Page 8 of The Bodyguard's Innocent Obsession
We move quickly, quietly, reaching my room in seconds. I slam the door behind us and lock it, heading straight for the duffel bag under the bed. I unzip it and double check the contents. There are enough clothes for a couple of days. Cash. Burner phone. Glock. Ammunition. Toothbrushes.
I’ve dealt with evacuations before, but never like this.
Never with someone I can’t fucking lose.
Arabella’s still standing by the door, wearing nothing but her oversized sleep shirt, legs bare, hair mussed, lips parted like she hasn’t quite caught up to what’s happening.
Jesus. She looks like a goddamn fever dream.
I cross the room, grabbing a clean t-shirt from the wardrobe and pulling it on before picking up a pair of sweatpants.
“Put these on,” I say as I crouch down in front of her. “Nobody sees you like this but me.”
Even now, I can’t control the possessiveness that consumes me when it comes to Arabella. God help any man who tries to come close to her tonight. I’ll fucking rip him to shreds.
She stares down at me, confused and flushed, then steps into the pants. I pull them up her legs myself. My fingers graze her thighs and I bite back a groan. This is not the time. I get the waistband up over her hips, tugging the drawstring tight. The legs are far too long for her and the material bunches comically around her ankles. But it’s good enough if it means I won’t be distracted by the thought of other men looking at her.
“Let’s go.”
I grab the Glock, check the safety, and shove it into the back of my waistband. Sling the duffel over my shoulder, and grab her hand again.
She’s barefoot. Her steps are light but quick, keeping pace with mine. I scan every corner, every shadow, making sure we’re clear.
The garage is quiet. Too quiet.
I shove her into the passenger seat of my SUV, close the door, and take the driver’s side. Lock it down. Turn the engine on.
“Stay down until I tell you it’s safe, princess.”
I wait for her to slide down in her seat before pulling out of the garage.
We don’t speak as I back the SUV down the driveway. I kill the headlights until we’re at the main road, every muscle in my body wired tight, senses sharpened like a blade. I watch the mirrors obsessively. No sign of pursuit, no lights, no shadows moving where they shouldn’t.
Once we hit the highway, I take a deep breath, some of the tension draining out of my shoulders.
“Okay, I think we’re safe now.”
She sits up, blinking, and looks around. One quick glance at her lets me see how much she is shivering. For someone who’s never experienced something like this, she’s holding herself together surprisingly well, and pride floods my chest.
I reach out and place my hand on her thigh, needing to feel her. Needing to know she’s real and safe. She doesn’t pull away.
“Where are we going?”
“I’ll find somewhere safe for us. You’ll be okay, princess, I promise.”
She nods softly. “It’s a good thing my parents are in D.C., otherwise Dad would be freaking out right now.”
“Yeah.”
We both go quiet. The road stretches out in front of us, endless and dark. My headlights cut through the night, but not enough. Not nearly enough.
Arabella curls up on the seat beside me, her bare feet tucked under her. She’s just watching me as if she’s waiting for something.
But I don’t say anything. I can’t. My mind’s racing too fast for my mouth to keep up.
She watched me in the shower. She wanted me to kiss her. She touched the glass like she could feel me through it. I almost had her in my arms.
My dick is growing hard again just thinking about it.
