Her Bodyguard: A BBW Billionairess Romance (7 page)

He let a grin slip through at that. She did this, tried to distract him, when he threatened to push her out of her comfort zone. “Believe me, if I let you land an actual blow there, I deserve all the pain I got. Besides…” He winked. “You could always kiss it better…”

“That’s true,” she said, lifting her arms up into position. “What made you get into this to begin with? I don’t imagine you said to yourself one day ‘oh, I think I want to have women kicking me in the balls in the future for a living.’”

“Self-defense?” He deliberately misinterpreted the question, moving in to reset her footing on the mat before stepping back and motioning her on again with the pads. “I like to see sexy-as-hell women work up an appetite.”

She muttered a curse and threw another kick at his crotch. “You know, now that you mention food, can we take a break any time soon? I feel like my lungs are going to sue me for cruel and unusual punishment in the very near future.”

“I didn’t mean that kind of appetite.” He deflected the wild kick with ease, resisting the urge to trap her leg and step in closer. “Nope. No breaks until I’m happy. Keep working.”

She narrowed her eyes at him, pursing her lips. “Fine. Jerk. If you’re going to kill me with all this exercise, you could at least entertain me and tell me why you got into this stuff. And I’m not talking about teaching chubby CEOs how to kick a man properly in the balls.”

“Hey, hey,” he chided. “No dissing the curves. I happen to like them, a lot.” He paused as she went through the combination again, noting that when she was distracted, she hit harder. “I was a soldier. Did my bit, Queen and Country and all that.”

“Okay, Mr. Balls of Steel, I’m not dissing my curves. I’m a big girl and proud of it. I learned a long time ago I can’t please everyone, and my body is one area where I don’t care what others think.” She raised a brow. “And doing your bit isn’t really saying much. Where’s your family? What do they think of you being a badass who likes to get tortured by short women?”

He laughed, backing off and dropping the pads. “They’re back home in good old Blighty, and they’re used to not asking questions about what I do.”

She froze and laughed. “Is that your way of telling me I’m being nosy?”

He lifted a hand and hooked a finger in a come-on motion. “Nope. I was a soldier. I went places and did things that most people don’t want to know about, that I couldn’t talk about with normal people. Then I left the army and got paid better for what I’m good at.”

Her smile dropped into a frown. “Do you miss your old work? I mean, I bet you had friends there, no?”

“Dead.” He smiled to take the sting out of his words. “Occupational hazard.”

“I’m sorry. I bet that’s something you hear all the time, but I am. It must suck to lose friends. I remember losing my parents. It was hell.” She moved forward a step and stopped.

“Like I said, occupational hazard. When the first bullet flies, you’re dead anyway. You just have to take as many of the wankers with you as you can. Who dares wins and all that.”

“What made you move to the states?” She moved through the combination at half speed, obviously more intent on quizzing him, and he let her, using his hands to bat away her kick.

“I didn’t move to the States, not permanently. I’m more freelance, shall we say? Tom called me in, and I was between jobs, so...here I am.”

“Does that mean you’ll be leaving here once you teach me to stop inviting danger into my life?”

He looked away, rolled his shoulder again even though it hadn’t locked. That wasn’t a question he wanted to consider. Not even in the privacy of his own mind.

“I couldn’t imagine that kind of life. That sounds so...dangerous.” She bit her lip and moved her hands to her waist.

“Dangerous?” He choked back a laugh. “Did you miss the definition of soldier? That’s kinda what it’s all about.”

“You’re back to the jerk, I see. I know soldiers are in constant danger, but the way you said it made me feel like you were some kind of super-secret navy seal.” She laughed. “I have an overactive imagination.”

He stopped, giving her a look. “I’m British. So Navy Seal is out. You’re along the right lines though.”

“Don’t get testy. I’m not up to date on all the different military brands in the US, much less Britain. I have bigger things to worry about, like how I’m going to kick you in the balls and make it hurt while still making sure you can use them again.”

He spread his arms wide. “Then try. Manage it, and I’ll let you have a break. Don’t…” His grin widened. “And more punishment.”

“I don’t know what I could have thought was sexy about you,” she mumbled. She perked up suddenly, smiling wide at him. “You know, you have really pretty eyes,” she said, combining her words with a swift kick to his crotch.

