Her Reluctant Bodyguard

by Jennette Green

  “You are so sweet.” She shut herself in her room. Tomorrow had to be better. She would make sure of it, one way or another.

      

  “I’ve got you today, kid,” Mart said the next morning, when she emerged for breakfast.

  “Jamison’s left already?”

  “He’s helping set up.” He sent her a wary, contemplative look. “And he said he needs a break from you.”

  That hurt, like a stab through the heart. “Perfect,” she sallied back. “I much prefer your company, anyway.”

  “Thanks. I think.”

  “I can make scrambled eggs. Do you want some?”

  “Sure.” The wary edge remained. “I thought you couldn’t cook.”

  More hurt bubbled. “Is that what Jamison told you?” She growled softly behind her teeth.

  Mart eyed her with amusement. “You’re scary, Alexa.”

  She sent him a narrowed glance. “Don’t worry. I’ll stay on my best behavior with you.”

  Mart picked up a piece of toast. “What’s going on with you and Jamison?” He lifted his hand. “I’m not asking for personal details. But you’ve got him riled up. I’ve never seen him like this before.”

  Alexa mixed eggs and poured them into the pan. “Jamison and I are like sandpaper and steel wool. All we do is irritate each other. We can’t seem to get along.”

  “Why? He’s the most laidback guy I know.”

  “Maybe to you, but not to me.”

  “I hate to see my buddy so rattled. You’re not chewing him up, are you, Alexa?”

  She heard the warning in his voice, and remembered their conversation in the kitchen in London. How long ago that seemed.

  “More like we’re chewing each other up. I appreciate your concern for him, but I don’t want to hurt Jamison.” She spooned at the eggs. “We had a huge fight, and I’m not sure we can get past it.” In fact, they had had more than one, since the kiss. Tears threatened, but she blinked them back. “I like Jamison…when he’s nice.” When he didn’t push too close to her heart. That scared her. Still, that wasn’t his fault. It was no excuse for her to be flippant and rude to him.

  “You be nice, Alexa. Make the first step.”

  She scooped the eggs onto plates for each of them. Quietly, she said, “You’re right. I’ll try.” And she would, she vowed, even if lowering her guard allowed him to get closer. Honestly, this thought scared her to death. She swallowed. Lord, please give me courage.

  “Good. Maybe I’ll get some time off this evening, then.” He grinned, to show he wasn’t serious. At least, not entirely.

  “When’s Colin getting back?”

  “Tonight. The first concert is tomorrow.”

  “Jamison’s taking me sightseeing tomorrow. I’ll try to patch things up then.”

  “You do that. By the way, these eggs are good.”

  “Thanks.” She grinned. “I guess it proves I’m not hopeless. I can learn from my mistakes.”

  “I don’t think you’re hopeless. And I doubt Jamison does, either.”

  Alexa hoped he was right.

      

  That evening, a knock came at the door, and Mart opened it.

  “Colin!” he said. “Come on in.”

  Alexa finished rinsing off her plate and hurried into the sitting area, wiping her hands on her skirt. “Colin!” she said. “How’s your father?”

  Colin came straight over and pulled her into a hug. He pressed a kiss into her hair. “He’s fine, love. It’s wonderful to see you.”

  Alexa pulled back with a smile. “I’m so glad to hear that. Will he need the bypass you mentioned?”

  “He will. The doctor wants to wait until Da’s more stable, and then he’ll schedule it as soon as possible.” Colin didn’t look upset, though. For the first time, Alexa detected peace in his blue eyes.

  “Would you like tea? I just boiled water.”

  “I’d love a cup, thank you.” He followed her into the dining area.

  “Mart? Do you want some?” Alexa called.

  “Don’t touch the stuff.” Mart settled back on the sofa to watch a rugby match.

  She fixed the tea and joined Colin at the table. “You seem different. Did something happen?”

  “Da’s good. And I finally made peace with God.”

  “You asked Jesus to be your savior?” Joy leaped in her heart.

  “I did, and I feel a whole lot better. Like a big load of muck is off my back.”

  Alexa grinned. “Colin, that’s wonderful!”

