Bidding on the Bodyguard

by Kristi Avalon

  “Sure, fresh air would be nice.” Her church-choir pitch lured him to notice a pure smile he couldn’t say no to, along with two dimples bracketing her cheeks. He’d bet if she stepped out of her heels, she’d be five-foot-one on a tall day, twelve inches shorter than him.

  Petite and curvy. Yum. His baser appetites roared to life. Sugar, I could eat you up this weekend. She’d make it tough to keep his hands to himself tonight.

  When they were finally alone tomorrow, though…mmm-mm. All sorts of sexy thoughts invaded his brain. They’d have plenty of one-on-one time to explore the possibilities.

  He bent down to whisper beside her ear, “I’m Shane Duncan,” he said, hoping his voice carried over the bar music. He let his cheek graze hers before he drew back. She licked her lips, and sensual impulses flared below his belt. He held out his hand. “Pleasure to meet you…?”

  “Emma. Stallings,” she added in afterthought, the shyness returning.

  There were so many ways he could imagine ridding her of that shyness if she’d let him. “Ladies first,” he said.

  Inviting her to go ahead gave him a chance to unapologetically check out her assets. Emma was deliciously full in all the right places, just how he adored his women.

  While his buddies at the gym might get annoyed with his humor—and how often he got girls’ numbers—no one could deny he adored women. Overall, women adored him back, so he enjoyed brief flings before moving on to a new interest. He always kept it casual, and the beauties he spent steamy nights with knew that up front. He’d been so caught up in traveling for work lately, though, he hadn’t found time for his usual pursuits.

  Thank you, bachelor auction. He even received paid time off today through Sunday since his manager categorized this excursion as volunteerism.

  Bodyguards didn’t keep regular hours, often working weekends. He was on the payroll with permission to teach boot camp training to a curvy cutie he intended to have in his bed by Saturday night. Life was brilliant.

  Lost in his thoughts, he realized she’d asked him a question. He slid his arm around her, resting his hand on the left side of her waist. “What’s that, honey?”

  Under his palm, he felt her side twitch, like a reflex, putting distance between her and his touch. Noting her response, he moved his hand up to the left-center of her spine—again, the same stiffness and instinctive pulling away.

  When he curved his hand around her shoulder, she relaxed. When he stroked her neck with his thumb, she melted against him.

  Intrigued, he tucked the information away for another time. He wanted to press his lips to the soft place his thumb touched.

  Instead, he guided her to an outdoor bench made of what looked like driftwood, in keeping with the winery’s theme of mermaids and the sea. He invited her to sit. When she did, he set one foot on the bench behind her, keeping the other planted on the ground. This way he stayed engaged with his date, but free to scan his surroundings if the need arose.

  Grapevines twined along the fence, creating an oasis in the middle of the city. Strings of lights twinkled overhead, revealing fire-orange threads in Emma’s brown hair, reflecting in her pretty green eyes. Her glance darted around before landing on him.”

  “This is a beautiful winery,” she said, absorbing the atmosphere, while he absorbed her into his senses.

  She smelled like wild grass and magnolias soaked in sunshine. Sweetness and beauty and warm, southern comfort, he thought, looking at her, suddenly homesick even though he grew up on the ground he stood.

  Everything about this woman made him miss Virginia, made him long for home. He’d lived in dozens of locations all over the world since joining the marine corps. He hadn’t experienced this unexpected longing for home until tonight, until her.

  “Beautiful,” he agreed, not taking his eyes off her.

  She blushed under his regard. “What was it like behind the scenes? Were the other bachelors into it?”

  “Why?” He arched his eyebrows. “Are you having buyer’s remorse?”

  “No, no,” she assured, “just wondering what compels men to offer themselves up in a bachelor’s auction.”

  He chuckled and gestured at the auction coordinator. “See that spitfire disguised as a woman called Nadine? You try saying ‘no’ to her.”

  Emma smiled and nodded. “I see your point. She’s well known here. I’ve read her articles, and I appreciate her special interest pieces. She doesn’t hide the truth and doesn’t back down.”

