The Bodyguard: A Navy SEAL Romance

by Penelope Bloom

  No one asks for our tickets as we enter, which now doesn’t surprise me. They also don’t ask us to pay when Liam orders some candy and a soda for us at the counter. The teenage girl overfills our drinks because she can’t stop gawking at Liam, which makes me feel stupidly threatened, to the point that I actually wrap my arm around his back, as if to remind the girl that he’s mine. I even go as far as to plant my hand on the counter so she can get a clear view of the engagement ring. Except he’s not mine. Not really.

  I push that unpleasantness down, wanting to just enjoy tonight. Whether this all works out or not, Liam said himself this isn’t a date as part of our agreement. This is a real date because he enjoys my company. I guess the only question then is whether he’s bringing me here as a friend or as a potential lover, a question that is complicated by the fact that I’m sleeping in the same bed as him at night now.

  “So, what do you want to see?” he asks, taking me down the hallway and leading me with a possessive hand splayed against my back. His hand is so large that it nearly spans my whole back and it feels so good there I never want him to move it.

  I look down the hallway and see half a dozen signs with movie titles. Stephen King’s It, The Godfather, Casablanca, Grease, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and even Wall-E.

  “Wow,” I say, trying to decide. “Would you think I was a weirdo if I said I wanted to see It?”

  “Hell no,” he says excitedly, already dragging me toward the theater where It is playing. “I’d think you were my soulmate.”

  He says it lightly, but his words send butterflies fluttering through my insides and set my skin to tingling. I’m grateful when we step inside the theater because he can’t see my stupid smile in the dark.

  Liam picks a seat for us near the middle of the theater and I squeeze in beside him. The projector running pre-movie commercials cuts straight into the feature presentation just moments after we sit.

  I spend the first thirty minutes of the movie absorbed in the knowledge that Liam King is only inches from me. I can feel the hairs on his arm against mine on the armrest, but when I steal glances over at him, he looks completely absorbed in the movie. I didn’t take him for a movie buff, but I can clearly see he is from the way he’s watching. The personality quirk gives me a little more boldness, reminding me once again that he is just a human underneath all that gorgeous.

  It takes me another twenty minutes, but I open my palm and slide it under his hand, clasping my fingers around his broad, calloused hand. It’s such a simple gesture, and when I consider the fact that we practically made out at the dinner party and the event that will not be mentioned, I know it’s silly to even think twice about holding his hand, but tonight is different.

  Liam said this wasn’t about the fake engagement. He said this was just to spend time with me, and to me, that means tonight is real. It’s like a first date. So yeah, I’m nervous as hell about grabbing his hand, but I do it anyway.

  He turns his head toward me and smirks down at our intertwined hands. “I was starting to think you would never make a move,” he says.

  I laugh. “Me? Isn’t that supposed to be your job?”

  “Well,” he says, just as the boys in the movie are having their makeshift dam kicked down by bullies. “Beautiful women make me nervous.”

  “Bullshit,” I say, laughing. “Even if I believed you have the remotest idea of what it means to be nervous, I know you can’t think I’m beautiful.”

  He leans closer, eyebrows pulling together. “You really have no idea, do you?”

  “What?” I ask.

  “You don’t know how badly these make me want to kiss you,” he says, brushing his thumb across my lips and sending hot waves of excitement through me. “And you don’t know how long I could stare into these, he says, running a finger beside my eye. And how fucking cute this is,” he says, leaning in to kiss the tip of my nose.

  I bite back a smile, still feeling like he’s just saying these things.

  “Aubrey,” he says, voice very serious. “You’re fucking beautiful. If I hear you say otherwise, you’re fired.”

  “You’re really pulling the boss card right now?” I ask.

  “You bet your ass I am. I’ll also fire you if you talk during the movie again.”

  “You’re the one who--”

  He silences me with a finger to his lips and a faint grin.

  I watch the rest of the movie without letting go of his hand, even when he moves it from the armrest to his thigh, forcing my fingers to rest against the hard muscle of his leg. I’ve seen It before, so I don’t feel too bad for spending the entirety of the movie lost in thought or focused on how good my hand feels in his.

