Page 10 of Guarding the Singer

Turning to the door, he drew in a breath and knocked on it.

The noise on the other side of the door quieteddown and moments later, the lock clicked, and the door opened.

Cali gave him a big grin. "May I help you, soldier?"

"Uh, I just wanted to let Selene know that our car is arriving in thirty minutes."

"Thirty minutes..." She copied his tone. "You sound so formal!"

"It's thirty minutes from now."

Cali socked him in the shoulder. "Ow!" She shook out her hand. "Did you just break my hand?"

"Did I?" He was worried. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt anyone unknowingly. If he hurt Cali, that was going to strain things.

She stopped mid-shake and gaped at him. "No! Gosh, you are too easy."

William sighed and gave her a curious look. He just couldn't seem to get a line on Cali.

"Next time, try thirty minutes." She gave him a shrug. "It sounds more... human."

"Cali! Are you annoying William?"

"I don't know." Cali flared her eyebrows at him. "AmI annoying you?"

He drew in a breath. "Not in the least."

"Good for you, soldier." She jerked a finger over her shoulder. "Come on in."

He stepped forward, only to have Cali push her fingers into his chest.

William looked down at her with a frown.

Cali leaned in and, while her fingers eased up on his chest, she didn't pull them back.

"What you see in there is going to knock your socks off. I just need you to remember that when you're out and about with my best friend in the world, you're going to focus on protecting her and not how unbelievably beautiful she is. Got it?"

William focused his attention on Cali. In the short time that he'd known her, he'd seen her flirty and he'd seen her catty. But for the moment, she was one hundred percent serious.

In a strange way, it made sense. He and his buddies could go from raucous, ridiculous laughter in one second and dead serious the next.

It was a way to keep things compartmentalized. Doable.

Being the best friend of an International singing star couldn't be easy. There had to be incredible amounts of pressure and with Cali trying to keep things light and still protect her friend? It had to be a constant juggling act.

Maybe they had something in common.

Cali looked up at him with a raised brow. "Got it?"

He nodded and gave her a real smile. "Got it."

Cali lifted her hand in a fist and held it out between them.

William gave her a look. "Are you going to hit me again?"

She moved her fist an inch or so close. "Come on,Prince William." Cali smirked at him. "Fist bump. Show me you can hang."

Hang?

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