Her Billionaire Protector

by Nina Singh

  He had nothing to offer someone like her, couldn’t risk the inevitable failure of letting her down as he would most certainly do. Judging by his history.

  I can’t let you keep holding me back. The feminine voice echoed in his mind as if he were hearing it again this very moment.

  “Looks like we’re about to take off,” he told her, pushing away the wayward memories. “Make yourself comfortable.” He stood to leave and go back to join his crew.

  “Wait!”

  The urgency in her voice gave him pause. “Is something wrong?”

  She bit down on her lip. “It’s just—I don’t fly that often. And I don’t seem to see Moira. It’s just as the plane lifts off the ground. After that, I should be fine.”

  “You don’t want to be alone at takeoff.”

  She ducked her head with an embarrassed smile. “It’s silly, I know. Once we’re in the air, I’m sure I’ll be totally fine. I just...need a distraction.”

  How was he supposed to deny her request? Adam sat back down and the relief in her sigh was clear. “It’s not silly, Ani.”

  “Thanks.”

  The plane began its taxi journey and Ani’s hands gripped the armrests so tight that her knuckles turned white. He had to resist the urge to reach over and take her hands into his, to try to soothe her anxiety.

  “Is this the part where I should distract you?”

  She gulped and nodded. “Please.”

  “Tell me more about the kids you teach. What are they like?”

  The tension seemed to melt away from her face. It was replaced with an affectionate, soft expression. “They’re so amazing. They each have their challenges with the lot they’ve been given in life. But none of that seems to have deterred them from reaching for their goals and dreams. They leave me in awe most days.”

  A sudden sadness appeared in her face as the plane took off. “In many ways, the time I spend with those kids leaves me feeling closer to my own mother.” She looked away quickly but not before he caught the slight sheen of tears in her eyes.

  “How so?” he prodded, not even caring that they’d somehow broached yet another subject that was much too personal. Why did discussing all this with her feel so natural?

  “It just reminds me of all the times I sat beside her as a little girl on the bench while she played.” She swiped at her cheeks with the back of her hand. “I like to think she’d be as proud of me as I am of those kids at the center.”

  Adam couldn’t help it. Despite all the reasons to avoid touching her at all costs, this time, he did reach over and take her hand in his.

  “I have no doubt of it, Ani. How could she not be?”

  * * *

  So much for keeping her distance from Adam.

  Ani couldn’t believe what she’d shared with him back on the jet. He’d held her hand. She rubbed her palm over her wrist. She could almost still feel the warmth of his touch.

  That tidbit about how volunteering at the center helped her remember her mother wasn’t something she’d shared with anyone. Not even her brother or father. And not Moira, who happened to be riding up the hotel elevator with her right now.

  They’d arrived in Paris to a beautiful, sunny day. Ani should be elated. She’d always wanted to visit this city. And here she was, under circumstances she would never have dreamed for herself. About to perform for a French audience full of people who’d paid months in advance for the chance to see her.

  But all she could think about was the man who’d accompanied her here.

  Moira must have somehow read her mind. “You seem off in a distant place,” she began as the elevator moved upward. “Any chance you’re thinking about a tall, dark-haired bodyguard who happened to sit with you for most of the flight here?”

  Ani avoided looking at her friend. “I was nervous about flying. He was just being a gentleman, trying to ease my anxiety.”

  Moira huffed. “That man gives off all sorts of vibes, but gentlemanly is not one of them.”

  Luckily, the dinging of the elevator spared Ani the need to answer. When they reached her suite, three hotel employees were already there with her luggage, her equipment, and Snowball. The dog perked up in his pen when he saw her, his tail wagging furiously with happiness.

  “Look who’s awake,” Ani cooed, lifting her devoted pet. Her thank-you was a flurry of sandpaper-tongue licks. “You were a good boy on the plane. Yes, you were. Who’s my good boy?”

