Page 30 of Trust My Bodyguard

I can’t let my guard down around these two. One is mouthy and stubborn and stuck in my head. I made sure of that when I tasted her kiss and took it a step further to feel her heat on my fingers. The other sister is making me feel like the big brother I never got to be since I grew up an only child.

Iris’s eyes meet mine. Unlike Ivy’s dark green gaze that sucks you in, Iris’s eyes are bright, open, and curious. I guess I didn’t stop speaking as quickly as I’d thought. She looks like she believes me. Like she trusts me.

“Really?” she says.

The hope in her gaze breaks me a little. I can keep the part of myself that truly cares open for a few more seconds.

“Promise. The guys are better company than I am too.” I set a pot on the fire and fill it with water. “Nick is fun and playful. Zanehas a wicked wit. And you can’t get bored with Sera around. You know that.”

A smile spreads on her face. “You’re right. It sounds like fun to have them over. I’ll go get ready.” She stops and turns around. “Don’t sell yourself short, Brody. You being serious and responsible makes me feel safe. And it’s fun to mess with you sometimes, too.”

My chest tightens. “Thank you. Now I’ll know it’s intentional when you do.”

Her shoulders tremble with a quiet laugh. Then she turns around and is gone from my sight.

However, her words stay with me and work their way into my carefully protected heart.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Ivy

A savory aroma travels through the cabin, overpowering the flowery fragrance of my body wash.

Did Iris start dinner without me?

Even as the thought forms, I shake it off. I’d first believe that a ghost slithered in through a crack in the wall to fix a meal than to believe that Iris cooked.

I swear I’m not being mean. Her pop star lifestyle didn’t afford her the time to do mundane stuff like learning how to cook. If she were in the kitchen, the smoke detectors would go off even before the tang of spices fill the air.

If she isn’t the one cooking, then who is?

I exit the bathroom, throw on my clothes, and follow the aroma to the kitchen. I’m halfway there when I come to a halt.

Brody is bent at the waist and looking into the lit-up oven. It’s hard to believe but the delicious aroma is really coming from there, from a meal he’s cooking.

Okay, bring in the ghost.I must have surely started seeing things after hitting my head while learning to ski.

While I’ve proven that Iris is bad at cooking, Brody is even worse because he has never made an attempt at it. The entire time we’ve been here, he’s acted as though he’s allergic to fresh food. The only times I’ve seen him with a plate is when Sera stops by with a restaurant-bought meal or I’ve scrounged up something with Iris’s assistance.

But he’s there in the kitchen. In the flesh. A very taut and muscled flesh by the looks of his arms and shoulders. His body is fit for guns and combat. But he has mitts on with an apron wrapped around him and knotted at his lower back.

My stomach flips and my feet refuse to move. Seeing him make dinner is odd and even more unsettling, he looks so hot while at it. Those hands that now clamp around a fork were in me just hours ago making me orgasm until I felt as though I was floating.

“Staring is not nice, Ivy.” His voice shoots straight through me. He’s still turned away, focused on his task.

My heart races. “H-how did you know it’s me?”

“I can feel your ice-cold judgment from a mile away.” He cocks his head. “Or is that admiration? I can’t tell with you.”

I fluff out my hair and ignore the flush of embarrassment that rises up my cheeks. “Admiration? You wish. I’m just wondering what you think you’re doing.”

He turns around, carrying a steaming pan of feta pasta. “What does it look like I’m doing?”

Ugh, that looks so good. The man and the dish. Both. Together at the same time. He’ll feed me while rocking into me.

No.No. I have to remember who this is before I do something stupid. So I resort to what always works—going on the offensive.

I fold my hands across my chest. “Do you even know how to cook? Or have you decided you’re done with us and you want to give us diarrhea?”

---