CHAPTER 8
Eli
“Hello, Speaker Jackson,” I said. I’d been sitting in the living room, reading news articles on my phone while keeping an eye on the surveillance cameras displaying the surrounding grounds of the Jackson estate. When I’d seen the vehicle returning him home, I couldn’t have been more grateful. A couple of hours had gone by since I’d been with Fiona, but I was still overly aware that I was in this big house alone with her, and I’d been fantasizing entirely too much about going back into her room and asking if she would mind doing those yoga poses again, preferably on me with her clothes off. My bear growled in agreement.
Since the yoga demonstration in her bedroom, I’d heard her retreat to the library. I didn’t approach her again though, not even to check if she needed anything.
“Hi Eli,” the senator said, his voice friendly, but tired.
I smiled at him. “Looks like you’ve had a long day.”
“Don’t I always,” he said, taking a seat at the dining room table across from me. “How was your day? Fiona didn’t drive you too crazy, did she? I see you took me up on having a casual Tuesday.”
I laughed, hoping it didn’t really sound as strained as I thought it did. “No…She’s uhm…studying. And yeah thanks, it’s nice to be out of a suit once in a while.”
“My poor girl. She’s been studying all day, hasn’t she?”
“No…she…she went to work out for a little while earlier.”
“Well, let me see if she’s up to going out for dinner. I could use a nice meal, and I’m sure she could too. In fact, why don’t you join us?”
I swallowed. My only plans for the rest of the day had involved going back home and taking several cold showers while trying to force the images of Fiona and those poses out of my head. Maybe even let my bear go for a run in the local park after dark. Blow off some steam.
“No, that’s all right, sir,” I said, trying to politely decline and disguise the panic in my voice.
But Speaker Jackson waved his hand dismissively. “Nonsense. I won’t take no for an answer. It’s my treat, to thank you again for your services.”
* * *
“Right this way,” the waitress said.
Speaker Jackson, Fiona, and I followed her through the restaurant, where she led us to a table for three. Once we reached the table, I faltered for a moment, trying to decide which seat to take. Two chairs were on one side of the table, and a single chair was on the other side. I hurriedly approached the single chair, so that Speaker Jackson could sit beside his daughter. Once we all took our seats though, I knew I’d made a mistake. I’d been reluctant to sit next to Fiona, but failed to realize sitting across from her was a worse idea because she would be plainly in my view for the whole dinner. My bear paced, annoyed we weren’t closer. I’d have to carefully control my expressions, because God forbid Speaker Jackson saw the lust in my eyes when I looked at his little princess.
It was going to be a long evening, to say the least.
“Can I start you all off with something to drink?” the waitress said, smiling amicably at us all.
“I’ll just take water,” Fiona said.
“Same for me,” I said. Fiona met my gaze briefly, and I averted my eyes to the menu although I wasn’t really reading it.
“Water?” Speaker Jackson said. “You two are going to make me look bad! Oh, what the hell. Give me a beer.”
The waitress winked. “Coming right up, sir.”
“Looks like you have an admirer,” Fiona teased, nudging her father’s arm with her elbow.
“Oh, nonsense. I’m too old for those shenanigans,” he said.
“No you’re not, Dad. I’m sure lots of women would be more than willing to be your future first lady.”
“Let’s not jump ahead of ourselves, dear,” Speaker Jackson said with a chuckle. He pulled a pair of eye-glasses from the pocket of his shirt. “Besides, you’re the one who should be keeping your eyes open for prospects. You don’t want to wind up old and alone. You’re far too pretty for that.”
“Oh Dad,” Fiona said, exasperated.
My bear growled and my mouth having suddenly grown dry, I looked around, wishing the waitress would come back with our drinks already.
“What about you, Eli?”
“Huh?” My eyebrows shot up. I looked across the table at Speaker Jackson, noticing that he was staring at me.
“Anyone special in your life? Your kind has mates, right?”
“Dad!” Fiona complained.