  In her head, a mental click sounded as the last piece fell into place. Now Colin was a Christian, and he officially met every single one of her criteria. He was absolutely the perfect man for her.

  Then why didn’t she feel like leaping into his arms?

  She sipped tea to cover her confusion. “Your trip went well?”

  “Yes. Eve was indispensable. I don’t know how I’d have gotten on without her.”

  Alexa scanned Colin’s face. He smiled to himself, apparently at a memory. “Really.” She still didn’t understand what Colin saw in his secretary. But admittedly, she didn’t know Eve that well. And certainly Eve had never shown Alexa her good side.

  Colin’s sharp gaze focused on her again. He smiled. “But I came tonight to ask you a question. Would you like to go on a private tour of Rome tomorrow?”

  “With you?” Alexa was stunned.

  “Of course, with me.”

  “Oh! Well, that sounds wonderful. But I just asked Jamison if he…”

  “Jamison can come, too. You too, Mart,” Colin told his bodyguard.

  “Really?” She couldn’t believe it. “But won’t you be mobbed?”

  “I’ll wear a disguise. No one will recognize me.”

  Alexa got the feeling this might be an adventure for him.

  “Jamison, old chap,” Colin called unexpectedly. “I’ve just stolen your date for tomorrow.”

  The door clicked shut, and Alexa watched her bodyguard cross the room. Why couldn’t she tear her eyes from his face? Why did she want so desperately to read his expression right now? It proved impossible, however.

  She said, to explain, “Colin’s just offered to give me a tour of Rome.”

  “And you’re coming, too,” Colin said.

  “Great.” Jamison poured a cup for himself and sat at Alexa’s elbow, across from Colin.

  Alexa was very aware of his hand, only inches from her own. Why, when Jamison and Colin were in the same room, did she only notice Jamison? Vitality crackled from him; quiet and barely detectable, but it strummed along her nerve endings. She looked at him. “Do you mind?”

  The black gaze met hers. “You make your choices, Alexa. I’m just along for the ride.”

  She frowned. Not an acceptable answer.

  Colin stood. “I’d best go. I need to unpack. See you both tomorrow at nine?”

  “We’ll be ready,” her bodyguard said.

  Alexa made to get up, but Colin put a hand on her shoulder and pressed a quick kiss to her temple. “I’ll see myself out, love. I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”

  “Me, too.” She smiled and watched him and Mart go.

  Alone again, with Jamison.

  “You didn’t have to be so rude,” she told him. Oops. Not exactly the nice she had promised Mart to be.

  “Did you want me to be jealous?” he asked, too quietly.

  She gasped. “No.” Then she gritted her teeth. “Why can’t we get along?”

  He watched her, but said nothing.

  Frustration flooded her, and Alexa slapped hands to her face. “Please, Jamison,” she whispered. “I hate the way things are between us. I’m sorry for the way I’ve been acting. Can we start again?”

  “You mean it?”

  “Yes!” She dropped her hands, exasperated. “When you’re not pushing me…” she bit her lip. “Please stop pushing me. I can’t take it. Can’t we be friends again? Please!”

  Tens
ion slowly relaxed out of his shoulders. His hand covered hers and squeezed once, gently, before letting go. “I’m sorry, too.”

  Alexa blinked, but this time they were tears of relief. “Really?”

  “I’ll stop pushing you so hard.”

  “So we’re friends again?”

  “I never stopped being your friend, princess.”

  Alexa relaxed. Princess. Now they were back on familiar footing. “Good.” Her mind turned to other matters. “You know what? Colin just told me something awesome.”

  Jamison smiled, and it made her heart bloom with joy. She said, “He’s become a Christian.”

  “That’s terrific.” His smile faded. “Now he’s perfect for you.”

  She looked at him uncertainly. “No one’s perfect, Jamison. All I know is I’m happy for him.”

  “Fair enough. We’ll have fun touring Rome.” Faint, smiling promise warmed his eyes.

  Alexa wasn’t sure if Jamison meant him and her, or all of them, collectively. Her heart skipped a little faster. “I can’t wait.”

      

  The next morning, Alexa placed a quick call to her sister to update her on her travels. She mentioned the tour of Rome today, but carefully did not mention a word about Jamison. She didn’t want to give her sister any further misconstrued ideas about her bodyguard.

