I hesitate, but who cares if I share them? “No drama, one night only, and never mix business with pleasure.”
“I wouldn’t exactly say I’m drama just because I don’t want to be forced into a loveless marriage with a man I barely know,” she says carefully. “Under normal circumstances, I think I’m quite even keeled and a veritable joy to be around.”
I chuckle. “You are entertaining. I’ll give you that.”
“Back to your so-called rules. Are you telling me you’ve never dated either of the beautiful women you work with?”
Her question catches me off-guard, but it shouldn’t. Addie and Brighton are gorgeous, sure, but getting romantically involved with someone I work with is beyond stupid and breaks rule number three: no mixing business with pleasure. They’re smart enough to believe the same thing. All five of us at A-Squared are firmly planted in the friend zone, which leads me right back to rule number one: no drama.
“No. We’re just friends. More like family, and I don’t date my sisters.”
“Hmm. You said one night only.” I incline my head, and she clears her throat. “Meaning if you spend the night with a woman, you don’t ever see her again?”
“Isn’t that what one night means?”
“But what if you have an especially, ah, good night? Wouldn’t you want another?”
“No repeats.”
“Why not?” She genuinely looks confused, so I clear it up for her.
“Because if you keep things purely physical, there’s no risk getting emotionally involved. Love is for suckers, and it’s important to be able to walk away and not look back.”
For a long moment, she doesn’t say anything. Just seems to be absorbing my cynical outlook on love.Thanks, Dad.He really showed me how it can fuck a person up. Specifically, my Ma. And that’s something I swore I’d never do to someone else or let happen to myself.
“That’s no way to fall in love,” she finally murmurs.
“Says the girl looking for a fake fiancé,” I drawl lazily.
“That’s different,” she insists.
“How so?”
“Because I’m backed into a corner, not because I’m scared I’ll find someone special.”
“I’m not scared.”
“Aren’t you?” she recklessly challenges. “Then why do you have all these silly rules?”
To protect myself.
I grind my back molars. I’m a fighter, a man used to being challenged. But it’s always been by other fighters, not some royal slip of a girl who lives in a damn bubble. “We come from two different worlds,Princess. I wouldn’t expect you to understand.”
I expect a snarky reply; instead, she surprises me with a softly-spoken, “Try me.”
She’s echoing my earlier words.
Hell no.I’m not about to have a therapy session with her here on the edge of a cliff. Besides, it would take weeks to unload all my baggage. And I’d never dump my fucked-up past on her. She still possesses hope and a bright light within her, while mine went out a long time ago. The last thing I’d want to do is make her as jaded as me.
Because the truth is, she’s royalty and I’m a washed-up, former fighter. Our worlds will never mesh. She’s a job. I’m her bodyguard. After this ends, we go back to our separate lives and never see each other again.
When I don’t respond, she finally lets out a long sigh. “You’re very difficult, you know that?”
“Why? Because I won’t bow down to your every wish and command?”
“Maybe you should,” she suggests in a low voice. Our gazes lock. Oh, yeah, she’s definitely playing with fire now. “Iamaprincess, as you like to remind me, and that means you should follow my orders.”
“I’m not one of your subjects.”
