A.C. Arthur - Guarding His Body

When his tongue continued to flick over her lips and dip into her mouth, she moaned then flattened her palms on his hard chest and pushed against him. “Stop!”

The one word was like a splash of cold water stunning him back into reality. He lifted his face from her, looked down at her now swollen lips, her passion-filled eyes, and realized what he’d done. He’d crossed the line.

He eased away from her while keeping his hands on her waist until she lowered her legs to the floor. When he knew she could stand on her own, he backed away, putting several feet between them. “Sabrina—”

She shook her head quickly. “Our emotions were running high. This entire situation has changed in a matter of hours and we have to deal with that. That’s all we have to deal with. Is that clear?”

“No, it’s not clear. There’s something else between us that will have to be dealt with sooner or later. You know that as well as I do.”

was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, where she currently resides with her husband and three children. An active imagination and a love for reading encouraged her to begin writing in high school, and she hasn’t stopped since. Determined to bring a new edge to romance, she continues to develop intriguing plots, racy characters and fresh dialogue—thus keeping readers on their toes! Visit her Web site at www.acarthur.net.

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To Andre, Asia & Amaya

A mother could not ask for a better crew

Dear Reader,

Whew! ROMANCE ON THE RUN—just the title sounds exciting. And I am more than pleased to be a part of this themed series.

Guarding His Body introduces two new families, the Desdunes and the Bennetts. They are influential families in the quiet town of Greenwich, Connecticut. Renny Bennett is an alleged playboy who left his family business to become an erotic-art sculptor. He’s a quiet alpha male who you’ll instantly fall in love with. Sabrina Desdune is not your ordinary heroine—she’s feisty, headstrong and a bodyguard. Bree uses her military training to protect Renny and his family from an anonymous threat, while Renny uses his charm to break down all Bree’s defenses. I loved these two characters and the way their differences came together to forge a strong bond.

Bree and Renny have a lot of obstacles, but their desire for each other and loyalty to their families outweigh them all. This was a fun story to write, with a touch of suspense thrown in for good measure. Be on the lookout for an appearance by one of those sexy Donovan men in this story as well!

Please do not hesitate to share your comments about Renny and Bree via e-mail at acarthur22@yahoo.com.

A. C. Arthur

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Epilogue

Renny had a death grip on his temper. Of all the Bennett children he had the shortest fuse. In the past few months he’d been trying really hard to prove his brothers and father wrong, that he could make intelligent decisions without first over-reacting. But glancing again at this tiny woman—she couldn’t be any more than five feet three inches and one-twenty soaking wet—with serious dark eyes and hair pulled back into a simple ponytail, he felt his resolve slipping.

How in the hell did they expect him to take the news that she was his new bodyguard seriously?

She didn’t look capable of buying herself a drink without identification, let alone protecting him from some psychopath killer!

Through clenched teeth he managed a smile and extended his hand to clasp the one she’d held out to him. “I’m Renny Bennett. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Desdune,” he murmured, because his mother had been a stickler for manners.

Bree hadn’t missed it—even though he’d tried valiantly to hide his irritation, she’d seen the spark in his brown eyes and almost winced with its fierceness. He wasn’t dressed in designer suits like the three other Bennett men in the room. No, this one was so sure of his good looks, he’d opted for crisp new blue jeans and a navy button-down shirt. His boots looked sturdy, Timberland, she thought with a shrug, the same ones Lynn had just purchased for her nephew, Jeremy.

She was an excellent judge of character. Her mother said this was her sixth sense inherited from her Creole grandmother, Ruby, on Daddy’s side. Bree didn’t care who it came from, it was a great tool and she had used it all her life. Now she used it to tell the true feelings of Mr. Bennett. He was thinking that this little woman couldn’t possibly be a threat to anyone, so how was she supposed to protect him? She had to admit, the Bennett men did soar over her at more than six feet, but then she’d always been the shortest one in the bunch. It never stopped her from taking either one of her brothers down, nor had it stopped her from graduating tops in her basic training class when she’d enlisted in the marines.

So regardless of how Renny Bennett glowered down at her through his fake smile and brilliant white teeth, she had his number, loud and clear. “You can call me Sabrina.” She tossed him a big ole fake smile of her own and clasped his hand.

Both their eyes shot open at the contact, twin bolts of heat traveling quickly through their limbs.

Sabrina pulled away first.

Renny continued to stare, dumbfounded and looking silly, his empty hand still outstretched.

“Ah, Renny, I assure you that Sabrina is very capable. As you are the only one of the Bennett men not directly involved in the business, it’s most likely you’re not the target. Still, I’d like to keep a close watch on you just in case,” Sam said, moving closer to Bree.

“I’m sure that Ms. Desdune is good at what she does.” He doubted that very seriously; she was a woman, for goodness’ sake. Why on earth her brother was letting her run around playing cops and robbers was beyond him, but that was not his concern. “I simply don’t think I need any protection.”

“That’s what they all say.” Bree couldn’t help it; the words were out before she’d had a chance to consider the company they were in. A quick glance to her right and she saw Sam’s frown. She’d promised him she’d be on her best behavior, that she’d complete this assignment without any mishaps. The Bennetts were very wealthy and very influential in the Greenwich community. Their charity work and financial contributions around the state were well-known and much appreciated. Besides that, Sam needed this job. His security company had only been open for two years and he was making a steady amount of money, but he was getting married in six months to Leeza Purdy—Connecticut’s very own Paris Hilton. But that was another story for another day.

Behind her she heard a snicker. Renny Bennett glowered over her shoulder, then lowered his eyes to her again.