Page 10 of Her Bossy Bodyguards

“Ms. Hanson,” I greeted her with a warm smile. “You had quite the night last night.”

“Sorry,” she apologized as she pulled herself into a seated position. “I was just…I just wanted to blow off some steam. Everything’s been a little crazy lately.”

“Understandable.” I nodded. “Just be sure that next time you let us know where you’re going ahead of time. It makes our job a lot easier when we know what our next move should be.”

“I had no idea I’d be going to the party,” she murmured. “Kelly didn’t text me about it until a few minutes after it was already supposed to start. And then, I just got dressed, grabbed a bottle of wine and—”

“And that was that,” I finished her story for her. “Again, understandable, Ms. Hanson. Just try not to let it happen again.”

“What happens if I do?” Natalie pressed with a small smirk on her lips. “Are you going to spank me or something?”

I paused for a moment, completely stunned by Natalie’s moment of flirtation.

Holy shit.

Zeke had been right about Natalie. Shewasplaying some sort of game, whether she knew it or not. Honestly, it was hard for me to tell if she was innocently playing with fire or if she genuinely knew how to handle the flame.

Was she just curious about how far she could push things before they broke?

“What are you doing, Natalie?”

“What do you mean?”

“Are you trying to hit on me right now?” I asked. “Were you trying to hit on Zeke last night? Or even before then?”

“I don’t think I know what you’re talking about—”

“Save it,” I interrupted. “You need to cut all of that out right now, got it?”

“I wasn’t…I’m not…” Natalie’s cheeks burned beet red. “I’m sorry. You’re right. I shouldn’t be trying to…I don’t even know what I’m trying to do.”

“I get it. I really do,” I replied, feeling a little bad for shutting her down so bluntly. “I’m sure guys never turn you down, Ms. Hanson. And as a state senator’s daughter, I’m sure you’re used to getting what you want all the time, too. I can understand why you might see guys like Zeke and me as some kind of challenge.”

“I don’t see you as some kind of challenge,” Natalie murmured. “I just…I saw the way you looked at me, the first time you saw me.”

“The way I looked at you?”

“No one’s ever looked at me like that before,” she went on. “Especially not any of the guys I go to school with. It was…it made me feel like…”

Natalie looked away from me as she finished. “It just made me wonder if that’s how guys are supposed to look at women, you know? If that’s how it’s supposed to feel when you want someone to get closer to you.”

“I think you’re just confused, Natalie,” I replied. “I think you’re just scared with everything going on with your dad, and we’re just the most convenient distraction.”

“Is that really what you think is going on?” She looked back over at me. “Is that what you’re saying, Kingston? You’re really not attracted to me, at all?”

“Natalie, I don’t…”

“Fine. Prove it,” she cut me off and slid into my lap within seconds, her legs now straddling my waist. “Kiss me.”

“Natalie, what the fuck?” My words came out like a warning. “Are you still drunk? Is that what this is?”

“Does it matter?” she asked. “If you kiss me and nothing happens, I’ll leave it alone. And if you’re worried that I’m going to tell my dad, trust me, I won’t. I’m not some psychopath who’d try to get you fired just because you thought I was a bad kisser.”

“Natalie—” I tried to add something else to the conversation. But my words were cut off by her pressing her lips hard against mine.

She slipped her tongue into my mouth, sensuous and slow, her hands shifting up to my hair to run her fingertips through the strands. And it was like my body went into autopilot in response, my palms going down to her ass and gripping it hard, my hips pushing up to meet her waist as I pulled her even closer to my chest.

Fuck.

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