Page 2 of Sexy Bodyguard

Mr. Drummond keels over at the waist, putting his hands on his knees to catch his breath as he pushes out a few words. "My goodness, you're okay, Jeremy. That’s good."

"Okay? Good?" I question angrily.

Mr. Drummond’s noticeably taken by surprise at my tone. I'm not going to minimize what happened.

The rage growing inside of me laces every word. "What is so good about someone being able to simply put on a blazer and waltz through your halls? What’s okay about someone who cantake a kid and walk out of any exit? No one stopped her. No one said anything. Especially not that lazy piece of shit next to you. Sorry, kid."

Jeremy chuckles at my apology for cursing in front of him.

"I'd like to know the answer to that as well." A dark voice speaks harshly from behind me.

"Dad!" Jeremy releases me to run to his father.

The man gazes sternly in my direction. Handsome and stunning are an understatement. His devil-arched eyebrows are set in a scowl above his light blue eyes. A thin and pristinely trimmed goatee accentuates his angular jawline. Thick wafts of dark brown hair are gelled down and slicked back.

The charcoal gray suit he's wearing fits his body perfectly. The anger riding his face fits this situation perfectly, and it’s definitely a face worth riding.

"You see, um," Mr. Drummond stutters. "Mr. Archer, I was in the process of grabbing young Jeremy out of his classroom when-"

Mr. Archer is menacing with his icy glare and height towering over me and Mr. Drummond.

Mr. Archer says, "Why were you going to get Jeremy when I called to tell you he was already traveling away from his classroom?"

Mr. Drummond hesitates, unable to find any words to excuse his actions, letting his lips tremble before clamping them shut.

Mr. Archer’s annoyance with Mr. Drummond is palpable as he turns to me. His menacing glare fades to gratitude. "Good morning, I'm Aiden Archer. Thank you for what you did."

"I’m Lana Casey, and it's not a problem,” I reply, extending my hand to shake his.

"A beautiful name for a beautiful woman. It's a pleasure to meet you, Lana." Aiden's voice is low, his gaze dropping to my mouth. Maybe he's simply happy I kept his son safe.

Either way, the moment his hand wraps around mine to shake it, a shock of sexual anticipation ricochets across my body. My eyes dart to his to see the same glimmer of seductive surprise.

Aiden breaks the tension between us as he says, “I'd love to take you to lunch to thank you. Surely, Mr. Drummond doesn't have an issue with one of his guards taking an early break?"

"I don’t know her. She doesn't work here," Mr. Drummond says frantically.

"So, not only did you allow strangers to enter the building, you let one take my son while another was able to identify this kidnap attempt? But she's not on your payroll?" Aiden questions. He nods slowly, considering what he’s just learned. "Interesting. In that case, Miss Casey, if you have some time, I'd love to get to know you. Perhaps we can talk about an opportunity for you to work for me."

"I'd love to. Thank you."

2

AIDEN

Lana Casey is one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen, with jet-black hair sitting in a low ponytail at the nape of her long neck. The way her olive-green eyes dart around shows me vigilance, how she’s always on guard. I wonder if that guard of hers is up personally, too.

I can’t ignore the rapid thrumming of her pulse beating in the hollow of her neck. She keeps one hand at her side, the other moving inside the back of her jacket. I’m sure she’s carrying a firearm. The protective energy rolling off her piques my curiosity.

"I understand if you'd like to take Jeremy home early." Mr. Drummond's voice breaks into my thoughts, reminding me how angry I am at this situation.

There’s a subtle way to strike fear in most men. When they expect anger, rage, they want you to yell. But becoming a man like me requires a deliberate amount of restraint. I turn to Mr. Drummond and tell him, “Don’t move from that spot, Mr. Drummond.”

“Uh, excuse me? Why?” the principal replies.

“Because you allowed my son to be kidnapped. Don’t fucking move from that spot, Carl, or I will beat your face into the grass you’re standing on.” My voice is stern, without any anger or room for misinterpretation. “I’ll be right back.”

I walk away, placing my hand behind Lana while extending the other toward my car. She accepts my touchless encouragement and walks a few steps in front of me while Jeremy wraps his small hand around mine.

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