Under His Protection (McIntyre Security Bodyguard #19)

Chapter 1 – Haley Donovan

I can’t believe this is really happening.

Three months after graduating high school, I’m packing up my life to move into a university dorm located about thirty minutes from my home in Lincoln Park, Chicago.

I’m swamped with emotion as I glance around the bedroom I’ve lived in my entire life.

It’s hard to imagine leaving home—leaving my mom and stepdad—even if it’s just to move across town.

My friend Layla, who popped in half an hour ago along with our friend Jasmine, opens the top drawer of my lingerie chest and peers inside at my collection of underwear and bras. Nothing fancy, just a bunch of mismatched items. “Does everything go, Haley?”

“Yes. Underwear and bras. Socks are in the next drawer down, and then PJs are below that.” As an afterthought, I add, “I should take my robe, too. After all, I’m going to be sharing my dorm room with a complete stranger.

I can’t walk around half dressed.” And that’s not even taking into account we’ll be using shared bathrooms down the hall.

Yes, a robe will be a definite necessity.

I sit on my bed as I sort through my shorts and T-shirts, trying to decide what to take with me. It’s mid-August, so it’s still wicked hot outside. I’ll need summer clothes to start with, but fall will be here before I know it. I’ll need warmer clothes, then—jeans, hoodies, sweats, long-sleeves.

I’m not even going to think about what I’ll need for winter. There’s plenty of time to worry about that later. And since I’m not going far from home, I can literally stop by here anytime I need to pick something up.

“What about the nightstand drawers?” Jasmine asks as she opens the top drawer. “Do you want—” Grinning, she reaches inside and pulls out a box of condoms.

My cheeks go up in flames. “Um, that’s okay, Jazz. I’ll take care of the nightstand.” I reach over and snatch the box out of her hand.

Layla frowns. “Haley, why do you have a box of condoms in your nightstand? Isn’t that Philip’s job? To provide the—you know—protection?”

Oh, God, just kill me now. Please.

Jasmine and Layla, two of my very best friends, are both a few years older than I am.

They’re both twenty-two, and they’re both in committed relationships.

I’ve been dating Philip for only a few months now—since my overprotective dad finally relented and gave us permission to see each other without a chaperone.

I understood my dad’s concerns. I was seventeen when I met Philip a year ago at one of my dad’s work parties.

Dad brought me along as his guest, and Philip, who also works for McIntyre Security, was there, too.

I took one look at him, and that was it.

I was a goner. I was hooked at that first meeting.

Who says love at first sight isn’t a thing?

The problem is, Philip was twenty-six at the time, and I was seventeen. He’s twenty-seven now—his birthday was in November. I turned eighteen in June. So, legally I’m an adult, and I’m not subject to my parents’ rules.

Except I am.

Because my dad, Mack, is an amazing dad, and I love him to death. He just happens to be a lot stricter than my mom, Chrissy, and my stepdad, Dave.

In the beginning, my dad refused to let me date Philip. We could see each other and spend time together, sure, but only with an adult chaperone. So we waited. We bided our time.

And now, we’re dating. Really dating. No restrictions. No chaperones.

Jasmine takes the box of extra-large, pre-lubricated condoms from me and looks it over. “I see you haven’t opened it yet.”

“No.” My stomach knots.

Her curiosity is really piqued now. “Why not? Because he provides his own, right?”

“Not exactly.” Can we please change the subject?

Her midnight dark eyes widen as realization dawns. “You guys haven’t had sex yet, have you?”

Looking away, I shrug. “It’s not a big deal. A lot of couples don’t rush into it.”

“Don’t tease her, Jasmine,” Layla says as she sits beside me on the bed and lays her arm across my shoulders.

“I had a terrible time convincing Jason to have sex with me the first time. He thought I wasn’t ready.

I had to practically throw myself at him.

He finally relented, and it was fine.” She blushes.

“Well, it was better than fine, but you know what I mean.” Layla gives me a side hug.

“Don’t be embarrassed, sweetie. You’ll know when the time is right. ”

The truth is, I think the time is right. It’s Philip who’s the holdout.

“We’d better get packing,” Layla says. “The guys will be here any minute.”

My two friends couldn’t be more different.

While they’re both drop-dead gorgeous women of color, one comes from a very privileged family, while the other is a former sex-worker.

And, for some reason, they decided to take me—a recent high school grad—under their wings and welcome me into their circle.

And how did I get so lucky? It’s because Philip is best friends with their boyfriends. They all live in the same high-rise, upscale apartment building in the Gold Coast neighborhood of Chicago. On the very same floor, in fact. The same floor where my dad and his new wife, Erin, live.

Yes, it gets awkward at times, especially when I’m at Philip’s apartment and my dad is just four doors down from us.

Jasmine leans against the wall and crosses her muscular arms over her chest. “So, what have you done? Have you at least gotten to first base?”

“I’m not exactly sure what that means,” I admit. “That’s mostly just kissing, right?”

Jasmine rolls her eyes. “Oh, my God.”

“Jasmine!” Layla’s trying hard not to laugh. “Don’t tease her.”

I guess it’s because of her background, but Jasmine is a lot more forthcoming when it comes to talking about sex.

At sixteen, she ended up on the streets, alone and homeless, selling her body just to make enough money to eat.

She’d been working as a prostitute for a few years when Liam McIntyre spotted her standing on a street corner looking for her next client.

