Vanguard Security_A Military Bodyguard Romance

by S. J. Bishop

  Why would I want a creep like him to be interested in me?

  Maybe because he was sexy as hell.

  No.

  I shoved the thought out of my head, heading out of the building.

  Suddenly, Emil sprinted past me.

  For a second, I thought he was about to make an escape. I prepared to give chase, but to my surprise, he simply opened the car door for me, acting like a gentleman. “After you, ma’am.”

  “What the hell are you doing?” I questioned, eyeing him with suspicion.

  “Just thought I would do something nice for you.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “You don’t trust me, do you?”

  “Why should I?”

  “Hmm, I guess you have a point.” He laughed.

  Nonetheless, I got in the car. He closed the door, rounded the hood, and jumped into the passenger seat, buckling himself in.

  I stared at him, trying to figure out his angle. He was up to something; I could almost taste it.

  “What?” he asked, acting all innocent.

  “You’re planning something.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Again, his eyes were unreadable, dark and murky. He ran his fingers through his thick hair. In that moment, I was taken aback by his chiseled features. His jaw looked like it had been sculpted from a cut of marble. His nose was sharp and pointed, with the slightest hint of crookedness. His brows were drawn straight over his eyes.

  Damn.

  I bit the inside of my lip in order to keep my hormones from surging. “Forget it,” I mumbled, driving off.

  “Mind if I turn on some music?”

  “Hmm?”

  “Would you rather spend the whole ride in silence?” he asked.

  “Oh, sure. Go ahead.”

  He started to flick through the channels and settled with 108 Lite Rock. With a smile on his face, he leaned back in his seat, closed his eyes, and started tapping his foot.

  “I used to listen to this song with my father,” I said.

  “Oh?” He opened one eye to look at me. “Was he a fan of Ever Blue?”

  “Yeah. He owned all of their records. Every Sunday, he’d turn on the record player and stow away in the garage restoring this old Mustang he bought at auction. My mother hated that thing. I thought it was pretty cool. My father always treated me like the son he never had. I guess that’s why I joined the army.” When I had finished talking, I suddenly felt weird.

  Why had I said all of those things? It wasn’t like me to share such personal details of my life, let alone with a stranger – a criminal. What had gotten into me?

  “I see.” He looked out the windshield, a distant haze painting his eyes like he was thinking of some faraway memory. “It was actually my brother who introduced me to the band. He had all of their posters plastered on his wall. He idolized them. He even snuck into some of their concerts.”

  “Where is he now?”

  “Dead.” The answer came as a shock. It was so blunt, like a bullet shattering through the car’s interior. I instantly regretted my question when the air around us became heavy. “Before you ask, I don’t want to talk about it. What’s in the past is in the past, and I’d like to keep it that way.”

  I nodded. I could sympathize with that. There were plenty of things I’d be better off forgetting.

  Emil leaned forward and turned up the volume, ending any possibility of further discussion.

  I sighed under my breath, focusing on my driving. It was difficult with Emil in the car. As much as I wanted to ignore him, I was ever aware of his aura – his smell. I couldn’t believe I’d be living with this man for the next few months. Maybe I should ask Cruz for a change in assignment. Let someone else deal with this pervert.

  Eventually, we arrived at my favorite diner. I pulled into a parking space and looked over at Emil. He didn’t move, and his features were relaxed.

  Was he sleeping?

  For a moment, I watched him. Despite everything he had done to annoy me, I couldn’t help but feel a bit of sympathy for this man. His life hadn’t been easy. He had fallen on hard times and had made a few bad decisions along the way. Deep down, I hoped he could redeem himself during his time at VanGuard.

  Gently, I reached forward and shook his arm.

  In a sudden movement, he jerked up and grabbed my wrist, squeezing hard. His eyes were wild and distraught as he looked around.

  “Emil. Shh. It’s just me,” I said in a soft, soothing voice. “You fell asleep during the car ride.”

