The Alpha Bodyguards Books #1-3

Chapter Sixteen

U nsteady, but just like I fucking told her to, she got in the SUV.

My dick pulsed at her willing submission.

“Damian.” Breathless, sexy as fuck, my name on her lips was everything I never knew I wanted to hear.

“What, gorgeous?” I pulled her seat belt out and reached across her lap just because I could.

She tracked my movements with a sharp inhale, then brought her sexy, dark gaze back to mine. “I apologize.” Her voice got quiet. “For being forward.”

I grinned. “That wasn’t being forward.” I paused, holding her gaze. “This is.” I leaned forward and brought my lips to her ear as I slid a hand halfway up her thigh.

Her gasp filled the interior of the car.

I dropped my voice and made her another fucking promise. “Next time I touch you like that, I’m gonna make you come.” Nipping her ear, I kissed her cheek and squeezed her luscious thigh. Then I stepped back and shut her door before I lost all my restraint.

Circling the back of the vehicle, I scanned the house to see if anyone had witnessed our kiss, but no one was around, her useless security included.

Collins stood in front his Escalade and smirked as he watched me. “Thousand bucks you don’t even make it till sundown before getting a taste of that trouble.”

“You’re fucked-up, you know that?” I scanned the grounds.

A rare smile stretched his lips. “You don’t know the half of it. ”

“Do yourself a favor. Don’t ever smile if you’re trying to get laid.” Fucker was scarier when he did.

“Who says I gotta try to get laid, pretty boy?”

Christ. I held a hand up. “I don’t even want to know.” Collins had a reputation for going through women like they were a change of clothes, but in truth, I’d never seen him with anyone. “Just keep up. We’re going to her gallery.”

“Sure thing, boss .”

I got behind the wheel and, not gonna lie, I held my breath when I turned the key. I trusted Collins with my life, but nothing was ever failsafe. When nothing exploded, I threw the vehicle into drive and glanced at Calandra.

She had her hand over her heart.

I reached for her. “You’re all good, babe. I’m not gonna let anything happen to you.”

Inhaling, she squeezed my fingers and let her breath out slow. “I guess if the vehicle was going to explode, we wouldn’t know it.”

“No, we wouldn’t.” We’d be dead instantly. I’d seen it enough times to know.

She glanced at me. “And that doesn’t scare you?”

I brought her hand to my lips and kissed her knuckles once, mostly to school my expression against the memories I tried not to think about. “I served in Afghanistan. If you let fear rule you, you’re as good as dead.”

She pulled her hand back only to twist it up with her other hand in her lap. “I can’t imagine what you went through.”

I smiled and let her have her nervous gesture, even though it pissed me the hell off why she had it in the first place. “Three squares a day, my own bed and shooting up shit with an endless supply of ammo. Not to mention getting an entire second family full of brothers who’ll have my back the rest of my life.” The Marines changed my life. “Wasn’t a hardship, sweetheart. I was fucking grateful.”

She turned in her seat to look at me. “You didn’t have your own bed growing up? ”

I laughed. “Everything I just said, and that’s what you take away?”

She blushed, and the shy princess came out. “Well, yes.”

I took her hand again. “Growing up with four brothers in a two-bedroom apartment doesn’t leave much room for personal space.” Or beds. Try fitting six beds into two small-ass bedrooms with a postage-stamp-sized living room.

“Was it always like that?” She cleared her throat. “I mean, was your father ever around?”

“Before I could remember him, he was.” My older brothers knew him. I didn’t remember shit. “He worked construction. He died in an accident on the jobsite.”

Her voice got quiet. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s all good. My mom made it work.”

“That must have been hard on her, raising five boys all by herself.”

“To hear her tell it, it was a sentence worse than life imprisonment.” I chuckled. “But she loves us. She just talks a lot of shit.”

My cell rang, and I glanced at the screen. As if she knew I was talking about her, my mom’s cell number came up on the display.

“Speak of the devil.” I winked at Calandra and answered through the Escalade’s Bluetooth. “What’s up, Mom?”

