Book 5 - Her Forever Hero
J.M. Madden
When the boss’s pregnant, unwed daughter needs rescuing, disabled Marine Grafton Parks proves he’s still a hero
Kendall Herrington is drawn to her handsome new security guard, prosthetic hand and all. The man is totally wrong for her, but on a lonely Christmas night, in a wine-laden effort to get him out of her system, she gives into her body’s demands. She regrets her actions almost immediately and tries to rebuild her defenses.
Former Marine Grafton Parks knows Kendall Herrington is pregnant; she’s just too stubborn to admit it to herself. But the luscious woman better come to her senses soon, because the board won’t allow an unwed, pregnant female to run the multi-billion dollar Herrington Corporation. Even if she is the boss’s daughter.
As they struggle to come to terms with each other, an unexpected danger threatens their very lives. Will they survive long enough for him to be...Her Forever Hero?
Dedication
This is dedicated to all active duty and former service members who have given their time and energy in any capacity to protecting our shores. We love you and value you, and appreciate everything you’ve done.
May you and your families be blessed and stay safe. And always have love in your hearts!
Chapter 1
She was about to spew.
Grif watched uptight and luscious Kendall Herrington try to control her nausea in the midst of the board meeting around her. She had done pretty well for the last few minutes, but he’d memorized every expression on her cool, smooth face, and knew she had about reached her breaking point.
Now, the conundrum was, did he help her out by interrupting this volatile meeting so that she didn’t have to? He could slip up behind her, whisper into the delicate curve of her ear some falsely important message and escort her out of the room. It would look legitimate and would save her image. She could step into her office, use her private bathroom and these stuffed shirts would be none the wiser.
Her full lips compressed and her pale eyes glazed over as the man to her right tried to hammer home his point.
No more time.
Stepping forward, deliberately in front of the shark beside her, he leaned down into her space. Her wide green eyes fluttered shut as he whispered into her ear. “You should probably step out before you compromise yourself.”
Her eyes opened and she gave him a sharp look, but nodded her head. Pushing to her feet, she addressed the table. “Gentlemen, excuse me for a moment please. I have an issue I need to deal with.”
A couple of them shook their heads, as if they couldn’t believe there was anything of more importance than what they were talking about. Her father shot her a look, both concerned and aggravated, but nodded her away.
As she walked the length of the table to the opposite end of the room, Grif hoped he was the only one who noticed how shaky she was on her too-tall boots. As soon as the door closed behind them, he gripped her elbow in his hand to help her down the hallway, but she pulled away. “I’m fine, just a little nauseous. Must have been something I ate.”
Right. Something you ate. Or was it something you screwed? The woman had to be delirious if she didn’t realize she was pregnant.
The staff at Herrington Limited were bustling, knowing that every major stockholder in the company sat in the boardroom just a few feet away for the quarterly meeting. Nobody said a word to the boss’s daughter as she headed purposefully down the hallway to her office. Grif fell in a step behind her, eyes roving over everything yet focused on her. Kendall’s secretary was not at her desk when they walked in, so she crossed to her office. As soon as she made it inside, she all but ran to the private bathroom, slamming the heavy oak door shut behind her. Grif let her have her privacy, though it hurt him to hear her retching inside. Her phone started to ring, but he let voicemail grab it, moving to stand at the wide windows across the way.
Snow swirled outside, calling for him to come out and play. With the way things were going in the boardroom, though, he’d be here for several more hours before he would be able to relax.
And did he really have the right to play if Kendall was pregnant?
The toilet flushed in the bathroom and he heard water running into the sink. She would walk out of that bathroom beautiful and as put together as always, as if the last ten minutes had never happened. It was one of the things he admired about her, that iron spirit.
It was also one of the things he hated.
Vail was one of the most beautiful cities in the country, maybe even the world, and she wouldn’t even look out the window. If it didn’t have a spreadsheet or prospectus attached to it, she wouldn’t give it a glance.
The door opened and she stepped out.
Grif couldn’t even tell she’d been sick; the only indication a slight narrowing of her pale eyes. Her long, blond hair had been wrapped into a damn knot low on her neck, away from her face. He hated those things, because it was the only way he’d seen her wear her hair here. Only once had he ever seen it down. It had hung in a mess of unbelievable curls almost down to her waist.