  “My sister is friends with Nadine—Nads, some of the guys call her,” he explained. “My sister, Suzie, put me up to this. When work gave the go-ahead, I thought why not?” He spread his arms. “So here I am.” His lids lowered halfway. “With you.”

  “Lucky me,” she said, her forest-green eyes glowing up at him. For a moment he lost his train of thought.

  That never happened to him. Surprised, he blinked and refocused. “To answer your question, the other guys felt about like I did. Okay with doing an unusual thing for a good cause.”

  “Did you come up with the date theme yourselves?”

  “Yeah,” he said, with a self-deprecating grunt. Then he scratched his chin in pretend quandary. “I can’t figure out how some of the others topped out their bids.” He eyes were humorously rounded. “I mean, what girl wants to be pampered at a spa all day by some dude who’s richer than Warren Buffet? Or jet off to Colorado with a Rockstar?”

  She giggled. “Pretty lame.”

  “I know, right? It’s crazy that a female audience would swoon over a romantic twilight tour of the zoo.” He shook his head at himself and sighed. “I made the epic fail of offering boot camp training. I should’ve thought that through.”

  Straightening, she reached for his forearm. When she touched him, the hair raised on his arm. “I’m glad you didn’t.”

  He drank in the earnest sweetness in her upturned face. “Yeah?”

  “Or I wouldn’t have bid on you. Boot camp made the difference.”

  “Then yay for me.” He nodded. “I chose the one thing that would put you by my side.”

  The pretty blush in her cheeks turned her skin radiant in the dusky evening light. “You don’t have to say that.”

  “I don’t have to mean it, either. But I do.”

  A soft breeze washed over them, carrying the scent of lilacs. The wind lifted her hair. Before he could help it, his hand followed the motion. His fingers drifted through the silky, shoulder-length tresses.

  “Sorry,” he said, managing to not sound apologetic at all. When she didn’t pull away, he continued the motion with his hand. “You make me need to touch you.”

  An intake of breath flared her delicate nostrils. Her lips parted. She reacted like a woman who hadn’t been touched in a while, though he found that hard to believe. Her pulse quickened at her throat, a subtle throb he brushed with the back of his knuckles.

  When a dreamy expression washed over her face, his chest tightened with protective instinct. He wanted to grab a sword and defend that rare glimpse of innocence against every threat. That got him wondering…

  “Why did you bid on me, and my boot camp date?” He didn’t stop sifting his fingers through her hair.

  Her lashes fluttered, before her gaze sharpened on a point in the distance. “Two months ago, I was mugged in the parking lot of my apartment building.”

  His hand stilled.

  “Three guys came at me in the parking lot, when I went to my car. They took everything.”

  Indignation flared inside him. “Three grown men against one small woman. Because that’s a fair fight,” he snarled.

  Determination settled on her features. “I want to build my strength, inside and out, like the military does for new recruits at boot camp. Maybe I’ll learn ways to defend myself.”

  “I’m sorry you went through that.” He saw shadows of remembered fear chase through her eyes before they cleared. His hand settled at the base of her neck where tension knotted delicate muscles. He m
assaged them, and the tightness eased under his gentle pressure. “I’ll share with you some of the training techniques you’re looking for. I’ll show you self-defense moves, too.”

  “I’d appreciate that.” She nodded, tightening her hands in her lap.

  He bent to whisper in her ear, “We will make it happen.” His lips brushed her temple. “I want to help you feel safe again.” Protectiveness mixed with attraction became a potent aphrodisiac. He needed to wrap his arms around her, hold her close, make her safe. He needed to be alone with her.

  Instead of focusing on his needs, he held out his hand to her. “Can I walk you to your car?”

  Accepting the gesture, she stood, too. She sent a longing glance at the bar. “Before we go, could I try the house wine everyone raves about?”

  Pleased she wanted to spend more time with him, he dipped his chin. “White or red?”

  “White.”

  “I’ll be right back.” He winked. “Don’t go anywhere.”

  “Thank you, Shane.” The way she said his name set off a cascade of sparks like his body hosted its own Fourth of July party.

