Page 9 of Guarded By the Phantom

Then I saw he wasn’t alone. A thin, tall woman wearing a pantsuit sat by his side, an unfriendly smile on her face framed by short, blonde hair. Senator Kingsley’s wife.

“I know you’re wondering why I gathered you here,” I said, stepping through the glass door. “But do not worry. Soon, you will know everything.”

Fatima shot me a cutting look that clearly said to stop my shit right this second, but I ignored her. I pulled out a chair next to her and sat, spreading my thighs wide. In a room filled with stressed out people locked at an impasse, I was the picture of relaxation.

“Madame Ashford, Mister Ortega, I’d like to introduce the Phantom,” Fatima said stiffly, her beringed fingers twitching in her lap.

She wore a splendid turquoise and gold turban that highlighted the golden flecks in her dark eyes. Fatima was a gorgeous djinn, her dark skin gleaming like bronze in daylight and beckoning like velvet at nighttime.

I fantasized about sucking on her toes and worshipping her perfect ankles whenever she was pissed at me, simply to fuck with her. Djinns were attuned to the wishes and desires of people around them, which meant Fatima knew what dirty fantasies played in my mind.

“Charmed,” I said, nodding to Barbara’s mother, who gave me a shallow, barely-there nod in return. Her blue eyes were flinty, her lips pursed. They were full, her face youthful despiteher age. I knew she’d had Barbara late, after many years of trying for an heir.

I barely spared the lawyer a glance. Since the woman herself was here, he had just become expedient.

“Kind of you to join us,” Mrs. Ashford said, her voice as cold as her eyes. “You’ve wasted enough of our time refusing to sign. These Conduct Standards are non-negotiable. As I already told Fatima, we’re ready to double your pay if that’s what it takes.”

I glanced at Fatima, whose face was perfectly neutral.“I long to get down on my knees in front of you,”I projected, grinning when a muscle in her jaw jumped.“I’d remove those gorgeous designer heels, gently roll up your pants, and take your exquisite foot in my hand. I’d start slowly, not touching yet. I would just hover my face near your ankle, a whisper of a breath away from your body, and blow. My air would play over your skin. It would be exquisite.”

I was very proud of myself. All the purple prose I read made me a poetic genius.

“Just sign thegoddamndocument, Phantom,” she growled through gritted teeth.

“I’m afraid I cannot compromise my principles,” I said primly, abandoning my little game.

She was closer to the edge than I thought if she allowed herself to cuss in the presence of a client. If I kept going, who knew what she’d do? Djinns could burst into flames and grow wings of fire, and I knew she’d never forgive me if I made her lose control.

“What principles?” Mrs. Ashford asked with a scoff, clearly as annoyed as my boss. “Is it your principle to curse? To make lewd gestures? To get violent in public spaces and damage the reputation of your clients?”

“No,” I said, spreading my legs even wider. “I have one principle, and it’s protecting my clients to my best fuckingability. Your rigid Conduct Standards will interfere with that. Therefore, I will not fucking sign, goddammit.”

I faced Mrs. Ashford, but I still saw the lawyer wince every time I cursed. I grinned. Before either he or his employer spoke, I straightened, opening my arms in a conciliatory gesture.

“But you know what? I see this is important to you, and I know you have no choice but to hire me. After what happened to young Barbara, you’re in quite a tight spot, hm? And I am the only one who can protect her from those terrorists, so I’ll make a concession. I’ll give you one.”

The lawyer blinked, confused, and Mrs. Ashford crossed her arms on her perfectly sculpted chest.

“One what, Mister Phantom?”

“One motherfucking standard from this cocksucking list of fifty-six. Choose carefully, though. Make sure it’s absolutely goddamn necessary.”

The lawyer opened his mouth, but Mrs. Ashford beat him to it. “Item six.”

I made a show of checking Fatima’s copy of the document, even though I knew exactly what item six said.

“I will not use swear words and lewd language. See appendix C for the banned word list.”

I flipped to the appendix with a flourish, zeroing in on the list. “Ah, yes. So if I agree, I will be banned from saying ‘fuck’, ‘cock’, ‘cunt’, ‘twat’, ‘ass’, ‘bullshit’, ‘horse shit’, ‘bugger’…”

“Yes,” Fatima snapped, pulling the document out of my hand so fast, the paper would have cut me if not for my armor. “Please, prepare a document for the Phantom to sign and let’s get it over with.”

I signed fifteen minutes later, becoming officially employed to guard Barbara’s life and mental autonomy while committing myself to stay cuss-free for the duration of my assignment.When the client left, Fatima turned to me with barely concealed annoyance.

“You goaded them to pick that one. Why?”

I thought briefly about her beautiful, shapely toes that I wanted to wrap my tongue around, and she growled at once, a ball of fire engulfing her palm.

“Ugh, you’re no fun,” I complained. “Fine. They needed a bone, so I threw them one. Item six is the only one that doesn’t affect my assignment in any way. Most of the other standards could impact my ability to do my job. All regulations regarding uniform, posture, and behavior during official events would keep me from doing my best. And some are simply insulting.”

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