Her Billionaire Protector

by Nina Singh

  Ani had Snowball out in the grassy area by Adam’s infinity pool when she noticed him coming up the stone steps. Dressed in sports shorts and a T-shirt that accentuated all the contours of his muscles, and judging by the sheen of sweat over his tanned skin, he’d clearly been out for a run.

  “You’re up,” he said when he spotted her. He reached down to give the dog an affectionate pat.

  “I slept longer than I usually do,” she answered. She wouldn’t share that she’d only overslept because she’d had so much trouble drifting off once she got into bed. Her mind had been busy all night with thoughts of the man who stood before her. Snippets of their conversation over dinner, the way she’d felt in his arms when he’d carried her out of the square. The feel of his lips against hers when he’d kissed her on the hotel balcony. She’d tossed and turned until the light of dawn had crept through her window.

  “Probably the fresh sea air.”

  “Right,” she replied simply. “You’ve obviously been up for a while.”

  He wiped away the sweat on his chin with his forearm. “Went for a quick run along the beach. Go ahead and grab some breakfast. Jaqueline stopped by with some pastries earlier. Cheese-filled croissants.”

  “That sounds heavenly.” But what she could really use was caffeine.

  Adam must have read her thoughts. “And there’s a carafe full of freshly brewed American coffee. I always keep some on hand.”

  “Perfect.”

  He gave her a wink and a smile that had her stomach doing a small dive. “I’ll be back after a quick shower.”

  True to his word, Ani had barely had a chance to pour her coffee and grab a croissant when he ran back down to join her at an outdoor patio table. His hair was still dripping wet, and he’d barely bothered to comb it. The result was a disheveled, tousled look that she found ridiculously sexy.

  He was wearing swim trunks.

  “Did you pack a suit?” he asked as he sat with his own mug of coffee. “You did say you wanted some time on a beach. If not, we can pick one up from one of the boutiques.”

  “I have a suit. And spending time on the beach sounds like exactly what the doctor ordered.” Also, it would give her an excuse to delay calling Moira.

  “Eat your breakfast, then go throw your suit on. I’ll play fetch with your pet rabbit.”

  Ani bit back her laugh. “Please don’t call him that,” she said with mock outrage. “He can hear you.”

  Twenty minutes later, Adam proved true to his word. Snowball was panting heavily and refusing to retrieve a stick Adam had just thrown.

  “Looks like this fella could use a midmorning nap,” she said. “I’ll take him up to my room and get him settled.”

  He wiggled his eyebrows. “I’ll be waiting.”

  Ani was on her way back downstairs when the front door opened into the foyer. Jaqueline stepped inside, carrying paper bags of various sizes. The enticing aroma of fresh bread suddenly filled the air.

  Ani strode over to her. “Here, let me help with some of those.”

  “Merci,” the other woman replied, handing her some of the bags. “I thought I’d get started on lunch.”

  The French certainly knew how to eat, Ani mused. At this rate, she’d have to shop for new clothes upon her return to Dallas.

  Jaqueline suddenly stopped and scrutinized her face. Had she left a smudge of sunscreen unblended? Ani rubbed at her cheek.

  “Forgive me for staring, dear,” Jaqueline said with a warm smile. “I’m just so glad Adam has brought someone here finally. Usually, when he visits, he takes a morning run and then holes up in his study for the rest of the day just working.”

  Ani wasn’t sure what to say to that. In fact, the unexpected conversation was throwing her off balance.

  Jaqueline continued, “I’m glad he’s finally found someone to distract him from all that work he does.”

  It appeared she had come to all sorts of conclusions about the two of them.

  Ani finally found her tongue. “Oh, it’s not like that. I just had a tough couple of days and he brought me here to unwind. We’re not, like, together in that way.”

  But what exactly were they? There was no denying the attraction between them. Nor the way he’d seemed just as affected by their kisses as she was.

  Jaqueline ignored her. “You know, the last time he brought a woman here, it didn’t go so well. She ended up leaving in a huff. You probably know of her. That model that does the perfume ads.”

  “Oh?” was all Ani could muster. Adam had dated a famous perfume model. She’d been here at this very villa with him. “Were they very serious?” She couldn’t help but ask.

  “I think so.” Jaqueline awkwardly squeezed her arm in reassurance while still clutching a bag. “But don’t worry, he seems to be having more fun with you. He’s smiling more.”

  Ani felt her heart sink and she nearly dropped the parcel she was holding. Of course she’d known that Adam must have been involved romantically with other women. But hearing he might have been serious with someone triggered a tightening in the pit of her stomach. A well-known perfume model, no less.

  “How long ago was this?” She had to ask, a glutton for punishment.

  She didn’t get an answer.

  Instead, Adam loudly cleared his throat behind them.

  When she turned and saw the expression on his face, Ani lost her grip on the bag. It landed on the floor with a thud.

  CHAPTER NINE

  THE WALK DOWN the rocky path toward the beach was thick with tension. On the one hand, Ani could see why Adam might be cross. She had been caught gossiping about him with the woman who served as his housekeeper. On the other hand, what was the big deal? So much for relaxing with some sun and sand by the water.