He moved swiftly, turning to the side to wrap her leg with an arm. A half turn took her off her feet, and he fell backward. His back hit the mats, but he had her safely cushioned against his chest. Her breath left her lungs in a rush at the unexpected impact. He didn’t stop there, neatly flipping her over and pinning her to the mat before she could react.

“An insult and a compliment as distraction?” He grinned, amused at the annoyance flaring in her eyes. “Child’s play sweetheart, to distract me you’d need to put a bullet in my leg. Maybe not even then.”

***

Amanda stared deep into his gorgeous blue eyes. He mentioned being shot, so it made her curious to see if he had any bullet wounds. She grinned, watching his brows rise. “I bet I can figure out a way to distract you. And I won’t have to shoot you.”

“Really now? Do your worst, sweetheart,” he said, his voice dropping low with that sinfully sexy accent of his making her shiver all over. He didn’t move, just watched her. Waiting, as if daring her. And there was nothing she liked more than a challenge.

She trailed her hands down his sides and under his shirt, raking her nails over his back, down to his ass, and squeezing his cheeks. Then she widened her legs, cradling his cock with her pelvis. Oh boy, he was hard and growing harder by the second. Tilting her hips, she pressed him into her. “You were saying?”

His eyes had darkened, and he dropped his hips a little and rocked against her. She caught her breath, pleasure rolling through her. “I was?” He leaned down to brush his lips against hers. “What was that then?”

She lifted a hand off his ass and brought it down with a smack. “I just wondered if you wanted to still keep doing those boring exercises, or did you want to put your mouth to better use?” She licked up his jaw and groaned. “If you prefer, I can put my mouth to better use.”

He groaned, body tight with tension, and she smiled. Unlike the last couple of times they’d had sex, he was more open, relaxed almost. Instead of immediately taking control, he simply held himself still. Taking the opportunity, she tugged at his T-shirt, helping him pull it over his head. Unable to help herself, she sucked in a breath as his hard, toned body was revealed. But before, she could only look...he never let her touch. Now, though, he didn’t stop her when she stroked her hands over all that satin-covered muscle.

Silence reigned, punctuated only by the sound of their breathing. Pushing gently, she urged him onto his back and rolled with him, straddling him.

“So what’s it going to be, big guy?” She trailed a finger down his chest, loving the way his muscles shifted under her touch. “Want to get my mouth better acquainted with your body? Preferably…” She grinned, eyeing the low riding sweats, “…your lower body.”

His hands smoothed over her ample hips, strong fingers digging into her thighs—a little hint of how much she affected him, if the thick bar of his cock between them wasn’t enough indication. “It seems I’m at your mercy,” he rumbled in a low voice.

She smiled in delight. That was the kind of stuff she liked to hear. She’d noticed from the first moment that he liked being in control, so this was quite a change of events. Not that she didn’t love him having his way with her, but it was nice to play the one in charge once in a while.

Sitting back, she looked down at him and allowed her gaze to rove over his body. All hers, to do with as she wanted. It was a heady feeling. Reaching out, she traced a scar, one of the many imperfections that marred his skin but that somehow belonged there, adding to the perfection of the beautiful male animal beneath her.

“Knife.” His voice was so soft she almost couldn’t hear him. Her eyes widened, and she leaned down to place a gentle kiss over the mark. Sitting up, she touched another mark on the side of his ribcage. “Bullet.” Another kiss but this time she didn’t lift up.

Instead, she feathered kisses across his torso until she reached his nipple. Her lips closed around it to suckle gently, and he groaned. His hands drove into her hair, his body bunched beneath her as he held her in place.

She did it again, loving his soft groan every time she sucked. His skin was hot and smooth, almost vibrating under her lips. Licking her way down his abs, she smiled to herself when he inhaled sharply at her tiny bites. She glanced up and met his gaze.

“Sorry,” she said, not really apologizing. “You taste good.”

“No apologies,” he rasped, sliding a big hand through the loosened strands of her hair. “Do it more.”

She moved down his body, rubbing her breasts on his legs on her way. When she got down to his hips, she grinned at the tent in his pants. “Is that a gun in your pants, or are you happy to see me?”