Right on time, the waitress returned with our drinks, sparing me from answering. “Are you all ready to order, or do you need more time?”
“More time, please. My eyes haven’t even adjusted to this dim lighting yet!” Speaker Jackson said.
The waitress laughed as if he had just said the funniest thing in the world, making it seem that Fiona had a point. Either the waitress was being flirtatious, or she was simply being extra nice because she recognized Speaker Jackson and wanted to be left a hefty tip.
“I’ll give you a moment then. Just wave me over when you’re ready,” she said before leaving once again.
Fiona laughed. “Goodness, she is trying so hard,” she said. Suddenly, a flush came over her face and she reached for her cup of water. She also seemed to be consciously avoiding my gaze and I suddenly realized why.
I supposed she felt a bit hypocritical, considering that whole yoga display she had staged for me earlier.
Unable to stop myself, I chuckled.
“All right, enough you two,” Speaker Jackson said, his eyes narrowing at the menu’s dinner entrees.
I breathed a sigh of relief, seeing that he had been distracted from asking me about my love life again.
Although the answer to the question really wasn’t all that complicated, I just didn’t feel like talking about it in front of Fiona. I couldn’t talk about it in front of her, knowing that she was the only woman I wanted right now, but couldn’t have.
I stared at the menu before me, trying to focus. But the only thing I could really focus on was Fiona’s presence across from me. Under the table, her foot brushed against mine. She looked at me, startled, and mouthed a ‘Sorry’ before turning her gaze back to her menu.
Just at the brush of her foot, my heart had begun to race. It didn’t make sense, the effect this woman had on me. My bear continued to pace, refusing to settle.
I looked up again when she cleared her throat, and gave a start over the fact that both she and Speaker Jackson were looking at me. I raised an eyebrow, confused. And then I realized one of them had likely said something to me and I had been too lost in my thoughts to realize it.
“I’m sorry?” I said.
Speaker Jackson laughed. “Was just wondering what you were having, but I see you need your concentration right now.”
I forced a laugh. “Yeah, sorry…” I said, remembering that he was treating me to dinner.
“And don’t worry about the price of what you want. Get whatever looks good to you,” he added, as if sensing my thoughts.
“Well, I’ve got simple taste,” I said. “I’ll settle for baked chicken, steamed vegetables, and mashed potatoes.”
“Simple, but hardy,” Speaker Finely said. “I like it. I think I’ll have the same, but I’ll switch out the chicken for a nice steak. Do you know what you want, dear?”
Fiona closed her menu. “I’ll just have a grilled chicken Caesar salad.”
“Looks like we’re all set then,” Speaker Finely said, and waved his hand to alert our waitress. She had been on the other end of the restaurant, but it seemed that she had been watching our table the whole time, waiting for the Speaker’s signal.
She returned with a smile on her face. “Ready for me to take your orders?”
“Certainly,” the Speaker said. “I’ll take the steak—medium rare—with vegetables and garlic mashed potatoes. And if you got any more beer back that, that’ll be welcomed too!”
“Of course, sir. And for you, ma’am?”
“Grilled chicken Caesar salad.”
“And you?”
“Baked chicken breast, steamed vegetables, and mashed potatoes.”
“All right. Coming right up.”
“I don’t know Dad…” Fiona said once the waitress had left again. “Seems to me you should take a chance every now and then. You’ll never know if the right woman is out there if you aren’t willing to take a leap of faith.”
She stared off into the distance as she spoke, but something told me she was well aware of how her words resonated. I halfway wondered if she had noticed the way I looked at her after all, even though I had been trying so hard to keep my feelings hidden. I should have known better though—Fiona wasn’t dumb.
“I guess you’ve got a point there,” the Speaker said. He fixed his gaze on me, clearly about to say something else, but my attention was suddenly drawn elsewhere.
It appeared the waitress wasn’t the only one keeping an eye on the Speaker Jackson.
