Page 13 of Daddy's Bodyguard

There’s no venom in her tone, just a mild curiosity that matches the expression on her face.

I clear my throat. “I’m Sofia’s huh… colleague. She invited me to learn a little about what you guys do here.” Sofia’s backstory has holes, but I wasn’t in the mood to prolong the argument. Still, I wonder what people will think if I’m here for longer than a week.

Carissa’s face brightens. “That’s wonderful. Trust me; you’ll enjoy your time here. We reach out to companies and provide incentives to donate to homeless shelters, halfway houses, and foodbanks. A lot of them just send us big checks, which has done a world of good, but we are constantly seeking help in other areas.”

“Wow, I’m impressed. You guys are doing a kick-ass job.”

“Thanks,” Carissa replies, still with that beautiful smile. “But the most impressive person here is Sofia. She’s a cut above us all.”

Sofia is still locked in the office with her boss, so Carissa offers to give me a brief tour of the office. She shows me Sofia’s desk, papers perfectly stacked, calendar covered with sticky notes and clear handwriting. I make a mental note to hide her calendar, so her schedule isn’t obvious to everyone who comes in. She has folders in piles in a system only she can figure out.

“Sofia and I go over paperwork most days. She wants to try and get everyone on the streets a place in a shelter or some kind of address so they can apply for jobs. It’s her big project of the year.”

“I thought she just made phone calls all day,” I reply.

“That’s just a tiny percent of her job. Other days, she’s on the go, meeting with donors, helping with deliveries or making rounds to shelters around town.”

“Oh, wow. That’s definitely impressive.” I glance towards the locked office door where Sofia had disappeared behind earlier. It seems there’s a heart beneath that tough exterior, after all.

“It really is,” Carissa replies. “And I’m looking forward to having you witness how we do things around here.”

Her lingering gaze and the light touch on my arm tell me that’s not all she’s looking forward to. I shift my attention from her hopeful expression as their boss’ office door opens once more. Sofia brushes a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she exits the office with a smile. Hell, she’s actually smiling. Her boss is right behind her, and the way he’s looking at her makes me edgy, possessive. He gently pats her shoulder, and I suppress the urge to wipe the grin from his face and peel his hand off her. This is crazy. She’s not mine to claim or fight over. I’m here to work, nothing else. She flashes a genuine smile that softens every bit of her existence, but as soon as she glances at me, it’s gone.

She walks up to us, her gaze directly fixed on Carissa. “I’m about to get the ball rolling. Is there anything you need from me?”

“Well, Mr. Collins sent over the legal documents for the partnership with his company this morning. I need a copy of the initial proposal, but that’s it.”

Sofia nods and moves towards her desk. I follow behind her and Carissa while checking out every team member we encounter along the way. I want to be on the alert for every new face that enters the office each day. Sofia goes to her desk and scans through a drawer before handing over a file with paperwork.

“It’s all there,” she says to Carissa.

Carissa rests the file in the crook of her arm as she stops before me. “Good to meet you, Jasper. I’ll be seeing you around, right?”

“Definitely.” I salute her, making her giggle. I tear my eyes from her retreating form as Sofia clears her throat. I turn to her with a smirk, and she exhales slowly. “You are a reporter. Congratulations on your accomplishment.”

“Since when?”

“Since I decided that was the best thing to tell my boss.” She closes her eyes a moment and pinches the bridge of her nose. “You’re a reporter who is going to share all the hard work we’ve been doing and how it’s helping.”

Before I can say anything, she motions to the back of the office, and I follow her through a door to a warehouse. Here, there are people loading huge cardboard boxes with various items. Canned food, blankets, clothes and small bags.

Despite the hard work being done, the workers are in great spirits, laughing and teasing each other. It looks more like fun than a job. Sofia visits with a few people, then returns to my side.

“Put me to work,” I say.

“What?”

“Well, I can’t report very well if I’m not part of the action. Where do I start?”

“You want to help? Let me do my rounds.” She faces me with a plea on her face. “I like delivering. If I split it with Carissa, it’ll only be five stops. Please?”

I wish I could tell her yes since she’s obviously dying to do it. But I can’t justify the risk, especially if it would put us in areas where she’ll stand out, where she’ll be out in the open. “I’m sorry, Sofia. I really wish I could say yes, but your safety needs to come first.”

She seems about to argue, then she bites her bottom lip and takes a slow breath. “Fine, I’ll ask Carissa to do it this time, but if we’re still in this position in a week, I’m going, even if you tag along.”

“I’ll agree to that.”

Sofia nods once and then motions to the set-up in front of us. “Alright, now that it’s settled, let’s put you to work.”

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