  Turning and heading toward the bar, he let out a long, slow breath. He liked his date—a lot. Already he found himself searching for excuses to extend their time into Sunday morning, afternoon, evening…maybe Monday morning, too, if he shifted his flight schedule.

  Don’t get ahead of yourself, man. But he was already there.

  At the counter he ordered the winery’s highest-end, homemade white, not the regular house blend. He also asked for a bottle to be wrapped so Emma could take it home with her. Next weekend, when she uncorked it and sat sipping a glass, would she think of her weekend with him? He wanted her to, because he wasn’t about to forget her anytime soon.

  For himself he ordered double Crown on the rocks.

  “I didn’t take you for a wine kinda guy,” a saucy female voice said beside him. “More of a whisky man.”

  When the bartender set the full rocks glass in front of him, he held it up. Nadine tipped her champagne glass and they toasted. He swirled the ice in his drink. “You did great job with this fundraiser. My sister said you’ve been working your ass off to make this happen, and I appreciate the wounded warrior cause.”

  “I’m glad it was a success. I noticed you looking very cozy with your bidder.”

  “She paid for me, right? She deserves the attention.”

  “Oh, I think it’s more than that.” The sharp awareness in Nadine’s eyes cut right through his air of casualness. “Careful, soldier. You might fall for this one and find you can’t leave her behind.”

  He pretended to consider her statement. “No bidder left behind. That does have a ring to it.”

  Laughing, Nadine jabbed him in the ribs. “Go ahead, play it off, but I see sparks between you.”

  He shrugged. “Faulty wiring.”

  “I’ll agree with you, if you don’t show that cute girl a good time. She seems kind and genuine—”

  “She is,” Shane agreed instantly.

  “She seems too sweet to survive boot camp with He-Man.” Glancing at him askance, Nadine shook her head sadly. “It’s too bad I couldn’t pick the dates. I would’ve made you take her someplace romantic.”

  Voice inflected with a shade of gloating, he said, “Emma told me my weekend date is what made her bid on me, adding a thousand dollars to the night’s tally. I didn’t do half-bad.”

  Nadine rolled her eyes. “Men can be so dense.” She sighed. “Just try to do something romantic for the poor thing, since she parted with a lot of money for you.”

  “For charity,” he reminded their hostess. “This date isn’t personal,” he said, even as the words rang with a note of falseness. He added a shrug. “I did this for a cause that’s helped a lot of brave, wounded souls.”

  Nadine glanced at his left hand. “Then if you accidentally enjoy yourself this weekend, it would be pure sacrifice.”

  “Completely.”

  Their stares held, before he grinned, and she burst out laughing. “Well, it looks like you’ll have a good time. I’m happy for you,” Nadine said sincerely. “If you see your sister tonight, tell her I’m planning to stop by to see the baby at your mom’s house tomorrow.”

  “I almost forgot.” He muffled a curse. “Yeah, I’ll be there tomorrow, too. Gotta see my new nephew. Probably handsome as hell, like his uncle.”

  Nadine sent him a curious look. “Then, you’ll bring your date with you to your mom’s?”

  “Okay, so I hadn’t factored that into the equation.” Running a hand down his face, he felt like a jerk. “I guess I’ll be plus-one. Emma’s a sweetheart, though. I don’t think she’ll mind.” He sent a glance over his shoulder where Emma sat outside, still on the bench where he’d left her. She’d wrapped her arms around herself and looked slightly cold. He shrugged out of his jacket. “See you around,” he said to Nadine, kissing her cheek before he turned.

  “Good luck, soldier.”

  He gave her a half-salute and returned to Emma’s side. “Hey, sorry about that. I got sidetracked catching up with Nadine,” he said, swinging his suit jacket around Emma’s shoulders.

  She glanced up at him gratefully. “I hadn’t planned to stay this late in the evening, so I didn’t bring a sweater.”

  “Virginia Beach nights are what I miss the most.”

  “You said you were from here. Where did you grow up?” she asked.

  They talked about the area’s finer points, and she finished her wine in a few long sips.

  Was she nervous, or did she want the night to end?

