The Trouble With Bodyguards: Part 1 Read Free

be there in less than an hour. Maybe she’d sit down and flip through today’s shots, see if she got anything worthwhile out of the effort.
                  “Got it, I’ll be there at seven,” she said, leaning her head to prop the phone up on her shoulder, freeing her hands to unlock the camera case that she had put onto the kitchen counter when she got home from the shoot. Lifting the lid, she caught sight of the paper bag with the strange photographs of her wedged underneath her camera. Her mother babbled nonsense in her ear, still ticking items off her list in final preparation for the party, as Alex tipped the crumpled bag, letting the photos spill out onto the countertop before her. Her face, lit by the morning sun, disapproval painted in her expression. A close up, her body turned away, only the edge of her smile visible as she glanced behind her.
                  Who would have done this? Standing off in the sidelines, hidden among a sea of strangers, lost in the static crowd, only to catch these images of her without her knowledge? And why?
                  A soft knock at the door drew her attention away from the photos before her on the table.
                  “Mom,” she said, “I have to let you go. I think your delivery boy is here with my outfit.”
                  “Oh good,” her mother cooed on the other end of the line, audibly expelling a sigh of relief. At least this aspect of her plans was going as planned, and on schedule. “See you at seven, dear.”
                  Slipping the phone into the pocket of her robe, Alex made her way to the door as a second soft tap sounded. She unlocked the deadbolt, pulling the door open to reveal, just as she had expected, a young man, probably no more than twenty, in jeans and a sweatshirt, an oversized box held in his hands.
                  “I have a package for Alex Grimes,” he said, maintaining eye contact with her, a heroic effort to not notice that a beautiful woman was standing before him in only a pink bathrobe, her hair still damp from the shower.
                  “Thanks,” she said, holding out her hands to take the box from the kid. “Hang on just a second.” She should probably tip him, she thought, heading across the room to her purse, setting the box on the counter on top of the photos that were scattered there, forgotten for now. She could feel his eyes on her, taking in the shape of her body, the soft fabric of the robe contouring her hips, the belt cinched in at her narrow waist. She smiled. Perhaps this show was tip enough, probably made the kid's day, but she hauled a fiver out of her wallet, putting a sway in her hips as she sauntered in her bare feet back to the door to hand it to him.
                  “Here,” she said, “thanks again.” She smiled, leaning against the door frame, messing with him.
                  The young man sucked in a breath, trying to keep his composure. “Um,” he said, licking his lips, nervous lust obvious on his pale face. “There's another box out here, sitting next to your door.” He stooped, picking up a small box off the mat in front of her door and handing it to her.
                  “Thanks again,” Alex said, taking the box from him.
                  His lips curled in a weak smile. “Have a good day,” he said before heading back toward the stairwell and on his way. He paused, turning once more to catch a glimpse of her standing in the open doorway, and Alex chuckled as she shut the door between them.
                  That was an ego boost, she thought. Even in a robe, with no makeup on and her hair still wet and tangled, she could make young men weak in the knees. She laughed, imagining that kid going to tell all of his friends about the hot, mostly naked woman that had thrown herself at him when he knocked on her door. She was sure