Chapter One

Two years after marrying, Abby gave Cole a son, Kade Thomas, and then two years later, a daughter, Samantha Nicole. Over the next thirty years they watched their children grow. Samantha became a successful lawyer and Kade... Well, Kade followed in the male Taggert tradition. After recieving his military training and becomeing an expert in survival, hand to hand combat, weapons, demolition, and military tatics, he left the service to become a mercenary. It seemed as if Kade had everything he wanted. He had a career in which he loved and a family that love him. But, there was something missing.

Often he watched his parents as they moved about the bar and their house just blocks away from it. He saw the love they shared and it made him feel an ache of longing in his chest. He knew what that something, that longing ache was. He had dated and bedded several women, but none of them held his attention past the light of day. He wanted someone he thought more of than just a play toy to amuse his nights with. He wanted a woman who would steal his heart and never return it. He wanted a life with all the extras: a loving, doting wife; a house in which she would make a home; his children that she had bore; a dog; a cat; everything that went with a story book family. But mostly, he wanted a woman he couldn't bare to live without. He wanted a marriage just like his parents.

Kade sat behind the large maghony desk in the upstairs office of Taggert's Bar and Grill. He listened intently to the voice on the other end of the phone. The man was begging..., no pleading with Kade to save his daughter. "Please," pleaded the voice of Judge Warren Mitchel, "she's my only daughter. You've got to get her away from her kidnappers. They've demanded a ransom, three in fact, and I've paid all three. But still, they refuse to give her back. Please Mr. Taggert, you've got to bring her back home. My wife and I are grieved with worry." "Alright," Kade finally said. A twing of guilt flowing through him as he chide himself for almost telling this man "no".

One week later, Kade and his band of mercenaries, ten in all, found themselves outside of a small hut in the backwoods of Lousiana. Inside, they could hear the cries of a woman as begged to be let free. "Oh, my dear," a man's voice boomed, "just as soon as you're father has given us the last of his money and..." the voice laughed momentarily, "and then his life." "No," she screamed, "not my father." "Yes, your father," the voice continued. "It was he who sentenced my brother to death, so now he will pay for it with his own life."

On the count of three, Kade and his band of mercenaries broke through the door and captured the four men holding Lily Mitchel hostage. Searching the room, Kade saw the huddled figure of a woman in the far corner. Once the kidnappers had been taken from the room, Kade walked over to the huddled woman. Sitting crossed legged on the floor a few feet from her, he softly spoke. "You're alright Miss Mitchel. My name is Kade Taggert and these are my men. Your father, Judge Warren Mitchel hired us to rescue you." He watched as she brushed a strand of strawberry blonde hair out from in front her sky blue eyes. Fear shown in her eyes as he extended his large, rough hand out to her. Slowly and carefully, she placed her dainty, smaller one into his. "Thank you," she barely audible whispered as they stood up together. Once at her full height of five foot five she again said thanked him.

Two days later, Lily sat in her father's small home office watching as her father paid Kade Taggert handsomely for her save return. "My wife and I," she heard her father say, "are very excited that you returned our daughter to us safe and sound. We just can't think of any other way to thank you. Honetly, I don't feel that the money is enough." "It's more than enough," Kade's husky voice said. "I'm just glad that we were able to return her safe."

Lily watched as the tall, six foot two inch man stand before the desk. She felt so small just being in his presence. His large muscled chest trailed down to a smaller, yet still large waist. His tight fitting jeans strained to hide the well endowed package between his legs. Tuffs of curly sandy blonde hair stuck out above his muscle shirt. His large arms and chest rippled with muscles. She watched as this man turned to face her. His unruly sandy blonde hair going in every direction as his sapphire blue eyes gazed her body. He reminded her of a pictures she had seen of the Roman and Greek gods as they sat high in their home above the clouds. This rugid looking man seemed to steal her very breath, just by looking at her.

"I hope that you are able to move on, Miss Mitchel," he said, holding out his hand. Lily shook it as he continued to say, "A woman as beautiful as you deserves to have everything she wants out of life." Lily felt her heart melt as this man talked to her so softly as he even more gently shook her small, dainty hand with his large, rougher one. Their eyes locked on each others and seemed to refuse to release the stare. "Thank you," she said, feeling a rush of heat surging through her body. She felt her cheeks go red as a wave of heat rushed to her womanhood. She could fell herself immediately moistening between her legs just from his touch. She realized that the nervous shaking that she was feeling wasn't coming from her, but from this massive man. She knew that he too could feel the sexaul attraction between them.

"Oh, Mr. Taggert," her father's voice broke in. "There is one other thing I wanted to talk to you about." Lily and Kade released their soft, almost non touching grip, but their sexauliy heated stare contiuned. "I would like to hire you as Lily's personal body guard," Warren's voice said. Lily and Kade both turned to face the older man. "I mean it. It is obvious that she needs protecting and who better than the man who rescued her." Kade's voice sounded guff as he protested. "Surely you want someone else. I'm not a bodyguard, Mr. Mitchel. I'm a mercenary for hire. I don't know when I'll be called out again, nor how long I'll be gone." "I'll met any price, Mr. Taggert," her father continued pleading. "Please..., she needs the best."

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It's only funny until someone gets hurt, then it's hilarious!