Page 3 of Protecting His Girl

Rich heaves an audible sigh, rubbing a hand over his face.

Even though I hate seeing my girl look upset, I have to side with Rich on this one.

Cooper Hills isn't exactly a hotbed of crime, but Rich has made plenty of enemies over the years. And with the Fit Mountain Resort bringing more people into town than ever, it's no wonder he's being extra cautious.

“Dad, can wepleasetalk about this?" Grace starts to protest, her face flushing a deep red.

But Rich cuts her off, holding up a hand to stop her mid-sentence.

"No, we cannot," he says, his voice stern. "Duke is your bodyguard for the weekend. End of discussion."

Then he turns to me. “Take Grace to her hotel, and don’t let her out of your sight this weekend. I’m counting on you to keep her safe.”

Chapter Two

GRACE

My new bodyguardis the hottest piece of eye candy I've ever seen.

Duke is a rugged mountain man. He towers over me at six foot five with bulging muscles and piercing blue eyes that make my knees weak. Tattoos snake around his muscular arms, each one with a story to tell.

But I’ll probably never hear them since he's completely off-limits.

"Ready to go, sweetheart?"Duke's voice cuts through my thoughts.

“Yeah, sure,” I stammer, trying to sound nonchalant. "Just need to grab my bags and Mimi."

“I’ll get the bags.” Duke's muscles flex under his shirt as he effortlessly lifts my heavy luggage from either side of me. "You get Mimi.”

I catch a whiff of his woodsy cologne and swallow hard. "Okay, sounds good."

Mimi, of course, has managed to trot off near a chair in the corner of the room. I walk over to her and bend down, scooping her up into my arms.

As I do, I feel my skirt start to ride up my thighs. The timing couldn't be worse, too, since another security guard has just walked back into the room.

For a second, a flush of embarrassment creeps up my cheeks. But then Duke comes up behind me, shielding me from view. Out of the corner of my eye, I see him glaring at the guard sitting at the desk.

Even though It's silly, something in me lights up at how protective he's being. Before my dad came out of his office, Duke seemed genuinely interested in me. And if I didn't know any better, I would almost think he was about to ask me out on a date.

But I know better than to get my hopes up.

Living as the daughter of a mob boss is a unique kind of isolation. Men don't really approach me. Instead, they keep their distance like cautious animals, unsure if the risk is worth the reward.

The few brave souls who do attempt a conversation quickly retreat when they discover who my dad is. It's as if the mere mention of my father's name transforms me from an attractive woman into a ticking time bomb.

We head outside through the double doors and out to the parking lot. A few seconds later, I find myself before Duke's truck. It's a vision, a glossy black giant with chrome.

Duke swings open the passenger door and says, "Hop in."

His words catch me off guard.

It's been ages since I've had the privilege of sitting up front. Everyone else always relegates me to the backseat.

As I climb in, a spark of excitement flutters within me. It feels almost like a date.

Once I'm settled, Duke slides into the driver's seat. Up close, he's even more handsome than I realized. I'm briefly aware of hisbroad shoulders and muscular arms. I resist the urge to reach out and touch his defined biceps.

"Do you need directions to the hotel?”

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