CHAPTER 28: CHAPTER 28 KEEPING ME SAFE

*CADEN*

“She still hates your guts.”Mason said to me as we walked out of Alora’s mansion.

I grimaced.”Yep.”

Suddenly, I felt annoyed. “It’s been eight years, I’m not even asking her to date me again or anything. How could she react like that after seeing me? Like I’m the devil or something? Don’t you think she’s been too much? It’s been eight fucking years!”

Mason patted my shoulder. “I don’t know what’s going to be your fate now. If she decides to fire you and her manager agrees, I’m not refunding a dime.” He clarified. “Also, if she somehow agrees to keeping you as her bodyguard. Please, Caden, for the love of God, don’t screw this up. My company is on the line here. While you’re her bodyguard, have it also in mind that she’s your employer, you’re not the president of Ford Group while you’re here so behave.”

I ran a hand through my hair.

I was used to being the boss.

Now I have to answer to someone?

Why did I even want to do this anyway?

*************

Alora couldn’t get rid of me as her personal bodyguard so here we were, sitting on the backseat of a BMW.

I was told she had a photoshoot session today, and from now on, my job requires me to follow her everywhere.

I glanced at her, she was keeping a good distance between us on the seat and she was on her phone.

I glanced at the driver, Hank who was also one of Mason’s men.

The car was awfully silent.

Weren’t we supposed to make small talks or something?

Get to know each other? Again, I guess.

“So, Alora.” I waited for her acknowledgment, but she didn’t look up.

“Let’s get one thing clear, Mr Steele, whatever we had in the past is dead and buried. We strictly have a boss and employee relationship now. We do not need to make small talk.”

I rolled my eyes.”Really? But you had no problem flirting with me on the elevator.”

“I...I didn’t know it was you!”

“So you go about flirting with random strangers then?”

“That’s none of your business.”

Several minutes of silence passed.

“Did you do something to sabotage that elevator?”

Does she really think the worse of me now?

Granted, I was a douche to her in college but I was different now.

Eight years is a lot of time for character development, doesn’t she know that?

Now, she was really pissing me off.

“I thought you didn’t want small talks?” I drawled.

“I said I didn’t want to make small talk. I don’t want you to mistake this for anything other than what it is. Questions, on the other hand, if they’re important are permitted.”

I watched her, closely.

She was sitting, seemingly unperturbed.

She was like an ice queen with a poker face.

“Our meeting on that elevator wasn’t coincidental, if that’s what you’re asking.”

Her left foot bounced a little, drawing my attention to her narrow ankles and the wild rose pink of her designer stilettos, she had very beautiful feet.

Those shoes were a combination of romance, dreams, and hot sex.

They’d look good parted and placed over my shoulders.

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying not to imagine fucking her.

You’re her employee now, Caden.

You’re just protecting her for old times sake.

Do not get ahead of yourself.

I opened my eyes again to find Alora still scrolling her phone, she didn’t look up when she said.

“That wasn’t what I asked.”

“It’s not, but that’s my answer.”He retorted.

“I see.”

“As what I do to all my clients before officially working for them, I needed to observe you, get a feel of your daily routine.”

Her finger paused mid-scroll on her phone.

She was listening.

It was fun taunting her.

I had to bit back a smile.

“I wanted to see if there was anyone or anything suspicious around you as a mere observer, I didn’t expect the elevator to get stuck.”

God, I was still a good liar.

But I wasn’t lying about everything.

It was a lie about the clients thing, I wasn’t even a bodyguard by profession.

I just went there to see her because I couldn’t help it.

But about the elevator, I really didn’t do it.

I had no idea what happened to it or how it got a malfunction at that moment.

Alora didn’t respond and I let the silence stretched and bait her on its own.

Until finally, those big blue eyes looked up and into mine.

Fury. Fire.

I am going to have to control myself.

This woman had gotten ten times more enchanting and I detect a red-hot passion lurking beneath that demurely conservative, low-key sensuality and it stirred my blood.

Nasty, dirty, X-rated thoughts formed in my head.

I’m going to have to find a way to get rid of them later.