  When her glass emptied, he didn’t want her to feel obligated to hang out longer than she wanted to, but he also didn’t want to stop talking to her. She rose to her feet that looked tiny in her sexy heels.

  “Should I walk you to your car?” he asked without enthusiasm.

  After a moment of hesitation, she shrugged beneath his large suit jacket cradling her petite shoulders. “I can stay a little longer.”

  Relief swept through him. For some reason, her presence calmed him. He didn’t know why but wanted to find out before their first encounter ended. “Another glass of wine?”

  “Sure.” She sent him a sweet smile, and his stomach did a ridiculous flip. What was it about her that captured him so completely?

  He slid his arm around her waist naturally, as if they hadn’t just met tonight. “Let’s find a waiter.” Right then, one passed them with a full tray of samples. He flagged the guy down, gliding a fifty from his wallet onto the tray. “Can we just borrow that?”

  The waiter’s eyes glazed over before he stuffed the bill into his apron and handed his tray to Shane. “Let me know if there’s anything else I can do for you this evening, sir. Anything at all, ask for Joey.”

  “Thanks, Joey.” Shane set the tray on the bench they stood beside then tilted his head at Emma. “Now you can try everything on the menu.”

  Her eyes rounded. “That’s a lot of wine.”

  With a casual shrug, he said, “It’s not as if you have a big day tomorrow, scaling ropes and climbing obstacles and crawling under barbed wire.”

  She laughed, the sound echoing like a tune he couldn’t get out of his head. “Sure, no problem. I’ll show up to boot camp training hung over. That would be so much fun.”

  “Hydration is key,” he said sagely, waving off her amused concern. “I’ll stock up on Gatorade for the weekend.”

  She wilted a little. “I don’t think sugar water is going to help me build the strength I need to get through this weekend.”

  “You know, I’m actually not a drill sergeant. I won’t push you to doing anything intense you’re not up for.”

  “But I am.” The stubborn lift of her chin left an endearing impression. He wanted to scoop her up and plant a kiss on her lips. “I’m determined to make the most of this weekend.”

  Me, too, beautiful.

  “I’m ready.” She drew herself up to her whole five-foot-n
othing height. “I want to go at this like a real recruit.”

  Lifting the first sample, he placed it in her hand. “Why don’t we focus on the present, and start this adventure with a thorough wine tasting, before we think about tomorrow?”

  The dimples returned to her cheeks. “Well, if you insist.”

  He arched an eyebrow with affection. “I do.”

  While he stuck to liquor on the rocks, he enjoyed watching her try each type of wine divvied up into shot glass offerings. When she reached number five on the tray, she began to relax in his presence, her cement-reinforced walls inching down with every sip.

  “I’ve lived in Norfolk for ten years,” she said, sampling another trail-sized glass of a rich-looking red, “and I still can’t get used to the temperatures here. Some days, the humidity is stifling like you’re breathing through a wet washcloth when you walk out the door. I should know better, but I’ll get caught in a torrential downpour when no rain is predicted. Other times, like tonight, the temperature drops sharply, and I’m freezing in short sleeves. I feel like I’m never prepared for what the skies let loose.”

  He grinned. “I actually miss that about Norfolk. Where did you grow up?”

  “New York. Not the city,” she added. “A northern suburb, further away.”

  “Good place?”

  A shadow crossed her features. “Not really.” She reached for another sample, a rosé the color of the soft blush in her cheeks. “Not for me, anyway.”

  Sensing a crucial, fragile story there, he wanted to tap it, gently crack it open. Then he reminded himself they had all weekend. This flickering glimpse into her past could wait for expansion. If a military man knew anything, he knew how to wait for the exact right time. For now, he wanted to center her focus on their conversation, as he hung on every word.

  “What brought you to Norfolk?” he asked.

  “A fresh start.” Her features relaxed like dawn breaking the darkness of night, or whatever dark memories had caused those shadows that quickly disappeared from her eyes.

  He wanted to see her at sunrise. The image flashed in his mind of her sleep-tousled hair strewn around her face, spread across a pillow beside him, as he turned to kiss her good morning.