Captured by the Bodyguard (2 page)

Shit.

Chapter Two

It was a very classy restaurant, newly opened that served a high end seafood menu. Alexandra walked into the dining area done in welcoming design and heaved a sigh when she saw the friendly face send her a happy wave.

She made her way through the spacious tables and took her seat next to her best friend, Malia whom she’d known since middle school. They embraced quickly and then Malia hissed, “Now who is that gorgeous hunk?”

Alexandra stiffened, drew in a slow breath and then turned to glance over her shoulder. Cane had taken a seat just a couple of tables away. Even in the restaurant half-filled with other guests, she could make him out with his clear-cut good looks and impeccable attire. Inconspicuous to others perhaps, but never to her, thought Alexandra with an angry sigh. He didn’t look their way but she was certain he could feel their gaze on him.

“I saw you both come out of the same car so I know he’s with you. I just don’t know
why
,” Malia murmured, sitting forward, her dark brown eyes dancing. She was the epitome of the pretty full-figured woman comfortable in her own skin. She had on a wrap-around silk dress which showed off her very ample assets. She was the same age as Alexandra and had a deep cocoa skin tone that was set off by her tinted gold short locks. Her expression was full of curiosity and Alexandra pursed her lips as she quelled her deep annoyance.

“That’s my bodyguard. Cane Hutchinson.”

Malia’s eyes widened, and her eyebrows rode way up. “Since when?”

“Since two hours ago,” Alexandra muttered. The waiter appeared and courteously handed them menus. Alexandra barely scanned through the lines, still far from happy with the way her day was turning out. She gave her best friend a brief rundown on the new state of events since she arrived at the house in answer to her father’s summons. Alexandra Duke officially now had a personal bodyguard to follow her around 24/7 because her father thought she’d be harmed or kidnapped by some mean, disgruntled corporate competitor. How screwed up was that?

She posed the question to Malia who looked rueful. “Well, it is a cut-throat world out there,” Malia said with a shrug. “I think your father would know better about the kinds of people he’s dealing with. I heard about a magnate who had some employees laid off and they got pissed off enough to try and take down his wife and adolescent twin sons. It was all over the news. The perps got caught before they could get away with it though. The fact is, maybe it’s best to be safe than sorry.”

“Well, I’m already sorry if that’s what you mean,” Alexandra said angrily. “I thought I’d distanced myself from my father and his
issues
. I moved out, got my life on track. Now I’m doing my Masters at FIT and on my way to realizing my childhood dreams of designing wedding dressings with the top fashion houses. I really don’t need any of this boardroom melodrama.”

Alexandra cut off when she saw Malia was hardly listening but craning her neck beyond Alexandra’s shoulder, obviously still checking Cane out. For goodness’ sake!

“Really?” Alexandra quipped, staring at her friend who suddenly pouted, sitting up and removing her gaze from the bodyguard sitting calmly a few tables away as he glanced through the menu in his hand.

“Hey, girl, don’t look at me. If I’d known you’d be showing up with Bruce freaking Wayne, I’d have been better prepared. I mean,
damn
. You know I have a thing for those brooding John Statham types. And this guy is hot enough to make even a Greek god feel inadequate.”

“Malia, he’s my
bodyguard
,” Alexandra reminded her exasperatedly as she flung down her menu. “What part of that doesn’t spell off-limits to you?”

Malia smiled mischievously. “He might be off-limits, but you can’t stop a sister from fantasizing. Imagining getting rescued in those big, strong arms…”

“Just forget it,” Alexandra snapped, looking away with an angry shake of her head. Malia was no help at all. Everything in life was just one big joke to her. No one would guess she was a highly qualified psychiatric nurse; she acted and looked so hip and cool and never seemed to take life seriously. But once she was at work, she was all professional.

Right now she was acting just like a woman and Alexandra couldn’t really blame her. Alexandra had already made the observation that she was stuck with a very sexy, possibly irresistible bodyguard. Though why on earth she’d think she’d ever be in a position to need to
resist
him was beyond her. Alexandra was never going to be in any of those cliché situations regarding a female and her bodyguard. She was too grown for that.

“Can we just order, please?” Alexandra finally said, done with the whole bodyguard topic. For now at least. Malia and Alexandra always met at least once a week for dinner at any nice restaurant they felt like trying out. This place had come highly recommended with its soft, subtly lit dining room and slanted glass windows running the length of one wall. The food was ocean fresh and she’d heard of the stand-out shellfish ravioli, buttered leeks and lobster sauce, angler and lobster pie with button mushroom and mashed potato as well as the yellow fin tuna tartare with lime and chili. She looked up in surprise when the waiter appeared and Malia proceeded to make a robust order.

“I’m on a seafood diet,” Malia explained lightly as the waiter walked away minutes later. “See food and eat it, I mean.”

Despite herself, Alexandra chuckled. She loved hanging out with Malia. Malia Wade was good people; they’d gone to the same schools and stuck together through thick and thin. Malia’s parents had died when she was just a kid, and she’d been brought up by her aunt and uncle. Wanting to be independent early on in life, she’d gone straight into nursing school, qualified within a few years and now, had a successful career at barely twenty-five. She was the one person in her sea of friends that Alexandra could really trust. With a father as rich as hers, Alexandra had always been able to tell who was with her just for the fortune she represented as Donel Duke’s daughter. Even romance had taken a back seat after a few failed attempts at finding love. It was hard to find genuine feelings when all anyone saw when they looked at her were dollar signs. So she worked very hard to keep her real identity on a low profile. She never offered information about herself especially when meeting new people. How her father could assume she could be in any danger was still beyond her. She shivered slightly as she recalled the briefing she’d received from the man called Noah Preston who ran the security operations Cane worked with.

