Page 5 of Escorting the Bodyguard
“It’s useful.”
Useful.Not the adjective most men use when describing me.
Ford glances at his watch, then back at me. “It’s getting late.”
“Is that your professional way of telling me it’s past my bedtime?”
“Depends. Are you the type who follows orders?”
“Depends on if you mean inside the bedroom or out.”
His mouth opens. Then closes. He exhales through his nose like he’s annoyed—with me, with himself, with the situation. When he speaks again, the professional mask is back in place, but I can see the cracks.
“Let’s start with following my security protocols.”
I finish the last sip of wine, feeling the warmth spread through my chest. Whether it’s from the alcohol or the way he’s looking at me, I can’t say. I set the glass down and smooth my dress, trying to focus on anything that’s not him.
As I stand, my heel catches on the chair leg, and I sway forward. Ford’s hand shoots out to steady me, his fingers closing around my wrist. For a heartbeat, we’re so close I can see the darker ring around his gray irises, feel the heat radiating from his body.
He doesn’t let go immediately. Neither do I.
And for the first time all night, the fear that’s been coiled tight inside me starts to loosen its grip. It’s not gone. Just… quieter.
His eyes drop to my mouth again before meeting my gaze. “Shall we go up to your room?”
The question sends heat straight through me.
After that charged conversation, those loaded looks, I know exactly what he’s asking. And despite everything—Tim, the danger, the fact that this man is supposed to be protecting me—I find myself wanting to say yes.
2
Ford
For just a second,I catch something in Gemma’s expression.
Heat. Surprise.
Genuine interest that makes my pulse kick up before I can shut it down.
Her emerald eyes widen, and there’s a flush creeping across her pale skin, visible even through whatever makeup she’s wearing.
“Shall we go up to your room?”
Fuck.I realize how that sounded.
“I meant for a security sweep. Of your room. Protocol,” I clarify quickly.
She recovers with a sharp smile, raising an eyebrow. “And here I thought you were finally loosening up.”
Heat crawls down my neck, both from the misunderstanding and from the fact that I caught her initial reaction.
She felt it too.
And now she’s making sure I know she’s not embarrassed about it.
Focus on the job,I remind myself as we head toward the elevators.Not on the way she’s looking at me, like she can see right through the badge and the protocol.
Room 1047 is at the end of the hall, exactly as I’d requested. Fewer access points, better sight lines.