He watched her as she tucked her fingers under the elastic waistband of his sweats, his eyes blazing with arctic heat. “Sweetheart, if I was any happier to see you, you’d be naked and screaming under me already.”

She pulled on his pants, watching his body stiffen as she dragged the material down his legs. Another scar on his hip caught her attention. She didn’t think. She lowered her head to the scar, hating that he’d at one point suffered from the job he’d had, and placed a kiss on his hip. Then she moved up to wrap her hand around his cock. He watched her intently, not saying a single word.

“I bet we could get you screaming under me.” Lowering her head to take a single, long lick, she swiped her tongue over his hard length. He groaned, gripping her hair tighter in his hold. Encouraged, she did it again, cupping his balls in her other hand. She circled the head of his cock with her lips, taking him into her mouth slowly, using her saliva to lubricate his glide down her throat.

His body tightened, abs popping into high relief as she pulled back, sucking all the way. His head dropped back to the mat, fists clenched as he obviously tried to stay still. But the little devil on her shoulder wasn’t having that, and she could resist anything but temptation. With a hum, she swallowed him again, letting the back of her throat vibrate against his cock as she slid him deep.

“Fuck!” he swore, hand driving into her hair as he pulled himself up into a half-crunch. She sucked her way back to the tip and bobbed down again, working his cock until his body shook.

A knock sounded at the door before it flung open. She glanced up to see Tom striding in.

“Oh, for fuck’s sakes. Put some clothes on him. He’s supposed to be teaching you self-defense, not getting naked.” Tom growled.

“Fuck off, Tom,” Drew snarled back, leisurely tucking himself away as she jumped back in surprise. Heat hit her cheeks.

“Tom, the point of knocking is so you wait until you’re asked to enter, not to come barging in and seeing...stuff,” she said, flustered.

Tom was intently studying the ceiling, as though he were personally responsible for the paintwork up there. “I didn’t see a thing,” he said, risking a glance down and then sighing with relief when he saw that they were both decent. “Dav, delivery for you downstairs. The upgrades for the security systems you asked for, I think.”

“On it.” Drew rolled to his feet, grabbing his T-shirt and throwing her a wink at the same time. “Hold that thought, sweetheart, we’ll pick up later.” And with that, he headed for the door, pulling his shirt on en route.

“So, do you know anything about Andrew’s family? He seemed pretty tightlipped when I asked.” She hoped jumping in with a question would make the moment less awkward. She’d never have expected Tom to catch her and Andrew... She wanted to wash the memory out of her head with bleach. It was like being caught by your parents, so embarrassing.

Tom flicked a glance at the door, then back at her. His expression was concerned, and a thread of worry wound around her heart. “Amy...don’t get ideas… Really, don’t.”

He strode toward her, reaching out to grasp her upper arms, rubbing them lightly. “I love the guy like a brother, but...he’s not the kind of man who’ll settle down. He’ll take a bullet for you, lay down his life to protect you, but he’s not the white-picket-fence-and-kids type. Get me?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she snorted. “I’ve got no ideas.” She lied to him and herself. Pain pinched at her heart. She’d definitely started thinking of Andrew long term. It wasn’t that she’d assumed they’d have a relationship, but she didn’t do one-night stands. So while he might not be there ‘til the end, she had to admit she wanted him to be. “I’m just curious.”

“Hmm, as long as it’s just curiosity,” he warned. “He’s got family in England. Parents are divorced, I think, and he’s got a brother and a sister. Sister’s cute as all hell, but don’t tell him I said that, because he’d rearrange my teeth for me. Brother’s still in the forces as far as I know. In Dav’s old unit, so heaven knows where he is.”

“It must be hard to be away from his family all the time. At least I have you trying to order me around, but I don’t know if I could be all alone with everyone so far away.” She glanced away, because she knew if Tom looked at her in the face when she asked the next question, he’d know it wasn’t mere curiosity. “Is he...or has he ever been, um, married or in a serious relationship?”

“Married. Once, before I knew him. They divorced.” He shrugged. “A lot of women can’t handle what he did. They’re away a lot of the time, often leaving at the drop of a hat and gone for months at a time without contact. Never knowing if the next knock at the door would be that notification.”