Seducing the Bodyguard (11 page)

“You can focus from my bed,” he assured her. “In fact, it will be better because if my body needs guarding you’ll be right on top of it…or maybe I’d want you under it.” God knows it would be the only time he’d be the victor in any tussle they had. The look on her face was neutral, betrayed only by the slight increase in her breathing. He had learned over their time together to watch her breathing when he said arousing things because that was the only place he would ever notice a change.

“Let’s go.”

“To bed?”

“To work,” the tightness in her voice told him he just might be breaking down this tough as steel bodyguard. Either he was breaking her down or he was pushing all the wrong buttons. Button pushing was only good if it got him what he wanted, which didn’t involve getting a beat down from a pint sized woman.

“Do you ever take a day off?”

“When I’m finished with a job.”

“So in a few months I can take you some place nice,” he resisted the urge to grin knowing it would probably be as devious as his thoughts.

The finality of her words had him thinking about more than just the missed opportunity of potentially great sex. She was talking about walking out of his life forever and he wasn’t sure he liked the thought of that at all. Although why should he care? He was Harrison Sinclair and there were plenty of women out there just waiting to step up and be the warm body in his bed. But he didn’t want just a warm body. He wanted her body. He wanted this woman who was smart, beautiful and lethal all at the same time. The more he tried to convince himself he could work her out of his system, the more he realized he was wrong.

She laughed. “We can’t exactly leave this second. Not only is there a process to getting on a plane, but you also have some obligations with your show this week.”

She narrowed her eyes. He was starting to wonder if he had pushed the wrong button this time. Of course he was just as stubborn as she was. “Prove it.” He said again as he walked closer to her until he was a breath away from her. He looked down into her eyes as she looked up into his.

“Fine. You can stay at my place; it’s big enough. Just don’t think I’m introducing you to my family.”

“You’ve already met mine—at least one part of it anyway. Why not let me meet one part of yours? How about Lucky Leo,” he wiggled his eyebrows.

“Right. That’s why you’re working so hard to get me on my back and in your bed. It’s strictly sexual, Harrison. That’s the kind of man you are. No strings, no frill, a little fun until you’re done kind of guy.”

Her words were like a punch to his gut. He wasn’t that kind of man. At least he had never seen himself that way. He had always just thought of his method as more of a “fun until the right one,” kind of thing. Knowing she saw him as a world class jerk hit him hard. He was going to prove himself to her. He was going to prove that he is now, and always would be, a good man. “What if I want more?”

“Make the arrangements, Harrison. If you’re serious about wanting to see Hawaii. If not, then we should get going because you have a full schedule today. In case you forgot you’re meeting with Latricia again at one o’clock, and Dianna Carol from the Scottsdale Newsvine at three.”

She wasn’t taking him seriously. Fine, he thought as he flipped open his phone and punched in a number. When Rick Sanders, his on scene public relations guru, answered he had one request. “Meet with that reporter for me. Answer her questions, but keep your public relations skills sharp. She’s a pistol—or so I hear. Don’t let her pick you for any information we don’t want out there. Oh, and can you cancel Latricia at one for me. I’m going away for the week.” He didn’t need to tell him to gloss over the death in his hotel room because those who worked for him knew only what the police had released to the press. The only answer he could give if Dianna brought it up was that it was a freak accident. Nobody else knew it was a deliberate attack.

“Is something wrong? Should I start thinking of how to spin things?”

“No; it’s not anything that I can’t fix myself.” He definitely thought the perception Valencia had of him was wrong and he thoroughly intended to fix it. No way was he going to continue to let her walk around thinking he was a dick of astronomical proportions. “Pack your bags sweetheart because I’m booking us first class passage to…wait, which island again?”

She shook her head. In some small way he realized she was reminding him, and herself, of just how little he knew about her; just how little he would probably ever know about her. He had news for her. He intended to learn every detail, big or small, he wanted to know it all. “We can fly into Oahu, but we’ll stay at my place on Kauai. Unless you want to stay nearer the city and then we can just stay at the house I have on Oahu.”

“Two homes…that’s a lot of space for such a…um…that’s just a lot of space.” He refrained from calling her a little woman once again.

