Page 9 of Billionaire Bodyguard Summer

“Where are you going? I’ll go with you.”

“You can’t. It’s a…client.”

His eyes bulge wide, nostrils flare, and then he’s on his feet, straight-backed. “You can’t,” he blurts. “It’s not safe.” He lays his big hands on my shoulders. He keeps his touch soft. He’s always gentle with me. Unless I beg him not to be.

“Like hell I can’t.”

“They’re paying me to guard you.”

“You’repaying them to pay you to guard me.” I see him regret his honesty. He’s always been above board with me. I’ve always used it against him.

“I’ll keep my distance. I won’t get out of the car. Mia, just let me stay near you. They could have killed you last night.”

“Sure. Or they were trying to killyou. And I would have been collateral damage. Maybe you’re the real danger.”

His face collapses. I’m beating down every delicate nerve of his I can to get the upper hand, and I hate myself for it.

I step into him and wrap my arms around his middle, and all the stress leaves his face, replaced by lust. My face flushes, and the heat in my belly screams.I want him, too.

But I can’t. I have work to do.

“Listen, I’ll be back as soon as I can. Stay here. Make yourself comfortable. Harvey thinks you're dead. Maybe he thinks I amtoo. This is as safe as it gets. Don’t ruin it by showing your face in public.”

“You either,” he says. “Stay with me.”

He wraps both arms around me, all the way, and presses me against his chest. His heart beats hard, thrums against my cheek. I want to stay there forever.

But I push him away, and flee the apartment before he can say another word.

seven

. . .

Armin

She priesthe bottle out of my hand and slams it down on the counter. “You’re drunk.”

“Drinking: yes. Drunk, no. I’m trying to get there.” I reach for the juice glass I’ve refilled with a cheap tequila I found buried in the back of the top cabinet over the fridge.

I’d been judicious since Mia left. Reserved. I called the marina, the cops, and the guy who rented me the boat, and everyone picked up the phone only to mumble something incoherent about dirty fuel rags and a stray spark.

Was this whole town in Harvey’s pocket?

I called the office, but they didn’t have any intel to share.

So I had settled in to worry and wait, and I did a lot of both. I restrained myself from chasing after her, though every part of me screamed about it twelve different ways. I didn’t search anything, except the kitchen. Then she stayed out way too long, and though I’d never tried to settle anything with booze, imagining where she’d gone and what she might have gotten up to, or worse, got my hands first to shaking and then to pouring.

I’d downed a quick half-shot, waited a moment. Looked out a window that faced the parking lot. Not one of Sunbreak Harbor’s best apartments, her place. I paced back and forth.

It didn’t look or feel like a woman’s home, that was another thing. Yeah, Mia had only been here a short time. But I’d never known a woman not to hang up a single picture or bring home one little potted plant.

How long was I going to wait for her to come home?

I poured another shot. A full one, this time. Fooled myself into thinking I was starting to like the way it burned.

How long was I going to wait for her to tell me the truth, about anything?

I poured a tall one this time.