of this morning’s episode nudged at her. She refused to think about it. If she let that slip back into her thoughts now she would definitely lose it. She had to be strong. “He’s just not going to work, Dave. His whole—” she searched for the right words “—persona just isn’t right, especially the attire.”

Dave tugged at his tie. “He looks fine to me. What do you want him to wear? A three-piece suit? It’s August, for Pete’s sake.”

Piper fell silent as the unbidden image of Martinez wearing an elegant suit filled her mind. Another wave of heat that had nothing to do with anger and everything to do with sexual awareness washed over her, irritating her all the more.

“Just try to get along with him, okay?” Dave pleaded. “I’d like to keep my job a little longer.”

Banishing the infuriating images from her head, Piper straightened her lightweight rayon jacket and adopted the “calm in a storm” attitude for which she was known. It was only for a couple of weeks. She could deal with it. There was no point in making Dave miserable, too.

“Fine. I’m sure he’ll do an adequate job until Jones returns,” she relented.

“His credentials are impeccable,” Dave reiterated hopefully.

Piper manufactured a halfhearted smile for her boss. This wasn’t his fault. As long as he made sure Jones got his job back when he returned, she would be happy. She could do anything for two weeks. “Well, we’ll just be on our way then.”

“Piper.”

She hesitated before turning to the door. “Yes.”

Dave’s gaze searched hers. “I really want you to be careful out there. Martinez has been briefed on the situation, but I’m worried about you. You know it would make me feel a lot better if you stuck close to the station until this is over.”

If he heard about this morning…

“Who’s to say it’ll ever really be over?” she argued. “I’m not going to stop living my life or stop being who I am because some scumbag terrorist has decided to sentence me to death.” She smiled, a genuine smile this time. Dave cared and she appreciated that. They were like family here at WYBN. “Don’t worry, boss. That’s what the Feds are for. Let them worry about keeping me safe. Lord knows they’re never far away.” Of course they had been a little too far away this morning, but it wasn’t their fault.

Piper frowned. Who the heck was the guy who’d saved her? Just a passing Good Samaritan? That seemed a little too unlikely. She dismissed the question. Probably another federal agent, or maybe one of her uncle’s friends. She was quite certain Lucas was leaving nothing to chance.

After giving Dave a quick pat on the arm, Piper started for the door again. “Everything’s going to be fine,” she assured him. All she had to do was stay alert. This morning was a perfect example of not keeping up her guard and allowing too much distance between herself and her designated protection.

“Don’t give Martinez too hard a time,” Dave tossed out, again slowing her departure. “I have a feeling there’s more to him than that flashy exterior.”

“Let’s hope so.” She hated that Martinez was now privvy to her personal situation, but she supposed it was only fair. As if fairness had anything to do with any of this.

RIC BREATHED a sigh of relief when Piper exited the news director’s office and actually made eye contact with him. He’d been worried there for a minute that she was going to put up a fuss about accepting him as her new partner. But he doubted she could be any more upset than her regular cameraman. The guy had been royally ticked off at having to take this little unplanned vacation. Ric checked the smile that twitched his lips. Lucas Camp could be a very persuasive man.

Piper glanced at her watch, then at Ric. “We have a ten-o’clock shoot. We’d better be on our way.”

“My equipment’s in the van already.”

She just looked at him for a moment, then said, “Fine.”

Okay, Ric decided, time for him to turn on some of his own persuasive powers. He wasn’t about to risk screwing up this assignment. If Piper Ryan thought he couldn’t do the job her regular cameraman did, he’d just have to prove her wrong. And he would win her over. Ric allowed the smile to slide across his lips then. Oh, yeah, he hadn’t met a woman yet he couldn’t charm. This one would be no different.

His course of action settled, Ric followed Piper through the newsroom and down the stairwell into the parking garage. The two FBI guys assigned to her moved ahead of them to check the garage and the WYBN news van. To his surprise, Piper had carefully masked any lingering fear from this morning’s little drama. Ric couldn’t help but wonder if she was as tough as she pretended to be. It took one tough cookie to face death and then walk away as if nothing had happened.

He also decided that Piper looked even better in person. The sway of her hips was seductive in a very elemental way, as was her manner of dress. She didn’t exploit her feminine assets, yet she couldn’t hide the exquisite attributes that had no doubt helped along her television career. That conservative suit did little to hide her sexuality. She was definitely hot.