  Moira giggled at the spectacle, no doubt because of the exaggerated voice Ani was using to greet her pup.

  The sound of someone clearing their throat behind them had Ani halting midnuzzle. She could just guess who it was standing in the doorway. The throat clearing was quickly followed by an all-too-familiar masculine voice: “Hello.”

  Ani quickly put Snowball back in his crate, to the animal’s deep upset judging by his immediate yelping.

  “Uh, hi. I was just...saying hi to my dog.”

  Moira giggled again. Ani resisted the urge to give her friend a small nudge.

  “Can I come in?” Adam asked, still standing in the doorway.

  Ani nodded.

  “I just want to take a quick look at the room, check out the locks, that sort of thing.” Adam strode into the suite with his usual air of authority. She could have sworn she saw one of the bellhops give a small bow at his entrance.

  “Sure thing.”

  “I was just leaving,” Moira announced and followed the hotel employees out the door. She firmly shut it closed behind her.

  Traitor.

  Ani swallowed the ball of apprehension lodged in her throat. It was one thing to sit side by side with Adam in a jet full of others. But being alone with him always seemed to throw her off balance. And now they were alone in a luxurious hotel room overlooking the Seine. She wondered how many couples must have honeymooned in this very suite. Her mind brought up all sorts of unwanted images, all of them starring a very sexy and brooding bodyguard who happened to be staring at her dog at the moment.

  “What’s that?” he asked, pointing to where Snowball sat still whining in his crate.

  “That is my dog. Snowball.”

  Adam looked over at her and crossed his arms in front of his chest. “You are a liar, Ms. Terrance.”

  Ani bit back a gasp. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “That is clearly a rabbit or hare of some sort.”

  It was only then that she noticed the tiniest tug of a smile around his lips. She thrust her hands on her hips in mock offense. “You must apologize to my fierce and loyal guard dog at once.”

  “You mean your guard bunny?” He pointed down at Snowball once more. “Look at those ears. Only bunny rabbits have ears that long and pointy. And he’s as cottony white as any rabbit I’ve ever seen.”

  “Well, I never.” Ani leaned down and picked up her dog. “We don’t have to listen to this, do we, Snowball?” She made an exaggerated show of walking away.

  Only, Snowball had other plans. He practically leaped out of her arms toward Adam.

  Adam caught the animal just in time. Impressive reflexes, though she shouldn’t be surprised. It was Adam’s turn to be on the receiving end of wet doggy kisses.

  “Et tu, Snowball?” How many traitors were in her orbit, anyway?

  “Oh, yeah. He’s definitely fierce, all right,” Adam said in a muffled voice as he unsuccessfully tried to duck from all the canine kisses.

  Ani couldn’t hold back the laughter any longer. Come to think of it, she couldn’t quite recall the last time she’d so much as giggled, let alone indulged in a good, hearty belly laugh, what with the pressure of the tour, the stress of knowing her brother and father were so worried about her and the sorrow of missing her mother during such a momentous time in her life. But somehow, in this moment, she was finally enjoying some humor.

&nbs
p; She threw a glance at Adam who was now playfully nuzzling the dog, and had to admit what she didn’t want to face. He was the reason she was finally enjoying herself.

  * * *

  The last time Adam had interacted with a dog, it was a German shepherd trained to sniff out explosives. He hardly knew what to do with one this small and...energetic.

  “Looks like you made a new friend,” Ani said after a steady stream of laughter.

  He set down the dog and studied her. “I really hope so, kitten.”

  The amusement dropped away in an instant. So she remembered; he saw it on her facial expression.

  He hadn’t meant to call her by the name he’d used for her all those years ago when they were both kids. Back then, he’d been mocking her. He’d been all kinds of a jerk as a teen. Mostly to cover up the hurt and embarrassment of his existence. Unfortunately, Ani had been one of his targets.

  What kind of name is that? Anikita? I can’t pronounce that. I’ll just call you kitty. Or kitten. Or maybe kitty cat.