The knots she tamed her hair into did highlight the perfection of her bone structure. Women spent millions chasing the high cheekboned, lean-jawed, full-lipped look Kendall had made her career from, but didn’t appreciate. She had been a runway model in every country of the world, but her passion was the family business. Real estate. And timber.
He shook his head.
“Something wrong, Mr. Parks?”
Her cool whiskey voice broke into his thoughts and brought his gaze to hers. She stared at him, as if daring him to bring up the incident in the bathroom. “No, ma’am. Glad to see you looking more like yourself.”
Her eyes flickered and looked away. She smoothed her elegant hands over the sleek column of her black slacks, adjusting the fit, and took a deep breath. “Well, then, we’ve wasted enough time. Let’s get back to it.”
Grif almost laughed out loud. The way she said the words it sounded like she’d left the meeting and puked her guts out to appease a whim of his.
Whatever.
When she re-entered the boardroom, all eyes lifted to her; some angry, some relieved, others ambivalent. Whether she took over the company for her ailing father or not was the hot topic right now and she couldn’t appear weak in front of the nay-sayers. Kendall Herrington hadn’t had the chance to be groomed for the company at her father’s knee like some other men were, because of a nasty divorce when she’d been a child. Her mother had moved the two of them to New York, where she’d had the best of everything…schools, nannies. It was where she’d gotten into modeling.
It wasn’t until Kendall was a teenager that her father started to be a more vital part of her life. Her passion for the family business had competed with her desire to please her mother by being one of the premiere models in the industry. Grif wasn’t ashamed to admit he’d gazed at her magazine pictures a little longer than strictly needed.
But that successful modeling career made these men believe that she wouldn’t be a good fit for the company. He hated the way they fought everything she said. She had legitimate, progressive, environmentally friendly ideas for taking over the company, but these old codgers didn’t think she could do it. They were much more comfortable with her father. When old man Herrington manned the wheel with Kendall as his second, things flowed smoothly. But they didn’t have the faith in her to navigate the Herrington ship through treacherous economical waters alone. She’d done a good job with her father backing her up. Now that he was almost completely out of the picture though, she struggled to maintain her course.
Because they refused to support her.
As he moved to stand against the wall, his eyes drifted down the length of the table to her primary competition, Hunter Groves. Hunter seemed concerned and solicitous until Kendall’s back turned. Grif didn’t miss the glint of enjoyment that flashed through his cunning eyes.
Now, if only Kendall would see it.
For some reason she had a glaring blind-spot where he was concerned. Grif knew they’d grown up together, almost as close as brother and sister. When he’d first scouted the job he discovered they had dated years ago, but both seemed to know it felt wrong. If they were at loose ends they escorted each other to parties, but the practice had begun to fall away. Hunter very rarely seemed to be without an escort.
Which made Grif happy. He didn’t know if he could tolerate Hunter being near her.
Kendall forced her eyes away from her distracting bodyguard standing so stalwart against the wall. His hands were clasped in front of himself and for a minute she couldn’t remember which one was the prosthetic. He wore black leather gloves to conceal both hands, she assumed for some tactical advantage.
His right hand was the fake one. She’d seen it a time or two when they were traveling. He’d worn a shirt the night they’d… No. Not thinking about that right now.
It was no surprise she couldn’t tell his two hands apart. They behaved exactly the same way. The prosthetic was able to move like his good hand, and she’d never seen him fumble anything. To a regular bystander, he seemed normal.
When her father had contracted with Lost And Found Investigative Service to hire her a bodyguard team after a recent issue with an old stalker, she’d laughed in disbelief. The man had already been jailed, but her father had been adamant. “You never know what kind of crazies are out there. Besides, you’re part of a well-known family.”
She’d shaken her head. “They’re disabled.”
It was a good thing she wasn’t actually in danger, otherwise she’d have been pissed that he hadn’t hired her the best. But he’d promised her that the former Marines were more than good enough.
Kendall had fumed, but easing her father’s mind right then was more important than anything she wanted to argue about. She’d given in, reluctantly.
The two former Marines had moved into the condo next door, rotating twelve hour shifts. If they weren’t actually in the condo with her, they were watching the cameras that had been installed around her fifth floor unit. The scrutiny made her feel claustrophobic, but it seemed to take some of the worry from her father’s eyes.
