Page 9 of Heartbeats and Hashtags
His skin is slightly tanned and looks like he spends a good amount of time outdoors. He is tall,sofreakin’ tall.What genes does this man have?He is wearing all black, which only seems to emphasize the firm muscles beneath. Bottom line, even with a bloody face, he isundeniably gorgeous.
He clears his throat.Shit. Did he just catch me checking him out?
“Everly Ford,pleasureto meet you. I’m Cole Silver, your new personal security detail.” He’s barely hiding the sarcasm.
My adrenaline slows. I finally realize that the man I just assaulted is supposed to be protecting me.
“Oh my God, I'm so sorry!” I cry, wringing my stinging hand.Of coursethis is how I meet the elite bodyguard assigned to me.
“It's just nerves lately with the threats, and when you snuck up behind me… I freaked out.” Heat spreads to my cheeks.Damn my fair skin.
Cole waves off my flustered apology, adopting a rueful grin despite the blood now streaming down his scowling mouth.
“I didn’t realize I was that strong,” I mutter with a little admiration, mostly to myself. I turn my hands over, impressed by the hidden strength I must have.I am an absolute beast. I am a warrior. I am…
“You’re not,” he huffs. Interrupting my personal gloating. I frown, not sure how he can say that after I’ve just punched himsohard his nose is bleeding.
“You just a reopened wound from some other guy who punched me,” he explains. “Trust me, he wasmuchstronger than you to cause this sort of damage.”
Oh.
His eyes twinkle with amusement as he registers my disappointment.
I scrunch my face, unsure how I feel about the fact that my bodyguard is going around gaining punches. Shaking my head, I decide that it really doesn’t matter right now.
“Anyway, I’m really sorry about that,” I offer sincerely, wincing and watching him pat the blood away with his shirt. Averting my eyes from the tanned six-pack he is exposing is difficult, but I manage to focus on a bird in a tree.What a pretty bird. Cheep-cheep-chee-
“What are you doing?” he asks, squinting up at the tree.
“Nothing, what areyoudoing?” I quip back.
Cole narrows his eyes, unconvinced, but he changes the subject anyway to my relief.
“Seriously, don't worry about it.” He gestures to his face. “I should know better than to startle a client on edge.” He mops ineffectively at the blood now staining his shirt.
I offer a timid smile, strangely reassured by Cole's lack of anger at myspectacularlyawful first impression.
“Thanks, so you’re my new…uh security?” I’m still not entirely sure what the correct term is.
As fast as a switch, he shifts. Straightening his back and puffing out his chest.
“I am.”
I dare to meet his eyes for this first time in our conversation. His gaze is intense and his jaw tight, but his eyes…Oh my, his eyes. They are a deep, soulful green, like emeralds of the Caribbean Sea.
“I have been assigned as your personal security for the foreseeable future. I have completed my preliminary assessments of the premises, and there are undoubtedly somebigconcerns that need to be addressed right away. You are not doing yourself any favors with how you have this house set up. I wouldn’t be surprised if a monkey could find its way in.” His deep voice ripples through me.
I raise my brow.OK, Mister Alien Eyes.That is a very un-warm welcome. Though I can’t say I blame him.I have just sucker punched the man,I remind myself. I narrow my eyes at him, and a jolt of electricity passes through the air between us, his expression mirroring my own.Oh, this is going to be interesting.
COLE
Sitting on a pink velvet sofa opposite me is Everly Ford, Miami’s sweetheart, wringing her hands together and looking anywhere but at me.
Almost every picture of a famous person or model you see online is beautiful but alsoquestionable. Nowadays, the sort of false appearance you can create with editing and filtering is insane. But from what I can tell, Everly doesn’t edit a single one of her photos. She looks just as good in person.
The first thing I noticed about her last night,before her fist,was her hair. It’s a striking shade of auburn and falls like a fiery waterfall down her back, making her the sort of woman who effortlessly captures attention the moment she walks into a room.
A few strands fall across her face, but she habitually tucks them behind her ear.Unconscious reflex,I note mentally.Leaving her face bare, her complexion is radiant. She appears alert and healthy, and the whites of her eyes sparkle in the light of her blue eyes.