“That wasn’t my everyday routine.”She said, her voice crisp like a cold New York morning.”And it doesn’t explain why you lied about your name.”

“I didn’t lie. Also, I think you called me Mr Steele earlier, I don’t go by that last name anymore, I’m Caden Ford.”

There’s a brief hint of curiosity in her eyes before it disappeared.

“Then you could have just told me at the elevator that your name was Caden.”

I shrugged.”I didn’t want to complicate things.”

Her face was a mask of hostility.

“And how would ‘I’m Caden’ complicate things?”

I flashed her a sinister smile.

It was the kind of smile that made grown men tremble but she didn’t even flinch.

“You don’t think it’s complicated?”

“No at all.”She looked back at her phone but her finger didn’t move on the now black screen.

“Then how do you explain your dramatic plea to your manager to find someone else to protect you? What was that all about? Eight years ago...”

“It’s not about that. I don’t even care about what happened. I have forgotten all about it.” A rosy blush rose in her cheeks, but her voice remained even.

“Plus, it wasn’t dramatic. I just...I just don’t like you as a person. But I suppose I can put up with you for now.”

She quickly turned her focus once more on her phone like I wasn’t in the car.

I remembered the feel of her hand in mine on the elevator, that shocking spark of arousal, that sang low between us.

“We have to work together so I can do a good job at protecting you.”

“No. You just have to do your own job of keeping me safe from getting kidnapped again, killed and those fucking threats.”

“Threats? What are the nature of them?”

I felt a strong urge to move closer, breathe in that dark, complex vanilla scene of her, something that I haven’t been able to stop smelling since the fucking elevator.

“Back to the rules on how I’ll put up with you. I’m gonna live my life as usual, and you do your job. While you’re at it, I expect you to stay out of my way, got it?”

Lord, she’s bossy!

“Loud and clear.”

Even if she was being hotheaded and so fucking rude, I wanted to tip her off balance, lean forward, brush my fingers along her thighs.

I took a sharp intake of breath and calmed my nerves.

“So tell me, Alora, just how long have you been receiving those threats?”

“It’s Miss Harper to you.”

“Alora.”

“Miss Harper.”

“Alora.”I insisted.

No way am I addressing her professionally.

***********

Alora leaned against the wall in an elevator, we were heading for the floor where her photoshoot session would take place.

She had just finished telling me about all the threats and how the attempted kidnap went down.

I already knew all that from Mason and her manager.

But I needed to know more from her point of view. After all, she experienced this firsthand.

She said she didn’t have anyone precisely who she suspect might have something to do with all these.

But I hope we find out soon so she could be safe.

“Is that all clear, John Raine?” She asked me after telling me everything.

She had interesting taste in reading material. John Raine was the anti-hero soldier-turned-freelance-assassin in the thriller series by Barry Eisler.

I leaned in close, and as I did, the pulse in her throat began to beat erratically and her eyes fluttered closed.

“Raine’s not the bodyguard type.” My lips were inches from her ear and my voice was low, barely a whisper.

“More killer than protector.”

Almost imperceptibly, she shuddered and I stepped back.

“I need a full schedule for the rest of the month from you...”

“Fine!”She snapped.”You’ll have it tomorrow.” As she tried to look away from me, I caught her arm.

She froze. I did too.

That sizzling current of awareness was there.

It was even stronger than it was yesterday.

And I had the overwhelming urge to pull her closer, maybe sample a little taste of the skin at the base of her throat.

Run my tongue over her carotid artery as it pulsed wildly, but I didn’t do any of that.

“Today, Alora.”

For a moment, I thought she was going to rage but then she nodded.

“Fine, after my photoshoot.”

“Good.”

“Can you let me go now, Mr Ford?”

“Caden.”

“Mister. Ford.”

Boy, she’s stuborrn.

I pulled her against me and ran my thumb gently along her jawline and she shivered.

“Caden.”I emphasized.

“Let me go...”She let out, weakly.

Still, I didn’t release her. “Caden” I repeated.

“Caden.” Her eyes narrowed as she said my name and my dick paid attention.

The elevator doors opened and she pushed me away.

“You don’t know your place! I’m going to have you fired!” She thundered and walked off.

I smiled as I followed suit.