Page 8 of Courting Danger

The man stuck out his hand. “Alexander Mariano. Alex.” He paused for a moment, an expectant air hanging over his shoulders as he waited to see what I would do.

Not knowing what else Alex expected, I shook his hand. Alex wore several rings, and the metal created points of cold contact in the otherwise warm handshake.

Before I could also introduce myself, Alex turned away and took a sprawling seat on the couch.

“No need to ask who you are. Garrison Reyes. Forty-two. Unmarried. No children. No siblings. Parents moved to the west coast years ago. Former Army Ranger. Served in the military for almost twenty years and reached the level of Sergeant Major before injury forced you to retire. Involved in quite a few black ops missions, especially in the later years of your service. Your files have more redacted spaces than actual words. Very impressive.” He rattled off the information with the ease of reading from a list.

I took a step back until I was almost out of the room again. “You know a lot about me after just meeting last night.”

Alex’s laughter rose into the air and tangled with the jewels of the chandelier. “Of course. You can find almost anything about someone if you know where to look. The only thing about you I couldn’t find was your measurements. Seriously, have you never gotten a single suit tailored before?” His eyes flickered over me from head to toe, lingering for a moment at waist level. “Not that this look doesn’t suit you, but as my bodyguard you’ll need to maintain a certain level of professionalism. So...” He gestured toward the pedestal.

Not one to be pushed around, I stayed by the door, crossing my arms over my chest in a stance of defiance. “Your bodyguard? Is that what this is about? I don’t remember agreeing to such a thing.”

I’d considered pursuing employment as a bodyguard, but security agencies required a license I didn’t have, and my financial issues needed a more immediate solution. Plus, it was only a month ago that I’d finally started walking without a noticeable limp.

Alex waved away my concern. “I didn’t ask, and I’m not asking now. Asking gives people the option to say no, and I don’t like being denied. After last night, it’s obvious you have the skills, and as you saw, I’m in need of protection. So, I’ve decided, you’re going to be my bodyguard.”

Carefully watching Alex’s body language with my peripheral, I met the other man’s gaze. “And if I say no?”

Instead of growing tense, as I expected, Alex’s posture relaxed slightly. “Why would you? Your debts are racking up after being injured on your last mission a year ago. Those military benefits did not go far enough, did they? I’m offering you a salary that could solve all your problems, and all you need to do is follow me around and make sure I don’t die. If you still insist on rejecting the job. Well... ” He shrugged casually, spinning one of his rings on his finger. “You’re about two weeks from ending up on the street. Maybe you’ll find another job in that time... or maybe you won’t.”

Light from the chandelier danced in Alex’s eyes, illuminating shades of green within the black. It reminded me of the iridescence of a scarab’s shell.

This was a test.

Alex was being difficult on purpose to see how I would react. The man had the personality of a trickster god, pushing buttons and challenging boundaries just for the fun of a little chaos.

Well, I had plenty of experience answering challenges.

With slow but deliberate steps, I approached the couch. My height allowed me to tower over Alex’s seated position as I stood just in front of the other man.

A heated moment of silence passed between us.

Both of Alex’s arms were draped over the back of the couch and his knees spread just a little too much. It was an oddly vulnerable position that invited my eyes to wander.

And wander they did.

I couldn’t help noticing the way the man’s tight jeans emphasized his narrow waist and lean legs.

I caught a glimpse of my own reflection in the wall-sized mirror. The hint of gray at my temples reminded me of our age difference.

If only I were ten years younger.

Alex couldn’t be more than twenty-five. A man that age wouldn’t have any serious interest in someone seventeen years his senior. He probably had a harem of barely legal beauties eager to climb into his bed.

Knowing the other man wasn’t serious with this teasing actually made it easier for me to play along. I’d always struggled with flirting, afraid to say the wrong thing and turn my partner off. Now, however, there was no pressure. I couldn’t disappoint a partner who wasn’t serious in the first place, so it wouldn’t matter if I made a fool of myself.

Squaring my shoulders, I used every inch of my height to my advantage and smirked as I stared down at Alex. “You’re a manipulative little shit, aren’t you.”

It was subtle, but for a brief moment Alex shifted forward like a child eagerly expecting a present. Then he seemed to catch himself and relaxed back into the sofa, tucking a stray lock of hair behind his ear.

“I know how to get what I want. And I want you as my bodyguard. So, get on the pedestal. You need some proper clothing if you’re going to be following me around.”

I cast the pedestal and its wall of mirrors a considering look. Stepping onto that little disk would be the same as agreeing to Alex’s demands.

“All right, I’ll do what you want if you answer one question.” This time Alex didn’t respond, just tipped his head in a brief nod for me to continue. “Why do you need protection?”

It was almost anticlimactic how easily Alex answered, giving a brief explanation of how his father was a businessman who’d gotten in trouble with the law and made a lot of enemies. Now Alex needed to take over the family business, but his father’s enemies were targeting him.

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