My bodyguard, my boss

open with a perfectly timed sigh of luxury,

ne," she snapped, her voice clipped, heels tapping sharp warnings across the marble floor. Her phone w

, tablet in hand and eyes wide with that permanent I

" Brynn offered helpfully, swiping at the screen

, jaw tight. "We're launching the tech-glove line in six weeks and someone inside my own damn

," Brynn said, voice small

evator. She turned. Her eyes narrowed th

t it

igned you a new security det

long one. Even the re

pprove a se

ask. It came

through her perfectly brushed hair, ruining it slig

, voice almost a whisper. "I thi

ced over h

lored suits. One of them, leaning casually near the far elevator, wore black-black shi

aze locke

t to be ki

s slid open with

ting a quiet ride and a moment to mental

as alrea

an in

spine perfectly straight, like someone who'd been trained to stay still for hours at

econd-barely noticeable-but the man caught it. She could t

o button. Ne

said coolly, no

ed-deliberate, quiet-and p

first thing

thing was

I'm your new s

ep, no rea

d him fully now,

k for a secu

dn't

't appr

l no

igned without

rs-gray, calm, and annoy

thered,"

ence stretche

ry to smile when they

move. "I'm n

o sizes too stiff. "You're dressed like you're about to arrest s

d, unbothered. "Thi

lending in? With what-a

"The less I stand out

as it passed the 20th floor

g. "You, lurking silently behind me all day like some g

you prefer to

not an

on't give answers to

you give?"

me. "Time. Distance. React

eed-but because the way he said it fe

ged again. They

quiet, fluid, already scanning the hallway

say, "Af

n't lo

ked, assuming

, for the first time in a very long time, she wasn't

whispered shut behind th

an angular desk in black lacquer, fresh orchids by the window. Immaculate, j

e desk with unnecessary pre

ing vaguely to the seating area.

the door, arms relaxed at his sid

nhurried, pulling off her blazer and

t like shadows. Or surprises. And I especially don't like being watched like s

argue. He si

es. "So let's start w

d Va

kgro

itary. Mostly private clients

ed your c

of a second-just enoug

d liaison,

ch o

as T

onservative. Paranoid. St

s? You know-like when to tase me, or what my favorite coffee is s

arely. Was that a smi

o be your frien

her chair. "I already have one of those

hing. Not e

ending to be civilian, but... still. Intent. Contained in that u

thout flash. Shoes polished. Hands scarr

ents before m

sted. Not enough

orized t

ma'

She leaned forward, resti

eople who hide b

brow. "Would you

'd prefer honesty. Or a

pa

our years running high-net-worth protective ops. Mostly for men who liked pretending they w

t diffe

nked. "Ex

Twice. Both times after hours. Both ti

ody s

osed to know that

e replied. "But I make a habit of

her turn

it's just corpo

not being watched for your idea

t tha

d at him-re

And something else. A tension under the skin,

tched. But worse-she did

id, "Fine. You

erst

k first. And for the love of God, don't sta

d his head o

go stand somewhere silent and tal

ithout an

afterimage of him in the room. Like somethin