Hayden
There are about a dozen reasons I should not be standing guard in front of a Sunbreak Harbor Hospital room, glowering at every nosy passerby who even sniffs in my direction while I wait for some whimsical pop princess to come prancing out.
First, I don’t like personal safety details. I much prefer cybersecurity, search and rescue, event security—pretty much any other area of security that doesn’t lock me down in small spaces with a select group of individuals.
Second, I don’t like working for the rich and utterly spoiled. Had enough of kowtowing to the upper crust to last me a lifetime, and honestly, Allie should’ve known better than to request me for this assignment.
Third, I’m not even supposed to be on shift today. My day off was supposed to be spent hanging with my kid, Chloe, getting some quality time in before she starts high school.
I shudder at the thought. The next four years are going to be a nightmare, and she’s already taken to ditching me so she can hang with her friends. “But Dad, it’s a beach day,” she said, hands clamped together and eyes glittering with her plea, “and all the other kids are going.”
Every cell in my body wanted to say no. Wanted to keep her here with me, safe, sound, secure. But one look at her little face and all the cajoling promises she made to wheel and deal her way to freedom had me relenting.
Fuck, I’ve gone soft.
Still, even though it’s a top-dollar assignment, I don’t want this job. Sloane wasn’t having any of my excuses, but Allie can surely request someone else. I intend to tell her so, just as soon as—
The door rips open, and my former squad leader’s screams make me turn my head.
It all happens in a matter of seconds.
A woman appears, turns, and wobbles. Her sweet scent hits me like gut punch, and I turn, angling her way to hold open the door. But before I can do that, her knees give out from under her.
She slumps, and I move on instinct, grabbing her, steadying her. But she’s gone limp, so I scoop her up—not in time to save her from getting bonked by the door, though.
I cringe and hope it’s not too bad as I sweep her out of the room and into the hallway. Jostling my hold on her to better support her lolling head, I tuck her in close to my chest and get a lung full of vanilla and orange blossom that makes me want to nuzzle in closer.
“Come on, sweetheart. Time to wake up.”
Then I glance down and get my first real look at the vanilla-scented angel in my arms.
Shit. It’s Gia Golding, international pop star, and she’s out stone cold.
But up this close, it’s impossible not to react to her. Even with her mouth open and her eyes closed, the woman’s an absolute beauty. Curvy and soft in all the right places. Skin as soft as butter, the color of bronzed earth. Lashes so long rest against the curve of a cheek dusted with freckles.
I’m frozen in the moment, struck by the intensity of the irrational reaction I have to holding her in my arms.
I just don’t want to let her go. I want her to open her eyes so I can study the color and depth and expression in them. I want those lips to tilt upward and ask me my name.
Which means I need to wake her up.
Shaking my head to clear it, I hunt for somewhere suitable I can take her to revive her and check her over.
But I’m too slow, having wasted precious seconds standing there gaping at her like an idiot because a gaggle of twittering teenagers rushes over from a nearby waiting area, swarming me on all sides with their cell phones lifted high.
“Oh my god, she’s here! She’s actually here. See? I told you so. Girls, we’re going to go viral for this!”
I frown and shuffle her closer.
“Are you recording? You better not be recording. Turn that off.”
The girl has the good grace to look sheepish while she tucks her phone away, and I spin around, looking for an empty room. Others have their phones out now, and I pass by one man sporting an ill-fitting sling tinkering with a DSLR camera in his lap. Right, like I buy that disguise.
Another girl steps forward. “What’s wrong with her? Is she okay?”
“Are you okay? Are you supposed to be here?” I snap back, jerking my hold on the woman when the brunette stretches her arms out as if to touch her. I lengthen my strides, walking faster. “Give the woman some space. This is a hospital, not a zoo, and she’s not here for you.”
“Gia, are you okay?”
“Back off, okay?” The words come out harsher than I intend, but they stop the girls in their tracks as I turn a corner.
An exasperated sigh explodes out of me when I look back to see DSLR man use his “good” hand to lift the camera and snap extra shots.
“Honest to God, this place needs better security.”
Then I duck into a room marked nurses’ break room. There are no windows, the door locks, and there’s a sink and snacks—perfect.
Before I can lay her out on the table, one of the teens pops her head in. “Is she still going to perform tomorrow night?”
“Out!” I bark, setting her down and turning to lock up.
She moans a little, and I start a quick examination.
“Who’s that?”
“Just kids. Fans of yours, I guess. But there was one guy in the waiting area…” I press my hand to her forehead and feel my heart hammer in my chest when her big, brown eyes focus on me. “This’ll probably be on TMZ soon.”
“Mm. Nothing new there.” Her lips curve upward as her eyes flutter shut.
Skin’s clammy, warm to the touch. Pulse steady. No head lump where she knocked it.
“Ouch!”
Okay, the area’s a bit tender.
“What happened?” she groans.
“Uh, you passed out. I’m Hayden Choi, a friend of Allie’s. She asked me to take care of you for a while, though it doesn’t seem like I’m off to a good start.”
