The Bodyguard

Chapter 6: The Speed Date

*The next day: While Warren is washing the dishes and I’m drying them, I break the silence by asking him a question. “So, what time are we leaving?”

“Leaving?”

“The speed dating thing at your friend’s bar?”

“Right...I forgot. You sure you want to go?”

“Sure! It beats doing nothing. And hey, who knows? I might meet someone fun and go home with him.”

Warren’s body freezes and almost drops the plate he’s been holding. “What?”

“You know, if I hit it off with someone, and he invites me back to his place…”

“You are NOT going anywhere with anyone without me. Have you forgotten why we’re here?” Warren doesn’t want me to go home with another man?

“Fine. If I can’t go home with him, we’ll hook up at the bar.”

“In front of everyone else?”

“Why not? I don’t have issues with it.”

Warren stares at me stone-faced. “If that’s what you want…”

“It is. I’m going to go take a shower and get ready. Just let me know what time we’re leaving.”

He gives me a simple nod, so I turn and sashay into the bathroom. He keeps giving me mixed signals. He tried to sound calm, but his knuckles turned while gripping that counter-top. Maybe a sexy, tight dress will remind him what he’s missing out on. After going through dresses, I chose a tight fitting red dress. Perfect. Nobody could resist me in this. And now, action.

I wait for Warren in the living room, and it isn’t long before he appears. “Are you ready?”

“Yep!” I face him. He’s dressed casually, yet seems put together at the same time. I bite my lip as I take him in and realize he’s doing the same to me.

“You look nice.”

“And you look...um…” He clears his throat. “Well, I think you know how amazing you look in that dress, Charlotte.”

Yes! SCORE! “I hope you won’t be the only one thinking that tonight.

Warren rolls his eyes. “Those guys would be idiots not to find you attractive. In fact, I’m betting you’ll have trouble shooing them away. Which reminds me… if any point you feel uncomfortable or want to leave, let me know.”

“What if you’re really enjoying the person you’re talking to? I wouldn’t want to interrupt.”

“The only reason we’re going tonight is because it’s something you want to do. Obviously, you’re my main priority.”

“So you’d walk away from your hot date just to make sure I’m okay? How sweet of you.”

“Just doing my job, Charlotte.”

“Well your job suits you.” I notice a hint of a smile on his face, and his posture relaxes.

“We’d better get going if we want to make it on time.”

“Okay.”

“Are we taking your motorcycle again?”

“We can if you want.”

“Yes, definitely! I had so much fun yesterday. I really didn’t expect to like it as much as I did.”

Warren grins like a teenage boy and the sight gives me butterflies. “It’s a great bike, isn’t it?”

“It really is.”

“Well then...let’s introduce you to the finest bachelors around, shall we?”

We walk through the front door of the Tipsy Cow, and the first thing I notice is that the bar is completely packed. “I didn’t expect it to be so crowded.”

“I guess an event like this is the talk of the town, huh?” Suddenly, someone cuts in front of me, so I stumble backward but Warren quickly steadies me.

“You okay?”

“Yes, thank you.” Men and women begin eyeing us from the tables set up around the room, and a few gazes linger on Warren’s hands on my hips.

“Maybe we should split up?” I turn to face him, which causes his hands to drop from my sides.

“Split up?”

“If we stay too close, it’ll look like we’re a couple.”

“You want me to leave you on your own?” I can’t really date anyone if you’re glued to my side.” My teasing seems to have the opposite effect as his face darkens.

“Right. Like I said, come to me if you need me.” Without another word, Warren disappears into the crowd.

I frown after he disappears. It’s so hard to keep up with all of his mood changes. Isn’t the whole point of being here to meet other people?

A bell rings and the noise quiets down. I can see Jack standing on top of the bar, a list in his hand. “Ladies and gentlemen! Thank you all for coming out tonight. The rules are as simple as they can be: every time the bell rings, you have to change partners. So, find a seat across from someone else, and let’s get started!”

A couple of cheers are heard around the bar as everyone begins shuffling their way around. I sit down in front of a handsome man who looks to be in his early forties. He gives me a kind smile just as the first bell rings.

“The name’s Billy. What’s yours sweetheart?” I detect a slight Southern accent when he speaks and decide it suits him.

I hesitate, remembering I should use a fake name.

“My name’s Kelly. It’s very nice to meet you.”

“You aren’t from around here, are you?”

“How can you tell?”

“A girl as hot as you easily stands out in a small town like this.”

“Is that so?”

He smirks. “If you hadn’t noticed, it’s slim pickin’s here. Most of the women in this town are uniform chasers, which gets a little old after a while.”

I glance around the room and notice that there are actually far more women than men. “There’s a naval base a couple of miles south, and this is a bar the SEALs tend to frequent.”

“SEALs, huh?” I look around in search of Warren.

When I finally find him, I notice that he’s sitting at a table with a pretty woman in a short, black dress and 5 inch heels. She’s touching his arm and pushing her chest out toward him, but the glazed look on his face shows pure boredom.