“ What’s up? ” she asked offended. “Like I can’t call my youngest son? What happened to hi, Mom? Or hello? I’d even take a hey. What’s up is rude. Have I taught you nothing?”

Calandra’s eyes went wide.

I smiled. “It’s not rude, Ma. It’s to the point. You’re on speaker, say hello to Calandra.”

My mom scoffed. “Okay, first of all, what’s up is rude. It’s dismissive. Second, speakerphone is even more rude, and third, shame on you. I’m sure she’s a very nice girl, but it’s the middle of the day and you should be working.”

I laughed. “I am working, Ma. She’s a client.”

Silence.

Calandra turned toward the window .

I couldn’t stop myself. “A really pretty client,” I added.

Mom busted out her you’re-a-complete-disgrace voice. “ Damian Hennessey Tyler .”

I held back a laugh, barely. “What?”

“I didn’t raise a gigolo. Have some fucking class!”

“Calandra’s got enough class for both of us.” I glanced at her, and if I didn’t know better, I’d swear the slight shaking of her shoulders was her laughing. I finished my thought. “Get this, Ma. She’s a princess.”

My mother gasped as Calandra whipped around to give me a look that said I’d completely lost my mind.

“Damian Tyler, that is not funny!”

I laughed, loudly. “No joke, Ma. Say hi to Princess Calandra Sophia Paradis Spiros of Naximos.” I squeezed Calandra’s thigh. “Say hi to Mom.”

Calandra pressed her lips together then exhaled and squared her shoulders as she busted out her princess poise. “Mrs. Tyler, it’s lovely to make your acquaintances.”

“Holy shit,” my mother blurted. “She has an accent!”

“I know.” I loved her slight accent.

“That’s for real?” my mom asked.

Calandra beat me to an answer. “I grew up speaking Greek. I did not learn English until my school years.”

“No shit, two languages? Wow ,” Mom breathed out. “But where the hell is Naximos? What is Naximos? Did I say that right? Pronunciation, I mean.”

A small smile touched the edge of Calandra’s sexy lips.

I tipped my chin at her. “You want the honors, Princess?”

Graceful and feminine, Calandra nodded once. “Yes, Mrs. Tyler, you pronounced it correctly. Naximos is an island nation in the Aegean Sea. It’s nestled amongst the Greek Isles, but it is its own sovereignty.”

“Sovereignty. I’m not even sure I know what that means. But you, your family, they’re from there? ”

“Yes. That is where I was born. My father is currently the king, and a sovereignty is similar to an independent state.”

My mom picked up instantly on what she didn’t say. “What about your mother?”

“She is deceased.”

“I’m sorry, dear.” Sympathy etched my mother’s voice into an unfamiliar tone.

“Thank you, Mrs. Tyler. My sympathies to you as well for losing your husband. You did a fine job of raising your sons. Damian is very good at his job.”

I grinned, but Mom tsked.

“Yeah, well, you must not have met the others if you’re making that kinda statement.” Pretending like me and my brothers weren’t her pride and joy, my mom laughed uncomfortably at the compliment.

“If they are half as resourceful as Damian, I am sure they are good men.”

Damn . I pulled Calandra’s hand to my lips and mouthed thank you against her soft skin. “She’s not just pretty, Ma, she’s nice too.” I kissed Calandra’s hand.

“A princess,” my mother said in disbelief.

“I’m afraid your son has overstated the title.” Calandra pulled her hand from mine again. “I no longer live in Naximos, and I am by no means in line for the throne. I am leaving that distinction to my half brother. I prefer a simpler life.”

“But you’re still a princess. Like, legally, right?”

Calandra’s small smile came back. “Yes, I am my father’s daughter. That makes me royalty in Naximos.”

“ Royalty ,” my mom whispered.

Hearing my mom happy but stunned, and all at once proud, the widest smile I’d ever fucking smiled spread across my face. “Legit, Ma.”

“Bring her over,” Mom said abruptly. “I’m making dinner. That’s why I called. Your brothers will all be home too. We missed Sunday dinner last week. Redo is tonight. You’re both coming. ”

Not bothering to hide my smirk, I glanced at Calandra. “Bossy, isn’t she?”

