Oh God! Someone wanted to hurt his precious baby!

“Guys, I don’t want Gabby uncovered for a single second,” JC ordered the security team.

“We hear you, C,” Lonnie assured him. Even he had become fond of the little princess JC had married.

“If anything happens to her...” JC thought he was going to be sick. He could deal with threats on himself. Gabby was so innocent and open... “Oh, God...”

“Don’t you worry. No one is getting passed me.”

“And don’t say anything to her. I don’t want her upset by this. I just hope to hell this person can be caught.”

“Our eyes’ll be wide open for trouble.”

“Thanks.”

“Joshua, do we require so many body guards?” Gabby asked as they prepared to step out on the carpet.

“We’re first out, so we get the entourage.” He lied easily for her protection.

“Besides, the losers of the toss get to go with the others. We get to go with you.” Lonnie said to Gabby.

Gabby hugged the big man’s arm. “You are very sweet – and maybe a liar, non?”

Lonnie chuckled and patted her hand.

JC relaxed but only marginally. Lonnie would never let anyone hurt Gabby. The two had a real affection for one another. Lonnie had admired her spunk when she had taken that hit from Von Hatten all those months ago. Gabby never knew how ungently the bodyguard had escorted the prince to the lobby.

Taking a deep breath, JC reached for his wife’s hand. He nodded to the men and they began to move forward.

The typical screams were heard. “JC, I love you!” and “JC, over here!” They thundered around them, but Gabby saw little past the tall, wide men surrounding the couple.

“JC! How could you marry that foreign whore?” The shrill, female cry chilled Gabby’s blood. That was no ordinary fan!

Lonnie moved away and Mike immediately moved up to take his place as the couple was hustled forward to the safety of the building. The banshee wails of the woman rang in their ears until the heavy security door slammed closed.

“Thank God!” JC took his first deep breath since the horror had begun.

They were quickly escorted to a lounge with only one entrance. This was where they would await the others. JC nodded to Mike and the big man left them alone. He said nothing; he merely wrapped himself around his wife trying to absorb her beneath his skin.

“Mon cheri?” Gabby ventured.

“Shh...just let me hold you,” he whispered in her hair. “Hold me.”

She held him close, feeling his still wild heart beat. What exactly had happened?

After some time, Lonnie stepped in and said, “It’s over, C.”

JC nodded, not releasing his hold on Gabby. “Thanks.”

“I am not an imbecile child, Joshua!” Gabby scolded, pushing at his chest to gain her release. “I demand to know what is going on.”

With a sigh of defeat, he nodded. “I guess now that it’s over...”

“What is over?”

“We got a nasty note this afternoon. It implied a threat to you,” Lonnie answered. “She made her move. We took care of it. You were never in any real danger...”

“That creature who screamed?”

“She’s in police custody now.”

“Mon dieu!” Gabby crossed herself and slumped back against JC.

“You’re okay now, baby. I wouldn’t let anything happen to you. You gotta know that,” JC assured her.

Gabby merely nodded.

“We had your back every step of the way, Gabby,” Lonnie told her.

Pulling away from JC, she crowded against Lonnie and was nearly lost when his huge arms closed around her in a secure hug. He patted her head awkwardly. “You’re okay now, little girl. Lonnie wouldn’t fail you.”

“Non, he never would,” she mumbled against his broad chest.

“I gotta get back out there.” Lonnie handed her back to JC as others started entering the lounge.

“Josh, might I have a private moment with you?” Gabby asked after awhile, looking up at him beseechingly.

“There’s not a lot of privacy to be had.....”

“S’il tu plait?”

Even in French he could hear the edge of panic in her voice. “Gabby?”

“I need to be alone with you. I have no care whether it be a storeroom–“

JC lowered his mouth over hers, intending only to comfort her. He was surprised at the fierceness in which she responded. “Gabs!” He tore his lips from hers.

“I need you alone.”

Now, he understood. “I’ll see what I can do.”

Gabby watched as her husband spoke to a stranger who handed JC a ring of keys. She saw him nod and mouth ‘thank you’. On his return, she allowed herself to be towed through the group of people to a narrow hallway.

“He saw what happened. He thinks you just want to be held because you’re upset.”

