Page 32 of The Bodyguard

“I’ll tell people I opened the bathroom cabinet door at the wrong time.” His eyes burn into mine, and he’s still smiling. “Nobody has to know you physically assaulted me.”

“I didn’t physically assault you.”

“You slapped me. What else would you call it?”

I take another sip of G&T and ignore him. For all of two seconds, before I feel his hand on my hip, pulling me against him. I’d forgotten, for one blissful second, that we have a pretence to keep up.

“I should go mingle.” I reach past his shoulder and set my drink down on the ledge behind him, I don’t want to spill any of it. For some reason, my hand’s started shaking. I really need to sort out my eating habits, it’s probably my blood sugar plummeting.

“Don’t go too far.”

“Oh, I’m sure you’ll be hovering somewhere close to me, wherever I go.”

“You got that right.”

He lets go of me, and I step back from him, and I take a breath and pick up my drink and I walk away. But his eyes are still on me, I can feel them, his stare burning into the back of my neck, so much so that I find myself rubbing it, almost as if I’m trying to wipe that stare away. And when I stop and turn around, and I look at him and smile, it’s almost like a reflex action I had absolutely no control over, I swear, I never intended to do that, to smile at him, like that. And when he smiles back I feel like something just happened, and I have no clue what but I know one thing for sure, I’m quitting drinking on an empty stomach.

“Ah, Lena, there you are.”

I spin around, too fast, and I have to grab onto a nearby table to steady myself.

“Too much champagne?” Dad raises an eyebrow and gives me the kind of look he used to give me when I was ten years old and had just done something he disapproved of. And do I have a drink problem or something?

“No. Just lack of food, I think.”

“Well, dinner will be served soon. I just wanted to catch up with you to see how things are going.”

“Things?” I frown, and he smiles at me. I love it when he smiles, he’s such a different man when he does that.

“You and Bodie. Everyone I’ve spoken to tonight can’t help commenting on the two of you, and what a beautiful couple you make.”

“We’re just very good actors.”

“Keep it up. It’s making my life so much easier, knowing he’s by your side, keeping you safe.”

My father’s eyes are darting all over the place, like he’s looking out for someone, and again I wonder just what it is I’m being kept safe from. But I don’t say anything, because I know it’ll be a waste of time. And tonight, yeah, I’m quite happy to stay ignorant.

“Anyway, this evening is shaping up to be another success. I think we may have raised more money for local charities than ever before. And that can only be good for business.”

Which kind?I want to ask, but I don’t. I keep my mouth shut, that’s the wise thing to do.

“Yes. It can.”

It’s my father’s turn to frown. “You don’t sound very enthusiastic. Usually you’re the life and soul of these events.”

Usually I’m not being shadowed by a total stranger who’s been drafted in to keep me safe from a threat nobody seems in any hurry to tell me about, I can’t imagine why my father thinks I’m not exactly feeling in a party mood.

“I just really need some food, that’s all.”

My father drops a quick kiss on my forehead. “You need to look after yourself more, Lena.”

And then he leaves: walks away and joins a group of men I don’t recognise, and I glance back over my shoulder to see where Bodie is, knowing full well he’s going to be right there within my line of sight. And he is, of course he is. And I’m really not in the mood for this dinner now. I don’t want to be in this place, playing host and mingling with people I don’t want to be around. And it’s like he can read that silent signal because he’s back by my side in a heartbeat.

“Everything okay?” he asks, sliding a protective arm around my waist, and this time I’m relieved. I like the feeling, and whether that’s just because I’m having a slight wobble, I don’t know. I’ve decided not to dwell on it too much.

“Everything’s fine. Really.”

“You sure?”

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