Bodyguard by day secret by night

ts flashed like tiny bombs against the dark windows, but Aurora Vale didn't blink,

voice shaking, "We should be insid

oftly but firmly, "I

nt" that wrecked her car and nearly ended her life, her father, Dominic Vale, the powerful tech tycoon, had hired

ated th

the door

the man who opened the door was different, he was tall, lean but strong,

rea like a hawk, sharp, focused, and intense, Aurora stepped out slowly, her heels clicking

s touched, something sh

ke most men did, not with

like a puzzle he

owed her eyes

nd them like bees, Jace Kieran never left her side, not when a model got too close, not

he VIP balcony, she f

he said coolly, "Do you have a name

Jace, and I prefer s

an eyebrow, "

e, I'm not here

ike a stormy sky, unreadable and steady, b

who had seen too m

liked

like danger dr

peak again unti

attention pressed against her skin like heat, he was quiet, watchful, heav

f the job?" she aske

Staring is personal, obse

augh, "Did you practi

ts in two months, one almost killed you, excu

ked but sa

und like

that as

o do

didn't return it, he didn't seem like the smilin

rustration, s

didn't flirt, n

, he followed just a little too closely

off-limits, or s

the wall outside her door like he belonged there, ar

ust walked past him, pretending his pre

eal test came

he fire alarm went off during her speech, chaos, screams, she barely move

his

oor, into a waiting black SUV, she heard yelling, tires

ccident?" she as

"N

do yo

jaw tight, "Because

state, her fath

" he yelled, pacing his office,

id calmly, "That's more

for once, she stayed quiet, watching how J

n?" Dominic snapped, "Unless you guarded

ia, stopped bombs in London, and pulled people out under fire in La

ile

bit her l

wrong to

e to w

rden, the stars were bright and the po

me, of course not, he wa

she fe

t be out here a

"You here to lect

closer, "What

thing, Jace, what if I fall for th

darkened, "

if I alr

closer, the air between them

allowed to wan

't follo

u sho

en st

h, not soft, just enough to show

ces were i

was steady,

didn't

You're not the only on

he walk

her long after he dis

the only one

n an empty room, she hated how her body responded

raction, it was some

rios

hat was

ot people hur

r, but it didn't help, nothi

not ac

tte

g at the garden below, somewhere out there

or

ght made h

ce K

r, shado

that made he

nger in he

rning, he was

all, sam

g her coffee, she noticed the flicker in his eyes before he lo

d, "Ever bli

en the dan

a flirt or

d right now, you're the bigge

d, "So I di

dn't sa

u jus

r, just followed

Sierra visited, all perfume

" Sierra whispered as

body

that's a walking Greek stat

has

I, mine

ughed, Jace's face twitched

whispered, "You like

ra said, "Which

ised an eye

hind his sunglasses, he fro

t, everythi

st midnight when

buzzed, the one her

in your room, repeat

didn't

just in time to see him runn

efoot, her robe tr

e intruder near

, maske

was f

n in seconds, pul

rely older

you?" Jac

He said she had the data, I

he?" Ja

e kid pa

ded, "What data? What

ked at her

ymore," he said, "They're testing your sec

"M

r, maybe something worse, but this

ood turn

e hallway again, barefoot, drawn

he was

m him, "The hallway feels safe," she sai

ooked

ecause I'

at his words, simp

tepped

hed hi

e for less," she whispered,

u," he said, "And that sca

aned in, not

t a

ead gently

than

tr

oment that chan

stranger in her hallway