And her hair, almost as dark as his own, hugged her neck in one of those swingy styles that looked sophisticated yet sexy. But the eyes were the most notable of her features. As blue as a clear summer sky. The kind of startling blue that you never expected on a brunette. When she looked at him, heat went right through him. Which was intriguing but most definitely out of bounds. Ric felt with a fair measure of certainty that that little point would prove the most difficult to keep in mind. The attraction was there, but he couldn’t act on it. Not the way he wanted to anyway. This was an assignment, and even if it wasn’t, Lucas Camp would probably kill him for thinking even remotely carnal thoughts about his niece if he ever found out.

End of subject.

“Hope Place is just off Memorial Drive.” Piper pulled the passenger side door open as she spoke. “If we hurry we’ll get there in time to get some footage before the interview.”

“Just tell me which way to go.” He started to close the door after her.

“You don’t know the way?” A surprised and openly accusing gaze collided with his.

“This is my first day in Atlanta,” he said with a confident smile. “But I’m a fast learner.”

Piper blinked those amazing eyes, but failed to conceal her utter disbelief. “You are kidding, right?” She laughed, a kind of startled sound. “Surely you can’t mean that you don’t know your way around this town.” The disbelief turned to something resembling outright panic when he didn’t immediately respond. “Oh, God, you’re serious. You’re completely lost.”

Ric delivered one of the megawatt smiles that usually got him anywhere he wanted. “Don’t sweat it, querida. I won’t let you down.”

Outrage kindled in her eyes, searing away the panic.

Before she realized his intent, Ric reached up and traced the line of annoyance marring her smooth forehead. “You’re much too pretty to frown like that, querida.”

He moved back a step when she bounded out of the van to stand toe-to-toe with him. Fury blazed in those blue eyes now. She jabbed him in the chest with her finger. “Let’s get this straight right now, Martinez. I am not your querida or any other pet name in your vast ‘charm’ vocabulary. You will refer to me by name or you won’t refer to me at all. And you will keep your hands to yourself. ¿Comprende?”

Ric braced one hand on the open door and the other on the van, effectively trapping her. Then he leaned in close. Very close. He smiled when she held her ground in spite of the flicker of uncertainty he saw in her eyes. The emotion was banished behind that slick, professional veneer she wore as swiftly as it appeared.

“Comprende,” he said softly.

He didn’t miss the little hitch that disrupted her breathing. Before he drew back, Ric took his time studying her eyes, her cute little turned-up nose and then her lush velvety lips. He could smell the barest hint of perfume, something subtle and entirely too enticing. This close he could see the tiny, almost imperceptible scar on her delicate chin. He wanted to know what caused it, and even more, he wanted to touch it. But that would be a big mistake. Reluctantly he drew back from her personal space.

“After you.” He indicated the seat she had abandoned.

Piper blinked then turned away from him. Once she had climbed back into her seat, Ric closed the door firmly behind her and headed to the other side of the van. Miss Ryan might think she was tough, but she wasn’t. Ric had her number already. Spoiled little rich girl. She might be the hottest thing going on local television here in Atlanta, but outside the state of Georgia she was just another wannabe. And if he had her pegged right she usually got her way. But then she’d never tangoed with Ric Martinez.

He grinned as he climbed behind the wheel of the WYBN-TV news van. He had every intention of keeping the upper hand. Just like he told her uncle, this assignment was going to be a walk in the park.

He started the van and turned to his silent companion. “Which way?”

She settled back into her seat but kept her gaze straight ahead. “Left out of the parking lot.” She turned to him then and smiled sweetly—too sweetly. “I’ll tell you the rest on the way. You have twenty minutes.”

“Don’t sweat it, boss lady. I’ll get you there.”

Ric stomped the accelerator, burning rubber as he exited the garage. This was going to be a walk in the park all right, but definitely not the park he’d had in mind.

Once he merged with the flow of traffic on the street, he stole an assessing glance at his assignment. If it was a war of wills Miss Ryan had in mind, Ric could teach her a thing or two about perseverance. This was one time the pretty lady was not going to get her way.

And he was going to enjoy every moment of teaching her how to compromise.

