Beloved Bodyguard (7 page)

“Lick me. Please!” She gripped the post hard
and pressed her back against it, thrusting her hips eagerly toward
him while still keeping her feet planted on the wooden floor.

A smile glimmered over his mouth, and he
leaned toward her again. He framed her between his hands and licked
up her seam and over her clit. He tickled it with the tip of his
tongue, then licked it with broad strokes until her thighs trembled
and she could barely keep upright. Gripping her thighs, he burrowed
his face deeper between them, probing his tongue into her opening
as far as he could reach.

For a moment, he pulled away, licking his
lips, his eyes still trained on her sex with an almost feral
intensity. A ravening beast which might devour her.

Leelah remembered to take a glance at the
path which led past their Baalong tree. No one was coming, but she
thought she heard distant footsteps.

“Hurry. Finish me off. Now!” she
whispered.

The fear of discovery heightened all her
senses and had her adrenalin pumping. It took only a few more
strokes of Ja-hun’s tongue to push her over the edge.

Bucking, she stifled the cry that rose to her
lips. Before the shudders of orgasm were over, she let go of the
post and pushed his head away from her crotch. She dropped to a
crouch beside him as the crunch of footsteps on gravel grew louder
and a flash of color showed between the green leaves of the
Baalong. She grabbed her panties from the floor and threw them
underneath a shrub beside the gazebo then smoothed her skirt into
place.

“Wipe your mouth,” she whispered to Ja-hun,
indicating his shining lips and chin.

“There it is,” she said loudly for the
benefit of the person on the path.

She rose as her father approached the gazebo.
“Hey, Daddy. Found my earring that’s been missing.” She showed him
her dangling hoop.

Ja-hun rose to his feet, his tie still askew,
but his pants fastened. “Good afternoon, sir. Beautiful
gardens.”

“Yes. I love to walk here whenever I’m able.”
He mounted the steps to join them. “Being in nature calms me.
Reminds me of how many of mankind’s problems are self-created. It’s
too bad everyone can’t see that so they’d quit inflicting harm on
others.”

“Well put, Dad. I knew there was a reason you
were leader of the Free Worlds.” Leelah wrapped an arm around him
and hugged him, hoping he couldn’t smell sex on her.

“Well, until we all agree to leave each other
alone, somebody has to manage things. Ja-hun, I’d like to go over
security for tonight’s event. Leelah, I’ll talk to you later about
some of the people I need you to dazzle tonight. You’re the best at
it.”

“I know.” She accepted her dismissal with
equanimity, although she’d like to have Ja-hun to herself a little
longer. “Okay, I’ll go make sure I’m ready for tonight.”

As she walked the path to the house, she had
no doubt Ja-hun would snap right back into his turtle shell after
this, repeating his mantra of “We shouldn’t. We mustn’t. It’s
wrong.”

But she knew he wouldn’t be able to refuse
her seduction for very long, especially not when he saw her in the
dress she’d picked out for tonight’s gala.

Ja-hun was busy the rest of the day, checking
out the tight security measures at the venue and making mental
notes about the layout, the exits, and possible places a sniper
might be concealed to hit a target like Leelah before she entered
the building.

He returned to the Blaine estate at dusk with
just enough time to shower and dress before the event. During all
this time, he’d almost managed not to dwell on his encounter with
Leelah in the garden. That is if “almost” meant thinking about her
every other minute instead of every single one.

But when he beheld her in the splendor of her
ball gown, his heart nearly stopped. She was a goddess. The
shimmering gold gown brought out the highlights in her high-piled
hair. Her flesh even seemed to shine, although he didn’t know if
that was an effect of the dress or of sprayed on body shimmer.

When she saw Ja-hun, her eyes, rimmed in dark
liner, glowed like miniature suns. Her happy pleasure at seeing him
made his insides melt like ice superheated by her light. He’d never
seen that look in a woman’s eyes directed at him. It thrilled and
terrified him. This growing attraction between them couldn’t
possibly end well. Someone would be hurt. Probably him.

He crossed the room and took her arm.
“Ready?”

“Always ready for you,” she murmured with a
saucy tilt of her.

