Page 19 of Daddy's Bodyguard

“Do you have something against doing things the right way?” she asks.

“I could ask you the same, darling,” I tease. “Don’t approve of breakfast? Don’t approve of naps? Making life hard by ignoring the magic of the microwave.”

“Okay, the right way and the easy way are two different things. Why are you determined to disagree with me?” she demands. “Think that if you admit I’m right once, I’ll take advantage of it and take control?”

“I’d love you to take control, baby. Just give me the outline of what that looks like. Are we talking about wearing the pants in the relationship, holding the flogger, or full-on pegging?”

Her eyes narrow despite the fact she’s blushing all the way to her neck. She sputters, then reels off a line of unintelligible Spanish before stomping back to the kitchen. There go our few minutes of friendship. But maybe it’s better this way. Better for us to be at odds so I can focus on her safety rather than thinking about fucking her on the living room carpet.

I lay back on the couch, staring at the ceiling. We’ll be fine. Thisshouldbe the easiest assignment yet. If I can keep finding compromise with this woman, and she stays in line to allow me to do my job, we shouldn’t have any issues at all.

That’s the goal.

The easier, the more boring, the better. Also, I want to limit our out time. The office has me thinking about the tightly packed, crowded markets in Brazil. Those weekend art and farmer markets that turned an entire block into a crowd with no rush, plenty of conversations, and no way to pick out someone stalking over someone exploring.

I’m not looking forward to doing the same tomorrow, so instead, I’ll focus on the end goal. If I get through this assignment, I’ll have enough to put a good down-payment on a house. Even after that, I’ll have some savings, which means I can look for a normal forty-hour a week job. Maybe I can teach a self-defense class or something.

Exhaling, I push myself up and get off the couch. “Sofia, what do you want to do with this long life I’m making sure you have?”

She looks over her shoulder at me. “I’m going to get on congress and balance shit out.”

It’s so simple on her tongue. As if the journey doesn’t contain a thousand steps and a million obstacles for her to jump over, hurdles that only get higher and uglier the closer she gets to her goal. She meets my eyes, then leans back. “Why do you ask?

I shrug. “Just curious, I guess. I’m trying to get to know the woman beneath that tough exterior.”

“I’m going to take that as a compliment.”

“Whatever you want to do, baby girl.”

Her jawline tightens, then she takes a deep breath. I’m waiting for her backlash against my term of endearment, but she just asks, “How about you? What are your plans for the future?”

“I don’t really know job wise, but I know I want a good, normal life. A one-story house with a nice yard, a dog, a family, and a job that pays the bills without taking over every second of my life.”

“Really? You want to be … boring?”

“Normal.”

“Same thing.” Sofia shakes her head. “What’s the point of living if you’re not going to grab life and take the opportunity to change the world?”

“What’s the point of living if you’re not going to stop and enjoy the life you have?” I argue.

We stare at each other for a long moment, then the timer beeps. Sofia doesn’t move. She crosses her arms, shaking her head at me. “I think you’re in the wrong business, Jasper.”

“Eh, I’m pretty good at keeping people alive.” I take a step towards her. “Which means you’ll get to fight all those other people who want to take your spot in congress and change the country just like you want.”

Her eyes study me for a moment, then she arches an eyebrow. “Is that your fancy way of getting to choose your slice first?”

My lips turn up. It wasn’t, but it’s a good enough excuse. “You see right through me.”

Chapter 7

Sofia

It’s almost midnight when I slip into bed, bracing for another long, restless night. After getting my lesson plans done and taking a shower, I thought my body would get the message that it’s time to rest. It was a long, exhaustive day, even more than before. Sure, my daily tasks hadn’t increased, but having to deal with Jasper all day was an added burden that took its toll on me.

Lying alone in bed, with nothing but my thoughts, I’m not afraid to deny how much I’m attracted to him. My body wants him, even if my mind thinks it’s the most ridiculous thing ever. And he’s not making it any easier by flirting with me.

Right now, all I’m thinking about is how his body felt against mine each time we touch or how I’m aching to taste his lips. I was aware of his arousal while we snuggled on the couch earlier, and I’m sure he wouldn’t have resisted if I had made a move. And that’s a problem. I don’t want Jasper to want me. I don’t want to want him either. Being attracted to a man like this will only distract me from what I’m trying to achieve, and I can’t have that.

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