  Just before the movie ends, Liam’s phone buzzes. He pulls it out of his pocket enough to check it and winces. “Fuck,” he growls.

  “What?” I ask.

  “Child protective services are at the house. Sophie just texted.”

  “Why is that bad?” I ask.

  “Probably doesn’t matter to them that we have a babysitter. We will look like neglectful parents for not being there with her.”

  “Right,” I say, trying not to let my disappointment show through in my voice. He’s probably right, even if it is a little paranoid, but I selfishly don’t want our date to end. Still, I let him help me up and rush me to the parking lot, where we get in his car and he drives us toward the mansion. Just like that, it’s over. The spell is broken and the moment we were sharing might as well have burst into a puff of smoke.

  He doesn’t speak for most of the drive, choosing instead to just grind his hands on the steering wheel and clench his jaw. He’s angry. I can see it clearly, but don’t quite know at who. Is he angry at me for being the reason he was out of the house when they showed up at his house, or is he mad at Julianne, or just mad in general? Unsurprisingly, I still have no idea when we arrive at the house, where a little red Corolla is parked out front.

  When we get inside I see Linda McCroy, the little bitchy woman with the clipboard from before. She’s wearing an itchy looking outfit of deep blue with a ridiculous hat to complete her “just heading to church with a stick up my butt” look. Sophie is standing in front of the doorway with her arms crossed while the poor babysitter is pleading with her to come into the kitchen.

  “Oh, good,” says Linda with a roll of her eyes. “This little hellion of yours won’t let me any farther into the house.”

  “Good job, Sophie,” says Liam. “It’s fine though. She can stick her nose where she wants. We don’t have anything to hide.”

  “Not even the things you told me not to tell anyone about?” asks Sophie, clearly confused.

  Liam scratches the back of his neck. “Yeah. Except those. But she’ll never find them,” he whispers loudly enough for Linda to hear.

  Linda’s eyes widen slightly at the mention of some hidden, dirty secret, and she practically doubles her turtle’s pace as she scuttles into the house, clipboard raised.

  “What is the secret?” I ask Liam.

  Roxanne rolls her wheelchair close enough that only we can hear. The babysitter and Linda are now deep into the kitchen.

  “The secret,” says Roxanne, “Is that your husband-to-be is a fanatical Arnold Schwarzenegger fan and has every movie he’s ever been in, both in Blu-ray and VHS.

  I frown. “I don’t get it. Yeah, that’s weird, but why is it so secret?”

  Sophie leans in conspiratorially close. “Daddy says everyone is actually a Schwarzenegger fan, but it’s just that not everyone knows it yet. If they find his collection, they’ll steal it.”

  “Right,” I say, frowning. “So you’re worried Linda McCroy is going to steal your movie collection.”

  “No,” says Liam. “Because she’s never going to find it.”

  “What’s this?” asks Linda, who is holding up an empty bottle of cough syrup.

  “Well,” says Liam. “That appears to be an empty bottle of cough syrup. You caught me. I have medication in the
house for common illnesses.”

  “Mhm,” says Linda. “Cough syrup is also used to make meth. Didn’t think I’d know that, did you?”

  “Sorry,” I say, butting in. “Is it a crime now to have cough syrup in the house? You’re also welcome to do a thorough search for a meth lab.”

  “No,” says Linda. “Not a crime. But I don’t deal in absolutes. I’m here to determine if this household is a fit place for a child, and ultimately, what matters is my opinion on that fact. And I’d say evidence of drug use is a very good reason to take this man’s child away.”

  “Listen here, you poorly dressed little bitch,” snaps Roxanne.

  “Mom--” says Liam.

  “No, I’m old enough to speak my mind when I want to. It’s part of the deal, so get used to it. As I was saying,” she continues, wheeling closer to Linda, who looks like she’s trying to retract her face into her neck and bulge her eyes out of their sockets. “I see what you’re doing. You’re here to make sure this house is ruled unfit for a child no matter what you find. You’re bought and paid for. Well, you know what I know, little missy?”

