My eyes were locked onto his; he smelled of the fresh morning and ocean breeze.
I was still in his arms, and my lips were so close to his that I could breathe the same air.
I tried so hard to control myself and resist his charm.
“Put me down, Eduardo,” I said.
Thankfully, I was able to keep my voice steady, but he already knew the truth.
“I will, once we get inside, Ma‘am. I want you to land somewhere soft and cozy, as you deserve.”
God, he should’ve stopped being so freaking cute.
The urge to bite him was like an itch I couldn‘t scratch.
“I didn’t come to find you to play foolish games, Eduardo. We need to talk, and it is about your job.”
“I am off duty, Ma‘am,” he said, adding, “Plus, I have a guest now. A guest of honor; I have to cherish Her Excellency.”
I hit one of his shoulders.
“Eduardo, stop that!” I said with fake anger.
He was aware of my ways, so he didn’t mind me and minded his own business—which happened to be me.
“You are going to be paid handsomely for your extra shift; don‘t you worry. We have to talk business,” I insisted.
The thing between us had turned into a silly game.
We both were crazy for each other; all we wanted was to be injected under each other’s skin and flow in each other‘s veins like pure blood, losing ourselves until we shifted souls and hearts.
But we two silly cows kept orbiting until falling into that black hole that would be tunneling to only God knows where.
He put me on the couch nearest the entrance as we got inside.
“Please give me a moment to freshen up, Ma’am. Then, I will be at your service.” He was sweating, and his breath was unstable.
He actually didn‘t seem alright, and that made me worry a little.
I got up and held his hand to guide him to the couch.
“You take a breath first; that’s an order,” I said strictly.
“I am going to fetch you something fresh to drink.”
He leaned on my hand to stop me.
“No, please,” he said.
“Don‘t bother, I’m alright.”
He didn’t say anything; he just let go of my hand and put his sweaty palms on his knees.
I squeezed some lime juice and pressed some fresh peppermint to mix with his sparkling water.
I felt his presence right behind me as I faced the counter.
He rested his hands on the edge of the counter, next to mine.
“Are you going to this much trouble only for a bodyguard?” he asked.
“Am I really worth your effort?” Although he directed the question to me, he seemed like he was talking to himself.
“Although you recently freaked me out with your meddlesome actions, you are a good bodyguard after all—and a good employer takes care of their employees properly.”
“I have your favorite tea leaves,” he said.
“I purchased them for you yesterday, but I didn‘t have a chance to brew and serve them to you. Would you like to have some now?” He was still right behind me; we were too close, and he was offering to brew me tea from that position.
“No, I am fine,” I said, hesitating greatly to turn around.
“But thank you, I appreciate that,” I added in a tone I forced myself to keep cold.
“I know what you are here for,” he said.
“I am aware that I crossed the line. I should’ve reported to you about Carlos and let you know about my backup plan.”
That made me turn around in frustration.
My intention was to chide him, but my face was too close to his; we didn‘t even have half an inch between us.
I felt like a dog in training, being tested with its favorite treat.
He was no different than I was.
His eyes marched across my face, from my lips to my neck, and rested on my chest before running back to my lips.
He bit his lower lip—a lip I wanted to bite wildly more than anything in the world.
I saw his chest rise as he took a deep breath before taking a step back.
I cleared my throat and turned back to the counter, fetching myself some water to cool off.
After a few small sips, I was more in my senses.
“I won’t tell my father about this,” I said in a firm tone.
“Only because nobody under my care was harmed. But I cannot do anything about Carlos‘s part.”
“I shut him up for good; he won’t dare to say anything.
He won‘t even have the courage to think about it.
His attitude was undefinable to me.
It was like he had two sides: one was so sweet and caring, like the hippies in the 80s promoting peace; but there was another side—unapologetically wild, raw, unrefined, and impossible to tame.
That part of him was like a fate he was trying hard to escape.
“Okay,” I said, leaving the counter.
His drink was already finished, but I left it there instead of serving him.
“Good,” I said with a cold voice.
“Your drink is ready on the counter.”
“Let me give you something to wear before you go out. It is very chilly at this late hour; don’t catch a cold,” he said.
“No need,” I said.
“Oh, and…” I adopted my bossy attitude again.
“I don‘t care what kind of authority my father gave you, but I am going to talk to him so you won’t be setting up drones, helicopters, and all that *Mission: Impossible* kind of crap. I don‘t want this kind of stupid drama on my property.”
A vein on his forehead started pulsing as I spoke; he clenched both his jaw and his fists.
He took big steps toward me and grabbed me by my wrists.
I gasped in shock and frustration.
“Come to your senses! Know your place, Eduardo!” I said with a warning tone.
“Oh, I know my place very well, Ma’am. I know that only I get to touch those filthy guns to protect your swan-like—no, not swan—cygnet-like hands from touching that cold, dirty bulk of steel,” he said with anger.
“I have all the authority for that. I have all the authority to sacrifice my whole life for your safety, no matter what.” He let go of my wrists and stepped back, pulling at his curly hair, fighting himself.
“Do you really think this is what I want?” he said, not shouting, yet in a frustrated tone.
“Do you really think that I want you in the middle of all the guns, bullets, and all that messed-up stuff?”
He was speaking nonsense.
“Cut the BS, Eduardo! You‘re the one who brought all this mess. You could’ve prevented everything by just warning me about Carlos.”
He was about to say something but acted as if he swallowed his words.
“I wish it were that simple.
God,” he said in a pitiful voice, “I wish I could’ve hidden you in the shell of an oyster like a pearl.” He sat on the edge of the chair behind him and buried his face in his palms as if he were suffering.
“You don’t know what I am going through,” he said in a touching tone.
Although I had seen Eduardo under different circumstances and feeling many emotions, that was the only time I had seen him in such agony, and somehow, it found a way to hurt me.