Page 14 of Mysterious

Jesus, I don’t think I’m strong enough to not want this woman. Not when she does things like that and makes my legs weak.

I open the door and see my crew waiting for us. Kip and Jack know that’s their cue to take their positions near the front of the stage while the rest of us escort Mia to the back of the stage.

The cheers of the crowd grow louder and louder until I’m not sure I can hear a thing anyone says to me as we make our way through the long passageway. Right before we reach the stairs that go up to the stage, I see Andrea. Mia reaches back right behind her to search for my hand, and I quickly grasp it to let her know nobody, not even her mother, can hurt her now that I’m there.

As we pass her, I mouth, “You and I will be talking about what happened when this is all over.”

Andrea may not be able to hear me, but she understands what I’m saying and the angry look on my face as a warning that she better not pull any more bullshit tonight. I don’t know what her plans were with Michael, but I intend on finding out. If she was innocently trying to help protect her daughter, then fine.

If she wasn’t, then we’re going to have to talk, and she’s not going to like what I have to say.

With each step I climb behind Mia toward the stage, my heart races more and more. I’ve guarded important people before, but never in my life have I heard so many people yelling and cheering for anyone I’m protecting. My instinct makes me want to whisk her away from here so she can be safe and not have to hear all this deafening noise, but I have to fight that because I know this is where she belongs.

And if I didn’t, the moment we reach the stage and she turns around to smile at me, I’d know then. Before my eyes, Mia blossoms into someone bigger than life. She’s more beautiful and more desirable than she’s ever been since the day I met her, and I know right then why millions of people adore her.

I can’t hear a thing above the sound of the crowd, but I watch her as she mouths back to me, “Thank you.”

A second later, she lets go of my hand and steps out onto that stage, and thousands of people go wild. For a few moments, I can’t move I’m so mesmerized by this woman, but then the show starts and I know I have to switch into work mode.

I search the sides of the stage to make sure everyone’s in their assigned place and see my men have this handled. Michael lurks near the very back of the stage like some thief who can’t wait to get away, but he’s nothing now.

Mia opens her arms wide and makes a motion like she’s hugging the entire audience before she says, “Thank you for waiting for me! I love you! Thank you!”

The crowd goes even wilder than before, and she sweetly giggles as she offers an explanation for why she’s over thirty minutes late. “I’m sorry it took me so long to get here to you. At the last minute, my strap on my dress snapped, and I know you wouldn’t want me to have a wardrobe malfunction right here in front of all of you.”

Cheers and cries of “We love you, Mia” fill the air around us, and she blows them all kisses. “But now I’m here and ready to give you my best. Are you ready?”

I watch in awe as she makes them forget with a few simple words that they waited all that time for her, charming them before she even sings a single note. She really does belong out there with them. It’s like I’m seeing a completely different person than I have all these weeks at the estate.

And I have to admit, I’m crazy about this Mia.

Then, when I don’t think I can admire her more, she looks back at me and smiles before turning to face the audience. “I want to begin with a song that means the world to me, even more now because I can honestly say I know what it feels to be truly cared for. This is to the one person who makes me feel safer than I’ve ever known was possible.”

I hear her begin to sing the first words of her hit songAlways Thereand realize she’s singing it about me. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Drew raise his eyebrows to let me know he knows too.

At that moment, I know one thing for sure. I’m in trouble because I’m crazy about this woman.

There’s only one problem.

I’m not supposed to be. It breaks every rule a bodyguard follows. It breaks every rule I’ve lived my professional life by all these years and through all the jobs I’ve taken.

And I don’t care.

CHAPTEREIGHT

Mia

I feellike I’m floating on Cloud Nine by the time the night ends. When I settle in with the crew to celebrate a fantastic first night show, I can’t help but feel Liam and his men belong right here down at the pool with us. They made it possible for me to perform and feel this incredible.

Well, Liam made it possible. Not that his guys didn’t help, but if it wasn’t for him rushing over to the pavilion to take care of the mess my mother made, I never would have been able to walk out onto that stage.

Ainsley hands me a glass of champagne and raises hers in the air. “To Mia! Congratulations, girl! Tonight was unbelievable. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you perform like that. It was like you were a different person.”

She’s right. I felt different tonight. I felt loved and protected like never before, and it came through loud and clear in every word I sang.

Everyone raises their glass to toast me and my performance, making me feel like the queen of the world. “To Mia!”

As they all begin to talk amongst themselves, Ainsley pulls me aside and whispers, “I have to know what happened when you and Liam were alone in your dressing room for all that time.”

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