Ja-hun proceeded to escort her outside. He
felt like a prince with this beautiful almost-princess on his arm.
Hard to believe he was in this world, this place. That he’d risen
so high above the polluted slum from which he’d sprung.

Once both Blaines were inside their vehicle,
escort cars closed in around a sham limo to mislead any who might
try to attack the president en route to the ball. Ja-hun rode with
the Blaines in their car, which exited the grounds after the
caravan was gone.

The point he was most worried about was the
damn red carpet stroll from the car to the entrance of the Gravatz
where the ball was taking place. If Ja-hun had his way, he’d have
hustled his clients in through a back door, but as President of the
Free Worlds, it was important for Rogent to make a confident
appearance.

As he escorted Leelah to the building,
Ja-hun’s gaze flicked back and forth across the assembled paparazzi
and gawkers who lined the red carpet. Rogent own security detail
stayed with him, also sharp-eyed and on edge.

They made it safely inside, and Ja-hun
breathed easier. The guest list for this event contained
dignitaries and diplomats from all eight of the Federated Worlds.
They were carefully screened and entered the Gravatz weaponless.
The rest of the evening should be free of any possible danger for
Leelah or her father.

Now that he could relax, Ja-hun took a moment
to study the woman by his side, her hand curved around the sleeve
of his black tuxedo. She smiled at him, stealing his breath. Sun
princess. A creature of light and joy. He could almost imagine what
it would be like to belong with her. But of course that would never
happen. His assignment would end and he would never see Leelah
again. Her future and his were light years apart.

Her father whisked her away to introduce her
to various notables he needed to impress. There was always a bill
to pass, a vote to sway, or a policy to promote. Ja-hun’s arm was
cold where her warm hand had been.

He retreated into a corner of the ballroom,
but kept his gaze fixed on Leelah as she moved through the crowd,
smiling, nodding, shaking one hand after another. There wasn’t a
trace of the rebellious woman he’d come to know. She was gracious
and elegant, every inch a diplomat adept at working a crowd.

Ja-hun scanned the room now and then.
Everything seemed completely normal, everyone having a good time.
Brilliant ball gowns glowed against black tuxes reminding him of
Leelah’s discourse about colors. Each hue possessed a quality of
its own and the ability to affect a person’s mood, according to
her. Maybe she was right. The riot of bold colors in Leelah’s room
reflected her vivacious personality and had an energizing effect on
him. The woman had infused his life with color in a very short
time. But it would leach back to gray when he had to leave her, and
he didn’t think he could be satisfied with gray any longer.

The meet and greet portion of the evening
wound to a close. Leelah stood chatting with her friends Trianne
and Burdah, and that Anuvian man from the party who she’d danced
with. A slow burn filled Ja-hun as he watched her laugh at
something the Anuvian said. They made a beautiful pair: both young,
golden, and privileged.

He felt ancient. He wasn’t sure exactly how
much older than Leelah he was, since he didn’t know his age when he
left OldEarth. But he was eons ahead of her in life experience. She
was a fresh, bright butterfly and he, a crusty old barnacle.

Danje led her onto the dance floor where they
moved with sensual grace to a tribal rhythm. Ja-hun snorted. With a
partner like the Anuvian attending her Ja-hun was but a dim memory.
But that was as it should be. Better to have his romantic delusions
shattered
before
he let his foolish emotions grow any
deeper.

Still it was torture watching them dance
together, so Ja-hun grabbed a glass of wine from a passing waiter
and carried it with him toward the doors leading to the patio.
Outside, he stared at the sky and inhaled fresh air, but listened
to the sounds in the ballroom, alert to anything out of the
ordinary. An attack by armed insurgents wasn’t out of the realm of
possibility. He must remain ever vigilant. That’s what he was here
for.

Ja-hun was so observant he nearly jumped out
of his skin when a hand fell on his arm. He spun around to face
Leelah.

She laughed. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare
you. Didn’t you hear me coming? What kind of bodyguard are
you?”

“A useless one, apparently.”

“That’s okay. I don’t think I need one
tonight, but I
do
need a new dance partner. Will you?”