  “What,” asks Linda in an uppity, affronted voice. “Do you know?”

  “I know that a documentary I watched said you can pay to have someone murdered for as little as a hundred grand. By a professional. Do you know how much money my son has?”

  Linda’s eyebrows shoot up, and then her face darkens. “You wouldn’t be threatening me, would you?”

  “Threaten you?” asks Roxanne. “No. I’m making a few observations and letting your pea-sized brain do the work of putting them together. Good luck, honey.”

  “I’ve never--In all my life--I can’t even,” begins Linda, interrupting herself until she finally clamps her mouth shut, tucks the clipboard under her arm, and leaves.

  “Daddy,” says Sophie after the door shuts. “Is that woman really trying to make me live with mommy?”

  “She can try all she wants,” says Liam, through gritted teeth. “But no one is taking you from me, Soph. Do you understand me?”

  She smiles up at him. “Yes, Daddy. You’re going to kick their asses.”

  He chuckles. “In this case, it would do more harm than good to kick someone’s ass, but I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe and to keep you here, where you’re happy. Whatever it takes.”

  Roxanne clears her throat. “I don’t want to see that woman again, Liam. If I have to look at that stupid face of hers tomorrow, I’ll have a heart attack just to spite you.”

  Sophie and I laugh a little as the babysitter awkwardly shuffles past us and leaves, but Liam just looks thoughtful.

  “Fine. You won’t. We’re going on a trip tomorrow. Family cruise for three days to the Florida Keys.”

  “What?” I ask.

  “What?” asks Sophie.

  “It’s about time!!” cries Roxanne as she does the old lady version of a doughnut in her chair.

  35

  Liam

  After the tedious safety briefings and boarding procedures are handled, Aubrey and I are finally allowed in our suite on the ship. Sophie is staying with Roxanne next door so Aubrey can still help if it’s needed, but the truth is neither Sophie nor my mom ever really needed a caretaker. I hire them more for companionship, and in the hope that the right one would fill some void both my mother and Sophie feel because of my failed marriage.

  Aubrey hops face first onto our bed and I catch a brief glimpse of her white panties as her dress flares up. My cock stiffens so quickly it’s almost miraculous, and I’m forced to assume a slightly uncomfortable position against the wall to avoid making the gigantic bulge in my pants any more obvious than it already is.

  Aubrey rolls over, smiling contentedly. “I’ve always wanted to go on a cruise,” she sighs.

  “Yeah? I’ve always thought they were kind of tacky, but this actually isn’t bad. And right now, I’ll take anything that gets me away from that fucking woman and her stupid hats. I’d also like to see that asshole, Jake, try to find us here. Three days with no problems. It’s going to be perfect.”

  She sits up, biting her lip. “Am I here as your fake fiancée or as your girlfriend?”

  “Girlfriend?” I ask, grinning. “I didn’t realize that was an option.”

  “Well,” she says, cheeks reddening. “Normally when you take a girl on a date and things aren’t a disaster, it kinda progresses to girlfriend.”

  “Is that right? I guess that makes you my girlfriend, then.”

  She sucks in an excited breath and jumps off the bed to nearly tackle me with a hug. “Really?” she asks, breath hot against my neck. “Hey,” she says suddenly. “Did you smuggle a banana onto the boat or someth--”

  “Let’s just say I did,” I say with a half-smile. “Because if I tell you the truth, there’s no way this conversation won’t go back to the thing I’m never supposed to talk about again, or how much I enjoyed that thing that supposedly never happened.”

  She covers her face, resting her forehead against my chest. “Nooo! Stop! Please! It’s a banana, okay? I believe you!”

  “Good girl,” I say, rewarding her with a quick peck on the lips. Except one taste of her lips makes it impossible to stop, and I take more than a quick kiss. Soon her tongue is in my mouth, swirling with mine. Her belly is pressed against my hard cock and her hands are roaming my back. I’m moving both of us slowly toward the bed, still kissing and letting my hands roam her body, feeling the need for her that has been mounting for weeks ready to completely spill over.

