Mostly because we work together as well.”
“You do? And what exactly is it that you do? You haven’t told me.”
“We’re in the protection business.”
Jaden believed that. Leif was muscular enough to kick ass as a hired bodyguard for somebody rich or famous. “You and your family must be doing well at it to live in a place like this.”
“Well enough.”
Leif pushed open the front door and moved aside for her to step into the large foyer that had a black and white checked marble floor. A large crystal chandelier hung from the middle of the cathedral ceiling. She’d never been inside a house this ritzy. A blond oak railing ran up the outside of the curving staircase that led to the second floor. It was definitely the kind of place she only dreamed of owning if she ever won the lotto.
With a small tug on the hand he was holding, Leif pulled her to a stop and took a deep breath. “Damn. Roxie is here,” he said quietly, almost to himself.
“Who?” she asked cautiously.
“Roxie. She’s the woman my family and I protect. I was going to introduce her to you at some point, but I wasn’t planning on doing it today. Maybe we can slip back outside before we’re noticed, and we’ll come back after she’s gone.”
Before they could move, a woman’s voice called from somewhere at the back of the mansion. “Leif! Don’t you dare go anywhere. I can smell the two of you.”
Smell the two of you? What did she mean by that? It wasn’t as if both she and Leif hadn’t showered before they came here. And how in the heck could anybody smell them from that great a distance away.
Leif groaned. “Too late. That was Roxie. We might as well brave the lion’s den.”
He led her in the direction Roxie’s voice had come from. It turned out to be the kitchen. Two women were there. One, who could have passed for a super model with long almost white-blonde hair, stood near one of the counters with another woman who looked to be about six months pregnant. She was eating a big bowl of ice cream. Her looks weren’t nearly as spectacular as the other woman’s, but she was better looking than what Jaden considered herself to be. She also had long golden-brown hair that she flipped over one shoulder as she watched Jaden and Leif come closer.
Leif let go of her hand and put his on the small of her back. “Jaden, this is my sister, Saskia.” The woman with the white-blonde hair smiled. “And the one stuffing her face with ice cream is Roxie.”
“Hi,” Jaden said.
“It’s nice to meet you, Jaden,” Saskia said in return.
“Yes, it is,” Roxie added. “I never thought I’d see the day Leif would actually find his mat—”
Leif jumped closer to Roxie and put his hand over her mouth before she finished speaking. “I don’t think Jaden is ready to hear that, if you catch my meaning.”
Roxie glared over his hand at him. She then yanked it away, narrowing her eyes.
“Not another one. What is wrong with you guys?”
“Take some pity on Leif,” Saskia said before Leif could reply. “He wasn’t exactly capable of following your list of rules because of you-know-what. He fought you-know-what until we were left with no alternative but to send him out to do what had to be done.”
Now completely lost, Jaden had no idea what the “you-know-what” Saskia kept referring to was. It was obvious both Roxie and Leif did from the expressions on their faces.
Roxie shook her head and gave Leif an exasperated look. “Stupid man. Why did you even bother? You know there is no beating the you-know-what. I told you one day this would happen.”
Saskia chuckled. “We all did, Rox. I guess I’ll go let the others know Jaden is here.”
She then left Jaden and Leif alone with Roxie.
“So why are you here, Rox? I thought you would be at your place stuffing your face with your own ice cream and not ours. Did you run out and none of the others would go to the grocery store to get you any?”
Jaden bit back a smile. That explained why Leif had come to the store and bought nothing but ice cream. Knowing where he lived, she now knew the grocery store where she worked wasn’t really all that close by.
“Har, har,” Roxie said. “Aren’t you a funny one? Not. Skylar was telling Beowulf about the new motorcycle he bought. Since he hadn’t ridden it to our place, he was boring the crap out of me with describing every minute detail about it to Beowulf. So I suggested we come here so Skylar could show it to him. Kye decided we’d all go in the SUV, because God forbid, something might actually happen to me while on his watch.
He’s going to drive us back this evening and then stay overnight.”
“Kye is just being cautious.”
“Whatever,” Roxie said as she put her now empty bowl on the counter. “I’m going to go see where my husband is. You can introduce Jaden to the rest of your family whenever you’re ready.”
After she left, Leif blew out a breath. “That went better than expected.”
“She seems nice enough,” Jaden said.
“She is, but I can tell she’s getting fed up with us watching her closer than we used to. But because of her pregnancy, that’s the way it has to be for now. Roxie is special and tends to forget sometimes just how special she is. That’s why we are here to protect her.
Shall we go see where the others are?”
“Sure.”
With his arm around her waist, Leif guided her out of the kitchen. He seemed to always want to touch her in some way. Jaden didn’t mind, though. It made her feel wanted. It also made her want him again. Just one little touch and he stirred her body to life. It was almost as if her body was trying to make up for the years of celibacy that had been forced on it.
As if Leif had picked up on her thoughts, his nostrils flared as he stopped her and crowded her until her back hit the wall. Jaden put her arms around his neck when he settled his hands on her hips and lowered his lips to hers. She moaned into his mouth, sucking on his tongue once it pushed past her parted lips. He pulled her closer. She felt the hard ridge of his erection against her stomach.
A loud cough had Leif pulling away from her mouth, but he kept her pressed against the wall with his body. He turned his head to look at the large man who stood a short distance away. Jaden quickly adjusted her glasses that had been knocked askew while Leif had kissed her.
“Can I do something for you, Jager?” Leif asked.
“What is it you always tell Daylen and me when you catch us making out? Oh, yes, I remember now. Why don’t you go get a room?”
So this was the brother Leif had warned her about. Jager was just as tall and muscular. He wore his long hair pulled back in a ponytail. And just like Leif and Saskia, he had model good looks. It made Jaden wonder if the rest of the family had been so lucky in the looks department.
Leif stepped away and pulled her against his side so they stood facing Jager. “I can see you’re going to use this as an excuse to get back at me.”
Jager chuckled. “I wouldn’t pass this up for the world. Payback is a bitch, or so they say.” He then focused his attention on her. “You must be Jaden. I have to tell you I’m happy to see you didn’t hoof Leif’s ass out your door. We’ll now be able to live with him once again.”
“You’re welcome, I guess,” she said softly.
“Come on, then,” Jager said as he nodded toward another part of the house.
“Everyone is waiting to meet her.”
Leif and she fell into step behind Jager as he walked away. Stepping into a large living room that had a big widescreen television against one wall, Jaden found the room full of people. All conversation stopped when they entered.