Page 38 of Not the Bodyguard's Princess
Both guards laughed, and the automatic privacy window rolled up between the front and back seats.
“Do you embarrass your bodyguards often?”
“More often than I should. When Adam is with me, he isn’t on duty, so sometimes I slip and there’s some PDA. Not much, but they still have to work with each other, and no one wants to witness his boss kissing in the back seat. We are going to go to the house I rented. After Saturday, I wasn’t going to bring Harmony up here to the hotel. Adam pointed out it gives you a backup safe house. We haven’t told Hearthfire where we are. They don’t need to know either. Now spill. I want to know what brought you to tears this morning. Your eyes don’t lie. I know you were crying.”
Jordan studied the dividing window. “Storm put me in an awkward position with Andrew...”
“What exactly did Storm do?”
“It was so stupid. I should have seen it coming. I was trying to avoid kissing Storm off set, and I got forced into letting him direct me in a kiss with Andrew. Storm said if I didn’t, he’d walk. Of course, he directed a predatory kiss on my part, and—” Jordan swiped at the new tears forming.
“Is Andrew a bad kisser?”
“I don’t... know. He didn’t move. Didn’t participate. Just sat there. I’m not sure if that makes it worse or not. But I’m glad he didn’t take advantage of the situation. He could have pushed it further. I feel like I violated something precious. And he’s the one trying to tell me it’s okay.”
“Could he be right?” prodded September.
“I think he thinks he is. But I don’t know. And how stupid is this? I’m crying over a guy I’ve known for five days. Mostly because when we talk, he talks to me as a person, not someone he needs something from. And Andrew is super hot, which makes things confusing because for once I’m not faking the chemistry. I feel like we were starting to be friends, even with the bodyguard distancing thing. And there were a couple moments when I thought there could be something more. The first time, I couldn’t believe those kinds of things happened in real life. I waited for the director to yell ‘Cut!’ but then realized it was real. I’m sure the kiss ruined any could-have-beens.”
“Andrew is a Hastings. He doesn’t have a choice but to be hot. I blame the parents.” September smiled a gushy smile, meaning she wasn’t thinking about Andrew.
“Not helping.”
“Sorry. Amazingly for Hollywood, you have avoided toxic relationships—especially with your costars—other than the one you made me promise never to talk about. Why now?”
“Grandma says it’s the knight-in-shining armor thing. I’ve met nice guys before, including actors. Did you know when I worked with Kirk, he got the director to change our kissing scene so I wouldn’t be as embarrassed? Not once have I even had an inkling of a crush on any of them. Andrew and I connect. Seriously, I have talked with him more this week than any other guy, excluding Blake, in the past three years.”
September produced a box of tissues from the side of her seat. “That’s how those Hastings boys got me. For about a week when I was sixteen, I had a crush on Andrew, then one on Alex. I guess that’s how I knew when Adam came along that it wasn’t just a crush. He’s ten years older than I am, and he tried to treat me like a kid sister. There were a couple times I thought I would strangle him. Then, one day, he saw me. The real me. Not the singer, not the kid sister, not the principal he guarded. Me. We never talked about it and never acknowledged what was happening. We just kept skirting around the subject. That’s why our first kiss sent us both running. I know my fans try to blame him for everything that happened, but it took two. I didn’t take responsibility for my part until after things spun out of control, but if I had been honest then, maybe Adam would have been my husband last year and Harmony would have his eyes.”
“What are you trying to tell me?”
“I don’t know. Trust Andrew. I can vouch that he’s one of the good guys. And trust your heart and be true to it. Keep letting the friendship grow. If this kiss of sorts makes things awkward, tell him. And remember, he wouldn’t have participated in Storms scene if he didn’t think it was something you needed.”
They pulled up to a modern box-style house.
“So how do I face him again?” asked Jordan.
“The way you always do. Smiling.”
* * *
“Mom’s here?” Andrew blanched. He could hide his emotions from Adam, but Mom was a different story. She should have worked for the CIA with her knack for ferreting out secrets.
Adam shrugged. “Harmony’s nanny called in sick this morning, and Harmony is cutting teeth. Mom’s the only person qualified to love Harmony in the middle of the grouchiest day ever and protect her if needed.”
“Doesn’t that violate the whole don’t-protect-someone-you-love thing?” Not a rule Andrew felt qualified to define.
“Mom claims the rule doesn’t apply to grandmas.”
“Can you imagine the person who tries to touch or harm Harmony?”
“The entire comic-book universe wouldn’t have a character who could stand up to Mom in that case.”
Andrew laughed. “Remember when you asked me to sneak into Mom and Dad’s room to find her magic bracelets? I was so convinced Mom was a superhero, I didn’t dare lie for weeks.”
“Instead you ran and tattled.” Adam pointed to the last house on the street.
“I’m still not convinced Mom can’t read minds.”