“Oh. Hayden. The hot bodyguard.” She presses her lips together, and I blink at her. “Sorry, that’s what she called you. I’m not… I mean, I don’t have an opinion.”
One of my eyebrows lifts, and a pink blush creeps across her cheeks. The effect it has on me is instantaneous. Blood starts pumping south, my groin tightens, and my gaze drops down to her mouth while she covers her face and groans.
“I’m Gia, and I’m going to shut up now.”
“Well, you couldn’t have formed an opinion yet. You didn’t get a good look at me, considering you KO’d yourself on the door.”
“I did not,” she gasps. “Not intentionally, anyway. It was… I was… I just got an eyeful of baby. My God, the baby! Did she have the baby?”
She jumps to her feet, swaying, and I reach for her.
“Steady now. Go slow.”
She doesn’t. She takes one step and stumbles. Right into my lap.
“Oh! Oh, God, sorry.” Her hands rest on my shoulders, her face mere inches from mine.
Her scent perfumes the air around me, making it difficult to breathe. To think. To do anything other than let my gaze drink up her beauty this close.
Huge, luminescent brown eyes stare into mine.
We’re silent for a moment. Our breaths a little shallow, our hearts a little loud.
My gaze slides over her flushed cheeks and the tiny scar just above her left eye.
I’ve seen photos of her wearing a shiny gem there.
Never once thought it might hide some tiny human imperfection in her otherwise flawless face.
I brush away her bangs, slide a fingertip over the mark.
“God, you’re beautiful.” The words are out before I can stop them, and horror slices through me. Quick and clean like a knife.
Get a fucking grip, Choi.
I clear my throat and practically toss her into the chair across from me. Then, I rummage around the kitchen for the things I need. Ice, a kitchen towel, water.
“I apologize. That was completely unprofessional of me. I don’t know what came over me.”
“That’s okay. People blurt things at me all the time when they first meet me. I’m kinda used to it now,” she says, smoothing her hair back. The smile she aims my way is small and shy, not at all like the ones I’ve seen her use on red carpets or in photos.
“Um, I’ll just make sure you’re good, then we can check on Allie and straighten out your security detail with SBS. I’m sure Sloane would be happy to reassign someone else to work as your temporary head of security.”
“Oh. Uh. Yeah, sure.” She looks at me quizzically as I raid the vending machine. “But aren’t you my new security detail?”
“I’m just temporarily filling in for Allie this weekend. We can arrange for someone with more schedule flexibility to fill in the rota. I’ve got some… commitments here at home.”
“Ah. Family man, huh? Wife and kids?” Her gaze flicks to my left hand, searching for a ring. “Figures.”
“No wife. Just one kid,” I correct, sliding the snack basket the nurses keep on hand across the table to her. “It’s just me, my mom, and my little girl. Well, not so little now. She’s thirteen and a huge fan of yours, if you don’t mind my saying.”
“Oh, really? Great! Bring her to the show tomorrow night. I can leave two tickets at will call if she wants to bring a friend. That is, if she doesn’t already have tickets.”
Genuine surprise overrides my instinct to do what I’m supposed to do, which is to turn down any client gifts. “I really shouldn’t.”
“Oh, come on. I won’t tell. They’re meant to be for my family, but they don’t really make it out anymore.
” There’s a twinge of sadness in her voice, but she clears her throat.
“Honestly, I can’t think of a better way to fill those seats than with someone who’s a big fan.
Anyway, consider it a thank-you for saving me from total wipeout.
If I’d gotten really hurt, there’d be no show. ”
“Those tickets would earn me dad-of-the-year awards…”
She laughs. “That’s the spirit!”
“It’s really generous of you. Thank you, Miss Golding. But I still won’t be able to tour with you.”
“Please, call me Gia. And, so you know, I don’t need someone on the road with me.” She tears open a bag of plain M&M’s and pops a few into her mouth. “I need someone here, in Sunbreak Harbor. Just for the summer, while I’ve got a few regular appearances slated for the Summer Nights Concert Series.”
“Just for the summer?” I repeat, calculating my odds of surviving a couple of grueling months in the presence of the first woman to affect me since I can’t even remember when.
“Six weeks down, six more to go. Not long, really.”
I grunt. Long enough to lose my goddamn mind if I’m not careful.
“And Allie says you’re it. You’re the best. Plus, she trusts you, which means I feel like I can trust you.” She waits a beat, then adds, “Besides, I haven’t had enough time yet.”
“Time for what?”
I dump the whole of the ice tray into the clean kitchen towel, ball it up, and gently apply it to her head.
She smiles, and I feel that thing again. That irrational feeling that I don’t want to leave, but I should feed the woman, water her, and hand her right back to Allie. I just… can’t.
I pass over the ice pack and our fingers touch, setting off a current of electricity between us.
Electricity, and bone-deep recognition.
This woman is mine.
“I haven’t had enough time to form an opinion. About you. Let me have that much, at least.”
I should say no. Absolutely not. But the words that come out of my mouth are “Okay. I’m all yours.”