“Don’t think I’ve forgotten about earlier today. I haven’t. I’m pissed at you. If you ever treat me like that poor woman at the movies I swear we’ll be through and I’ll never give you another chance.” She eased up and cupped my face. “The next woman or girl who throws themselves at you, you better throw them off quicker than you did today. If not I swear I’ll drag them off by their hair and kill you. If you want me to give this,” she let my face go and pointed to me and then herself, “a chance, then you need to take me serious when I say this. I will never become one of those women. I won’t chase you around. I won’t follow you like a puppy waiting for any attention. I will not beg you to do anything. I am my own woman.”
I pulled her down and brushed my lips over hers. “Good. I don’t want that.” I kissed her, fusing my mouth to her mouth, showing her she was all I wanted, and I didn’t need what she’d said. All I needed was her.
We broke apart panting to catch our breath and I knew it was going to be a painful night for me. I laid her across my chest and her fingers stroked my chest. “Go to sleep, little bit.” I closed my eyes and I heard the soothing rhythm of our hearts as it beat together. I waited until her breathing slowed and her fingers stilled, then I fell asleep holding my one, my soul mate.
*****
Jade
Standing with my hands on my hips ready for school I glared at Stephan. Why did he have to ruin a perfectly good morning? I was a cold body, I was always cold, I learned it was just me and I put up with it, but this morning I woke warm, snug, and listening to the soothing beat of Stephan’s heart. I hadn’t even been bothered about his hand in my undies cupping my bare arse. The alarm had gone off and we’d taken our time getting up, I’d gone to my room to shower and get into my school uniform. I now had all new school clothes instead of the secondhand ones I’d bought. I still had Stephan’s jumper he’d given me the first day I’d met him and because it still smelled of him, I put it on. I knew Stephan would get a kick out of me wearing it especially now I had three others in my closet my size.
Stephan had been waiting at my door for me and together we went downstairs and had breakfast together. It had been turning out to be the perfect morning until Stephan got off the phone and David—who I’d met last night because he’d driven Derick and I away from the gun fire— and a guy named Rex, who I had yet to meet, came into the kitchen. Stephan introduced them as my personal bodyguards.
“You’ll share the guards with the ten we have.”
“Holy crap, why the hell does your family need ten bodyguards? Why on Earth do you think I need two? I don’t even need one.” I placed my hands on my hips and gave my best death glare.
Stephan shrugged. “We have ten because there were four in the family, now five with you. Two to each person, rotating shifts, and two spares for when we need them. Brand will be interviewing for another two at some stage this week. Brand is the head of our security, and Royce, is his second. They’ve both been with the family for years. I think I was about four when Brand joined the team. Anyway, you’re a part of the family now so David and Rex will be your day guards so look for them if you need them, they shouldn’t be far. I’ll be with you when you’re not in class so you’ll have me with you if you need anything. ”
Okay, so I’ve stepped into the Twilight Zone. Looking around me I searched for cameras or a TV host lurking and ready to pop out and tell me this was all a game or a prank. Giving a tight fake smile to David and Rex I studied the two beefy men as I held left hand out. “Hi. I’m Jade. I really don’t think you need to follow me or be my guards. I’ve gone almost eighteen years without any. I think I’ll be fine for another eighteen or more.”
David raised a blond eyebrow and shook my hand. “I was there the other week when you were almost beaten to death. I don’t know if you would have survived anymore of those.”
Darn, I hated it when men were right. I still thought a bodyguard for me was stupid and a waste of money, but I knew I wouldn’t win this fight. I shook Rex’s hand too, he was massive with a bald head and big green eyes, that studied me with intensity. I knew he was committing every detail to memory.
So I now I had guards, David and a guy named Rex. I wanted to laugh and not just because one of my guards had the name of what I’d call a dog if I’d ever been blessed with having one, but nope, it's because me, a girl who only last week had less than two hundred dollars to her name, now lived in a mega mansion and had bodyguards.