Page 7 of Big Bodyguard
And in the center of it all is Jack.
Just the thought of him sends a tremor down my spine. I should be scared of him, but all I can think about is his gorgeous blue eyes, and the way he looks at me like he can see into my soul.
I shake my head quickly, trying to dispel the heat that creeps up my neck. No. I can’t think about him like that. He’s my captor. My kidnapper. Whatever he is.
But who is he really? Who does he work for?
My dad’s face flashes in my mind. I hate to think that he was right in the end. The world outside his mansion isn’t safe after all.
I shake the thought away, alongside the pang of guilt in my chest. What I really need to think about is how to get out of here.
Just as I’m starting to dwell on that thought, there’s a knock at the door. I jolt upright as it creaks open and Jack steps inside, his broad shoulders filling the frame. He doesn’t ask permission. He just crosses the space in two strides and sets a neatly folded shirt and a small bundle of toiletries on the dresser.
“Figured you might need a change of clothes,” he says in that quiet yet intense manner of his.
“Thanks,” I murmur, hugging my arms around myself.
His gaze searches my face for a moment, his eyes lingering on my lips in a way that makes my throat go dry. “Goodnight.”
I nod, my throat feeling too tight to answer.
And just like that, he turns and leaves, shutting the door behind him with a quiet click.
I stand up slowly and walk over to the dresser to pick up the shirt. It’s huge—his shirt, obviously. The fabric is soft and worn, still warm from where he was holding it to his body.
Before I can stop myself, I press it to my chest. My eyes flutter closed as I breathe in. It smells like him—cedar and smoke, leather and something darker, dangerous.
My heart skips a dangerous beat, and I clutch it tighter for a moment before reality slams back into me. I snap my eyes open.What the hell am I doing, sniffing a stranger’s shirt like some weirdo?
I toss it onto the bed, scowling at myself. “Get it together, Charlie,” I whisper under my breath. I should probably get back to thinking about escaping this nightmare.
I quickly change into his shirt, ignoring the soft feel of the fabric against my body and the delicious tingles running through my skin. I return to the bed, sitting with my knees pulled to my chest. Then I wait, willing myself not to give in to the exhaustion pressing down on my body.
Time seems to crawl, but soon, it’s midnight. I can only pray that Jack has fallen asleep by now. I slide off the bed, keeping my steps light as I tiptoe across the wooden floor to the living room. My heart is beating fast, and I can almost hear the sound bouncing off the walls around me.
Luckily, Jack seems to be fast asleep.
He’s stretched out on the sofa, one arm tucked behind his head, the other resting heavy across his muscular chest. I stare for a second longer than necessary, fascinated by how the ruggedplanes of his face seem to be softened by sleep. He looks so much younger…carefree.
In another time and place, maybe, just maybe, I could have fallen for a man like Jack. But right now, I have to go.
I head for the door, slowly, keeping my steps light. I don’t even dare to breathe. I reach the door, gently curling my and around the knob, and—
“Going somewhere, princess?”
I freeze.
A scream lodges in my throat as his smooth, deep voice cuts through the silence. I turn slowly. Jack is sitting up now, those piercing blue eyes gleaming at me in the dark.
“I…I was just—”
He stands, moving toward me with the kind of stealth that makes my skin crawl and shiver all at once. “You really thought you could sneak past an ex Navy SEAL?”
I take a step back, my shoulders hitting the door. “Stay away from me.”
But he doesn’t. He closes the distance in two strides. Suddenly, his arms are around me and he’s lifting me off my feet, carrying me back to the bedroom.
“What the hell?” I hiss, kicking and wriggling to attempt to free myself from his grasp. “You’re insane!”