  I push her down on the bed, standing over her as I reach for my buttons. She looks up at me with lidded eyes, hungry eyes.

  “Wait,” she says, shaking her head. “I’m sorry. I--I know this is silly, but the reason I’m still a virgin is because… God, nevermind. It sounds so stupid if I say it out loud.”

  “You can tell me,” I say, having to fight my willpower to stop from touching her more, from taking her.

  “I wanted to save myself for my husband. As much as I’m enjoying this, I just… I don’t know if I can, because it’s not--I’m not making any sense, am I?” she asks.

  My eyes linger on her full tits pillowing out of the side of her dress and the way her pulse pounds in the shallow of her neck. Her dress is rucked up so that I could see her panties again if it only moved a fraction of an inch higher.

  She looks more fuckable than any woman I’ve ever laid eyes on. But unlike the women before her, I care more about what comes after this moment than I care about getting between her legs. Maybe if I pushed it, she’d give in. Hell, she probably would. I know we’re both turned on as hell. It would take an idiot not to see that.

  But the more I’m with Aubrey, the more sure I am that I want more out of her than just a short term relationship. I don’t just want a casual fuck, no matter how much I might enjoy it. I want a wife. Pretending to be engaged to her has given me the slightest taste of what it would really be like, and it has only made me hungrier. I want her to be mine. All fucking mine. Body, mind, and soul.

  So all I do is nod, sitting beside her and saying everything I can to reassure her that it’s really okay and that she doesn’t have to feel bad for wanting to wait. We talk for nearly thirty minutes before I’ve finally managed to bring things back to somewhere near normal, and my rock-hard cock has softened and stopped pulsing painfully with need.

  It’s a good thing, too, because a few seconds later, there’s a knock at our door. When I open it, I find Sophie, who’s wearing her bathing suit. “C’mon! They have waterslides! Grandma said we could go.”

  I look a little farther around the corner and see my mom waiting in her chair with an excited grin on her face. She may be a mean old coot, but she has always loved theme parks and water parks or basically anything along those lines. Even if she’s too old now to participate herself, I think she likes to watch Sophie enjoying the experience and try to live a little through her eyes.

  “Waterslides?” asks Aubrey. />
  I personally could go either way as far as waterslides are concerned, but if it means getting to see Aubrey in a bathing suit, I’m all for it. “Let’s do it. Give us a couple minutes to get changed,” I say.

  Ten minutes later, we’re all on the top deck. Roxanne is down below while Sophie, Aubrey, and I wait in line. We’re standing on a curved staircase that leads up to the tallest of the three slides on the boat. Aubrey and Sophie are talking together in low, secretive tones, and I’m glad to see some of the iciness Sophie first showed toward Aubrey when I announced our engagement has thawed.

  I’m also glad to see the most amazing fucking view of Aubrey’s ass imaginable. She has an ass made for fucking and being admired. The little black bikini she wears hugs her body perfectly, even giving me a glimpse of the shape of her pussy between her legs when she moves to take a step higher. Am I being a creep for getting an eyeful while she’s distracted? Maybe. But I figure I deserve a medal for not taking her back in the room when I know a few words could’ve changed her mind. If they give the purple heart for soldiers, I guess they could give me the blue ball medal for the testament of willpower I endured.

  Besides, I’ve caught Aubrey guiltily glancing at my body plenty of times, even in the short trip up from our room to the waterslides she must have snuck at least a dozen glances at my chest and abs. So really, it’s all fair game. And if she wants to think of herself as my girlfriend now, then I have even more of a right.

  I grin to myself, thinking how out of character it is for me to be locked in an internal struggle to justify looking at a woman’s ass. The old me wouldn’t have given two shits. Ever since the divorce, women have just been a diversion to me.

  Now though… Aubrey is changing me, and fast. Frighteningly fast. But I can’t help thinking all the ways I’m changing are for the better, that the man I’m becoming is a better man for my daughter, and even for my mother. She’s making a husband out of me, and instead of scaring the shit out of me like that might have even a few weeks ago, it excites me.