CHAPTER 6
Eli
When I relocated to the United States, Speaker Jackson had already been on my mind. As the months passed, I never forgot his promise that if I returned to the U.S., I would have a job. So, I wasn’t entirely surprised when I received a call from him, but I was still pleased nonetheless.
Sure, Speaker Jackson seemed like a respectable guy, and I hoped he actually would become Vice President of the United States. If I was being perfectly honest, I thought the man might even possess the character and qualities needed to make a good president. His position on treating all American citizens with respect was admirable, and not everyone agreed with him. But he didn’t stoop to the level of a lot of other underhanded politicians, and I appreciated that about him. And who didn’t want it on their resume that they had once worked for the President?
In all honesty though, it wasn’t just Speaker Jackson’s credentials that I was impressed with.
His daughter was a big part of it too.
Fiona Jackson was a natural beauty that I just couldn’t get out of my mind no matter how I tried. I had wanted her from the second I laid eyes on her, and I had wanted her again every passing second that she wasn’t with me. I didn’t want to be superficial and say that it was her looks that had me so enthralled, even though her looks definitely couldn’t be ignored.
There was more to her than a pretty face though. That much, I was sure of. My bear was desperate to claim her, and once he made up his mind instinct kicked in. I had to have her.
Nevertheless, she was the kind of girl who kept me on my toes. When Speaker Jackson announced that he wanted me to be head of security, responsible for protecting his daughter, I initially had cold feet and wondered what I had gotten myself into. I was used to protecting people, so it wasn’t a matter of my ability to do the job—the real issue was my ability to keep my professional distance.
The sex with Fiona had been so delicious, it made me feel as if I’d been missing something special my whole life thus far. Sure, there were other women in my past—plenty of them. Yet, none of them had ever left me feeling the way Fiona did, and I was still trying to figure out why that was.
While I hated to admit it, there was something mildly intimidating about Fiona; it became apparent just how intimidating I found her after I’d made a complete fool of myself when Speaker Jackson reintroduced us in the library of their home.
I’d had my heart broken one good time back in my day, and the affects had been long-lasting. In the aftermath, I had frankly become somewhat of an asshole. It was a defense mechanism—whenever I encountered a woman who thoroughly captured my interest, I fell into my bad-boy act, being rude and over-confident. Therefore, if the girl in question turned me down, I could readily blame my attitude rather than myself as a person. I knew the logic was flawed, but I just couldn’t seem to get over it. After that night in Turkey when I woke up to find Fiona already gone, there had been a hollow feeling inside of me that I knew would mean trouble if I ever saw her again. So naturally, when I did—that egotistical maniac sprung out, treating her like a piece of meat that I knew would eventually land on my plate.
I’ve never regretted anything more in my life then her leaving Turkey the way we left things. And it certainly didn’t help that after becoming responsible for her safety, my bear’s desire for her continually grew out of control. But I knew I had to keep my distance from her. Professional detachment had never been so complicated.
Trying to keep my feelings in check got more and more difficult the more I grew to know her. I had learned her schedule, and it revealed quite a bit about her. She was intelligent, driven, liked to stay in shape, and was fiercely loyal to her father.
Basically, she was the type of woman any man would be happy to have by his side.
Which is why I found it so baffling that she didn’t have a man in her life. On the other hand, I couldn’t deny being happy about this as well. I kept waiting with baited breath for the moment when I would have to follow her on a date. I got headaches just thinking about how I would possibly be able to maintain my masquerade of indifference; I knew that if I ever saw her with another man, I would lose my shit. There was no way my bear would be able to keep it together. My professional façade would be broken beyond repair and my job would be at stake—and I really didn’t want to let Speaker Jackson down in any way.
So each day I spent with Fiona, I pretended to turn over a new leaf. I knew she was confused by the abrupt changes she’d witnessed in me, especially since I had been so bold and brash before. And although I knew she questioned how I had turned over such a new leaf, she never bothered to mention it out loud. So, I knew she was keeping up her professional façade too.
That didn’t stop me from wondering if she ever thought about that night we had spent together in Turkey though.
I had relived that night so many times that I could practically replay it in my head like a movie—which is exactly what happened at least once every time I was around her.
If I didn’t manage to screw up on the job, I would likely explode one day from how badly I wanted Fiona Jackson. Something about her made me feel like a teenage boy all over again, enslaved to my hormones.
What had I gotten myself into?