One Night with her Bodyguard by Noelle Adams

Author:Noelle Adams [Adams, Noelle]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2012-12-30T13:00:00+00:00

Five

Claire had gotten through her first wave of emotion and was lying on the bed, trying to convince herself to pull it together—that this wasn’t really so bad—when she heard a knock on her bedroom door.

Her room was supposed to be safe. Her room was supposed to keep out the world. She couldn’t bring herself to respond immediately.

“Claire.” Michael’s voice, just on the other side of the door. “Claire, can I come in?”

His voice sounded strange—tired, stretched, not controlled. It upset her unduly, and she had to fight off another surge of emotion.

“Claire, are you all right?”

She could tell, from the anxious resonance of his tone, that he would barge in if she didn’t say anything. “I’m fine.”

She thought she’d sounded okay, that she hadn’t given away her state of mind, but evidently she was wrong.

“Please don’t cry. I’m really sorry. Can I come in?”

She couldn’t speak immediately. Then she sat up straight in bed when she saw the door open.

Her face worked desperately as she tried to hide her emotions from Michael, who stood in the doorway of the room. “I said I’m okay,” she forced out.

He walked over to the bed, his expression torn with some sort of strong feeling. No trace of anything stoic or impassive now. “Shit, Claire. I’m so sorry. I totally blew this whole thing. I never meant to hurt you.”

“It’s okay.” She managed to compose her face and voice. “It’s not your fault. I’m really fine. I can handle it if someone doesn’t want me.”

It hurt though. Even just saying the words. It hurt so much her chest ached with it.

She’d thought for a short time that Michael might want her—know her—for who she really was.

His face twisted inexplicably. “You think I don’t want you?” He reached out and took her face in both of his hands. “Claire, you have no idea how much—”

His words were interrupted by the sound of a high-pitched blaring that filled the whole cabin.

Without hesitation, Michael regained his feet and ran out to the living area. Claire stumbled after him. He’d already picked up his tablet and his gun when she reached him.

“Someone’s on the north side of the property,” he muttered, checking the screen of the tablet. He’d shifted in just an instant into crisis mode, completely alert and primed for action, his earlier emotional distraction forgotten.

Claire couldn’t shift quite so quickly. Confused and disoriented, she hugged her arms to her chest.

Pete ran in through the front door of the cabin, his gun in his hand.

“Get back in your room,” Michael ordered her curtly. “Call your dad and don’t hang up with him until I get back.” He turned to Pete. “Stay with her. No one gets in.”

When she didn’t move fast enough, Michael pushed her back into the bedroom. Pete took his position in the doorway, and then Michael disappeared out the front door.

Claire was shaking all over as she reached for her phone and dialed her dad. It was late, but he must not have been asleep because he answered on the second ring.

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