“He’s right. There is nothing more life affirming than making love, non?”

JC came to a door at the end of the hall and unlocked it. “He said it used to be an office. It’s mostly storage...”

It was small, dusty and dark. Flipping the light switch only partially helped the dark issue. It seemed only one bulb worked.

Gabby leaned back against the door and locked it. “Come here, mon amant,” she commanded huskily. She reached for his zipper, his manly bulge ready to escape its confines. “It is fortunate for me you are, how you say, ‘easy,’” she remarked as she unsnapped his jeans and lowered the zipper.

“Yeah, with you I am easy. How about you?” JC slid his hand beneath her little tank top and slid the cups of her bra up to bare her breasts for his caress. He squeezed them gently and delicately pinched her nipples.

“I am no challenge tonight. I want you inside of me – now!”

Leaving her breasts, his hands traveled south under her short skirt. Shoving the center panel of her silk underwear to one side, he found her wet and ready. “Mmm...baby, I want me some of that,” he growled against her neck.

“It is all yours.”

JC pushed down his jeans and shorts. Lifting her against the door, he eased into her waiting heat.

“Mmm...you feel so big and delicious,” Gabby purred.

He smiled. “Delicious is a good word, baby.”

Gabby nibbled and sucked at his throat. “Mon cheri, our time is short...”

“Baby...” He began thrusting into her hard and deep.

“Oh, oui, Josh!” she whispered fiercely. Spearing her fingers into his thick hair, she brought his mouth to hers so they could taste each other's whimpers, gasps and moans.

God, she was wild for him! JC thought as she pushed her hips into him on his return stroke. He wasn’t going to last long the way she was clenching him within her walls. He couldn’t recall Gabby every being like this. Fear and adrenaline must be an aphrodisiac. Feeling her tighten around him even more, he realized she was ready. His strokes came harder and faster, her nails biting into his scalp as she shook. One last thrust and he delivered his seed within her.

Gabby pulled her mouth from his to suck in oxygen.

JC dropped his forehead to her shoulder as he panted. “Damn, baby!” he muttered.

“We are good at how you say ‘quickies,’” she mused, her smile clear in her voice.

He eased her feet to the floor, rearranging her clothes, then his. “We’re good at making love to each other,” he corrected.

“You realize, this may not have been the smartest thing we’ve ever done. You get all sleepy and sweet after we make love. We got hours to go.”

Gabby reached up to trace his lips. “Then you shall have to think of some distraction to keep me awake, oui?”

He grinned. “Oh, yeah!”

JC studied the list of items each team had to collect. “One is a sure thing,” he murmured.

“What is that?” Gabby asked.

“A princess.”

“That means we’d better keep an eye on Gabby.” Joey stated. “I wouldn’t put it past Justin to snatch her.”

“Kidnap me?” Gabby shot a panicked look at her husband.

“That’s not happening, baby,” JC assured her. “Somebody got handcuffs?” he called out.

From somewhere a pair of cuffs with keys was produced. JC fastened one ring around his left wrist and the other around Gabby’s right wrist. “They might try to carry her off, but they’ll have to take me, too,” he announced to his wife. “Lance, you keep the keys.”

It was nearing sunrise when the two teams came back together. The other team was ahead, not by much. Gabby leaned sleepily against JC as Lance unlocked the handcuffs. It had been difficult to keep up with her long-legged husband all night – and JC, once focused on the hunt, forgot a smaller person was attached. Once they were no longer chained together, JC put his arms around her, nuzzling her.

“Time to take our princess home, I think,” he murmured.

“Je suis tres fatigue.”

Okay, he decided fatigue meant she was tired. “You look whipped, baby.”

She merely nodded.

Scooping her up, JC carried her to their car and deposited her on the seat. Once he climbed behind the wheel, she cuddled against him, her eyes closed. He didn’t bother to remind her about her seatbelt. He simply put his arm around her to hold her close. Damned if she wasn’t the sweetest bit of fluff when she wanted to be! Adorable. Tempting. Sweet. Giving. He only kidded himself when he told himself he didn’t need her love, that he was content with her desire – not when he loved her more with every day that passed. Gabby never talked about love. JC didn’t know how his princess wife truly felt about him.