Chapter Two

As her new cameraman snapped on his utility belt and then gathered his equipment, Piper scanned Hope Place to determine which shots of the housing area she wanted Martinez to take. Unlike her relationship with Jones, she would likely have to tell this guy each and every pan of the camera. Piper tamped down the irritation that wanted to bubble up inside her yet again. She had promised Dave that she would get along with this guy and she would. If only he wasn’t so damned cocky. Martinez obviously had his share of testosterone and someone else’s, too.

Her two G-men shadows stayed in the background, but still close. For the first time since this whole thing started, she was immensely grateful for their presence. Although it had been a stranger who saved her this morning, she knew the two federal agents were highly trained and dedicated. Piper was at fault for not taking their presence more seriously. She should have been more careful not to get too far ahead of them. The way she darted in and out of traffic, how could she expect them to stay on her tail where they belonged?

She pushed away the memory of staring into the business end of that handgun. She couldn’t think about that right now—it would only undermine her sense of control. And currently it was tenuous at best. The Feds would take care of the police report, relieving her of the hassle and still satisfying the requirements of her insurance company. Sometimes it paid to have an uncle in the right place.

Martinez pivoted and hoisted the camera onto his shoulder. The turn drew Piper’s gaze to his rhythmic movements. She frowned as she considered what exactly it was that captured her attention. There was something vaguely familiar about the way he moved. But that was impossible. She didn’t know the man, had never even seen him before their introduction outside Dave’s office only an hour ago.

Still, something niggled at her. Piper dismissed the distraction and turned her attention back to the business at hand. She had an interview to do. Six residents had agreed to speak out on camera against the increasing violence in their neighborhood. And that was no small thing, as Piper was well aware. Retaliation was a definite possibility. She knew it and so did the half-dozen people who had asked for the opportunity. Piper would never have asked anyone to purposely put themselves in danger. Her last segment had been based on what she referred to as anonymous tips. But the people of Hope Place had decided it was time to stand up for their rights and make their intentions known.

Hope Place had been built just over ten years ago in a goodwill effort by the city’s mayor at the time to offer affordable housing to low-income families. It had been well received and had helped numerous families. In Piper’s opinion, the mayor’s appointed planning committee’s one oversight had been not proposing strong clean-up steps for the nearby crime-ridden neighborhoods. Eventually those problems had crept into the new housing area, a seemingly unstoppable epidemic.

“Tell me how you want it, boss lady,” Martinez said smoothly, his smile quick, the flicker of insinuation in his eyes even quicker as he moved in her direction.

He made the request sound intimate…sexual.

“My name is Piper,” she reminded him firmly.

“Piper,” he acquiesced, adding emphasis and a sultry tone to the one word so that she shivered at the sound. “I’ll try to remember that.”

He was too handsome, too close and too darned infuriating. Piper stepped back. “Why don’t you tell me how you would do it, Martinez?”

He inclined his head in acceptance of her clear challenge. “My pleasure.”

She wanted to rant at him. She wanted to hit him. Piper blinked. But mostly she just wanted to touch him and see if he felt as hot as he looked.

Damn. She hated this crazy attraction.

“Sweep the block,” he suggested solemnly with a wave of one massive hand. Junked automobiles and battered trash cans lined the street. “Zero in on the run-down high-rises, and the laundry hanging from the lines outside the windows, then the cluttered alleyways.” He took his time surveying the area once more. A scrawny cat peeked from behind one of the dead cars and then scurried away. “That about sums it up, I think.”

Gone was the easy smile and the teasing glimmer in those dark eyes. Piper saw the glimpse of sadness before he closed his expression. She frowned. Surely Mr. I’m-too-sexy-for-my-own-good wasn’t the sentimental type. Before Piper could make a decision on that possibility, the voice of Mr. Jackson, one of her interviewees, called out to her as he and the other residents he’d rounded up ambled closer.

“That sounds good, Martinez,” she told him before turning away. It actually sounded better than good; it was precisely what she would have said herself. But she wasn’t about to admit it and give him one more thing to enlarge that already-overblown ego.

“Whatever your heart desires, querida.”

Piper ignored the extrafoolish beat of her heart that invariably accompanied his persistent use of the Spanish endearment. She absolutely would not let this cocky Casanova get under her skin.