Page 40 of Guarding Zuri
Did she really want to see him after Bendola was freed? Would he want to see her? She doubted it. He loved his job. She was a client, nothing more. No point in trying to imagine their lives together.
They passed the next ten minutes in silence while the driver parked the car in an underground parking garage. Daemon opened her door and offered her his hand, which she accepted. After she slipped down from the seat, Daemon didn’t release her hand. When her eyes met his he had that look of appreciation in his eyes, only he wasn’t looking into hers.
“You, Zuri, look amazing in this dress.”
“You bought it for me.”
“I know.”
“Maybe you should be a personal shopper instead of going back into the military.”
His gaze snapped up, his grin wicked. “Will you be my first client?”
“It’s enough that you are my bodyguard.”
“It was your suggestion.”
“I take it back.”
More men exited dark SUVs parked nearby and Zuri guessed they were security working for Daemon. “Is all this security necessary? Shouldn’t I be safe here?”
His hand slipped to the middle of her back as they walked. “Can never be too careful. You’re a target. As your bodyguard, I have to assume Gohi’s reach is worldwide. And, the Bendolan delegation is in town.”
“So?”
“So, think of them as an extension of Gohi. We’ll avoid them, of course.” When she shivered, he rubbed her back. “Relax. Let me worry about the security. You just concentrate on what you’re going to say.”
She was escorted into the State Department building and then into a small office. Seated at an oblong table were representatives that were in Bendola a few days ago and other members of Congress and advocacy groups.
Daemon shook hands with a few of the men who seemed to know him. Zuri overhead him being asked if he was representing Knight Industries for future projects in Bendola. Zuri wasn’t entirely sure of the size of Knight Industries. If Daemon was as wealthy as she believed, then their company brought in substantial profits.Bendola’s economy could benefit from Knight Industries. Should I ask them to contribute?
But at what cost? What would Daemon want from her?
CHAPTERFOURTEEN
Daemon smiled as he watched Zuri twisting in her rotating chair while at one of the computer terminals in his control center. She stared intently at the screen, her beautiful lips pursed, her brows angled downward. Daemon’s gaze flittered over her attire: loose gray sweatpants and a form-fitting white t-shirt. A sharp contrast to the blue dress she wore for the meeting earlier today. She looked stunning either way, but Daemon wouldn’t mind it if she walked around the house in another one of the dresses he’d bought her.
His grin deepened, remembering how well she presented information about her country to the meeting attendees. She answered all their questions with confidence and passion. He was proud of her.Bayo, if you could’ve seen her…Her diplomacy skills would’ve made the man proud as well.
Zuri had asked for an update on Bendola and to monitor the feeds. She’d spent a lot of time on the phone with representatives from other African nations, requesting humanitarian aid and weapons for the resistance. Their intelligence suggested Gohi’s Elite Guard would make incursions into surrounding nations to follow resistance members who were battling in border towns. That would draw those nations into war—an outcome no one wanted, including Gohi, as his men would be stretched thin fighting the resistance and other countries.
With couple of taps on his iPad, Daemon saw she was now reading blog sites about him. And Knight Industries.
But mainly about him. She had searched the company website for his bio and then read anything connected to him. He wasn’t sure if she was turning into a stalker or if she was curious about his job and Knight Industries.
He was good with either option, because he was kind of stalking her with his iPad right now.
He had done his own research about her before agreeing to accept David’s proposal to be her personal bodyguard. He’d been passionate about her cause, which was another reason he had agreed to protect her for free. She’d been a handful, but her kiss had more than made up for it. And their almost kiss in the car.If we hadn’t hit that pothole,he thought and grimaced.
“Daemon? Cookie?”
Roland, his US-based security lead, held out a plate of cookies, and Daemon grabbed about five, leaving two. Roland chuckled. “Just take the whole plate, man.”
Daemon generously bit into a cookie. “I left a few for you,” he said and then moaned at the warmth and extreme chocolaty flavor. Sweet and decadent. Much like the flavor of Zuri’s kiss. He really had to quit thinking of kissing her, or he’d cross the line again.
Roland sat down on the couch beside him and looked at the plate and then at Daemon. “You left me two, Cookie Monster.”
“A label I wear with pride.”
