Page 27 of The Forbidden Bodyguard

Correction: he is marrying her.

He won’t touch you.

I shouldn’t have said that to her. It’s a promise I can’t keep—one I shouldn’t keep—because in doing so I could stir up a hornet’s nest that could hurt her far more in the long run.

Stella Voss has chosen this path. My job is to ensure she is kept safe.

The question is, does her future husband plan to hurt her? And why does she think he would?

When I hear a noise, I turn.

“I need to head over to the Chelsea district,” Stella says, leaning her slim figure against the door frame. She’s biting her lip, looking unsure of herself.

“Okay,” I push away from the railing and stride calmly over to her.

She reacts. Her body stiffens with nerves as her nipples harden. It’s impossible to miss, given she’s not wearing a bra.

Her body is simply begging me to touch her and ignoring that is fucking hard. Pun intended.

Lips parting as I step up closer than necessary, I force her face to tip up. I like her like this. A little vulnerable, feeling small against my large size.

Feminine.

Soaking.

“Any particular spot?”

“What?”

“In Chelsea?”

“Oh,” she swallows and shakes her head. “No. I have writer's block, so need to walk around. To... write.”

I bet I know something else that could help her, but she’s paying my salary and marrying someone else, so I place my hand on the frame above her head and simply nod.

That’s when I realize my arrogance has backfired. Looking down into her blue globes makes me want to lean in and kiss her so goddamn badly I nearly do it. I’m talking, full willpower mode activated.

Jesus.

“Are you going to kiss me?” she asks, and I wonder if I’ve moved.

I might have.

An inch. Possibly two.

Shit.

“No.”

“You look like you want to.” Stella’s lids flicker, and I squeeze the metal frame of the door, painfully.

“Nope, just standing here.”

Fuck I’m a liar.

“You probably think I’m stupid.” She sighs.

“I don’t think that.”