Page 12 of Daddy's Bodyguard

Sofia drops her fork. “Dios mio! I can’t even hear myself think!”

“Why not think out loud? All the great geniuses do it.”

“You’re like …” her fingers look half broken as she forces her hands together. Like she can make a muzzle manifest between her palms. If only, sweetheart. “You’re like an overexcited golden retriever. You’re so busy chasing your own tail you wouldn’t even notice if I had a ball.”

I set my knife down and stare at her with the most serious face I can muster. “Sofia… You had a ball all this time and didn’t tell me?”

She shakes her head, but I see the hint of a smile on her face. Maybe there’s some human under this robot.

We finish eating, and Sofia takes my plate and silverware without asking. She piles them all in the sink, checks her watch, then gives the plates a wistful look. It’s going to bug her; I can already tell.

“We can wash them when we get home,” I say.

“Fine. Your rules, right?” Her venom is at full potency again.

“I figured you’d want to get to work faster. Introduce me to all your friends as the guy who almost got away.”

“Jasper.”

“But it’s okay, baby. I’m not going anywhere. How can I resist such a wild minx?” I wink.

She rubs her forehead. “We talked about this. You’re my cousin.”

“This makes more sense. A cousin wouldn’t exactly feel the urge to take you out to dinner.”

“We have a car, right, or are we doing a taxi?” She immediately changes the subject, which makes me smirk.

After a short argument about cars, she gives up, and we take a taxi to her job. I know she wants to rent a car, but it’ll be in her name, and anyone worth their salt will be able to track that shit down. But maybe I can tweak her limitations a little. It’s against my status quo, but this woman makes me want to break every single rule.

Before we go in, I catch her hand. “If you behave, I’ll take care of the car later. But only if it’s rented in my name.” I’m a ghost. These thugs can’t track someone they don’t know exists.

“I’ll behave if you don’t drive me insane. How about that?”

“You’re big on the give and take, aren’t you?”

Sofia eyes me up and down, then moves ahead. “Also, this is job one of two. Just letting you know.”

“Fantastic.” I grab the door and hold it open for her. She continues to eye me like I can’t be trusted, but there’s a curious glint in her look. It’s progress.

We walk into a flurry of activity. People talking on phones, rushing back and forth, the clicking of keyboards. They’re all just jagged streaks of loud voices and muted colors. I fight the urge to drag Sofia against me as a big guy rushes towards her. Reminding myself we’re in her office building, a totally safe zone—for now, I focus on my job, turning my attention to the front window of the office.

After checking out the slower-paced world outside, I relax a little. I don’t see anyone stopping in vehicles, considering the street parking is full. No one lingers in their car. No loitering with eyes on our building. It’s an excellent sign that we weren’t followed and that Sofia’s place of work hasn’t been discovered. Point one for our team.

“Jasper.” Sofia tugs my hand and motions to a woman in front of her.

The woman is a little taller than Sofia, curvier, and has the sweetest smile I’ve ever seen. Her shoulder-length blonde hair, bright green eyes, and the way her blush covers the tip of her nose are all so welcoming that I can’t help but grin.

“This is my best friend, Carissa. Carissa, this is Jasper.”

I take Carissa’s hand in mine, noticing how soft and delicate it feels. “Nice to meet you, Carissa.”

“Likewise, Jasper,” she replies, her husky tone and traveling eyes making obvious her interest in me.

Sofia opens her mouth to say something, then looks over to where a guy just stepped out of an office. He’s taking me in with a slight frown, then he beckons to Sofia. “That’s our boss, Nick. Give me a minute, okay?” she says to me.

She walks over to him and follows him into his office without looking back once. I shove my hand in my pocket and refocus on Carissa. Sofia’s safe with her boss. No need to worry.

Carissa clears her throat. “So, Jasper, who are you, and why are you here?”

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