He couldn’t leave her like that, so he picked her up for the night, took her back to his apartment, and got her medical care (from Layla’s boyfriend, Jason, a former paramedic).

They talked all night long. Literally, that’s it—they just talked.

Liam would never take advantage of someone down on her luck.

Today, he’s her boyfriend, and they work together at McIntyre Security as martial arts instructors. She’s also a sophomore majoring in criminal justice at the same university I’m about to attend.

Layla, on the other hand, grew up in the lap of luxury.

She’s now an heiress worth something like half a billion dollars.

Her life hasn’t been all roses and sunshine, though.

She has medical conditions that affect her daily—namely type 1 diabetes and paranoid schizophrenia.

Her full-time bodyguard also happens to be her boyfriend—I mean, her fiancé as they recently got engaged. Jason works for McIntyre Security, too.

It’s a small world.

“We’ve definitely gotten to first base,” I admit. “I think we’ve made it to second base—if it’s what I think it is. I mean, we’ve taken off our shirts. We’ve touched and made out. But that’s as far as we’ve gone. Philip is hesitant to go any further.”

Jasmine gives Layla a suffering glance.

“It’s a logistical problem, really,” I say, suddenly feeling the need to explain.

“We don’t have anywhere to do it. We couldn’t do it here, for obvious reasons.

” I mouth, my parents. “We can’t do it at his apartment because it’s just down the hall from my dad and Erin’s place.

I don’t mind, but it freaks Philip out that Mack might be wondering what we’re doing.

And we don’t have anywhere else to go. I suggested we go to a hotel, but Philip nixed that idea.

He said it was too impersonal. He wants it to be somewhere special. ”

Jasmine shakes her head. “He’s such a boy scout.”

“That’s okay,” Layla says. “Haley is a girl scout. They’re perfect for each other.”

“Is it true what they say about size?” Jasmine asks. “I mean, Phil’s a big guy. He’s what, six-six?”

I nod.

Jasmine’s eyes take on a distinctly mischievous sparkle. “Does that size thing translate to every part of him?”

“Jasmine!” Laughing, Layla tosses a throw pillow at Jasmine, who catches it easily with her cat-like reflexes.

Before I even decide how to answer that, we hear someone clearing her throat from the open doorway. We all turn to look at my mom, who’s leaning casually against the door jamb.

“The guys just pulled up,” she says. “Finish up with the packing.”

Mom’s trying not to smile, which makes me wonder if she overheard a good part of our conversation about condoms and bases.

But that’s okay. She’s pretty cool about me and Philip, and about sex in general.

So is my stepdad, Dave. It’s just my dad who struggles with the idea of his little girl growing up and getting naked with a man.

Mom gestures toward the stairs. “I’ll go downstairs and let them in.”

We jump to our feet and finish cramming into boxes all the stuff I want to take to my new dorm room—clothes, pajamas, underwear and bras, shoes, my laptop, tablet, charger cords, books, water bottles, personal hygiene stuff, notebooks, and pens.

When no one’s looking, I slip the condoms into one of the boxes.

I doubt we’ll have a chance to use them in the dorm since I’ll have a roommate, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.

As soon as Jasmine and I fill a box, Layla tapes it shut and writes HALEY DONOVAN in all capital letters with a blue permanent marker on the top and sides. In pure Layla fashion, she draws a little heart next to my name.

“How’s the packing going?” says a deep voice coming from the open doorway. Philip’s voice matches his body. Big. Masculine. And sexy as hell.

I have to look up to meet his gaze. I’m tall for a girl—five-eight—but he’s way taller. When I’m around him, I feel dainty, which is rare for me. “We’re about done.”

Philip walks into the room and observes what I’m wearing—a university T-shirt, distressed jean shorts, and white sneakers. He takes my hands and pulls me to my feet so he can draw me into his arms. “You make an adorable college freshman,” he says, and then he presses a kiss to the top of my head.

Philip looks ready to work in a pair of worn blue jeans and a dark gray, sleeveless T-shirt. On his feet are sneakers that were probably once white but are now a dingy gray. His brown hair is cut short, and his brown eyes are much lighter than mine.

Before I can reply, Jason Miller and Liam McIntyre walk into the room.

“All packed?” Liam asks.

Jasmine walks over to Liam and kisses him. “We’re ready to go.”

Jason studies Layla for a moment. “Everything okay, sweetheart?”

She smiles. “I’m fine.”

Jason is usually by Layla’s side at all times, but today he waited outside in the car while we packed to give us some girl time, as he calls it.

He’s considerate like that. Besides, he was just a text message away in case something happened and Layla needed him.

Sometimes her auditory hallucinations get the best of her.

Philip gives me a chaste kiss on my lips. “Let’s load the truck and hit the road. College dormitory, here we come.”

Effortlessly, he picks up a stack of two cardboard boxes and carries them out the door. Liam and Jason do the same.

“That’s everything,” Jasmine says, planting her hands on her hips as she surveys my room. “Are you ready for this, Haley?”

The truth is, I’m not sure. My stomach is in knots, partly from excitement and partly from anxiety. I’ve never been away from home before, other than for a sleepover at a friend’s house or a week at a girls’ summer camp.

But starting college is something I’ve been looking forward to for a long time. I’ll push through the uncertainty. I nod. “Let’s do this.”