Calandra politely refrained from comment.

Mom persisted. “I’m making that casserole you love. The one with artichokes and chicken. You’re both coming. Six o’clock.”

“Casserole.” I wiggled my eyebrows at Calandra. “How can anyone resist?”

“Stop being a horse’s ass and just bring her,” Mom snapped.

I shook my head. “Love to, Ma, but we’re in the thick of it. Maybe next time.”

“I’m calling bullshit. Everyone’s gotta eat. Your brothers will be here, and you promised last time you wouldn’t miss again. This is family. We eat together once a week, and that’s final.”

I smiled at Calandra. “See what I put up with?” The second the shit came out of my mouth, I realized my mistake. Feeling like an asshole, I rushed to get Mom off the phone. “Gotta go, Ma. Love you.” I hung up and glanced at Calandra. “I’m sorry, that was insensitive.”

Her face shut down. “Do you react at every mention of a father?”

“No, but that’s different, Princess. I don’t remember my dad.”

Ignoring my comment, she indicated and alleyway up ahead. “There’s off-street parking in the back of the gallery.”

I silently followed her directions. When I pulled into a parking space, she reached for the door but then stopped herself.

I gave her a smile. “Thank you.”

She looked up at me with surprise. “For?”

Wanting to sink my hands into her hair and take her mouth again, I settled instead for grasping her chin and planting a single kiss to her full lips. “Letting me do my job.” I released her. “You got your keys?”

Heat tinted her cheeks as she pulled them out of her purse without comment and handed them over.

Smiling, I dragged my thumb across her cheek. “Love that blush, gorgeous. Is there an alarm? ”

Despite kissing me not twenty minutes ago, she looked flustered as hell as she recited the alarm code.

“Thanks. Wait here.”

Both Collins and I got out of our SUVs and scanned the building.

He glanced down the alley. “Not fucking great.”

“Agree.” There weren’t even any security cameras out back. “Sawyer’s gonna have to walk this building too. She needs a better security system here.”

“No shit.” He glanced at the SUV where she was waiting behind a closed door. “So for real, what’s up? Not like you to fish from this kinda pond.”

“I’m not fishing.”

“Says the man who’s already been hooked.”

My hands went to my hips, and I exhaled. I wasn’t pissed at the comment. He was dead-on. “Straight up, no bullshit?”

He scanned the alley again out of habit. “Yeah.”

“Took one look at her this morning and shit just collided.” I didn’t know how else to explain it. “Never had that happen before.”

Collins half laughed, half snorted. “She’s the fucking trifecta—hot, loaded and royal. Your dick wants in on the action. That’s what happened.”

I shook my head. “It’s not that.”

This time he did laugh. “You fucking pussy. You telling me it was love at first sight?”

Cocksucker. “Just wait till this shit happens to you.”

He instantly sobered. “Not happening.”

“You don’t know that.”

Collins absently rubbed a hand over his chest. “Bleeders and trouble. Don’t let yourself get played.” He tipped his head toward the SUV. “Besides, for all you know, this shit’s one-sided. Or worse.”

Jesus, he was a skeptical fuck. “Worse?”

His gaze cut to me. “Yeah. ”

I waited half a beat, but he didn’t say anything else. I knew I’d regret asking, but I did anyway. “Like what?”

Slow, he shook his head. “She watched her car blow up. Then she got your arms around her carrying her from the scene.” He paused. “What happens when shit’s not blowing up anymore and you’re not the hero?”

I didn’t have an answer because I didn’t fucking know. It was the same damn question I’d been asking myself since I’d kissed her.

Ignoring him, I nodded toward the gallery. “I got the code. Stay here with her while I do a sweep.”

I made it one step.

Some fuck in a suit carrying a black bag burst out of the back door of the gallery.

Instantly drawing on him, I aimed at his head. “Freeze.”

Collins aimed at his chest. “Drop the motherfucking bag, asshole.”