He slowly peels the woman’s hand off of his arm. Not your type, Warren? The woman looks irritated by his move, but she soon rests her hand on his knee instead. Warren presses his mouth into a firm line and says something to her that causes her to completely back off.

He catches my eye and he mouths the words “help me” as I stifle a laugh. Sorry, Warren, you’re on your own here! He smirks at me, then shifts his gaze to Billy. Realizing I’m probably being rude, I turn back to the man sitting across from me. “Are you a veteran?”

“Sadly, no. I’m a cattle rancher, but my dream is to become a world-class bodybuilder someday.” He flexes his arm and I smile.

“I’m actually…” The bell rings, indicating to change partners.

“Nice meetin’ you darlin’.”

“Wait.”

He looked at her. “Not wantin’ to stop?” I leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.

“Can do better than that sweetie.” He tilted my face up and kissed his luscious lips. Damn, he’s got nice lips. He winked and got up.

I glance around and find a 20 something bachelor and the other two looked like they were pushing 70. As I sit down, my new date grins at me. “Well, s**t. Ain’t you a beauty.”

He eyes my body with satisfaction and winks. “Hi. what’s your name?”

“Rusty. But you may know me better as last year’s World Cup Tractor Racing winner.”

I literally couldn’t get a single word in because it’s all he talked about until the bell rang.

“Nice meetin’ ya.” I nodded.

“Are you scaring my bachelors away over here?” Jack asked, smirking.

“Rusty’s not that bad of a guy. I think he won first place in last year’s tractor something?”

“Yes, it’s all he talked about the whole time.”

“Are you participating at this event?”

“Unfortunately. Not enough guys showed up, so I guess I’m filling in.”

“From what I heard, a lot of these women are looking to hook up with a man in uniform.”

“Yep!”

“So, shouldn’t you be happy?”

“Not when most of them are women I’ve already been… you know...intimate with.”

“Ah, sounds like quite the dilemma.”

Smirking , he glances behind me. “So have you and Warren…?”

“No, we haven’t.”

“That’s a shame. It’s pretty obviously there’s something going on between you guys.” Jack thinks there’s something going on with Warren and I?

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t bullshit a bullshitter. The minute you two walked in yesterday, I could tell.”

“I’m afraid you’re wrong. Warren’s made it very crystal clear nothing can happen between us.”

“I wouldn’t be so quick to write him off. With the way he’s been watching you tonight, I wouldn’t be surprised if he went back on his word. He’s obviously into you.”

I stare at him quizzically.

“You really can’t see it, can you?”

I shake my head. Jack laughs and leans forward until his mouth is right by my ear. “I’d say give it 30 more seconds.”

“Give what...”

“Watch and see.” He leans in and kisses my cheek, and I hear a chair screech loudly from behind me.

“Jack, what are you…” Before I can finish my question, I feel a presence behind me.

“I think it’s time to switch partners now.”

“Nope, I haven’t sounded the bell...”

“Get up.”

“Told you.” Jack whispered. Grinning, he offers the seat to Warren. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Ashley.”

I laugh and Warren’s face hardens. As soon as Jack’s gone, he takes his seat and stares at me.

“Oh, are you my next date?”

“Yep. What were you and Jack talking about?”

“He was telling me to stop scaring off all of the eligible bachelors.”

Warren’s face softens as he laughs. “I was wondering what happened when your last date ran off like that. What did you say to him?”

“I asked him if it was his bedtime already.”

His raised his eyebrows and smirked.

“I wasn’t judging him on his age! He called me an “old hen”, and he was barely a few years younger. Do I look 50 or something?”

Warren laughs out loud. “Don’t think that. You look young and very stunning.”

“Even for an old hen?” I flap my arms like chicken wings.

He laughs again and I laugh with him. I notice how carefree and happy he looks-his eyes are crinkled, and two dimples have appeared on his cheeks. Who knew dimples on a man would be so attractive? “Was he really that bad?”

“I guess he wasn’t all bad. He did win last year’s tractor race.”

“Now you’re just making s**t up.”

I make a cross motion over my chest. “I swear, I’m telling you the truth.”

“Jesus, I didn’t know the town still holds events like that.”

“I guess we’ve been really missing out.”

He smiles and glances around the room. Other couples have started dancing to the music, and I feel myself grin. “Would you like to dance with me Charlotte?”

My eyes flicker back to him. “Really?”

“Only if you want.”

“I’d love to.” He stands up and holds out a hand to me. I take it and he pulls me up, then guides me over to an open area near the back.

I follow his lead as he places a gentle hand on my lower back while the other holds one of mine. Draping my free hand on his shoulder, I look up at the handsome man in front of and find his eyes already on me. “Giving up on speed dating?”

“It appears so, yes.”

“What, have you already found the woman of your dreams tonight?”

He chuckles and shakes his head. “No, I didn’t meet her.” He gives me a smile and I recognize the glint in his eyes.