She was to have two guards stationed at her place to watch the house, while Cane was to be her personal bodyguard living with her in close quarters. After dinner, she would be returning home where the two guards would already be found waiting. Then she had to worry about having a man in the house with her, for heaven knew how long. Alexandra bit on her lip, and not for the first time, wished herself having someone else’s life. Just anyone. Any normal person on the street that didn’t have to worry about such things as being safe from imagined corporate kingpins out to get her.

And then Alexandra felt instantly guilty for thinking that. Many people would be grateful to have the kind of life she lived. A loving, generous father who’d made sure she went to the best schools, had the best opportunities in life. Holidays in exotic places when she was growing up. All the good things money could buy. But she still wished she could hold on to at least
one
aspect of her life she had been so sure she’d won for herself when she’d reached of age. Her independence, her privacy. All of that was shot to hell with this new addition to her existence: a sinfully gorgeous bodyguard called Cane who wasn’t going to just go away no matter how much she wished it…

***

Alexandra lived in a two-bedroom house she’d inherited from her mother. It was certainly no stately abode but it did have two gorgeous marble bathrooms, hardwood floors and a stainless steel kitchen with granite counter tops and every cooking appliance known to man. She loved the engaging and warm décor and always felt glad she hadn’t allowed her father to convince her to stay deep in the city in some penthouse apartment. Her home was just a little on the outside of the city and she’d always liked the idea of being surrounded by serenity. Now, she wasn’t so sure.

She reluctantly invited Cane in and pursed her lips as he strode past her into the foyer. He’d taken off his suit which was slung over one arm while he had his suitcase and duffel held in his hands. He set them down before closing and locking the door behind him.

Trying to quell the sensation that she was now trapped in with a lethal jungle predator, Alexandra had to remind herself he was here to
protect
her. No matter how much she resented his presence in her formerly well-laid-out existence, she knew he was just here to do his job and she suddenly vowed to give him no reason to confirm his suspicions about her being the spoiled little rich girl she might come across as.

“I’m sure you’ve been briefed about the house – you’ll be taking the guestroom which is the only other room apart from the master bedroom where I sleep,” she informed him calmly. “Would you like to check it out?”

“Sure,” he said, and when he bent to reclaim his bags Alexandra had to choke on a gasp at his backside so loving cupped by his snug, well-fitting dark pants. Cane Hutchinson had a world-class ass and she was vividly reminded of how her best pal had been drooling as much over Cane as her food during dinner. Once again, no way Alexandra could blame the other woman. Dude was a walking freaking sex symbol and now she was all alone with him in her somewhat cramped but beautiful home. Alexandra was so not prepared for this, on any level.

There were two other men stationed outside manning the gates and the next day the security company was going to install the cameras, panic buttons or whatever else was needed to keep her safe and secure from…what exactly? Alexandra still felt this was just total overkill on her father’s part, having her guarded like she was some president’s daughter or something. For now though, she’d play along but she was definitely going to have a talk with her father again and convince him this was just too much.

But first she had to get over the fact that she’d be having another man sleep with her in the house for the first time in…well, ages. She’d only ever had one real boyfriend and though the relationship had lasted more than a year it left no fond memories for her and she pushed the thought aside quickly.

“I still can’t believe this is happening,” Alexandra muttered, lifting fingers to her throbbing temple as she stood in the open doorway of the guest room, watching Cane place his bags in a corner and scan his environs. It was a large room with a balcony next to hers which overlooked the gardens surrounding the house.

He went to the French windows and pulled the curtains closed before turning to her. “Maybe if you got a good night’s sleep, you’ll feel better about everything,” he suggested lightly.

Alexandra bristled, his calm exterior beginning to irk her for some reason – perhaps because he could so easily get under her skin. “The only way I’d feel better is if I woke up to find you and your team of babysitters gone,” she snapped.

Cane remained unruffled, his face unsmiling as he regarded her speculatively. “I think I can understand how you feel – about the babysitter part at least. I mean considering that most kids of wealthy parents are spoiled brats that require babysitting, perhaps your description is apt after all.”

Alexandra’s eyes opened wide and she glared at him. “Did you actually just refer to me as a…?”

“Brat?” was his calm reply. “For starters, ignoring my hand when we were introduced earlier doesn’t seem like the attitude of a mature adult, or does it? And then being difficult all through and complaining every five minutes about being placed under close protection smacks to me of an overgrown little girl too used to getting her own way.”

Alexandra’s chin lifted defensively as she met his scornful gaze. “Well you’re wrong.”

“Am I?” Cane scoffed, before turning away impatiently. “Look, Ms. Duke, it’s my job to look after you and make sure you’re safe. We don’t have to get along, if that’s your preference, but I’ve been told I’m in your life for the foreseeable future so maybe you need to get used to it.”

For some reason, his chilly and distant tone pricked her sensitivity. “Or maybe I should just call up my dad right now to call your boss to send me some other bodyguard and that way you
won’t
be in my life.”

Cane didn’t look in the least perturbed. “That’s your choice. Personally my idea of fun isn’t looking after a
spoiled brat
,” he said pointedly, making Alexandra’s eyes spark with anger as he added, “But my military experience trained me to do a job properly whatever the circumstances. If you really aren’t happy with me then it’s up to you to make that phone call, or not. I’ll wait right here while you make up your mind.” He leveled his gaze at her and then at the phone sitting on the table just beside the open door.

“Well?” he probed as Alexandra just stood there, her annoyance growing as she debated doing just what he expected. But she wasn’t about to give him that satisfaction.

“Go on. Do it.” His taunting tone made her want to stamp her feet. It was like he
wanted
her to make good her threat. He already pointed out he didn’t want to be here either which Alexandra told herself was fine by her.