Page 38 of My Bodyguard’s The Boss

“God, no. Just salt and pepper, like a normal person.”

Dominic nodded his approval and pushed his spatula around the pan. It was still sizzling satisfyingly, butter crisping the pile of eggs golden around the edges. He’d used more butter than usual. Austin needed the fat. He’d seen Austin input too many healthy requests on Uber Eats. Oil instead of butter, no dressings, grilled chicken instead of fried, blah, blah, blah. Sometimes a guy just needed to eat fried food.

“It has spinach in it,” Dominic said when he caught Austin eyeing the pan warily. “And you won’t lose your career if you—god forbid—gain a few pounds.”

“Yeah, well.” Austin shrugged, looking uncomfortable. Dominic assumed he’d been in Hollywood so long that this ridiculous body standard was normal, and when actually normal people tried to point out how weird it was, Austin didn’t know what to do with it.

Austin got out his phone and started scrolling. Then he frowned. “Shit.”

“What?”

“It’s my brother,” Austin said. “He wants to know if I’m alive?”

“Because of last night?” Dominic held back a sigh as he thought about all the articles that must already be online. Why couldn’t people think of better things to do than read about celebrities?

“Sort of,” Austin said slowly. “Gail just got out on bail.”

Dominic turned to grab the phone. Austin’s brother Levi had sent him a link to an article with the headline: AUSTIN WAYNE’S STALKER GETS OUT ON BAIL—AGAIN!

He skimmed the article, which didn’t have much information except a photo from this morning, if her bloodied clothes were anything to go by. She was accompanied by her wealthy aunt, who had once again bailed her out and was trying to shield her from the cameras, like always.

“She doesn’t waste any time,” Austin muttered. “Surprised she let her beloved niece rot in jail overnight.”

“She can’t get away with nothing,” Dominic said. “She attacked someone with a deadly weapon. That’s aggravated assault, at least. Combined with the rest of her criminal history, she has to go to jail this time.”

“I don’t know,” Austin said. “Her lawyer is good.”

“It doesn’t matter how good he is. Any judge should be able to see—” Dominic cut himself off with a sigh. He couldn’t do anything about this right now. Not unless Gail tried something with Austin again.

“I’ll update the rest of the security team,” Dominic said.

Austin nodded. He was staring at the table, rubbing his hands together in a way that looked cool and powerful unless you took his expression into account.

Dominic slid his hand around the back of Austin’s neck. Austin looked up, startled.

“We’ll handle it,” Dominic said.

Austin took a second too long to smile.

“And hopefully not get stabbed in the process,” Austin said, and nodded over Dominic’s shoulder. “Eggs are burning.”

“What? Shit!” Dominic whirled back to the stove to find the pan smoking lightly. He wrenched it off the element, shutting it off before he started poking at the eggs. They were dark on the bottom, but not inedible.

Dominic held up a strip of scrambled eggs to show Austin the darkened underside. “Can you handle that?”

Austin looked at it consideringly. Then he leaned forward, sucking it off Dominic’s finger.

“I can handle anything you give me,” he said.

They were almost finished washing the dishes when Dominic’s phone vibrated in his pocket.

Dominic dried his hands and reached into his pocket, thinking of his coworkers or his police contacts. But when he checked the caller ID, it was just Ben.

“One second,” Dominic told Austin, and answered the call. “Ben, hey.”

“I’m at your house,” Ben said. “Knocking away.”

“Right, I know.” Dominic rubbed his bandaged chest. “I forgot to tell you. I can’t work out this morning. I’m busy.”