Page 14 of Don’t Fall For A Bodyguard

I forgot that he’d rearranged our flights.

He motioned for me to walk ahead of him.

“This isn’t about you being a gentleman,” I commented. “You just want to stare at my ass.”

“Not true,” Lennie laughed. “Watching your ass is an add-on.”

“Add-on? Please. It’s the freaking star of the show,” I stated confidently and sauntered off, putting extra oomph in my strut.

Other passengers stared at me, but whatever. I was used to it.

When we got through security and finally boarded, I was surprised to find out we had two first-class seats.

“Are you determined to make this the most expensive elopement ever?” I asked him.

Lennie got our cases stored in the overhead bins and turned to me. “It’s a three-and-a-half-hour flight and we’ve had a stressful day. And night. Might as well relax in comfort. And, like the rings, I’m gonna cover it. It’s not a problem.”

I didn’t believe him, but I was too tired to argue. As soon as I sat down, the exhaustion from the trip set in. I stretched my legs out, buckled up, and pushed my seat back, closing my eyes.

“Wake me up when we get home,” I muttered.

Instead of replying, Lennie gave my thigh a firm squeeze.

So much for sleeping.

After fitful dreams, I woke up to the quiet hum of chatter and the clank of a trolley cart. When I blinked and looked around, Lennie was awake and working on his laptop.

“How long was I asleep?” I asked, my voice hoarse.

He turned and smiled. “Almost two hours. You want a drink?”

“Oh, yes.”

The steward stopped by our seats. “What can I get you?”

“Diet Coke with lots of ice, please,” I replied.

“I’ll have the same,” Lennie nodded. “And two cheese plates, thanks.”

The steward poured our drinks and pulled out two plates filled with different cheeses, crackers, and fruit.

“I’m not really hungry,” I said, but I took the plate, anyway.

Lennie shut his laptop, shoved it back in his bag, and took his offered plate.

“What were you working on?” I asked.

“Security plans for the world tour. It’s the biggest gig I’ve ever been a part of. There’s a ton of prep work, but it’ll be worth it.”

I was going to make a dirty joke about prep always being worth it, but given that the steward was still nearby, I reined myself in.

“I can’t wait,” I replied, then took a long sip of my drink, enjoying the crisp, sweet taste. “I’ve never traveled to Asia before. It’s been on my bucket list for ages.”

“I’ve been to Japan. But it was only a stopover on my way to Hawaii when I was done my tour of duty in the military.”

“What was that like?”

Lennie paused, then took a sip of his Coke. “Take a naïve twenty-two-year-old, ship him halfway around the world, and drop him into a war zone. It was scary, dangerous, and haunting. Nothing prepares you for the reality of war. Nothing.”

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