Willing to Risk

By Karen Curry

Someone was stalking her! He was assigned to protect her. He knew better than to sleep with the client, but the feelings he had for her were not professional.

He had to find her stalker and he was Willing to Risk his life for the chance of a future with her.

Rio was a tough, quiet ex-navy seal. Dr. Bridgette Watson was a super smart college professor and psychiatrist. When their paths cross, they both are instantly attracted to each other. He is her protector. She has a stalker that wants to kill her. They endure tragedy and overcome the odds. They both are Willing to Risk their hearts, futures, even their lives to be together.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Aug 10, 2016
• ISBN: 9781524619336

Karen Curry

Karen lives in one of the suburbs of Illinois. She loves spending time with her grandchildren, children, her English bulldog, Sexxxy and other family members. Reading has always been one of her favorite passions. She takes time to read daily. She enjoys reading the bible, romances, murder mysteries as well as non-fiction and inspirational books. She started writing years ago, but just recently started publishing her works.

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AuthorHouse™

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© 2016 Karen Curry. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse  07/20/2016

ISBN: 978-1-5246-1934-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5246-1933-6 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016911698

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

This book is dedicated to my daughter Beth, and my son Jason. Thank you for your unconditional support and encouragement. Also, thank you Reta and Jo, your encouragement prompted me to publish this one!

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Rio stood at the window looking out at nothing. His mind was elsewhere. He felt dissatisfied with his life at the moment. Dissatisfied and empty.

Rio was a good looking man with high cheek bones and a full mouth, kind of rough around the edges. He was tall and dark. He wasn’t a big talker which added an air of mystery and made him even sexier. He was the type of man that when he entered the room, he commanded attention. This man was ripped with large pecs and wide shoulders. His arms and legs were thick, muscular and solid.

What are you thinking about? Marilyn asked coming out of the bathroom putting on her earrings. You look so deep in thought.

He didn’t bother answering. She wasn’t listening anyway. Same time next week? She asked.

I’ll let you know. He replied not turning from the window. He had to admit it, he was jealous of his friend and partner, Hawk. He and Hawk were partners in a security firm. Hawk was a loud, brash sometimes rude beast married to super model Katrina Deveroux. Hawk and Kat met at a gala and it was love at first sight.

Katrina Deveroux, owner of her own modeling agency, mother of his godchildren. She had a crazed guy following her a while back, before she and Hawk married. She was the most loving, sweet woman in the world. When she and Hawk went through a rough patch early in their marriage, she and Rio became close friends, more like brother and sister. He loved and respected her. Although they hit bumps in the road, Hawk and Kat remained in love and happy.

They recently gave birth to their second child, a beautiful son named Benjamin Johnson III, or Tank as he was generally called. He was built like his dad and looked like a mini tank. Their oldest child was a pretty two-year-old named Angelica. Angelica or Angel as everyone called her had stolen Rio’s heart when he held her and she wrapped her fist around his finger while looking up at him with the prettiest hazel eyes.

Rio found himself longing for what they had. He didn’t have a special woman in his life. He didn’t even know he wanted one until recently.

He and Marilyn had a mutually satisfying arrangement that until recently worked. But lately, he wasn’t into it anymore. Neither of them were looking for a relationship or commitment which is why this worked for them. Marilyn was an investment banker. She was beautiful with long blonde tresses, blue eyes and a body, although surgically enhanced, was dynamite and sexy as hell. She was totally uninhibited in the bedroom, elevator, shower or anywhere else. They got together at least once a week.

Rio was tired of the shallowness. He wanted more, much, much, more. He wasn’t even sure where these feelings were coming from. He wasn’t a one night stand kind of guy, or even a love ’em and leave ’em guy, but he wasn’t a stay and endure guy either. Or maybe he just hadn’t found ‘the one’, his soul mate yet. He dated some, but found he had a hard time staying interested. The women were beautiful, but still something was missing. They either wanted to jump right into marriage, or they wanted him to buy them the moon. He didn’t know how to get to where he wanted to be.

~

As Rio was walking up the sidewalk to the entrance of the building he worked in, someone slammed into him, almost knocking him over.

‘Hey!" He grabbed her arms to keep her from falling. She was short, maybe five feet and weighing a max of one hundred five pounds. She was wearing a fitted black pants suit with a golden yellow shirt. This girl was beautiful and wearing ridiculously high heeled shoes.

Let me go! She yelled squirming in his grasp while trying to hit him. He let her go and she fell on her butt.

Hey! She looked up at him with a frown. Popeye, you didn’t have to let me fall!

You asked me to let you go, so I did. He stuck a hand out to pull her up. Popeye?