As she tried to concentrate on the business in front of her, she kept Parks in her peripheral vision. She had to acknowledge that he seemed more than qualified to her now. She’d had bodyguards before, many times, but none of them had inspired the same feeling of calm in every situation that Parks did. He wasn’t hulking, like some of the men she’d used before, but solid. She stood six one with her heels on, and he was a little taller. Yes, he outweighed her by probably a hundred pounds, but the bulk seemed necessary for his frame.
Man, that suit fit him like it had been painted on.
She blinked, realizing she’d missed part of the conversation. This bug had gotten her down, and she needed to shake it off. Maybe she needed to take the time to go to the doctor.
The meeting continued on until her father pushed slowly to his feet. “Gentlemen, and Kendall, I believe we should break for now. We’ll vote on my successor at the next quarterly meeting. You have the information you need to decide in front of you. Take the files with you and study them at home. We’ll resume talks in April. Have a good weekend, gentlemen.”
Hunter pushed away from the table. “Thank you, Frank. I have a date to get to.”
He winked at the men around him, gathering chuckles. Kendall tried not to wince at the blatant double standard. If she’d said the same thing, they’d have all blustered and complained about her not being a positive representative for the company.
But, no. Boys would be boys.
Hunter’s father Roger sat at the opposite end of the table with a frown on his face. Didn’t look like he liked the way his son left the meeting, either.
She pushed to her feet along with the others and circled the table to her father. Anxiety clutched at her insides as she took in the lines on his face. This had been a long meeting.
“Is Charles coming for you, Dad?”
He smiled at her and waved a hand. “Of course. I told him to just wait downstairs until I get there.”
Kendall watched her father move, wishing she could give him twenty of her years. Frank Herrington had been a force to be reckoned with until a series of heart attacks earlier this year had set the timber man on his heels. After a triple bypass and rehab he’d bounced back, but the effort had cost him. When he’d called her three months ago to ask her if she wanted to be considered to take over the company, she’d been surprised that he would be handing over the reins so soon, but she’d understood. She’d accepted the challenge on the spot and moved from acquisitions to management, learning directly from him. Then she’d started to actively lobby for her position in the company.
Her father had other concerns, too. His current wife Deedra had proven just as high maintenance as Kendall had predicted. Sometimes she wondered if the woman was trying to put her father in the grave with her reckless activities. Flirting with men half her age, causing trouble with the married women in town. Unfortunately, her father turned a blind eye to Deedra’s antics. He proclaimed himself smitten. Again.
Kendall wondered if she would ever know the feeling. Unable to help herself, her eyes flicked to Parks. She flushed when she realized he already stared at her with heat in his eyes.
She needed to pull her father aside and ask him to have Parks reassigned. The man put her off balance. She needed all her concentration right now to deal with the company. Yes, he’d saved her bacon today, because she would have tried to tough the situation out. But that didn’t mean he could look at her like he knew her body better than she did.
Her father grabbed his briefcase, then his fleece-lined Burberry trench coat. He turned back long enough to press a kiss to her forehead. “You’re doing fine, Kendall. Don’t let them rattle you.”
She allowed herself to sag against him, just the tiniest bit, before he pulled away. “I know. I just wish all of this were over.”
He grinned at her and she was reminded how handsome he still was, years past his prime. Thick gray hair, flashing green eyes so similar to her own. “It will be soon. Your position is all but secured. These old coots may bluff and bluster, but you have a proven, money making track record. You’re a shoo-in.”
Kendall wished she had the same faith in herself he did, but that would be so far from the truth. Yes, she could act her ass off, but deep inside she floundered. Her father winked at her as he walked out the door.
“Parks, don’t let her work too long.”
“Yes, sir.”
Kendall blinked, unsure she’d heard her father correctly. Did he actually make a joke to the guard about her? She glanced at her security and had to catch her breath.
Grafton Parks was a gorgeous distraction, but when he smiled he became downright deadly to her peace of mind. His variegated hazel blue eyes lightened and his hard lipped mouth softened. Their eyes connected and a shiver shuddered down her spine. She forced herself to turn away, feeling light headed. The man was dangerous to her psyche. She’d already made one mistake because of him. She would not make another.
Kendall gathered her folder and headed to her office. She sat down at the computer and pressed the power key.
“Your father said not to work too long.”
She flicked him a glance but continued what she had started. “Yes, and he also said my position is all but secured. I’ll work, thank you for your concern.”
“Ms. Herrington,” he drawled, “I think you should reevaluate your decision. You were sick less than an hour ago.”
