Hot Bodyguard Summer (Sunbreak Harbor Security #1)

1. Jace

Jace

I lean against the warm hood of my black Jeep Wrangler, arms crossed over my chest, watching the front door of the neat two-story house in one of Halo City’s quieter suburbs.

The sun’s beating down hard, turning the asphalt into a shimmering mirage, but the salty breeze rolling in from the coast a few miles away keeps it from being unbearable.

Even here in the middle of the city, you can still smell the ocean if the wind is right.

I check my watch again. She’s running late. Or maybe she’s inside debating whether to climb out a window and make a run for it. I wouldn’t put it past her after everything Anniston told me about her big sister.

The front door finally swings open. Sadie Wells steps onto the porch, dragging a sensible rolling suitcase behind her like it has personally offended her.

She looks exactly like the third-grade teacher Anniston described and somehow even better in person: neat blonde ponytail, crisp white button-down shirt tucked into khaki pants, sensible flats, and a glare sharp enough to cut glass.

She stops at the top of the porch steps when she sees me. Her eyes narrow behind her glasses as she takes in my board shorts, faded black T-shirt, sunglasses pushed up into my messy hair, and the easy grin I’ve got locked in place.

“You must be Jace Hawthorne,” she says, voice clipped and professional. “The bodyguard my sister insisted on sending. Banks’s brother, right?”

I push off the Jeep and stroll toward her, keeping my smile friendly and relaxed. “Guilty as charged. Jace Hawthorne, at your service, Miss Wells. You ready for a little involuntary trip to Sunbreak Harbor?”

Her grip tightens on the suitcase handle until her knuckles turn white. “It’s Sadie. And no, I’m not ready. I have lesson plans due next week, and a very normal life here in Halo City. I don’t need a babysitter because my little sister decided to play hero with dangerous people.”

I stop at the bottom of the porch steps and look up at her. She’s smaller than I expected—maybe five-five on a good day—but she carries herself like she’s six feet tall and armed with a ruler. Cute as hell, too. The kind of pretty that sneaks up on you when she’s scowling like this.

“Anniston doesn’t strike me as the overreacting type,” I reply, keeping my tone light. “And considering someone tried to put a knife in her recently, I’m going to trust my brother’s judgment on this one. You’re important to your sister. That makes you important to me.”

Sadie’s cheeks flush the tiniest bit, but she lifts her chin higher. “I appreciate the sentiment, but I have conditions before I get in that Jeep with you.”

I raise an eyebrow, fighting a grin. “I’m listening.”

“No flirting. No calling me sweetheart, darling, or any other cutesy nickname. No treating me like I’m some helpless damsel you need to charm into compliance.

I’m a grown woman with a career and responsibilities.

I’m here because my sister is worried sick, not because I want to be your summer project. ”

I can’t help it. I grin wider. “No flirting? That’s going to be tough. I’m naturally charming. Doctors say it’s a medical condition. Very serious.”

She gives me a flat, unamused stare that could wilt steel. “Try harder.”

I hold up both hands in surrender, still smiling.

“Fine. Professional mode activated. For now. But I’ve got to warn you—I’m very good at my job, and part of that job is keeping you safe and sane.

If that means making sure you actually relax a little while you’re stuck with me in Sunbreak Harbor, I’m not apologizing for it. ”

Sadie huffs a short laugh that sounds more like disbelief than amusement. “You’re ridiculous.”

“So I’ve been told. Frequently.” I step up onto the porch and reach for her suitcase.

She reluctantly lets me take it. “Come on, Sadie. The sooner we get on the road, the sooner we can get you settled in a safe house by the beach instead of standing on your front porch where anyone could be watching.”

She follows me down the steps, arms crossed tight over her chest. As I load her suitcase into the back of the Jeep, I catch her glancing around the neighborhood like she’s saying goodbye to her normal life.

I open the passenger door for her with a small flourish. “Your chariot awaits, Miss Wells.”

She climbs in without a thank you, spine straight, hands folded neatly in her lap like she’s heading to a parent-teacher conference instead of protective custody.

I slide behind the wheel, start the engine, and pull away from her house in Halo City.

The moment we hit the highway heading north toward Sunbreak Harbor, the city skyline starts shrinking in the rearview mirror.

The salty ocean breeze blows stronger through the open top of the Jeep as we leave the concrete jungle behind.

Sadie sits rigid in her seat, jaw tight, staring straight ahead.

“You know,” I say lightly after a few minutes of silence, “most women would be thrilled to have a handsome, charming bodyguard drive them from Halo City to a beautiful beach town for an indefinite amount of time. Free vacation. Ocean views. Someone tall and strong to carry their bags and look intimidating on demand.”

She turns her head slowly, giving me a look that could freeze lava. “I’m not most women, Mr. Hawthorne.”

I laugh under my breath, genuinely amused. “Yeah. I’m starting to get that impression.”

The drive is a little over two hours, and the tension in the Jeep stays thick the whole way.

I keep the conversation light, pointing out landmarks as we leave the city limits and head up the coast. “That’s the turnoff for the best seafood shack on the way—best shrimp po’boy you’ll ever have.

Over there is where I keep my boat when I’m not on assignment.

And once we get closer to Sunbreak Harbor, the sunsets are insane. You’ll see what I mean.”

Sadie answers in short, polite sentences. “Lovely.” “I see.” “That’s nice.” No smiles. No warmth. Just pure, stubborn resistance wrapped in perfect manners.

By the time we pull into Sunbreak Harbor, the sun is starting to dip lower, painting the sky in soft oranges and pinks. I drive us to the safe house on the quieter north end. It’s a modest but well-maintained beach bungalow tucked behind dunes and sea oats, and a short walk from the water.

I park, and turn off the engine. Sadie stares at the bungalow for a long moment, taking in the light blue shutters, the wide front porch with rocking chairs, and the ocean visible beyond the dunes.

“It’s… nicer than I expected,” she admits quietly.

I grin as I hop out and grab her suitcase. “Wait until you see the inside. Fully stocked kitchen, ocean-view master bedroom, and a hammock on the back porch. You might even thank your sister by the end of this.”

She gives me a skeptical side-eye as she climbs out. “I doubt that.”

We walk up the porch steps together. I unlock the door and hold it open for her. She steps inside cautiously, looking around the open living room and kitchen area. The place is bright and airy, with big windows letting in the sea breeze and soft beige furniture that screams vacation rental.

“Not bad, right?” I say, wheeling her suitcase toward the hallway. “Your room is the last door on the right. I’ll take the couch out here.”

Sadie stops in the middle of the living room and turns to face me. “You don’t have to sleep on the couch. I can take it.”

I shake my head. “No chance. My job is to keep you safe. That means I stay between you and the door. End of discussion.”

She opens her mouth like she wants to argue, then closes it again. For the first time since I met her, she looks tired instead of angry.

“Thank you,” she says quietly. “For doing this. Even if I don’t like it.”

I give her a small, genuine smile. “You’re welcome, Sadie.”

She heads down the hall to her room, and I watch her go, already knowing this assignment is going to test every ounce of my self-control.

Because the more she pushes me away, the more I want to pull her closer.

And in Sunbreak Harbor, with the ocean right outside and danger possibly still lurking behind us in Halo City, that could turn out to be the most dangerous thing of all.