  The sight that greeted her when they reached the bottom nearly took her breath away. It was the bluest water she’d ever seen. Majestic yachts floated in the distance. The cliffside was dotted with buildings and structures built right into the mountain. She paused to admire the view. Adam kept right on walking.

  That was it. She’d had enough of the grumpy silent treatment. Catching up, she grabbed his elbow and made him turn around to face her.

  “Is there a problem?” He wanted to know.

  “You tell me.”

  “If you had a question, you should have asked me. Not Jaqueline.”

  It was hard to read his eyes behind the mirrored glasses. But his tone was all too clear.

  “For the record,” Ani said, “Jaqueline started the conversation. And yes, I should have come to you with any questions that arose from it. But I don’t see why you’re so irate about the whole thing.”

  “Don’t you?”

  “Let me ask you, would you have told me anything about your past if I’d asked you?”

  “It depends on what you wanted to know.”

  Ani crossed her arms in front of her chest. “That’s a tad hypocritical, don’t you think?”

  It was the wrong word. A muscle twitched along his jawline. He pulled his arm free. “Care to explain what you mean by that?”

  She wasn’t going to do this. There was absolutely no need for this conversation. She’d thought perhaps they were growing close. That maybe he was growing to care for her a bit. But she’d been wrong. Because here he was, nearly livid at the possibility that she might have learned a thing or two about him.

  “Never mind,” she bit out. “This is pointless.”

  After tomorrow, this whole sad state of affairs would be over and they could both go their separate ways. If she did decide on going on the additional tour dates, she would have to find another security service. She’d have to look for a bodyguard with a better disposition, for one.

  She ran past him toward the water. Her skin was burning hot with irritation. Stripping off her summer dress, she made straight for the oce
an and dove in when she’d gone far enough out. The saltwater felt cool and soothing. To her surprise, Adam was standing less than a foot in front of her when she resurfaced. Shirtless and wet from the chest down.

  How had he gotten here so fast? She’d had a good twenty feet on him at one point. He’d even had time to rid himself of his shirt and sunglasses.

  “You didn’t answer my question,” he pointed out.

  Oh, yes. He was perturbed that she had called his actions hypocritical. It was her turn to get angry. Out of pure frustration, she hooked her leg around the back of his knee and pushed against his chest with all her might.

  It must have been shock, because Adam went down with a resounding splash into the water.

  She came this close to laughing. Until he shot up out of the water to glare at her. “Feel better?” he demanded.

  “I could ask you the same question. Clearly, you needed to cool off a bit.”

  “Looks like someone schooled you in some self-defense moves.” He wiped down his face with the palm of his hand.

  “Just what the teenage boys at the center showed me.”

  “You learned well.”

  She sat back, allowing herself to float. “That makes me realize something I hadn’t thought about before.”

  “What’s that?”

  “You’ve been derelict in your duty. Shouldn’t you have been teaching me some self-defense moves yourself?”

  He narrowed his eyes in question. “What?”

  “Most movies and books involving bodyguards have at least one scene where the woman is soundly yet cautiously manhandled while the so-called protector shows her how to defend herself.”

  “Is that so?”

  She nodded. “I shouldn’t have to tell you this.”

  He gave her such a casual shrug her instincts went on high alert. “It’s not too late. I could start right now.”

  She squinted at him, not liking the sound of his voice at all. “What did you have in mind?”

  “Every time you manage to take me down again, you can ask me a question.”

  Ha! As if she trusted him to really reveal anything.

  He continued as if he’d read her mind. “I promise to answer whatever the question is. Fully and truthfully.”

  She was intrigued despite herself. Darned if she’d show it, however. “Maybe I’m not that interested any longer,” she threw out.

  “Maybe you’re a liar.”

  That did it. She did want to topple him over again. But she wouldn’t have the advantage of surprise this time.

  “I don’t want to hurt you, Adam.”

  For the first time since he walked in on her and Jaqueline in the foyer, she saw the hint of a smile on his face. “Feel free to try, kitten.”

  “Fine.” She stood up in the soft sand.

  Trying the same maneuver again, she went to hook her foot behind his knee. He stepped away before she could so much as reach him.

  He smirked at her.

  Making the perfect fist, she got ready to aim for his side. Not really to hurt him, just to throw him off balance so she could trip him into the water. He grabbed her wrist before she could make contact.

  A fake-out. It was her only hope. She threw her hands up in the air as if completely frustrated. Not that she wasn’t. “Fine, you win. I’m going back onto the shore.”

  Pretending to stride by, she bent over and lunged her shoulder toward him instead. He barely moved.

  “Oh, kitten. I was hoping you could do better than that.”

  “Yeah, well, so was I.”

  Was it her imagination, or was that actual amusement she saw in his eyes? At her expense!

  He rubbed his chin. “Perhaps you’re right. Maybe I should show you some basic jujitsu moves.”

  “Jaja what now?”

  He actually laughed. “Here. I know you’re dying to see me fall in again. A freebie.” He reached for her stealthily, without warning. “But you’re coming with me.”

  Before she knew what he intended, he launched himself backward into the water, pulling her on top of him.