  He ducked his head with embarrassment at the memory. “Listen, I was kind of a jerk to you when we were younger. I should apologize for that.”

  “No apology necessary. It was a long time ago.”

  “Maybe. But I shouldn’t have been such an—”

  She held her hand up to stop him before he could continue.

  “I guess I took it as some sort of compliment.” She looked away as a pink flush crept into her cheeks. “You didn’t seem to have any kind of nickname for anyone else. It was almost a term of endearment as far as I was concerned. Silly, I know.”

  Adam reached over to run a finger down her cheek. He couldn’t seem to eradicate this strong urge to touch her. “Only thing silly about it is that you apparently gave me way too much credit. You should have given me a hard smack across the forehead.”

  She snorted. “As if. You were much bigger than me. I wouldn’t have risked the potential retaliation.”

  Adam felt the color drain from his face. He prayed she was joking. A tremor of horror traveled up his spine. She couldn’t have ever thought that way about him, ever thought that he might strike her or any other woman for that matter.

  It was bad enough that his error in judgment had caused such injury and suffering. He would never get over the guilt. An image of Tonya’s bruised and damaged body assaulted his mind, and his blood ran cold.

  “Are you okay?” Ani asked, as if sensing his discomfort. Her eyes held his for countless moments. Neither one seemed able to move. He thought he might have stopped breathing.

  “I would never have so much as touched you, kitten. Not under any circumstances.”

  A knock sounded on the door before he could say any more.

  Ani didn’t tear her gaze away from his. “I should get that,” she announced, but stood still where she was. As if waiting for him to concur.

  He was about to tell her to ignore it, that they had some things to discuss. But the knock came again, louder this time.

  Ani studied him a second longer before releasing a deep sigh. She turned away to get the door.

  He finally came to his senses and stopped her with a gentle grip on her elbow. “Let me.”

  A look through the peephole revealed a well-heeled, tall man in a designer suit and hair slicked back within an inch of its survival. A pair of piercing blue eyes and angular cheekbones rounded out the look of a native Parisian son.

  “Were you expecting someone?” Adam asked Ani over his shoulder.

  “I was told someone from the theater might stop by upon my arrival. Just to go over some things.”

  Adam opened the door a few inches.

  “Bonjour,” the man said with a smile. “My name is Philippe Penault. I’m here to see Mademoiselle Terrance. I’m with the Le Trianon theater,” he added with a thick French accent.

  There was no doubt the man was exactly who he said he was. Adam stepped aside to let him in. Philippe didn’t hesitate to make a beeline to Ani and landed a small peck to the back of her hand.

  Adam watched as the two exchanged introductions and pleasantries. The man was the epitome of sophistication and elegant charm. Qualities Adam would never hope to have. Something tightened in his gut as he watched Ani smile at the stranger, displaying a rudimentary knowledge of French. He knew a bit himself, having owned property in France for the past several years now.

  Still, he felt a bit like the help watching his employer with a guest. Which was essentially an accurate description...

  No matter how much money he had now or how successful he’d become professionally, Adam knew when he didn’t fit in. Just as he hadn’t as a kid in that tiny little town he and Ani had grown up in.

  Now, Philippe was asking Ani to accompany him to a nearby café to discuss her upcoming performance in his theater. Adam interrupted before she could answer.

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” he declared in English. There was no way he was letting Ani out of his sight in this city. And somehow, he didn’t think he’d be extended an invitation by Philippe.

  Ani’s jaw dropped. “Why ever not?”

  Adam crossed his arms in front of his chest, bracing for the argument sure to follow. What kind of question was that? Didn’t she know he had a job to do? He was in charge of her security detail. That responsibility included things like not letting her wander around an unfamiliar city with a man she’d literally just met.

  His irritation had nothing to do with how handsome this Philippe was. Nor the way he was looking at Ani as if she were a delicate piece of pastry he couldn’t wait to get alone to himself.

