Her Bodyguard Read online

  cabins are designed to look rustic when they really cost a fortune.

  Inside, one of the horse trainers greets us with a bow. "Your Highness, no one told me you were coming down here."

  "Rudolph!" She draws the man in for a hug. "It's been forever since I've seen you. How's Emily?"

  "My daughter is doing just fine now," he says, pulling out a wallet and showing her photos. "Thanks to you, she did that treatment in Switzerland and she's been in remission six months."

  "I'm so glad." Alexandra beams. "She's beautiful. How's Apollo?"

  "Your horse is still as ornery as ever," Rudolph says, shaking his head. "You're the one who always had a way with him."

  "I haven't gotten out him out to ride as much as I'd like," the princess comments.

  "Don't worry. He'll still remember you." Rudolph pauses and looks me over. "Your security is coming to the stables with you now? Is everything okay?"

  Alexandra laughs. "You mean, is anyone trying to kill me?" She pauses for a beat. "My security staff might want to kill me most of the time, but no one other than him. Rudolph, this is my bodyguard." I pause, waiting for her to say my actual name, but she just gives me an impish little smile, then finishes: "James."

  Rudolph puts his hand out. "Nice to meet you."

  "Max Donnelley," I tell him. "James is just the princess' pet name for me. It's because I'm her favorite bodyguard."

  Rudolph looks at me, his expression flat, then back at the princess. "I like this one," he says, pointing at me.

  Princess Alexandra pretends to evaluate me, pursing her lips. "He's rather ornery."

  Rudolph grunts. "Speaking of ornery, let's get you on Apollo."

  Alexandra's expression brightens. "James, would you like to ride?"

  I refrain from making a dirty comment. "I think I'll just stand over here and watch."

  "I told you I'd teach you," she insists. "It's like driving a car."

  "I'm fairly certain that riding a horse is not like driving a car."

  "Suit yourself," she says, squealing when Rudolph brings her horse. She coos at him and nuzzles his face. I'm not sure why the trainer described the horse as being ornery because that animal is like putty in her hands.

  I stand by the arena, watching as she rides. After a while, Rudolph appears at my side, watching silently as she takes the horse over a series of jumps. "She's always had a thing for the difficult ones."

  "She's not easy herself."

  "The king bought Apollo for the princess after the queen died, God rest her soul." He looks upward and makes the sign of the cross. "Lord, that horse was a wild one, just like the princess. But she and that animal, they were something else. They had an understanding from the very beginning. I think he sensed she needed him."

  I grunt my response.

  Rudolph doesn't say anything for a few more minutes as I watch the way the princess moves on the horse. She's elegant and light as a feather, perched in the saddle, and the pair move like one as she guides him into the jumps, making the entire thing look effortless.

  "It's kind of that way with people sometimes," Rudolph says. "Funny how life gives you just what you need."

  I don't say a damn thing because I don't know what the hell to say in response to that. Rudolph isn't exactly all that subtle. But he doesn't want a response, either. He's wandering back off to the stable, whistling to himself before I can say anything.

  I go back to standing there, my arms on the edge of the fence as I watch her ride. I've never been much for riding – owning horses is not exactly a cheap endeavor, and my family definitely doesn't have horse money – but watching her, I can see the appeal. When she finishes, she dismounts and strokes the horse's head, cooing to him in a gentle, soothing voice that's far different from her regular sarcastic persona. She leads him out of the arena, and I walk with her and the horse back to the stable.

  "How long have you been riding?" I ask her.

  "Oh, God, since I was able to walk," she replies. "As long as I can remember. My mother grew up on horses. She taught me to ride. I mean, Rudolph taught me to ride, too – he's been around here forever. But it was a thing my mother and I did together when I was a kid. After she died, I didn't come out here for a while."

  "Rudolph said your father bought you Apollo after that."

  She puts her arm around the horse's neck. "Yeah, he got me back in the saddle again."

  Rudolph walks toward us from across the stable, but Alexandra waves him away. "I'll brush him down," she tells him. "It's been a while since I've seen him. Besides, I'm sure you have better things to do."

  Rudolph looks back and forth between us. "Yes, Your Highness. I will happily make myself scarce."

  "I think Rudolph thinks there's something going on between us," I tell her after he's gone.

  Princess Alexandra nods, a tinge of pink rising to her cheeks. She takes off her helmet and hangs it on a hook on the wall. After pulling her hair back from her face, she looks at me. "Oh?" she murmurs before ducking into the stall with the horse and removing his saddle. She hangs it up and begins brushing down the horse, who seems more than content to be standing there with her.

  But she doesn't answer the question.

  When she's finished, she washes her hands at the sink beside the horse stall.

  "Is he wrong, princess?" I repeat the question.

  She faces me, standing close. "Obviously, something happened yesterday at the pool."

  "Yes, something definitely happened."

  Her face is flushed from the riding and the glow on her cheeks is irresistibly sexy. "That doesn't mean that something is happening between us," she insists.

  "No?" I ask. I'm unable to keep the edge out of my voice. Why does the fact that she's acting nonchalant bother me so much?

  She sets her jaw. "That's right."

  "That's unfortunate," I tell her.

  "Why is that?"

  "Well, because if something happened – past tense – and isn't happening – present tense – then I can't tell you what I'd like to do to you right now."

  She runs her tongue along her lower lip, her eyes on mine. "Something definitely happened yesterday. Past tense."

  "Yes. You touched yourself after I specifically told you not to."

  "The way I recall it, you seemed more than happy watching me do it."

  What happened yesterday is fresh in my mind. In fact, I wasn't able to get the image out of my head all night – Alexandra naked on the lounger with her thighs spread and her bare pussy glistening, her fingers sliding in and out as she fucked herself right in front of me.

  No woman has ever done that in front of me before, and I've never seen anything as hot as that in my life.

  "I'd think the fact that I came all over your perfect little tits was evidence of exactly how happy I was to watch you do it."

  She blushes. "A lot of evidence."

  "Did you think about it after the pool?" I ask, my voice low. "Did you touch yourself last night thinking about it?"

  "No," she whispers. But her cheeks flush a deeper shade of red, the way she does only when she's lying.

  Sliding my fingers underneath her chin, I tilt her head up toward me. Her lips – lush, pink, and irresistible – fall open and it's torture not to press mine to them. My other hand slides down her waist to her hips, and I pull her against me. "Liar," I whisper. "Are you wet right now, thinking about it?"

  "No," she says defiantly.

  "So if I slide my hand right there," I say, slipping my fingers between her legs, over the fabric of her riding pants, "I wouldn't find that you're the least bit wet for me?"

  She bites her lip.

  "Lying is such a bad habit," I say, my voice low as I flick open the button on her pants. "Don't you agree?"

  She smiles slyly. "Maybe."

  "It's almost like you're trying to test me." I unzip her pants but I don't go any farther.

  "Why on earth would I do that, James?" she whispers.

  "I'm not sure