  His expression softened. “Sorry,” he mumbled, letting go of my wrist.

  “You alright?”

  “Fine,” he said, his voice curt.

  “Okay.”

  He leaned toward the dash, looking up at the diner. “Where are we?”

  “Mo’s. This is my favorite place to grab dinner.”

  “Dinner?”

  “Did you think I was going to starve you?”

  Emil was quiet for a moment before he chuckled. “Alright then, I could go for some food. But you’re paying.” He reached into his pockets, pulling out some lint. “Because I’m broke.”

  I laughed. “Don’t worry, VanGuard is giving me an allowance to babysit you.”

  “Oh, isn’t that nice of them,” he scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Well, let’s go.”

  And together, we walked inside and slipped into a booth. It was the first time I’d shared a meal with a man in a long, long time. A strange feeling crept into my chest as I looked over the table, admiring the way he looked, his face half-hidden behind his menu.

  Damn, I had only been with him for a few hours and already I was getting soft.

  5

  Emil

  As I looked over the menu, I took notice of Cassandra staring at me from under her eyelashes. She probably thought she was being subtle, but it was obvious she was checking me out. I smirked, feeling my ego inflate. She could try and deny me all she wanted, but it was clear that deep down, she wanted me.

  This could definitely work to my advantage.

  “What are you getting?” I asked, my voice deep and husky. At the sound of my drawl, she tensed up ever so slightly, her cheeks turning a soft shade of pink. It was cute.

  “Um…”

  “Cat got your tongue?” I tilted my head, feigning innocence as I grabbed her hand, squeezing it gently.

  Her fingers twitched for a moment, as if yearning to lock with mine, before she hastily pulled away, her eyes narrowing. “What the hell are you doing?”

  “Your hands looked cold. Thought I would warm them for you.”

  “Well, they aren’t,” she snapped.

  “No need to be so feisty.”

  “Just keep your hands to yourself.”

  I chuckled. “Are you sure that’s what you want, Cassandra?”

  She bit the inside of her lip. God, she was sexy. At that moment, all I wanted to do was jump across the table and pounce on her. I’d do her right there in the booth if I needed to – tangle my fingers in her hair – tug on it until her back arched – and make her scream. I could almost hear those sweet, sweet sounds of lust even now. In reaction, my cock came to life inside my pants, straining against my jeans.

  Just then, the waitress arrived. “What can I get for you?” she asked, looking at me with bedroom eyes.

  I flashed her a charming smile. “How about your number?”

  She giggled. “Oh…”

  Cassandra turned bright red. “Shut up. We’ll have two rodeo burgers. Make them meals.”

  The girl frowned, scribbled something down on her notepad, and quickly placed it in my hand before scurrying away.

  “Seems like I still got it,” I boasted, lifting the collar of my jacket, acting like I was on the set of a Greaser movie.

  “You’re a pig, you know that?”

  “Ladies seem to like it.”

  “Well, I don’t,” she said, snatching the paper out of my hand and tearing it to pieces.

&
nbsp; “Is that why you’re getting so jealous right now?”

  “I’m not getting jealous.” Her cheeks turned a shade darker. “What the hell are you talking about?”

  I just smiled knowingly, which seemed to piss her off even more.

  We didn’t speak as we waited for our food, but it was obvious that Cassandra was seething. She kept fidgeting in her seat and picking at the faux leather of the booth.

  Eventually, our meals arrived. I winked at the waitress, much to Cassandra’s irritation. It was so much fun to tease her like this.

  Maybe being a VanGuard prisoner wouldn’t be such a bad thing after all.

  “Now, before we go inside, we need to lay down some ground rules,” Cassandra started. “I’ve agreed to let you stay in my home for the duration of your training. But if you do anything to damage my property, I’ll make you regret it. Also, I have a four-year-old daughter named Kimmy. You hurt her, and I won’t hesitate to kill you. Got that?”

  “A daughter, huh?” I asked. Great, now I had to deal with some bratty, snot-nosed little kid. That was exactly what I wanted.