“I think we’ve established I don’t
dance.”

“Sure you do. Just hold onto me and move a
little. You did beautifully in the diner.” She grabbed his hand and
pulled him to the dance floor.

She placed one of his hands on her waist and
held the other. Her free hand rested on his shoulder, and her face
tilted toward his. “Now sway back and forth.”

He did, shifting his weight from foot to
foot. The dancing wasn’t so hard, but his cock was. The scent of
her perfume and the warmth of her body had his erection
swelling.

“I knew you could dance.” She smiled at him
and he could hardly hear the music over the rush of blood in his
ears.

“Not like your friend.” He nodded at the
Anuvian gyrating with a black-haired, olive-skinned Sythe.

“Who? Danje? He’s not my friend. We only just
met at Burdah’s party.” She turned her attention back to Ja-hun,
and her eyes widened. “You’re jealous! That’s adorable.”

“I’m not jealous,” he growled. “That would
mean I had some claim over you, which I don’t. We only just met,
too.”

“Doesn’t feel like it.” Her smile remained.
“I feel like I’ve known you for years.”

“But you don’t really know me at all. Any
more than I know you.”

“You like gray. That’s a start. What else do
we need in order to have a relationship?”

“Perhaps something in common. We share no
interests. You like loud music and dancing. I prefer silence and
reading. I’m a vegetarian. You’re not. You want to charge out into
the world and do things. I’m tired of the world and just want to be
left alone. Besides, I’m leaving. You’re staying.”

Her body swayed close to his, and his
erection brushed against her, sending another wave of lust flooding
through him. He gritted his teeth.

“You forgot another important difference. I’m
a ‘glass half full’ kind of girl. You’re definitely a ‘glass half
empty.’” She sighed and rubbed against him more blatantly. “With so
much keeping us apart, it’s amazing how well we fit together. If
you want to do something about the situation in your trousers,
there are a lot of private spaces we can slip off to.”

He swallowed hard. “No, Leelah. That’s not a
good idea.”

“Of course not, but that’s what makes it fun.
And how better to make sure I’m completely safe than staying close
to me. Really close.”

She mesmerized him with her eyes and he felt
his will begin to evaporate.

“You must think I’m some sort of sex addict,
but I’m not always like this,” she continued. “It’s you.
You
make me feel this way. I want to seize every bit of time together
possible.”

She stopped dancing and took hold of his
hand. “Come with me. Please?”

That soft little plea did him in. Once more,
he allowed himself to be dragged wherever she willed. This time it
was to a storage room down a hallway.

She pulled him inside and shut the door
behind them. The place was filled with bits of furniture, outdated
electronic equipment, a broken chandelier that matched those in the
ballroom, and sealed boxes probably containing more discarded junk.
There was barely room to stand in the packed room. Turned out that
was all the space they needed.

Ja-hun did what he’d longed to all evening:
pulled the gold-draped vision into his arms and kissed her hard
enough to leave her gasping. She tasted of
pinia
wine, sweet
yet with a bite. He gripped the shimmering fabric of her dress
where it draped over her buttocks, gathering it up higher and
higher. A lot of material stood as a barrier between them.

As if realizing the same thing, Leelah broke
off their kiss, her lips wet and shining. She turned to brace her
hands against the closed door and gave him a seductive glance over
her shoulder. She wiggled her bottom.

Ja-hun didn’t need to be invited twice. He
gathered up the rich material in both hands, until her backside was
framed in flowing gold folds. Her long legs stretched all the way
up to a bare ass. Naked! Not even a scrap of thong in the shadowed
cleft between her smooth, round cheeks. She’d been naked all
evening, probably anticipating a private moment with him.

His pulse thundered and he groaned as he
worked the buttons on his fly free. Her ass was too enticing in its
paleness. He couldn’t resist and swatted her bottom, leaving a pink
print behind.

Leelah gasped and braced her hands more
firmly on the door. “Ooh, spank me again. I’m such a bad girl.”

Instead, he slipped a finger into that sexy
groove in her ass all the way down between her legs where it got so
wet it was like a steaming jungle.