“I work out of Oahu a lot. Leo’s there and it’s nice to be close to him. But my parents are on Kauai so it’s nice to have a place near them too.”

“Family’s important to you?”

“Yes; family is important to me.”

“Me too,” he said softly. His family was important to him too…some of them more than others, but he could explain that one to her later. Right now his first priority was getting passage booked to paradise.

Chapter Eight

“
H
e canceled on you?” Lorelei Carol shook her head.

“No, I was excited because you were excited. Yeah, I think he’s hot, but seriously he’s a dick. I can’t believe he ditched you for some woman.”

“Lor,” she shook her head. “It happens.”

“Oh, sorry Shaz, I’m still here I’m just complaining because that dick, Harrison Sinclair stood my sister up.” She gasped. “What do you mean Harrison who? Harrison Sinclair the opera guy.” She shook her head, covered the mouthpiece and mumbled to her big sister, “she doesn’t even know who he is. What a ditz.” She uncovered the mouthpiece and resumed her conversation with the woman she called her friend. “When Harrison makes his way back to Arizona I’m going to go over to that hotel and make him sorry for ditching my big sister.”

“Fine. Shaz says I’d probably just end up getting you fired and I don’t want to do that. I’ll think of something. There’s no way anybody stands my big sister up.”

“He sent a PR guy to talk with me. That’s not really being stood up.” Or maybe it was, either way she didn’t want her little sister and the clingy best friend to go starting anything with Harrison Sinclair. She would get another chance to interview the man before he left town. She didn’t know how, but she would find a way for some one on one time with the opera genius himself. She was sure of that.

“Walk through places looking for trouble,” he looked around the lavish home. He had expected a sea of Japanese and Polynesian décor, but he found none. What met his eyes was a clean, crisp décor that looked barely lived in. White walls with no pictures, just shelves of fine china adorning the wall. And then there was the baby grand in the middle of her sitting room.

She had given up too much for the life she lived and it didn’t seem fair. She had a perfectly beautiful instrument sitting in her home that she wanted to learn how to play but didn’t have time for. She needed some time for fun, for love, for herself. He wanted to be the man to show her how to find time for all three.

“I’ll show you to your room for the next few days.” As much as he wanted to see her room, to share her room with her he wouldn’t suggest it. He was a new Harrison Sinclair. He was turning over the proverbial new leaf so that he could gain her trust, her heart, and then her body. He wanted all of her. He had told her if he had her love he wouldn’t betray it and that’s what he meant. He just needed to convince her of his intentions.

“So when do I get to meet your brother?”

“Harrison that is really not a good idea,” she looked out the window, her words getting lost in mid air. He looked out to see what had captivated her attention. She groaned. “What is he doing here?”

“Who?”

“I should have gone to Oahu,” she mumbled as she quickly left his room and jogged down the stairs. He followed behind her, curious to who this intruder was. Was it an old boyfriend?

She swung open the door. “Leo,” she said with measured enthusiasm. “What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be on Oahu.”

“Hey little sis,” he walked up the path, one long stride after another. “I heard some man got off the plane with you and I came to get first meeting before the parents show up on your doorstep.”

“He’s a client,” Harrison heard her say. He didn’t like her relegating him to client status. Sure, he was technically the guy she was protecting, but that kiss had taken them beyond professional relations. He stepped into the doorway behind her in a purely male dominant move to stake his claim, to show this man, her brother, that he was more than just a client.

“She’s my little sister of course I already know that. And as the big brother I feel obligated to let you know if you hurt her I’ll kill you.”

“I thought that was her job,” Harrison said lightly.

“You told him?”

“It came up,” Valencia stepped aside. “Come on in, Leo.” She closed the door behind him, obviously realizing there was no getting around her brother’s visit. “Harrison Sinclair, this, as you already know, is my brother Percileo. Leo, this is Harrison Sinclair.”

Leo laughed. “Valencia,” he smiled. “I have never brought a woman home. I’ve dated a few, but never have I given you all the impression that any of them were worth bringing home to the family. If I had you would have seriously made promises of death.”