  “Yes.”

  “I’m surprised.”

  “Why?”

  “You look young.”

  “I am.”

  “Where’s the father?”

  “Doesn’t matter. I’m not having this conversation with you,” she said, slipping out of the car just as soon as she was done.

  I sighed, following after her, my hands in my pockets as I waited for her to open the door.

  Clank.

  Her keys fell to the ground.

  Instinctually, I bent down to pick them up. Our heads collided together. I reached forward and grabbed her, cradling her to my chest to break her fall. She landed on top of me, our faces inches apart. For a moment, our eyes were locked together. I could feel the beating of her heart and the heat rolling from her cheeks. In that brief second, it was as if the world had stopped. We were the only two people left, our histories erased and our future unwritten.

  But before anything could happen, the door flew open. “Mommy!” a high-pitched voice cried out. The little girl was about to rush forward when she stopped in her tracks, tilting her head in confusion. “Mommy?”

  Quickly, Cassandra scrambled to her feet. “Hey, pumpkin.”

  “Who’s that, Mommy?” she asked, pointing to me.

  Cassandra looked back at me, her chest heaving as she took a deep breath. “He’s a… friend. He’ll be staying here for a little while, alright?”

  “You mean, like a slumber party?” she asked in a fit of giggles. Suddenly, she dashed toward me, grabbed my hand, and hoisted me to my feet. “Come on, mister!” She dragged me into the house.

  I stumbled after her, surprised by her strength. She seemed to take after her mother.

  As Kimmy held me hostage in her bedroom, making me sit down at the tea party table, I could hear Cassandra talking to the babysitter, trying to get rid of her. I assumed she didn’t like the fact that I was alone with her daughter.

  “What’s your name?” Kimmy asked, placing a crown on the top of my head.

  “Emil.”

  “Emil,” she repeated in her cute little voice. “I like you.”

  “Thank you.” I smiled. “Can you convince your mommy to do the same?”

  “Mommy doesn’t like you?” she asked, tilting her head, her pigtails flopping around.

  “Nope.”

  “Why?”

  “Erm.” I didn’t really know how to answer her. It’s not like I could tell her the truth. “I don’t know.”

  “Did you try asking her?”

  “No.”

  “Ask her!” she exclaimed. “But first, we need to have a tea party!” She handed me a tiny pink cup and filled it with a bit of water.

  Playing along, I lifted my pinky and took a tiny sip.

  Just then, Cassandra walked in. “What the hell are you doing?”

  6

  Cassandra

  Having a tea party. What does it look like I’m doing?” Emil took another sip from his cup.

  Kimmy giggled.

  “I like your friend, Mommy! How come you don’t like him?”

  I stared at my daughter, unsure of how I should respond. “I…”

  “Go on, tell her,” Emil prompted, a smug look on his face.

  Kimmy looked up at me with bright green eyes, her face innocent and pure. “It’s nothing, baby, but it’s almost your bedtime. Why don’t you get into your pajamas, brush your teeth, and then I’ll read you a bedtime story?”

  “But…”

  “No buts, missy.”

  She pouted, looking up at me, hoping I would succumb to her puppy dog look. I didn’t.

  “That was rather mean, wouldn’t you say?” Emil got up and placed his crown on the table. “She obviously wanted to spend some more time with me.”

  “You stay away from her,” I warned.

  “What? Are you afraid I’m going to corrupt her or something?”

  “As a matter of fact.” Without another word, I turned on my heels and headed for the kitchen, putting the kettle on to boil.

  Emil didn’t follow me but slumped onto the couch, flicking through the channels. To my surprise, he settled on the cartoon network, looking enthralled by all of the colorful characters.

  It was hard to believe, but it seemed like this man had a soft side. There was definitely much more to him than met the eye.

  I watched him for a moment, unsure about how I felt.

  “You know, if you’re going to keep staring at me like that, you might as well join me. I’m pretty good at cuddling.”

