Page 13 of Big Bodyguard
I lift it, aim through the glass, and start to shoot.
Click!The shutter captures the curve of his shoulders, the flex of his arms.
Click!The beads of sweat rolling down his spine as he drives his fists through the air.
Click!The focus in his eyes, cold and sharp, a man who looks like he was born for war.
Through my lens, I see more than the soldier. I see the man. The man who carried me to bed. The man who kissed me like he wanted to consume me. The man who calls me princess in a voice that makes my body shiver.
The man who might just ruin me completely.
I lower the camera slowly, my hands trembling. My chest rises and falls too quickly, like I’ve just run a marathon.
And still…I can’t stop staring.
When I finally drag myself away, I slip back toward the bed where Jack’s shirt lies draped across the rumpled sheets. I lift it, pressing it to my face for just a second, breathing in his familiar scent, masculine and oddly calming. It makes my stomach flip.
I smile faintly and tug the shirt over my head. The fabric swallows me, the hem brushing the tops of my thighs. It smells like him. Feels like him. I shiver, my stomach tightening with anticipation, and an idea pops into my head.
I turn away from the window with a small giddy laugh and pad barefoot to the door, careful not to make a sound as I tiptoe outside. The morning air is cool against my legs, and the sound of his movements fills the clearing.
He’s still focused, throwing another hard strike into the air, his muscles bunching and flexing. He doesn’t notice me. Or at least, I think he doesn’t.
Suppressing a giggle, I crouch low, inching toward him, my pulse racing with childish giddiness. If I can surprise him, then—
Suddenly, I yelp as my world flips. In a blink, my back hits the ground, the breath rushing from my lungs, and Jack is hovering over me, pinning my wrists to the grass.
“Thought you could sneak up on me, princess?” he asks, his lips spreading in a sinful smirk.
I laugh breathlessly, wriggling under him. “I almost had you!”
“Almost doesn’t count.” He leans closer, his hair falling slightly over his forehead, sweat glistening on his temple. The sight should be intimidating, but instead it makes heat curl low in my belly.
“You’re impossible,” I mutter, still squirming.
“And you’re reckless,” he counters smoothly, lowering his face until his lips graze my ear. “But cute as hell when you try.”
My cheeks flame, but laughter bubbles out of me again. I twist, managing to push one of his shoulders weakly. He doesn’t budge, of course. He’s solid, immovable.
“You’re too heavy,” I complain, but my grin betrays me.
He huffs a laugh, then suddenly dips his head to steal a kiss. It’s quick at first, teasing, but when I gasp, his tongue slides against mine, and he deepens the kiss. My stomach tightens, heat spreading all over my body.
When he finally pulls back, I’m panting, my lips tingling.
“See?” he murmurs, brushing a thumb along my jaw. “You can’t win against me. You’re mine.”
The words, his voice…it all feels so raw and possessive, sending a shiver racing through me. “Yours,” I echo softly, almost without thinking.
For a while, we just lie there in the grass, him above me, the sunlight filtering through the trees. Then slowly, he rolls to the side, tugging me with him until I’m curled against his chest, my head rising and falling with his breaths.
“You always train like that?” I ask after a moment, my fingers absently tracing the scars across his chest.
His jaw tightens under my touch, but his voice stays even. “Every morning. Old habits die hard.”
“Military habits?”
He nods once, his eyes distant for a beat. “Navy SEAL. Eight years.”
