Page 11 of Bodyguard Crush
“I didn’t sleep well either,” she confesses.
“I’m sure it’s hard to do when you know you have a stalker after you.” I pick up the spoon and put some scrambled eggs onto my plate.
Her eyes widen. “Yeah, I guess that’s why,” she says, popping a grape into her mouth.
She is a good actress, but I’m starting to pick up on little things here and there. Like right now, I don’t believe what she just said. She agreed that it must be the stalker causing her to lose sleep, but her facial expressions didn’t match up. So why is she losing sleep? It couldn’t be the same reason I couldn’t sleep last night, could it?
No, what am I thinking? She’s a famous actress who could have any man she wanted. There’s no way she can be even slightly interested in me. I need to stop letting myself get my hopes up like that. I don’t say another word, and the two of us start eating.
“After today, every inch of this property will be on camera. I’m going to spend every minute of every day in your proximity. I hope that’s okay.” I don’t look at her. I’m afraid to.
“That was the plan,” she says, but her voice is off. I wish I could understand what’s going on with her. But what do I know? I haven’t known her for very long. Maybe this is just her personality. She could be happy and excited one day and then bored and wanting nothing to do with people the next. I can’t let it get to me or stop me from doing my job.
“So what’s on the agenda for the day?”
She shrugs one shoulder. “I will start my morning the way I always do by taking care of the horses.”
After breakfast, I follow her out to the barn. Instead of helping her, I stand back and do my job. My job is to stand off to the side and remain invisible while being ready to throw my life on the line to protect her. I seem to be doing a good job at that being invisible part because neither she nor the stable help looks or even talks to me. Instead, they work with the horses, talk, laugh, and when he flirts with her, my jealousy flares. I tell myself it’s not jealousy, though. I tell myself he’s a threat and needs to be watched like any suspect. He has the perfect cover.
He’s already allowed on the property, so nobody would think anything of it if they saw him walking around. He keeps flirting with Abby and hitting on her. She giggles but doesn’t return any of his feelings, and that’s enough to turn anybody into a stalker. He’s obsessed, and she doesn’t want anything to do with him. I’ll need to ask her later how she got around to hiring this guy. Was he from here, or did he come with her from California like the rest of the staff did?
I shake my head and watch as she moves around the barn. It’s obvious how much she loves the horses. She moves slow, and she’s always gentle. She looks to be at peace when she’s with them—like they calm her in ways I don’t understand.
It isn’t long until the horses are out to pasture. I watch as she climbs up on one and takes her for a ride around the field. Her long dark hair blows in the breeze behind her as they gallop through the grass. She’s wearing a wide smile, and the sun shines down on her, lighting up her beautiful blue eyes. Just watching her ride and look at peace is enough to have my heart racing and a smile pulling at my lips.
“Don’t get too attached,” the stable hand says, walking up to stand beside me.
“I’m sorry?” I ask, looking over at him.
He leans against the fence post, watching her the same way I was. “You won’t be here long. Plus, you think someone like her could want someone like you?”
7
ABBY
I’m lost in my own little world as I ride Pepper around the pasture. I’ve only had Kaden with me for an hour, and I’m already missing my privacy and freedom. I don’t want to ride the pasture. I want to ride the property. I want to gallop across the big open fields and dash through the winding trails. Riding on the back of a horse always made me feel free. That’s probably why I’ve always loved it so much. But now, I can’t go far without someone’s eyes on me, and I’m feeling more and more like a prisoner every day.
I turn my head and look over my shoulder, finding Kaden and Jeff in some sort of heated debate. They both have angry looks on their faces, and I can see their mouths moving as they take turns talking. Jeff shakes his head and stomps away, kicking dirt and rocks as he walks back to the barn. I pull the horse in their direction, but before we’re approaching the fence, Jeff has climbed into his old beat-up pickup truck, and he’s peppering the side of the barn with gravel as he stomps on the gas.
“What’s wrong with him?” I ask Kaden as I approach.
He waves him off. “He’s got feelings for you.”
My brows lift. “Excuse me?”
He nods. “He has feelings for you…much more than boss and employee. He thinks I’m trying to move in on you and steal you from him.”
I can’t help but laugh. “No, seriously. What’s wrong?”
He smirks and shrugs. “You done riding for the day?”
“Actually, I want to go on a longer ride. A real ride. Through the property.”
“You know you can’t go off alone right now, Abby.”
“I know. I figured you could come with me. You’ve ridden before, right?”
His eyes stretch wide. “Me? On a horse?”