  “Shut up,” I snapped, turning my back to him and busying myself by toasting a couple pieces of bread. As I waited on the toaster, I looked out of the kitchen window, admiring the night’s beauty. The stars were twinkling. The moon shone with a brilliant light, painting everything in a soft silver sheen.

  Pop!

  Grabbing the toast, I buttered them and sat at the table by myself, my thoughts wandering.

  I thought about Kimmy’s father. I had no idea where he was. He was probably dead by now. Hell, I didn’t even know his name. I had gotten drunk one night and found myself naked the following morning. About a month later, my period had never come. I was pregnant. They’d discharged me from the service, so here I was, babysitting a criminal instead of running through the jungle, gun in hand.

  What a life.

  I sighed.

  What would my parents think if they could see me? I honestly didn’t know.

  Knowing I would only drive myself insane if I kept thinking about these things, I got up and headed for Kimmy’s bedroom. But as I passed the living room, I couldn’t help but sneak a peek in Emil’s direction.

  To my surprise, Kimmy was snuggled up to him, fast asleep, her teddy bear in hand.

  “Well, hello,” he whispered, looking up at me.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Watching TV.”

  “No, I mean, what are you doing with my daughter?”

  “She said she wanted to watch cartoons with me. I let her. But it seems she fell asleep.”

  I shook my head. “I don’t know what you’re planning, but it needs to stop.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “You left Stacey because you didn’t want to raise her baby and yet you come in here acting like you’re great with kids.”

  His jaw tensed at my words. “Look. That was different.”

  “How?”

  “I didn’t want to be a dad because I knew I’d be horrible at it. What kid needs a fuck-up for a dad?” His voice was gravely, his hands tightening into fists. “I’m just being nice to Kimmy. It’s not like I’m her dad or anything. There’s a huge difference.”

  “Whatever,” I said, grabbing my daughter and carrying her to bed. Gently, I laid her down, pulled up the covers, and tucked her in.

  “You love her, huh?” Emil whispered from the doorway.


  “Of course I do. She’s my daughter.”

  He nodded.

  I leaned down and kissed the top of her head. “Goodnight, Kimmy.”

  She rolled over, hugging her teddy close to her chest.

  I smiled, looking at her for a little while longer before I left the room, turning off the lights.

  “Anyway, let me show you to your room.”

  “I get my own room? I was half expecting you to throw a blanket and a pillow at me and tell me to sleep on the couch.”

  “No. You have your own bed, don’t worry.”

  “Will you be sharing that bed with me?”

  “Fuck off,” I said, punching his arm.

  “Ow. Has anyone ever told you that you’re extremely violent? Like, jeez, woman.”

  I smirked. “Well, all the more reason for you to hold your tongue.”

  “We both know that’s not going to happen. It’s hard to resist a beautiful woman when she’s standing right in front of you.”

  I ignored his comment, heading for the guest bedroom. “It’s not much, but it’ll be enough. Now, get some sleep. We will be leaving early tomorrow morning, just as soon as Kimmy goes to school.”

  “Where are we going?” he asked.

  “There’s a bit more training we need to do. Cruz has a couple of missions lined up, but we need to make sure that you’re ready for them.”

  “I see.”

  “Anyway, I’m tired. Goodnight.”

  “’Night.”

  “If you need anything, I’m across the hall.”

  “Anything?” He smirked.

  “Don’t get any bright ideas.”

  “You suck the fun out of everything.”

  “You’d better get used to it then because you’re stuck with me for a while.”

  “Great,” he answered, his tone sarcastic. “I look forward to every minute of it.”

  “At least we can agree on one thing,” I returned cheekily.

  7

  Emil

  I sat down on the mattress, staring at the door where Cassandra had just stood. Her image haunted my thoughts. I outlined her every inch with my mind, wondering what it would feel like to wrap her in my arms, my fingers digging into that supple flesh, my teeth on her neck.