Page 119 of South Beach Bodyguards

Now I was still older but that was it. I was not wiser, clearly, or I wouldn’t be in a partially unzipped bodysuit. As for being in control? Not even close.

When his lips brushed mine I shivered. It went from the roots of my hair down my cheeks, over my shoulders, and rolled down the length of me. I sighed. I leaned. I ached. It had been a long time since I had kissed a man and this was different anyway. That had been an aggressive, let’s do this, kind of a moment. This was hushed, anticipatory, a soft, sensual whisper. It was silk on my skin.

His lips took mine fully then, with a skill that left me flushed, reaching out for his chest, to hold myself up. He kissed like it was art and I was his canvas. But less studied. A self-trained artist who was worshipping me with his touch. Oh God, everything in me went still, hushed. Then passion rose, exploded inside me, his tongue teasing my lips apart and sliding past them. If he could do this, so easily draw desire from the depths of my core with just some kisses, what else could he do?

I was losing myself, drowning, digging my nails into his chest.

Then he pulled away.

Leaving me breathing hard and leaning in to him, unable to think. At some point one of my shoulder straps had slipped off and I felt exposed, but I didn’t make any move to cover up. I didn’t want to hide from him. Alejandro was the one who reached out and slid my strap back into place.

We stared at each other for a few seconds, my heart pounding, breathing ragged in the quiet room. His eyes were dark, intense.

Then he leaned forward, breaking the moment, and he kissed my forehead. It wasn’t sexual at all, and I was disappointed.

“Get some sleep. Think about it,” he said. “Call me if you need help moving into your new place. I still have the same number.” He stepped back and buttoned up his shirt. “And I’m good for heavy lifting.”

Swallowing hard, I forced myself to nod. “Okay. Thanks. I have the same number too.” How could he be so casual? I felt way off-kilter. None of this had gone according to plan. I wasn’t supposed to be standing there speechless with tight nipples and a deep ache between my thighs.

Alejandro gave me a smile. “Good to see you, Miranda. I’m glad you’re home.”

I still couldn’t think of a damn thing to say. But as he turned and went towards the door, I found my voice again. He wasn’t going to come in here, turn my plan on its head, and then stroll out with a flip of his wrist in a very chill wave.

“Why haven’t you texted or called me in three years?” I asked. That had been the last time I was in town and I had gone to see his parents and he had still been living with them. He had been aloof then, though still friendly. But he had said we should stay in touch and I had believed him. I had wanted to both believe him and have him in my life.

He stopped and turned, shaking his head. “Because it had to be you reaching out. Because of Max. You had to come to me.”

I don’t know what I was expecting. Something that would put me back in control? I was the one who had rocked the foundation of our relationship and he was running with it. I couldn’t put the genie back in the bottle. “I think we want two different things.”

But he shook his head. “I don’t think that’s true at all. Sweet dreams.”

He left my hotel room and I stood there, breathing hard, unsure what the hell had just happened. I went and took a shower and massaged my aching body under the hot stream. And damn it. I pictured Alejandro naked, in the shower with me, as I let the spray hit my sensitive flesh, my fingers teasing myself open, stroking.

It shocked the hell out of me that I came with his face dancing before my closed eyelids.

Oh dammit, I was in serious trouble here. Maybe we didn’t want different things after all.

Because I couldn’t deny that I wanted him.

Which was really freaking messed up.

Two brothers, two totally different personalities. And yet for all Alejandro made me feel unnerved, at the same time I felt very safe with him.

Safe, and very, very sexy.

And I came for the second time, this time his name on my lips.

four

After a night of absolutely no fucking sleep whatsoever I sat across from my boss, Mickey Harris, bleary-eyed and unable to focus. All I could think about was Miranda. But she was why I was meeting with him anyway. I just wished I could get the image of her eyes, wide with desire, out of my head. Fuck, she had felt so good in my arms. Had tasted like everything I had ever wanted.

That kiss was ten years in the making and it did not disappoint.

Determined to focus on getting what I wanted, I cleared my throat and put the proper deference into my voice. “I want your help finding my brother,” I told Mickey. “I know you have a lot of contacts. If he’s out there, alive, I want to know where he is and what he’s doing.”

“I did know you have a brother even if this is the first time you’ve ever mentioned him,” Mickey said, tossing his phone onto the desk and sitting back in his office chair. “And I knew he went missing. I did a background check on you when I hired you obviously. But the police didn’t seem to think it was suspicious. It’s just an open missing persons case, not an active investigation.”

He wasn’t telling me anything I didn’t know. “I personally always thought he left on his own. Max wasn’t always… concerned about other people’s feelings, you know what I’m saying?” He was a prick. A well-masked prick.

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