  Jamison waited in the living room. This morning he wore a black T-shirt and the usual black jeans. Not the T-shirt she had given him, she noticed. This one was pure black and molded his shoulders. Beneath the black sleeves, his biceps looked very large and muscular.

  He looked good—no, he looked better than good. Jamison caught her stare and smiled a little. Hastily, she looked away.

  “Ready?” she inquired, heading for the door.

  “Never seen you in jeans and a T-shirt before, princess.”

  She turned, raising her brows. “Do I pass muster?” Today she wore faded jeans and a white T-shirt which advertised her brother-in-law’s magazine.

  “You know you look good in everything you wear.”

  Her cheeks warmed, and she threw a dramatic hand to her chest. “Be still my beating heart! Was that an actual compliment coming from your lips?”

  His smile stretched wider, and as he opened the door, Alexa felt his warm hand on her back. She escaped his touch as quickly as possible.

  Colin had asked them to meet him downstairs, so when Alexa reached the lobby, she snapped her gaze to and fro, trying to pick him out. Colin had said he’d be in disguise.

  But the only reason she found him was because she spotted Eve, and then Mart a short distance away. Eve stood beside a tall man with dark hair, a moustache, and sunglasses. Alexa hurried over. To her chagrin, Jamison had already reached the superstar. So much for her powers of observation.

  “I didn’t recognize you!” She grinned up at Colin. A snort came from Eve’s direction. That woman wore narrow, fashionable sunglasses, combined with equally thinned lips. Had Colin invited his secretary along, too?

  “You like it?” Colin glanced down at his blue jeans and Oxford shirt.

  “I wouldn’t have known it was you, if I hadn’t seen Eve first.”

  Colin glanced at his secretary. “Eve’s never been to Rome before, either. So I invited her along, too.”

  “The more, the merrier,” Alexa said.

  Colin’s attention turned to a point over her left shoulder. “Paddy!” He moved away.

  The muscular manager cut through a loose group of people like a pit bull through a chain link fence. One woman, dressed in a silk pantsuit, frowned and lifted her nose before returning to her companions.

  Paddy’s hard green eyes impaled Alexa, then dismissed her. “Colin.”

  “Have you got the latest figures?”

  “I’m working on Zurich,” Paddy said brusquely. “Trust me. It’ll sell out.”

  How could he be so certain? A sudden chill went through Alexa. Was he behind the attacks, after all? Had he plotted another assault, here in Rome, just so sales would spike in Zurich?

  “You’re doing a splendid job.” Colin clapped him on the shoulder. “You’re a miracle worker. Haven’t I said so a million times?”

  A faint smile worked Paddy’s mouth, but his thick shoulders still looked bunched and aggressive—like a thug’s. Alexa blinked, trying dislodge the fanciful thought. Colin trusted Paddy completely. Shouldn’t she, too? And yet the hard glitter in the manager’s eyes unsettled her.

  Taking a step back, she tugged Jamison’s arm so he would follow her.

  His dark eyes sharpened into alert black. “What?”

  “You don’t think…” She cast Paddy a quick glance, and then leaned forward and whispered, “Could Paddy be behind the attacks? Colin said the news coverage is helping to sell out the concerts. He even mentioned that if I hadn’t been hurt, he’d think Paddy was behind them.”

  The thought obviously gave Jamison pause. He glanced at the manager for a split second, and then his gaze returned to Alexa. “I’ve known Paddy for years. He’s cutthroat, but not that much. I don’t think.” A frown marked his brow.

  “I don’t want to slander him. But I’m scared.”

  “I’ll talk to a few contacts and see what they can dig up.”

  Alexa felt better, now that Jamison knew of her fearful suspicions. Even more encouraging, he hadn’t dismissed them as being silly. He would take care of her. She trusted him completely.

  Colin joined them, and Paddy strode for the bank of elevators. Alexa was relieved to see the last of him.

  “I’ve hired a car,” Colin said, leading the way to the entrance. Out front, a blue sedan awaited. “Jamison, I’m hoping you’ll drive. You know this city like the back of your hand, right?”

