I set Abe up in the bedroom farthest from my own. The farther away his tempting body is, the better. I told him it was because that room was closest to the front door, better for security reasons and such. I don’t know if he bought it, but I don’t really care. I almost had a heart attack when he told me it’s him and me until this is over. No weekend replacements or anything. I have no idea how I’m going to get through this.
He’s in there right now, showering in the ensuite bathroom before dinner. Being mid-week, I don’t have any dinner arrangements tonight. I usually love these evenings. I can unwind and let go of the cold exterior I carry around like a shield. I watch crappy TV or binge-watch Netflix with a bowl of popcorn.
Can I still do that with him here, in my space? My apartment is my sanctuary, the only place I let go. I need this downtime; being forced to be on all the time is exhausting. And now he’s messing with my routine and throwing everything out of whack.
I got out of the shower fifteen minutes ago and I’m still standing inside my walk-in-robe wrapped in a pink towel, trying to decide what to put on. My toes twist in the soft carpet beneath my feet. I reach for a pair of light pink PJs, then change my mind. Curling my fists at my side, I look up to the ceiling. I’m being ridiculous.
If he were any other bodyguard I wouldn’t think twice. I’d put my PJs on and be done with it. But my gut is churning at the thought of him staying the night in my home and eating my food and watching my TV. Him. All my indecision is because of him.
A light tapping at my bedroom door snags my attention. Furrowing my brows, I go to the door of my closet and poke my head out. “Yes?”
And he opens my bedroom door—opens it! I squeak and retreat back into my closet. “What are you doing? I didn’t say come in!” I yell to him and hope he stays out there by the door he just opened.
But I’m not that lucky. His broad shoulders cast a shadow into my wardrobe as he leans against the entryway, his muscular arms crossing over his bare chest. He quirks a brow at me huddled in the corner clutching my pink towel to my body as if it might vanish at any moment.
“What are you doing?” Abe asks.
My mouth pops open. “Me? What am I doing? What are you doing?”
Abe lifts one of his brawny shoulders in a shrug. “I was getting hungry and you’ve been in here for half an hour. I came to find out what you’re hungry for, and I’ll order in tonight. We can get groceries tomorrow because your cupboards are empty. And don’t get me started on that shit in your fridge.”
I blink at him slowly. Is my body language not screaming that I want him to leave? Or is he just ignoring it? I decide that it’s definitely the second of those two options. Heaving a sigh, I point to my bedroom. “Can you just go away for a minute? I’m trying to get dressed.”
He frowns. His nose wrinkles. “Why? I’ve seen you naked before.”
Jesus, this guy. I close my eyes and shoot up a quick prayer asking for patience, then I level him with my glare. “Get. Out. Abe.”
The corner of his too perfectly full lips rises in a little grin, then he winks. “There she is again,” he says as he steps away from the entryway, walking backwards until the back of his legs hit my mattress and he flops down on my bed.
I swear my eye twitches, but I push my annoyance away and snatch up the light pink PJs I reached for earlier and pull them on before he lifts his head to see what’s taking me so long again. As soon as the soft tank slides over my breasts I realise I should have put a bra on underneath, since my nipples are up and alert saying hi to any passers-by.
Turning around, I start rummaging through my bras trying to find a strapless one to capture the girls without having to remove my tank when Abe calls out, “What could you possibly be looking for now? You have clothes on, what’s the problem?”
Gnawing on my bottom lip, I contemplate my response, then decide to go with the truth. “My nipples are betraying me so I’m looking for a bra,” I explain as I keep searching for the cream strapless I know is in this damn drawer.
The drawer slams shut and I only just get my hands out of the way in time. My head shoots to Abe. “What are you doing?”
His eyes have darkened to the almost black pools I remember from that night. I swallow, hard. I lift my shaking hands to his chest to push him away, but once they land on his warm skin they have minds of their own and begin sliding over his sculpted pecs making their way down his abs.
Goddamn, he feels so good. How could I have forgotten how good his skin feels beneath my palms? He says nothing as my hands get reacquainted with his torso. I hear rather than see his breathing getting heavier the longer I touch him. A thrill courses through me because I’m the one making him react like this. Me.
And then reality slaps me in the face reminding me that he’s my bodyguard, and I was harping on at him earlier about remaining professional. My hands fly back to my sides as if I’ve just touched hot coals.
Abe cocks his chin to the side. He says nothing, just rakes his gaze over every inch of me. And I can feel it in my bones. I really should move, walk out of the room and kill the moment before things go any further. But my feet feel like lead weights, holding me in place.
My breathing becomes as heavy as his. My body sings with need. I sway towards him, not even meaning to do so, and his arms circle my much smaller body, tugging me closer so there is no space left between us.
One of his hands lifts, swiping a strand of hair from my cheek. “I haven’t stopped thinking about you for three long months, Lissa. You’ve consumed my thoughts since the moment I laid eyes on you bustin’ a move on the dancefloor at my brother’s wedding. You’re somethin’ else, you know that?” His thumb strokes my bottom lip as he speaks and my lips part.
Without waiting for me to respond, he lowers his head ever so slowly, allowing me to stop this if I want to. But I don’t; I don’t want to stop him, and I push up to my tippy-toes, giving him the go-ahead. He grins then closes the remaining distance, his lips dragging my bottom one into his hot mouth and sucking gently, then releasing it. He slides his tongue into my waiting mouth.
My hands come to rest around his neck. There is no space between us; I can feel every bit of his hot, hard body pressing me back into the set of drawers behind me. The crystal handles poking into my back when I feel his length growing against my lower belly.
Then he pulls away, barely an inch, just enough to look into my eyes. “You are so fucking perfect,” he breathes, then goes back to my mouth, licking my lips and pushing inside to massage my tongue with his own.
