Simple Treasures

By Alexa Bourne

Take-charge bodyguard Colin Munro believes working for the International Protective Network will be the perfect occupation for him. Unfortunately, his trial assignment is protecting a woman who has no intention of blindly following orders. Aye, he’ll bring the bonnie lass in line because there’s no way he’ll allow her to ruin his chance of securing his dream job.

Physically and emotionally scarred during her stint as a U.S. soldier, Joanna Grainger wants nothing more than to enjoy life. New Year's Eve in Edinburgh marks the beginning of her transformation. But when she witnesses a crime no one believes occurred, her plans come to a screeching halt. To make matters worse, her sexy but headstrong bodyguard has no compassion for her or the victim.

As danger hunts them during one of the busiest times of the year, Joanna must convince Colin she's a worthy partner. But first, can she convince herself?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Decadent Publishing
• Release date: Dec 24, 2012
• ISBN: 9781613334409

Alexa Bourne

Alexa Bourne is a teacher by day and a romance writer by nights, weekends, and all school holidays. She also teaches online classes for writers throughout the year. She writes romantic suspense and contemporary romance for Decadent Publishing and is thrilled to have the chance to share her love of Great Britain with readers everywhere. When she's not concocting sinister plots and steamy love scenes or traveling and exploring new cultures, Alexa spends her time reading, watching brainless TV and thinking about exercising. She loves to interact with readers, so visit her web page, hang out at her blog, follow her on Twitter or drop her a note at : www.alexabourne.com or http://alexabourne.blogspot.com, http://www.facebook.com/AuthorAlexaBourne or follow her on Twitter @AlexaBourne.

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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Simple Treasures

Smashwords Edition

Copyright © 2012 by Alexa Bourne

ISBN: 978-1-61333-440-9

Cover art by Mina Carter

All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work, in whole or in part, in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.

Published by Decadent Publishing Company, LLC

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~Dedication~

For Deb Yates. Thank you for your pom-poms, a swift kick in the arse, and the wisdom to know which one I needed on which day!

Chapter One

Colin Munro didn’t know which knife to worry about more, the one pointed at his throat or the one at his crotch.

You’ve got ten seconds to tell me who the hell you are, or I start slicing, the woman threatened.

He glanced into her stormy dark eyes. Joanna Grainger. The lass he’d been sent to keep safe.

Aye, but who would protect him?

Take care where you move those blades. Of course, he wasn’t terribly worried. If he needed to, he could easily disarm her. She stood about five foot six without the high heels she’d been wearing when she’d first entered her flat.

I’m the one giving orders here. The steel at his neck pushed a bit closer to his Adam’s apple.

I don’t think so. Colin smacked her arms, snatched the blades from her fingers with one hand, and pushed her back to the wall. The picture frame close to her head shook, but he hadn’t shoved with nearly as much force as he could have. He pinned both her wrists to the wall above her head. I’m Colin Munro, and I’m here to protect you.

I don’t remember asking anyone for help. She brought her knee up for a perfect shot to his groin, but he shifted in time to get his family jewels out of the way.

You didn’t, but Heather Winchester did. He imagined she could be quite bonnie when she wasn’t scowling or threatening him.

The name of her university mate drew those big brown eyes wide for a moment. Heather? She dropped her leg, leaving her navy skirt sitting crooked on slim hips.

Aye. Heather called Russell MacLeod of the International Protective Network this morning, explained you’d witnessed a crime, and she was worried about you. She thought you might need protection. They gave the job to me.

She narrowed her gaze on him. Why should I believe you?

Because if I were here to kill you, you’d already be dead. Taking a step back, he tossed the blades to the coffee table. The sound of the metal scattering across the wood charged into the silence of the room. Her back, he noticed, stayed against the wall.

His chest tightened. No one deserved to live in fear.

What did Heather tell you about me?

Colin moved away, wandering into the living room, but kept her in the corner of his sights. He fingered the flimsy curtain covering the window. Her flat was on the fourth floor, with no fire escape and only the stairs at the front. No unmarked car sat in the street below. From what he could tell at the moment, no one spied on her. She said you came back from Glenhalish on the early train today. During the ride, you witnessed a man being beaten, and you’re frightened the attacker will come after you.

Anything else?

You told security, and they called in the police, who apparently didn’t believe you. They took your statement, probably patted you on the shoulder, and shoved you out the door.

I know what I saw. I’m not crazy. She fisted her hands and tightened her jaw.

For her second sentence, he would have to reserve judgment. But he’d done his homework and checked up on her. Single, twenty-five—an American student on an exchange program. She’d been in the US military for four years and used their GI Bill to help finance her education once she received her honorable discharge. Serious, studious with a 3.2 grade point average in her university program. This woman wasn’t the type to make up a story for attention. If anything, she seemed more determined to blend into the crowd.

She shivered and shook her head. I should’ve stayed in Glenhalish through the rest of the week.

Why’d you come back?

I’d made plans to be in Edinburgh for New Year’s. She wrapped her arms around her midriff. A plain, white button-down shirt accentuated the curve of her breasts. So much for celebrating.

It’ll be all right. Colin walked toward her and reached for her shoulder, intending to offer a bit of comfort.

Before he could touch her, she knocked his hand away. More strands of her brown hair loosened from the clip she wore atop her head. Every well-toned limb stiffened, and those dark-as-midnight eyes narrowed again.

Lass, I know we’ve only just met, but I am on your side.

Her chin rose. Do you have any proof you work for the International Protective Network?

Bugger. No, he didn’t because technically he wasn’t an employee yet. He was the brand-new recruit of one of the world’s best bodyguard agencies, and she was his special assignment. He reached into his coat pocket.

She shifted toward the blades.

Easy. Slowly, he pulled his mobile phone free and held it out to her. If you still doubt me, give Heather a ring.

She nodded. "I will, but with my phone." In a flash, she maneuvered around him and reached toward the coffee table. He doubted she even realized it, but her hand shook.

Colin grabbed her wrist gently. Something sparked beneath his skin and made his fingers tingle. Joanna sucked in a quick breath.

Be careful you don’t touch those blades again, aye?

While she called her friend, he assessed the situation. Pressure fell on his shoulders with the lass. Part of him wondered if the owners were testing him, to see if he could be good enough for the International Protective Network. He’d been in Edinburgh for his final interview and had planned to head home to Thurso this afternoon when the owners had called him back. They’d offered him a position on the Edinburgh team if he could do one little favor for them.

Aye, he’d take