  “No problem.”

  Colin slipped into the back, and Eve instantly scooted in beside him. Mart joined Jamison in the front, which pretty much took up all the space there, so Alexa was forced to sit in the back, beside Eve. Not her first choice, to be sure. She buckled her seatbelt and then scooted as close to the window as she could.

  Eve ignored her, choosing instead to focus entirely upon her boss. “Colin, tell me again. Where are we going first?”

  Colin rested his arm along the back of the seat. Eve smiled. Alexa, however, wanted to roll her eyes.

  “Jamison, I thought we’d go to the Colosseum first,” Colin said. “We can walk to a few places from there. At lunchtime, I thought we’d have a picnic at Villa Celimontana. My chef whipped up a basket for us.”

  “Sounds great,” Jamison said.

  Alexa remained silent while Eve chattered nonstop to Colin. He didn’t seem to mind.

  Jamison dropped them off and went to find a parking space. While they waited for him to return, they stood in line for combination tickets at the Roman Forum’s main entrance.

  The next few hours passed quickly. First, they visited the Colosseum. Their tour guide told them all sorts of grisly details about the ancient amphitheater, and inside the massive structure, Alexa felt an awestruck sort of fascination. To think that thousands of years ago people had built this huge stadium.

  She had seen photos before, but in person it was amazing to see that the floor of the Colosseum was gone, and little rooms were below. Prisoners about to be executed had stayed there. Her imagination went wild, thinking about what it must have been like. Less than two thousand years ago, people had been brutally killed here before cheering, screaming audiences. To her surprise, the guide said no proof existed that Christians were killed at the Colosseum. Some believed those executions took place at Circus Flaminius, instead. Still. Alexa shivered and quickly walked on, following the group. How petty her problems seemed by comparison.

  Colin took her hand, pointing out details of the architecture. Behind his disguise, his familiar, sharp features were animated, and Alexa smiled as she listened. She felt self-conscious, however, with her hand in his. Why? Because Jamison and Eve watched? Or because she didn’t want to hold C
olin’s hand? At the first opportunity, she gently disengaged it and wandered away on the pretense of examining the stone of the Colosseum. Colin took her hand a few more times, too, and Alexa repeatedly found excuses to pull away. On one of those occasions, Jamison watched with a faint smile. She struggled to ignore him.

  They also explored the Roman Forum, Palatine Hill, and the Arch of Constantine. By then, it was after noon, and they headed up Via Claudia to Villa Celimontana. They entered the gorgeous park through the elegant, white stone and iron decorated archway. Colin led the way to the right, where the green grass sloped, studded with palms and many other types of trees, and Alexa saw families scattered here and there on the grass, eating their picnic lunches.

  “I’ll get the basket,” Jamison said, and disappeared back the way they had come.

  By now, Alexa felt warm and a little tired. “Want to sit down?” she asked Colin.

  “Sure.” They sat in the cool shade of a tree, not caring that they had no blanket. Mart lounged against the tree trunk, his gaze roaming the park.

  Eve did not sit. “I’m off to find a loo,” she said, and hurried off.

  Colin smiled at Alexa. “Are you enjoying yourself?”

  “I’m having a fabulous time. I feel like we’ve just touched the surface, though. Caelian Hill sounds interesting. Isn’t it one of the seven hills of Rome?”

  “It is. We can explore it after lunch, if you’d like. It’s not far.” Colin frowned, and Alexa followed his gaze. Eve stood partially hidden by the trunk of a palm tree, talking to a tall, thin man in a baseball cap. Eve sketched a hand through the air and the man shook his head. They talked for another full minute, and then Eve hurried away.

  Colin said nothing, so Alexa decided not to comment either, but she wondered about it. Why would Eve share an animated conversation with a complete stranger?

  If he was a stranger. Now, where had that thought come from?

  Eve and Jamison returned at the same time.

  “Great!” Colin leaped up and helped the bodyguard distribute the food.

  Alexa gladly accepted a cold cola and a ham and cheese sandwich. Jamison claimed the spot next to her, and she smiled at the way he wolfed down his first sandwich. “Eat much?” she muttered.