Under Pressure [IAD Agency] (Siren Publishing Classic)

building, and he had even brought over his laptop over to do his own work so he could stay close. She could feel his mercury eyes following her every move as she moved around her kitchen, caressing over her skin, and although it should have made her nervous, she was comforted knowing he was there. She was inordinately pleased with his reaction when she made him taste her practice runs for the upcoming classes.
    They had a developed a comfortable companionship between them even though they had just met. Jason spoke very little, but strangely she felt as if they were meant to be together. It seemed like she had known him forever, and it felt so right that she had a difficult time trusting it.
    Bella sighed as she cleaned. God, she missed Jason terribly. At night he would make love to her gently and hold her close to him until they fell asleep. He held her in his strong arms, making her feel safe, cherished. Even in sleep he tried to protect her, surrounding her like a blanket with a leg thrown over hers and his thick muscular arms trapping her body in his embrace. It was as if his very presence held the nightmares back. While he was gone, she had slept in a shirt that he had left in her apartment just to feel closer to him in his absence.
    He had wanted to cancel his meeting, but she hadn’t let him. It had been their first real fight, but she hadn’t backed down. She couldn’t. It was just a few days, and she was adamant that their relationship would not interfere with his business. He had been plenty pissed at her, but she stood her ground, determined to create some normalcy. To an outsider it would have seemed hilarious, with her petite frame standing there with her hand on her hips while his huge frame stomped around her apartment, kicking her sofa in frustration. Little Bella had weathered the storm of his anger with ease, trying to hold back her smile as he finally conceded.
    Bella had been absolutely shocked when Jason had told her the truth about Mac Securities, IAD, and the work he did. She was even more shocked to know that Sal had been working for IAD overseas and that Tony and Danny had been working for them off and on over the last few years as contractors. She was worried about them doing such dangerous work, but he stressed that they mostly did behind-the-scenes work.
    In a way it didn’t surprise her.
    These men were warriors. It somehow seemed fitting that these rough men protected people from the evil hiding in the shadows. If they could combat terrorists, then they were more than capable of keeping her safe from a stalker.
    Even though he only told her the very basics, Bella was touched that Jason had trusted her with the knowledge of such a large secret. Since his IAD partner was on assignment, he had to go to the meeting. He wasn’t one to share his emotions or thoughts easily, but she knew Jason didn’t want to leave her on Monday morning. His gray eyes had been hard and unreadable, his body tense. He had only left when Sal had showed up to take over watch duty.
    And he had looked back.
    It was as if she had waited her whole life for someone to look back at her the way he had. As if it was physically hurting him to walk away from her.
    And she was no better. She wasn’t used to missing someone so much. She ached to talk to him, to hear his voice, to touch him. The last thing she wanted to do was become some needy woman, but she couldn’t help waiting for his calls. Jason had called her three times on Monday to check up on her and this morning to wish her luck for her first class. The man hadn’t said much, but she was still overjoyed to hear his voice.
    Sal had taken her to her meeting with Jenna at the school on Monday, watching over her like a hawk. He stayed with her, checking out the room where she would be teaching. Bella could tell he wasn’t happy, but after making a few phone calls, several silent men had showed up, placing security equipment around her room and at the exits for her protection. She had told Jenna the basics of what had happened to her, telling her that Mac Securities was now watching over her. Jenna had insisted that she didn’t mind the extra security and was equally as worried for Bella as everyone else.
    As the team put the security system in place, Jenna had watched wide eyed, Bella annoyed. No amount of arguing could persuade Sal that he was being paranoid or that it was overkill. Jenna had actually agreed with Sal, wanting to do whatever was necessary to