She caught his hand and stood before him with her hands on her hips. Have you looked in the mirror? You look like a black Popeye. I can see you have the muscles and I bet you have the tats to go with them. She poked her finger in his arm then his chest raising an eyebrow.

Rio looked down into eyes that were brownish green. She had wild curly auburn hair that looked larger than she was. She really was a tiny little thing. He felt an overwhelming desire to kiss her. She looked more like a teenager than an adult. He had to laugh at her thinking of him as a black Popeye.

She put her hand out. I’m Bridgette Watson.

Rio. He shook her hand. Are you okay?

I’m fine. She responded. I was on my way to school, running late as usual. She continued to babble while Rio just stared at her. Sorry, I ran into you. She apologized. I need to learn to slow down. I had an appointment in this building and had to hurry to get to my class.

Man, she talked a lot. She was like the energizer bunny.

Anyway, I have to get going. She was finally winding down. It was nice to meet you. Bye. She walked off, picking up momentum as she went.

~

Walking into Hawk’s office, Hawk looked up at him and handed him a file. I see you’ve met our new client. Hawk said to him.

What new client? Rio started. Wait, are you talking about that little bundle of energy that almost ran me over? Opening the folder, sure enough there was her face. "We’re taking children on as our clients now? He asked skimming through the file.

She’s a professor at the university. Hawk responded. She’s some type of child brainy-act. She went to Harvard at twelve or thirteen. But she is an adult.

Really? Rio’s eyebrows raised.

She’s twenty-three and scared senseless. She has an unidentified stalker. Put someone on her around the clock. Hawk said. Take the lead on this.

Okay, will do. Rio responded. Once he got to his own office, he studied her file. It seemed pretty cut and dry. Unidentified stalker. Harassing phone calls at all hours; flowers on her front porch; notes on her desk. Rio hated anyone that picked on others. Whoever this was, wasn’t a man. Only a punk could do this. He would enjoy squashing this bug.

As Rio was exiting their office building, he saw a silver BMW going through their parking lot slowly. He picked up his pace to see what was going on. As he walked faster, the BMW sped off.

He would tell security to keep a closer watch on the parking lot. A few days later, Kat mentioned a silver BMW seemed to be following her. She thought maybe she was just being paranoid, but she saw the car outside her agency’s building, at the mall, and again when she was leaving the park with the children. Her first thought was that it might be Richard Wellington.

No one had heard from Wellington in over a year. Wellington shot Hawk before Tank was born. All because Kat was in love with Hawk and had chosen him over Wellington. Hawk was lucky to be walking. Wellington shot him several times, had some goons work him over And dump him in an alley. An old friend of Hawk’s found him, hid him and tried to nurse him back to health, but his injuries were too extensive. Kat’s cousin Steve tracked him down and took him to the hospital. That was when Wellington disappeared.

Because of the bad blood between Hawk and Wellington, Kat came to Rio for help instead of going to Hawk. Rio hoped it wasn’t Wellington and assured Kat he would take care of it.

Rio started following Kat himself. He didn’t tell her and always followed at a safe and undetectable distance. He didn’t tell Hawk what was happening. After a couple of days, he saw the BMW pull out behind Kat. Rio recorded the license plate number with his phone. He turned off of the street and raced to Kat’s building. Driving in the opposite direction of Kat and the BMW, he was able to see that the driver of the BMW was indeed Wellington. Knowing nothing less than killing him would satisfy Hawk, Rio knew he had to take care of this to keep Hawk out of jail. Parking his car, he made a phone call.

Frankie, this is Rio. He began. Our problem has returned. Ending the call, he sat and watched the BMW which had parked outside Kat’s building.

Rio knew Kat was at work he just needed to verify where Hawk was. Calling the office, he was told Hawk was in a meeting with new clients. This left both of them in the clear should the police get involved and alibis were needed.

A short time later, a black Lincoln town car pulled up next to the BMW. A really large man got out of the Lincoln and got in the passenger seat of the BMW. The BMW then pulled off with the Lincoln following. Once they drove off, Rio went inside Kat’s building. He had to establish an alibi for himself if needed, but he had to make it good so Kat wouldn’t get suspicious.

He stopped and got Kat some flowers. When he walked into the reception area, women started coming from every direction surrounding him.

Kat came out of her office smiling. This is like déjàvou. Come on in here.

Rio smiled and handed her the flowers. What’re you doing here? She asked.

I was in the neighborhood and thought I’d surprise the prettiest woman I know with some flowers. He replied. You know I love to make Hawk jealous.

Rio, it’s not that I don’t appreciate the flowers and the visit, but what’s wrong? She asked.

Kat, I’ve been in a rut lately. He