I moan and arch into him, needing to feel more of him. My fingers knot in the hair at the base of his skull as I pull myself closer, all my soft bits melting into his hardness. When he moves to my jaw, I tell him what I want. “The bed.”
But he doesn’t move us towards my king-size bed in the other room. Instead, he moves his kisses to my ear. “Not tonight, Lissa.”
Confused, I ask, “You’re going to fuck me in here?”
A salacious smile pulls at his perfect mouth. “No, my girl, I’m not fucking you tonight.”
I want to cry. My body is begging for release. I need it. He has me so wound up with nothing more than his kisses. I’m pathetic. I can feel myself beginning to shut down. What’s his angle? Why did he kiss me if he wasn’t planning to have sex? Does he not find me attractive anymore? Oh god, I’ve made such a fool of myself, just falling into his arms again.
My self-doubt is quickly overcome by anger. Is he playing me? How dare he screw around with me like that?
I drop my hands from his neck, I want to tell him to get out. To stop messing with my head, but I remain silent, knowing that if I open my mouth right now I’ll lose control of my warring emotions and I’ll end up crying. And I refuse to cry in front of him.
Abe reaches for me, but turn my back to him. He has me backed into a corner, with nowhere to run.
His big calloused hands slide around my waist from behind, and he rests his chin on my shoulder. “Don’t do that. Don’t shut me out again. I want to fuck you, Lissa.” He presses his hips into me, and I can feel his erection against my arse. “This is what you do to me every time my eyes find you. I want you more than I’ve wanted any other woman, I swear.”
His words are lost on me as I contemplate murdering him with a pair of my Jimmy Choos displayed on the shelf behind him. But I decide against it. I don’t want to hurt my Jimmys.
“Kalista, you don’t need to be angry about this, baby,” Abe has the nerve to say.
My eyes narrow to slits and I turn on him. “Are you fucking with me right now? ’Cause it’s not hot or sexy.”
His chin cocks to the side. “No, I’m not fucking with you. I’m serious as a heart attack,” he says with a raised brow, as if asking me to slap him across his smug face.
“You’re going to wish you had a heart attack when I’m done with you,” I say, reaching for the Jimmys behind his head. I can buy a new pair.
Abe snatches up my outstretched hand his eyes narrowing on my hand. “Uh, I don’t think so, precious. You wouldn’t like me filled with holes.” He winks.
I swear steam is about to blow out my ears, then Abe uses his hold on my wrist to tug my body in closer to his and drops his mouth to my neck, sucking hard. I can’t stop my body’s response. I moan and roll my head to the side, allowing him better access.
His tongue laps at the spot he was just sucking, soothing the throbbing spot. “You ready to listen to me now?” he asks between licks. “Really listen?”
Swallowing, I nod. “Okay, but it better be good.”
He doesn’t lift his head but continues to kiss and lick his way to my ear. “I want you, so fucking bad.” He emphasises his statement with his hips, rolling them into my lower belly and letting me feel his erection again. “But I can’t fuck you—not while I’m on the job. Kissing you is bad enough, but I can’t stop myself. So, I have to draw a line, or I’ll go mad with want. Do you realise how hard this assignment is going to be for me?”
My throat feels thick with tears, and I can’t decide if I’m angry with him for turning me on so easily, then stopping, or if this makes me kinda like him, respect him even. So, I shake my head and keep my mouth shut.
Abe continues explaining himself between kisses to the sweet spot behind my ear. “Do you want someone else here? Do you want me to go? I don’t want that, but if it’s what you truly want, I’ll fuck you right here, right now, all, night long. But I’ll have to leave in the morning, and I won’t see you again until this is all over.”
I remain silent. What can I say?
“You need me to spell it out for you?” he asks, and I nod. “I need to keep a clear head to protect you. And if I let my cock rule my thought process for even one second, it’ll be over and I will have to step away and let one of my other boys handle this thing. And I don’t want that. Do you?”
I swallow. Do I want him to go away? I don’t know. I felt safe with him there watching me at the luncheon today. I knew nobody would dare to hurt me with him in the room. I’d be lying if I said the letters hadn’t started getting to me. I was terrified, am terrified of what will come next. But I felt a little less scared with him at my back today.
My voice isn’t as strong as I’d like when I speak. “So you’re just going to drive me to the brink of madness by turning me on so much that I can’t think straight, then walk away?”
I feel his lips lift in a grin on my throat. “I have to draw a line somewhere, sweetness. It’s clear I can’t keep my hands to myself with your amazing curves so close, but I can’t fuck you.”
My body slumps against his. Why does he have to sound so sincere? Bastard. “Looks like I’ll be spending some quality time with my toys then, huh?” I mutter with a small shake of my head.
Hair falls across my face, and he sweeps it up behind my ear again and smiles softly. “God, I’d lose it if one of my boys was staying here in your apartment seeing you dressed like this and not me. I wouldn’t be able to sleep knowing another man was in here with you. I want you, Lissa—don’t doubt that.” He presses a tender kiss to my forehead. “I’ll do better. I’ll control myself.”
This has me shaking my head more adamantly. “No, don’t do that. I want your touch, even if it leaves me aching with need when you stop. I still want it.”
He straightens then, his eyes blazing as he looks into my own. “Fuck, Lissa,” he groans, then his lips find mine again, his tongue forcing its way between my lips, and I love it. When he finally pulls away, leaving my lips swollen and damp, he breathes the words, “As you wish,” making my lips tingle from the sensation.
He had to pull a Princess Bride line, didn’t he? Every little thing he does makes me fall for him more—and that’s not what I do. I don’t fall, end of story. And from what he said at the wedding, I didn’t think he did either.
But here tonight, his actions spoke of commitment louder than his words back then. I think he wants me to like him.
But I’ll never admit that it might just be working.