Kay Thomas - Bulletproof Bodyguard

She looked awfully angelic to smell so erotic. Not at all what he’d expected from watching her rock the boy.

Harris was almost asleep. Feeling like an awkward teenager who has suddenly found an empty seat next to the head cheerleader, Marcus sat on the loveseat.

“I am so sor….”

He interrupted. “Please don’t apologize again. It’s all right.”

“He’s been having these nightmares for over a month. I can’t figure out where they came from. Goldilocks is the closest we’ve come to a scary bear story.”

“It’s amazing how their minds work.”

“Do you have children?”

“Nope, never been married.”

“Oh, they’re quite an adventure. As you can tell from the evening you’ve had.” He could tell she was smiling in the darkness.

“It must be a challenge, raising one by yourself?”

She didn’t answer right away.

“Yes…It’s been difficult…and wonderful at the same time.”

“How old was Harris when his father died?”

As soon as the words were out, Marcus wished them back. This wasn’t what he wanted to be talking about. It was only going to make things more difficult.

“He hadn’t been born. We didn’t even know I was pregnant.”

Marcus listened intently, still marveling at the direction of their conversation. She stopped speaking for a moment, caught up in the memories, he supposed.

“I think the hardest part has been realizing all the things that his father will never see. Harris’s first steps, his first haircut, his first little-league game, high school…”

The sadness in her voice didn’t reflect self-pity. Unexpectedly, Marcus felt a longing well up inside for something besides the sexual attraction that was coming to life here. He couldn’t name it—contentment, maybe. Whatever it was, the absence was worrisome.

“We’d been trying for a year to have a baby. I think that’s why it bothers me so much…that he never knew.”

Her voice wavered and she inhaled sharply. “Jamie and I had a lot of dreams. The most important one came true when Harris was born. It amazes me sometimes that after all that’s happened—life can still be good.”

Marcus listened to the creaking of the chair as she rocked on in silence. He heard Harris’s breathing change as the child drifted off to sleep and found himself identifying with Jamie Burnett. A man who had missed out on his dreams.

Sometimes—when he allowed himself to think about it—Marcus felt that he was missing out on life because he was dead inside.

Could I change? Sitting with this woman in the moonlight, he wanted to believe that it wasn’t too late for him.

Cally interrupted his thoughts, “Mr. North, I can’t believe I just told you all that. It’s got to be more than you ever wanted to know. You are very easy to talk to.”

He smiled grimly. Listening. It’s what he was good at.

“So…what about you? Have you always been a bodyguard?

He hesitated. Now the deception would have to start. “No, not always.” He knew he was being evasive, but found himself not wanting to lie to her.

“I’ve done a little of everything. But I like security work the best.”

She nodded and didn’t push. “So do you like working at the casino?”

“Oh, I’m enjoying it. The people are interesting. It’s good pay. I like the hours.”

“What time will you be going to work in the mornings?”

“It’ll vary. All depends on what time my big clients, the whales, are coming in. This week I’m working the night shift, so I don’t have to go in until the afternoons. I’ll be monitoring security when I don’t have a specific client to do one-on-one work for.”

“Tomorrow we’re serving breakfast in the dining room at nine. If you’d prefer to eat in your room, I can have Luella bring you a tray.”

“No, I’ll come down for breakfast. That casserole I saw in the fridge looked good.”

She smiled. “Specialty of the house.”

Marcus sat a moment longer even though he knew it was time to leave. He wanted something that he had no right to ask for. Maybe if they’d met in a different place, under different…normal circumstances.

His timing was disastrous as always. Hell, she’d put him out on his ass and call the police if she knew why he was really here.

“Well, I’d better get this guy to bed. Thanks again for your help. Aren’t you glad you got the room with so much privacy?” she teased.

“Nothing like it,” he laughed. “Goodnight, Mrs. Burnett.”

“Please, after all this, call me Cally.”

“All right, Cally. I’m Marcus.” He reached out and shook her hand again.

He wasn’t expecting it, but when he touched her, a jolt of awareness shimmied up his fingertips and settled in the vicinity of his chest. He barely stopped himself from stepping back. He was surprised at the struggle he had making eye contact.

When he finally forced himself to look at her—wanting to see if she was affected in any way—she was glancing down at her son. He took a deep sip of air. The slice of normalcy was over. It was past time for him to leave.

Harris opened sleepy eyes. “Momma, rock more.”

“Okay, baby, but in your room.” She stood in the doorway with the child cradled in her arms. Once more, Marcus felt that unnamed longing well up inside his chest.

“See you in the morning, Marcus. Thanks again.”

“Goodnight, Cally.”

He cruised up the attic stairs to his room to hear the rocking chair creaking over the forgotten baby monitor. He stared at it a moment debating over whether to tote it back downstairs. Cally was singing to Harris.

“Hush, little baby, don’t say a word. Momma’s gonna buy you a mockingbird.” He remembered how she looked with Harris draped across her shoulder, moonlight shining on her hair and the boy’s face.

Nope, he needed to stay far away from Cally Burnett tonight, or he might do something he’d regret. He was doing this job by the book, no matter what.

I’m saving my career. What else is there? Too keyed up to sleep but knowing he had to at least try, he slid into bed and turned off the light.

He was reaching to turn off the monitor when her voice stopped him. “If that mockingbird don’t sing, Momma’s gonna buy you a diamond ring.”

It was more than the wanting her physically; at least he was pretty sure it was. Hell, he was too tired to puzzle out the mess at this point.

Her voice rolled over him like an ocean wave and he exhaled as the muscles in his jaw began to unclench. He left the monitor on and stacked his hands behind his head. He’d turn it off when she finished the song. He closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep with Cally’s lullaby in his head.

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