A man dressed in dark clothing, sitting a few tables away, filled me with apprehension I couldn’t immediately place my finger on. Speaker Jackson was building quite a name for himself, and he was undoubtedly starting to get recognized by more and more people. It had to be expected that he would start drawing more attention when he was out in public. But there was still something unusual about the way this particular man stared at him.
Only vaguely aware of the back-and-forth conversation occurring between the Speaker and his daughter, I stared at the man as a waiter approached him. They had a quick exchange before the waiter left his table.
That’s when I noticed there was only one menu at the table, and that the man was alone.
There was nothing wrong with going out for a meal alone; I’d done it on several occasions myself. But once again, something just struck me as off about this particular guy.
Whenever he wasn’t staring at the back of the Speaker’s head, he was casting cautious glances around the restaurant, as if waiting for something.
“I tell you, Fiona, you must be exhausting this poor man,” Speaker Jackson said. I realized he was looking at me again.
“Have I really been that much trouble?” Fiona said, staring right at me. It was the most direct stare she had given me since her yoga workout.
“Of course not,” I said. “I’m just tired today, that’s all. I didn’t sleep too well last night.”
“Well, hopefully a good meal will help you get some good rest tonight then,” the Speaker said. “Here’s our food now.”
I turned in my seat, seeing the waitress rolling a tray with our plates on it.
In the second it took for me to turn my head, a loud screech filled the restaurant.
I turned back around, seeing that the mysterious man from a few tables away had abruptly stood, an ugly grimace on his face. As if in a hurry, he sprung forward, and reached for something at his hip. As he pulled his jacket back, several piercing screams filled the restaurant.
Confused, Speaker Jackson twisted around his chair.
Reflexively, I jumped up from my seat, knocking over the plate of food that had been placed before me. My body began to change, fur sprouting where skin had been, my clothes shredded, my nose turned into a snout and my bones cracked as my body became a brown bear.
Everything was happening so fast, yet it seemed as if I was seeing in slow motion. My paws hit the ground and then I sprung at the man just as he drew a gun, aiming for Speaker Jackson’s head. The shot fired into the air, causing a chandelier to explode and making the whole restaurant erupt in screams—Fiona’s being the loudest of all.
My mouth went around the man’s leg. I could feel his blood pumping beneath my teeth. I yanked him to the ground and threw him clear across the restaurant. Away from the gun. Away from the Speaker. Away from Fiona.
“All shifters deserve to die! He can’t even pretend to be human!” The man yelled from the floor.
Pretend to be human? Hell no I wasn’t going to pretend! I didn’t have a firearm on me at dinner, a dumb mistake, so the best way to defend the people I was with was to shift. That was clear. I was a much better fighter as a bear in a gunfight without a gun. Dumbass, he’d pay for that comment.
I padded my way across the restaurant and stood over him, a growl coming from my large chest. I bared my teeth. If he made one more claim, or one more move, I’d snap his neck.
* * *
“Thank you, sir.”
“No—thank you,” the police officer said, shaking my hand.
The restaurant had been evacuated and the shooter had been taken away. Yet, everyone remained thoroughly shaken, none more so than the Jackson’s.
Before returning to his vehicle to be driven home, Speaker Jackson approached me, a grim look on his face. “I don’t know what we would do without you, Eli,” he said, clasping my hand.
“Don’t mention it,” I said. “Just doing my job.” I was wrapped in a blanket the EMT gave me so I could shift back. But it was still awkward being naked this close to my boss.
“That’s what I want to talk to you about.”
“Oh?” I said, my eyebrows raised.
Speaker Jackson sighed. “I couldn’t live with myself if anything ever happened to Fiona because of me. I never knew how dangerous politics could get and how many people had something against me. I’ve got to keep my distance from Fiona from now on, at least until all this nonsense blows over. So from now on, I want you to be her personal bodyguard. Please stay with her at all times.”
“Of course, sir, it would be my honor.”
His precious daughter. The woman that filled my lusty dreams.
Untouchable.
Hell.