Page 63 of Auctioned to the Billionaire Bodyguard

“So, what are your plans for the day?” Jess asked.

“You and Nadine and some of the girls from Sugar are going to have a spa day. And don’t worry. I know you’re scared. But Reynolds and I are going to be keeping watch, and I’ll have two of my agents stationed near the spa. There’s nothing to be scared of, okay?”

She bit her lip, but she nodded. “Okay. A spa day sounds really nice, to be honest.”

“Good,” I couldn’t hide my wide smile. I loved making her happy.

“So… why is there a pirate store in town?”

“Oh no.” I shook my head. “Now you’ve done it.”

“What?” Jess asked.

Reynolds sat up so fast he almost knocked over his coffee and the small vase of flowers that was sitting on the edge of the table. “Well, Jess, it’s a fascinating story. Long ago, before even Savannah was founded as a city, there were caves right off the coast of what is now West Bay. It made it ideal for pirates to smuggle in…”

Fifteen minutes later, Reynolds finally finished his pirate story.

“… So, you see, the pirate flag hung above West Bay long before the American flag ever did.”

Jess blinked and tried to cover a yawn. “That’s… fascinating.”

“Don’t lie to him. It just encourages him. There’s only one thing Reynolds is nerdy about. West Bay. I’ve never met a person more obsessed with their hometown.”

Jess gave a little nod. “It’s a good thing you’re the mayor, Reynolds.”

“Thank you,” he preened, willfully ignoring Jess’ boredom and my lack of respect for his West Bay lore.

“Here comes Nadine,” Jess said, and we all got up to leave. I motioned for the check, one hand still covering my eye.

Leo came over to tell us he’d comped our meals.

“Dammit, Leo! What the hell? You give away more food than people buy. You can’t comp the meals of everyone you know. You know the whole fucking town!”

We hurried off as Joaquin blasted a very unconcerned-looking Leo.

Nadine opened the bag and put the patch on me. “There. That looks very handsome.” She patted my cheek. “Sorry it took me so long. I ran into some tourists who didn’t know about the history of pirates in West Bay.”

Jess and I exchanged a look. She leaned in close and whispered, “They’re perfect for each other.”

They really were. Even without their pirate obsession.

“Okay,” Nadine said, “let’s go to the spa. I assume Byron told you that’s what we’re really doing, right?”

Jess nodded and gave me a nervous little wave as she and Nadine walked off.

Reynolds and I followed a few paces behind. When I turned to tell him something he put his phone in my face and took a few pictures of me with the eye patch. “Got ‘em!”

I gave him a deadpan look as he hurriedly sent them to our friends. “Are you finished?”

“Finished,” he nodded.

“I want to run into the jewelry store to pick out something nice for Jess. Can you stay out here and keep watch on the spa? I already see the new agents in place, so you should be good. Just be on the lookout for a creepy looking huge guy on a motorcycle.”

“I saw him on the way out of Shitty Wilkins, too, remember?”

“That’s right. It seems like such a long time ago, but I guess it really wasn’t, huh?”

Reynolds shook his head. “Why kind of jewelry are you going to buy?”