Page 47 of Nanny for the Bodyguard
Cool it, Easton. You know how she gets.
And I do. That’s part of the problem. I know that Hazel is doing this to get a rise out of me, but it’s working regardless.
As she bends over the cart, my eyes drop to her ass, revealed way too much by those shorts, and I have to force myself to look away.
She comes over with the cart, all smiles and sunshine. “What else is on the list?”
I narrow my eyes at her. We didn’t make a list. We came here to show people we were dating and get a few things for the house.
Hazel seems to be taking that first part of the assignment to heart.
“We could get some burger stuff? I could grill out.” I keep a smile pinned to my face, putting my hand on the small of her back as we walk toward the bread aisle and pass a few people I recognize. “You used to love it.”
Humming to herself, Hazel stiffens only a hair and nods. “I still do.”
As soon as we’ve rounded the corner and are out of sight of anyone, I pull my hand away. I’m not looking to send the wrong message to her or overwhelm her.
Hazeljustgot back from the hospital, and I won’t risk her health.
In fact…
As we get to the section with all the buns, I stop and turn to her. “How are you feeling? Do we need to head back?”
“I’m fine, Easton. You don’t need to worry. Let’s go get the patties.”
I follow her without saying anything. The truth is, I’ve been a mess since I got the call from the hospital. Every moment, I’m on edge, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Seeing Hazel in that bed fucked me up—more than I want to admit—and I have this terrible paranoia that follows me everywhere I go.
Sure, it’s like this when you’re protecting someone from a looming threat. I’ve been doing this job for years now, and it’s that hypervigilence that’s kept me and my clients alive, but…
It’s different when it’s someone you know, someone you…care about.
“You’re going to walk into a pole.”
“What?” I come back to myself and look up at Hazel just as I run into it, making her bark out a laugh.
“Well, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
I rub the spot where my forehead met the pole, glaring playfully at Hazel. When she rounds the corner to head toward the meat section in the back, she grins at me, laughing and chewing on the corner of her lip.
And bam. Where I was feeling stressed about protecting Hazel and fuckingeverythingelse, now, I suddenly feel overcome by the need to pull her into my arms and kiss the hell out of her.
Right here in the grocery store. Right here in front of everyone…because Idowant people to see her as mine.
I am in so much trouble.
“You could stop laughing any time now,” I grumble, pulling up next to Hazel as she steers the cart.
“I certainly could. Don’t know if I will, though.”
She smirks at me, and it goes straight to my cock. Dammit, Hazel always did this to me when we were together.
She’d give me shit, teasing each other in our own little love language, and I don’t know what’s up and what’s down.
Just as Hazel grabs the prepackaged hamburger patties, I slink up to her, shoving her hand back down as I shake my head.
“Oh, no. If we’re making burgers, we’re doing it right. No premade bullshit.” From behind her, my hipsveryclose to her ass, I steer Hazel to the tubes of ground beef. “Grab me that one there. Two pounds. I’ll season the fuck out of it and make the perfect burgers.”
