Page 20 of The Bodyguard and the Bombshell

She didn’t want to leave him.

“Still not ready to take the mask off, eh?” Nate was staring down at her.

“The party’s not over.” She hoped she sounded way sexier than she felt. “Why don’t you settle in and I’ll go clean up?”

A big hand came out to smooth back her hair. “All right, love. You can hide for a little while longer. You sure you want to stay here with me? We could go out to the dungeon for a bit if you like. I’m…I don’t want to hurt you. If you’re sore…”

She could so fall in love with this man. She tilted her head up. “I’m fine. Someone made sure I was ready for him. But, Sir, I don’t think I can handle more hours of torture. Maybe we can cuddle and see where the night takes us. I have no desire to leave this room.”

Ever. They could lock themselves away, and she wouldn’t have to worry about anything but taking care of him. The world wouldn’t matter. Only Nathan Carter.

It wasn’t going to happen, but they could hide away for now.

“I’m glad.” He helped her to her wobbly feet. “I don’t want to go anywhere either, love.”

He lowered his head and kissed her. Every muscle felt well used and satisfied. Her head felt like she’d had too much champagne.

“Be quick.” He laid his gorgeous body out on the bed, turning to his side to watch her as she walked across the room to the bathroom. He yawned like a lazy lion.

Daisy shut the door between them and turned on the shower.

“I’m only going to get you dirty again,” he said from the bedroom.

“Then I’ll make you clean me up.” She found a towel and slipped out of the mask.

What the hell was she doing?

She heard him chuckle as she refixed her hair, ensuring it wouldn’t get wet. Her brain was buzzing as she took her shower and dried off, looking for any way out of this trap. She wasn’t sure she had the strength to walk out the door and tell Nate she needed to go.

But she needed to go. Aidan would be looking for her, and the last thing she needed was a big reveal “hey, you slept with my baby sister” scene.

Of course, if she stayed in the bathroom much longer, Nate himself would come looking for her.

She settled the mask on her face and wrapped the towel around her.

When she walked back into the room, she realized she didn’t have to fight at all.

He was asleep on the bed, his whole body relaxed. He looked younger, carefree.

The idea she would never see him like this again made her heart ache, but she knew what she had to do.

She quickly dressed and forced herself to slip outside. The minute she left the room, the world came back into focus.

She didn’t really belong here, and he did. He was starting a new life, and all she would do was complicate it. He was looking for something and it certainly wasn’t her. All she would bring the man was trouble, and he’d given her so much.

“Dais?” Hunter had moved from his desk. “You okay? Are you here with the new guy? Dad told me they hired on the dude who used to hang out with you and Aidan. Nate? Nick?”

There was only one way to handle Hunter McKay. Shock and awe. He was a great guy, but he would talk if she didn’t scare him out of it. “Aidan doesn’t know and neither does Nate. It’s masquerade night. You remember what that means?”

“It means Seth might have a shot at getting in Chloe’s thong. It means all the subs who wouldn’t touch Lucas because he’s a manwhore can pretend they don’t know what they’re doing. I call it delusion night. It’s precisely why I’m working the desk,” Hunter shot back. “I know the rules, Dais.”

She stared him down. He was a year older than she was, but she knew how to handle him. He was a rules guy. “Are you going to follow them?”

His eyes closed and he sighed. “Do you know what you’re doing?”

“It doesn’t matter. For now, I’m a member of this club, and you owe me discretion,” she insisted.

“I know, but Aidan…”

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