Kendall blinked, but waved a hand, determined not to be swayed. “I’m fine. It must have just been something from lunch that didn’t agree with me.”
She felt him move closer but refused to look up at him.
“You didn’t eat anything for lunch. You know that.”
She sighed, exasperated. “Then it must be a bug or something. It’s none of your concern.”
He moved to the front of her desk and leaned close, forcing her to look at him.
“You’re pregnant.”
Her hands stuttered on the keys and her heart stopped. No. It couldn’t be. Her eyes latched onto his, straight in front of her. He seemed deadly serious. “I’m not pregnant!”
He lifted one black brow, and crossed his arms over his massive chest. Then he stared at her, waiting.
Kendall pulled her organizer across the desk and leafed through, looking for the little marks she used to indicate her period. Then she counted.
And finally swayed in her chair. He could be right.
Parks moved without sound, swinging her chair around and pressing her head down to her knees. “Now, take it easy. You’re fine. Breathe. Breathe, Kendall.”
His rough voice was a balm to her emotions and his hand on her back so soothing. Too soothing. But she couldn’t make herself pull away.
Frantic thoughts ricocheted through her mind. A baby? Seriously? How the hell was she supposed to take care of a baby right now? Her life was devoted to the company. She didn’t have time to ski down the mountain, let alone take care of a child.
Wait. Maybe she wasn’t pregnant. She lifted her head. “There’s a chance I’m not. I mean, it was just the one time and we took care of stuff. It’s not possible for me to be pregnant.”
She hated the way he lifted that black brow at her, as if she were a damn simpleton burying her head in the sand. But he nodded to her once. “We can get you a test. Then we’ll know for sure.”
Tears pressed at her eyelids. She forced herself to pull away from his comforting touch to face her desk. Everything had blurred in front of her and she doubted she’d be able to type two words together. Emails needed responded to. The secretary’s to-do list needed compiled. She needed to study the prospectus again to be ready for next week.
Kendall shoved away from the desk and paced across to the floor to ceiling windows. Night had fallen in the ultra-exclusive ski resort town. Christmas lights twinkled, though the holiday had passed weeks ago. They’d stay up all year long, just to perpetuate the dream of the holiday. She pressed her hand to the glass, overwhelmed with the need to be outside. Giving Parks a glance, she grabbed her purse from the cubby in her desk and snatched her coat from the tree. Barely taking the time to lock her door, she sailed down the hallway. Rather than be halted at the elevator, she pushed through the adjacent door and carefully clacked down the stairway in her boots.
She didn’t even have to look to know that Parks was behind her. The only time he slowed her down was just before she passed through the revolving front door and into the cold of the night. He guided her to a secondary, less-used door and exited ahead of her. Kendall allowed herself to reach out and touch his back. Her fist curled into the fabric of his suit jacket and she gasped, desperate for air, until he gave way and let her through. Staggering to the wall of the building, she leaned against it and dragged the bracingly cold night into her lungs. The blind panic began to ease and her head began to clear.
“I can’t be pregnant,” she gasped.
He squeezed her shoulder. “We’ll figure it out.”
Kendall floated through the night in a haze. She wanted wine, but didn’t know if that would be wise, considering. Parks left without a word and Calvert took over the night shift.
She debated calling her father, but that would be incredibly unfair. He wanted a grandchild, desperately, and something this momentous, that had her emotions so off-kilter, was bound to slip out. Parks had promised to grab a test for her in the morning so that she didn’t have to go out and hope not to be recognized. It was bad enough he would be going, because the two of them had been linked for weeks now. Paparazzi still considered her a marketable commodity, just like everyone else in the world. Though she’d been working for her father for the past two years, her previous career had been momentous.
When the former Marine had first started, there’d been pictures of them in every magazine and rag imaginable. They were a striking couple, she had to admit. Calvert didn’t receive the same exposure because he preferred night shift, but there’d been a few pictures of him as well. And while the shorter, stockier built blond with the easy smile was good looking in his own way, her eyes were always drawn to Parks, with his springy black hair and knowing eyes. It was ridiculous how in-tune her body seemed to be with his. Men taller than her were few and far between.
Needing to do something, she crossed to the freezer, praying that the maid had restocked.
“Oh, yes.”
Snatching a spoon from the silverware drawer, she crossed to the overstuffed chair against the far window. Falling into the softness, she tugged the lid off the carton of classic vanilla bean, sighing in pleasure as the first bite melted in her mouth. Perfect.