  * * *

  What had he been thinking?

  Ani landed on his chest, his arms around her midriff. He still held her as they broke the surface of the water a second later. And now he could hardly think at all. She’d thrown her arms around his neck at some point. Now they stood, their faces an inch apart, skin against wet skin.

  “That was uncalled for.” Her breath was thick when she spoke. “You owe me an apology.”

  He wasn’t sure if they were speaking of the stunt he just pulled or what had happened between them back at the house. He decided he didn’t care. It was hard to care about anything but the feel of her when she was in his arms like this. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.

  “Me, too,” she said, surprising him. “I’m sorry, Adam.”

  “What exactly are you apologizing for, kitten?”

  “For upsetting you earlier.”

  Adam swallowed. At the time, he’d been beyond annoyed. Now he felt like a heel for the way the scene had played out. He just wasn’t used to talking about himself. He didn’t want to think about his past, let alone have it be a topic of discussion.

  “And I’m sorry for this,” she said on a breathless whisper, just before touching her lips to his.

  The blood pounded in his veins. Her hesitant, gentle kiss threw the last gates of his resolve wide open. He pulled her tighter against him, plunged deeper into her mouth. Her arms grew tighter around his neck. Hooking his hands at the backs of her thighs, he lifted her to wrap her legs around his waist.

  Time seemed to stand still; he couldn’t get enough of her. Every nerve ending in his body was burning with desire. He had no idea how long he stood there in the water, holding her and tasting her. Finally, a small cry of sanity cut though his desire-fogged brain. He somehow managed to break the kiss.

  “We need to stop, kitten. Or I’m likely to carry you out behind one of the cliffs and...” He knew better than to put into words all the things he was thinking.

  She blinked up at him. The heat in her eyes nearly had his knees buckling beneath him.

  He doubted the depth of her desire could match his own. Reluctantly, he disentangled their bodies, though he felt the ache of the loss clear to his bones.

  Ani gave her head a shake.

  By the time they made it back to shore, Adam almost had his breathing back under control. Almost.

  “Guess we should have thought to bring towels,” she muttered as she pulled her dress over her wet body. The fabric clung to her curves and Adam nearly groaned out loud.

  “I thought we’d walk along the sand for a while,” he answered. “I wasn’t really expecting to go for a swim quite so soon.”

  “Well, I wasn’t expecting any of that.” She plopped down on the ground, shifting her legs underneath her.

  Adam dropped down next to her. “That makes two of us. Though I guess I should have been better prepared.”

  “What’s that mean?” Picking up a handful of sand, she let the grains slowly sift through her fingers.

  “It means we’re from two different worlds.” He looked off toward the horizon. “You asked in Paris how I came to live with my aunt and uncle. Would you like to know the full story?”

  “Of course. All I ever heard was just rumors that can’t all be true because many of them contradicted each other. You were a bit of a novelty. Everyone talked about you.”

  He grunted a humorless laugh. “The reality wasn’t novel at all. My old man took off and my mom chased after him. He left because he didn’t want the burden of a family. And she chose him over me, her son. Last I heard, he sobered up and cleaned himself up. They have a whole other family. They still wanted nothing to do with me. Until learning about my wealth, that is... Now I hear from th
em all the time.”

  “I take it you ignore them.”

  He shrugged. “I ignore my parents, yes, but I have a younger brother and sister. They’re actually pretty cute.” Was that a hint of pride she heard in his voice? “I make sure they’re taken care of.”

  “Taken care of how?”

  “I send them a monthly stipend. I have a PI check in regularly to make sure the money is being spent where it should be and not on party expenses for two people who only ever thought of me as unwanted.”

  “Adam, I’m so sorry. I wish I’d known.”

  The pitying tone of her voice was exactly why she hadn’t known all this time. Why he hadn’t spoken of it with anyone but Brant, who’d been decent enough to keep it to himself all these years.

  “Would it have made a difference if you had known?” he asked.

  She looked at him then, her beautiful dark eyes wide with understanding. “It would have to me. All those times, I felt so out of place whenever you and Brant hung out together. So unwanted.”

  “I’m genuinely sorry about that. I was a thoughtless heel back then to make you feel that way.”

  He’d tried so hard to hide his feelings for her as a way to protect himself. She’d been so far out of his league. Just as she was now. He may be proficient in a few languages and enjoy a professional success few could dream of, but most of that had been pure luck. Ani had been born into a well-known and respected family and she was on her way to worldwide success. He simply didn’t measure up.

  He couldn’t say any of that out loud. He’d tried so hard when they were kids to get Ani to believe he found her annoying, that he didn’t want her around. The exact opposite had been true. And it had scared him to death.

  Judging by the way he was feeling now, he’d been right to be scared.

  * * *

  Ani followed Adam as they walked back up the pathway that led to the house, both still dripping wet. She didn’t know what to make of him. He seemed determined to push her away the moment they got too close.

  “I think we should head to the casino this evening,” Adam announced, pulling her out of her thoughts with a completely unexpected suggestion. “I’m sure Jaqueline would be happy to sit with Snowball. She seems to be quite fond of him. How’s your blackjack game?”