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Charlie was the first to stand to attention, watching me with blue-eyed awe. His gaze made me feel warm and tingly all over. “You look beautiful,” he said, unabashed.
Adam nodded in agreement. “I think you might make our client jealous.”
Max skipped up to Liam, fearlessly peering up at the giant suited bodyguard. “Your hair’s so long!” my son exclaimed. “I like it.”
“Hm,” Liam muttered, his approval evident in the warmth behind his dark eyes.
“We should get going,” Adam said. “We’ll want to arrive before Kris and the client.”
“Mama has to go?” Max asked.
Adam crouched down before my son and chuckled. “Only for a couple of hours, little man. She’ll be back before you know it.”
“Be a good boy and listen to Nana, okay?” I told him. “You should be in bed by seven-thirty. And Nana, I left the casserole in the fridge for you. Just pop it in the microwave for two to three minutes. And if you need anything, just give me a call—”
“Go on, dear,” Nana said warmly. “We’ll be just fine, don’t you worry. Go and meet your fancy client. I’ll take care of everything here.”
Charlie offered me his elbow. “We’ll take good care of her,” he assured Nana.
“You kids enjoy yourselves,” she teased as we exited the apartment. “But not too much!”
* * *
It was justas Charlie had said, a practice run. While Liam spent the last week teaching me some kickass self-defense basics, Charlie had been quizzing me on everything else like our client’s dossier, in-the-moment threat assessment, and scenario alternatives if an emergency arose.
We followed Formation Delta, designed for situations requiring three security personnel and the principal. Liam was our designated driver, Adam our point man in the front seat, and Charlie directly next to me as my immediate bodyguard.
It was smooth sailing from my apartment to the restaurant. We were playing out all the steps to Charlie’s plan perfectly, but the butterflies in my stomach didn’t seem to get the memo.
“Have you met her?” I asked him. “What’s she like?”
Charlie strummed his fingers against the edge of the windowsill. “Kris handles most of the correspondence with our VIPs. He’s the face of the operation.”
“And what role do you play?” I asked, genuinely curious. “I always see you in and out of the office, but I don’t know exactly what you do.”
“I’m in charge of logistics. I’m in charge of every route, every schedule, every document that needs signing.” Charlie shrugged. “Adam thinks it’s boring.”
“Because it is,” Adam inserted from the passenger seat.
I giggled, bumping his knee gently with mine. “Do you enjoy it, at least?”
“Very much so. I prefer working on everything behind the scenes. It’s… more my speed.”
“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. It takes a lot of intelligence and organizational skill to keep everything running as smoothly as you do.”
“Well, if that isn’t a boost to my ego, I don’t know what is.”
“I’m just telling you the truth.”
“Careful,” Adam teased. “You’re going to make him blush.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Charlie said with a roll of his eyes.
“We’re one minute out,” Liam announced, taking a very slow right turn down a narrow alley.
“Are you ready?” Charlie asked me.
He bumped my knee back. I knew it wasn’t an accident because he kept his leg there, pressed against mine. It was such a discreet, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it sort of gesture that it made my heart skip a beat. Out of all the guys, Charlie was the most proper - a truly virtuous sort of gentleman. His attention, even fleeting, sent an excited shiver down my spine.
