Page 12 of My Bodyguard Neighbor
"You could stay with me."
Holly's hands stilled on her bag."What?"
"My apartment.It's next door, so you don’t have to uproot your entire life. It’s fortified, and I can keep you safe."
The offer sent a thrill through her that she had no business feeling.Staying with Jonah would be dangerous in ways that had nothing to do with armed intruders.But the alternative was either her father's house or a hotel room where she'd spend every night jumping at shadows.
"For how long?”
“Until this trial is over.”
“How long will that be?”she said.
“As long as it takes.”
She sighed. It was better than living at her father’s house.
“Okay.”
***
JONAH'S APARTMENT WASa study in contradictions.Spartan and functional, but with expensive details that suggested either excellent taste or a very generous employer.The furniture was minimal but high-quality, the kitchen was spotless but clearly well-used, and the living room contained very few personal items.There was a chess set, a framed photo of a military unit, and a stack of books that ranged from tactical manuals to poetry.
"Poetry?"Holly picked up a worn copy of Neruda and raised an eyebrow."You're just full of surprises, aren't you?"
Jonah looked slightly embarrassed."Helps me sleep."
"Pablo Neruda helps you sleep?Most people would find love poetry stimulating rather than sedating."
"Ode to My Socksappeals to me."
Opening up the book, she flipped through it. “I like his love sonnets.”
“Don’t read them aloud.”
“Why?”
“Because I won’t be able to stop myself from kissing you.”
The quiet admission hung in the air between them, loaded with implications Holly wasn't sure she was ready to explore.She set the book down carefully and turned to find Jonah watching her with an intensity that made her pulse flutter.
"Are you hungry?"he asked, though his tone suggested food was the last thing on his mind.
"Starving," Holly said, though she wasn't entirely sure they were talking about dinner anymore.
Jonah moved toward the kitchen with that predatory saunter that she was becoming addicted to watching."I make a mean pasta carbonara."
"Of course you do.Mysterious bodyguard by day, gourmet chef by night."
"I'm a man of many talents."
The promise in his voice sent Holly’s hormones into overdrive.She followed him into the kitchen, hyperaware of the way his muscles moved beneath his shirt as he pulled ingredients from the refrigerator.
"So what's your story?"she asked, settling onto one of the bar stools across from where he was working."Military, obviously."
Jonah paused what he was doing."What makes you say that?"
"My father hires only the best. Besides, you took care of my intruder like someone who's been trained to kill people with your bare hands."