  Jealousy had nothing to do with it, he reassured the nagging voice in his head. He was simply doing his job.

  * * *

  Adam spoke French. Maybe not fluently, but enough to hold a pretty steady conversation with the rep from the theater. Ani glanced at him now sitting at a nearby table scrolling on his smartphone. They’d agreed to head to a nearby sidewalk café. She and Philippe sat alone going over some of the details about her performance tomorrow night. Adam’s eyes may have been on his screen but Ani had no doubt his attention was laser focused on her.

  She’d stood and watched with her mouth agape back in the hotel room as he’d explained to Philippe, mostly in French, that he was in charge of her security and he wasn’t about to let her out of his sight. He certainly hadn’t asked her for any say in the matter.

  She wasn’t sure whether to be furious, embarrassed or downright impressed with his communication skills. The man was a constant source of surprise. And a frequent source of pure, unfiltered frustration.

  Focus. Ani forced her attention back to the tablet Philippe had set down on the table between them. They were going over last-minute details to ensure a smooth performance, hopefully resulting in glowing reviews. She appreciated that the venue was going the extra mile to ensure she had a successful night. This was her career, after all. At the least, she owed this man her full, undistracted attention. But her gaze seemed to constantly drift to her dark, brooding bodyguard who sat a few feet away.

  Several of the tables around them were occupied by couples who appeared completely enamored with each other. Old and young alike. Paris certainly seemed to be the city of love as reputed. Many of them held hands. One couple kept feeding each other pieces of cake.

  It had never occurred to Ani before that she wanted that experience with someone. She wanted to sit at a romantic café by the Seine as the lights slowly flickered on around the city with the Eiffel Tower looming like a majestic steel mountain in the distance. She wanted to have her lover offer her a piece of his fruit crepe, then slowly wipe her lips with his napkin. Afterward, they would hold hands as they entered their small apartment. Then later they would indulge in a night full of passion in each other’s arms.

  Ani reached for her sparkling wine and took a long sip. />
  Heaven help her, Adam was the man she was imagining in all those scenarios. Though he hardly seemed the type to delicately feed a woman cake. In fact, the very notion was almost laughable.

  An audible giggle actually escaped her lips. Adam even looked up, gave her what could only be described as a glare.

  What was wrong with him? What did he have against amusement, anyway? He’d seemed happy enough when she was laughing about Snowball back in the hotel room when they’d been alone.

  She looked up to find Philippe studying her questioningly. “Pardon, mademoiselle,” he began in French before adding in accented English, “You appear a bit distracted. Is everything all right?”

  Ani wanted to kick herself. This was her career, for heaven’s sake. Damn Adam Steele for the way he was distracting her from something so important.

  “I’m so sorry, Philippe. I don’t mean to drift off.”

  He gave her a charming smile. “But it is I who should be sorry. You must be exhausted after your long day of travel.” He powered off the tablet. “That is enough for now. I have no doubt you’ll be magnificent tomorrow night. Please call if you need anything in the meantime.”

  The man had barely pulled his chair back when Adam materialized by their table. He was certainly fast on his feet. Yet another talent.

  “Finished?”

  “Oui,” Philippe answered. “Do you two know your way back to the hotel?”

  “We’ll manage.” Adam sounded somewhat dismissive and needlessly curt. What was his problem all of a sudden? They seemed to have had a minor truce starting during the flight and then later in the suite with Snowball. He’d even called her kitten and apologized for giving her the nickname to begin with. Now he was acting surly and annoyed all over again.

  She’d had very little experience with the opposite sex. As intrusive and overprotective as her father and brother were, most of her boyfriends were either scared off before things turned serious or she wasn’t interested enough to invest in the effort her family would put her through. The closest thing she’d ever had to a boyfriend had been a selfish and demanding oil heir unwilling to compromise in the slightest way. Besides, her exhaustive practice schedule and long daily lessons left very little time for a social life.