Alright, Warren Garcia… it’s on.

By the time we decided to leave, it was way past midnight. As soon as we get in the bedroom, I sit on the bed and take off my heels, stretching my feet and feeling the instant relief once the heels are gone. “Well, tonight definitely wasn’t at all what I expected, but I think you really saved my night.”

“Me?”

“Yes, you.” I flop back on the bed and stare up at the ceiling.

“Did you have fun?”

He was quiet for a moment until I felt the bed move as he laid down next to me. “Surprisingly, yes. I did.”

“Surprisingly?”

“I’ve never gone to one of those things before.”

I roll onto my side to face him and see him watching me. “Why not?”

“They aren’t really my thing.”

“I’m sorry I made you go.” I felt a little embarrassed after saying that.

“I’m glad we went.”

“You are?”

He reaches out and tucks a loose piece of hair behind my ear. I’m so shocked by his action that I’m afraid to make a move and ruin the moment.

“You looked really gorgeous tonight.” Then he frowns. “What’s the matter?”

“This is so much harder than I thought it’d be. Watching you flirt with those men tonight...I didn’t like it.”

I open my eyes and see him studying me cautiously. “I wasn’t flirting.” I said, grinning.

“It appears you were. Especially with Jack.”

“Jack? I wasn’t flirting with him, trust me.”

“He kissed your cheek.”

“He did it to prove a point.”

“What point?”

“He was trying to tell me that you had feelings for me, but I didn’t believe him.”

He becomes suddenly silent.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you.”

His hand comes up to rest softly against my cheek, and I feel his thumb slowly move back and forth. I close my eyes as tingles of lust and desire flood through my body, heating my skin and intensifying the need to feel more of him.

Suddenly, I feel a gentle pressure against my lips. My eyes open in shock, as my heart pounds in my chest. He pulls away after a second of me not responding, but I’m too shocked to move. Oh my god, he kissed me!

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that, I…”

I reach forward and grab the front of his shirt. As I tug him toward me, he meets me halfway and our lips crash together into a passionate kiss. He groans and wraps his arms around me in a tight embrace. My whole body feels like it set on fire. I can’t get him close enough or fast enough. My nails dig into his back as my teeth tug on his lower lip. He rolls on top of me, taking full control. Gripping my wrists in one hand, he pins them above my head and smirks.

“Warren…” I gasp as he bends down and places a soft kiss just below my chin. His mouth trails down my neck both biting and sucking until I’m shaking from the pleasure. I move beneath him and moan out his name when I feel his erection pressing into me where I need him most.

I’m completely all his, and he knows it. I feel him suck hard on my neck, no doubt leaving a hickey. The sound of my clothing being torn off echoes in my head. I squirm while trying to get out of his grasp.

“Did you really just rip that dress?”

“Yes.”

“Wa..” Before I can get out another word, his hand cups one of my breasts and his thumb flicks my sensitive skin. I bite down on my lip and toss my head back as my desire escalates even more. “Oh, God!”

He finally releases my wrists and quickly locks my arms around his neck, his mouth soon back down to mine. His tongue is inside my mouth, clashing into mine, and a loud moan tears through my throat. His hands travel behind my back where he unclasps my bra and slides it down my shoulders. His eyes take me in hungrily, the rapid rising and falling of his chest match mine. “You’re so f*****g beautiful Charlotte.”

I wrap my legs around his waist and moan as his lips wrap around my breasts. The wave of pleasure are almost too intense. I want to push him away, I want to pull him closer, and the seductive torture leaves my thoughts rambling.

“Please,” I whisper. I hear him chuckle and the lust sends tingles down my chest.

“So impatient, Ms. Lexington.” His teeth and tongue continue to torment me as he brings a hand between my legs. Instead of begging, I take his shirt and toss it on the floor. He seems to sense my desperation because he starts unbuttoning his pants as his lips find mine again. I immediately pull down and help him pull off the only thing left between us. Feeling helpless without his touch, I grasp his hardening erection and feel him twitch within my grasp.

“God, Charlotte. Don’t f*****g stop.” he moans.

I barely have any warning before he leans down and starts kissing my breasts again. I continue to stroke him and push him to the breaking point with the pleasure I’m giving him. His free hand trails down my stomach until he reaches for my thighs. “Are you ready for me?”

My only response is a moan.

He gently kissed my breasts while I’m kissing his shoulder. I try my best to brace myself as he hoists my legs up and slowly slides inside me. The second he was fully inside me, my body was already on verge of cumming.

“f**k, you’re so tight,” he moans. My hands have a grip on the sheets as he slowly pulls out then enters me again. I want to moan, I want to scream his name, but his mouth comes down to claim mine once more and silences me completely.

As he continues his pace, I wrap my legs around him to get him deeper inside me. My fingers claw into his back as he picks up the pace. By the time he finishes, we’re completely done as he collapses on the bed next to me. We are short out of breath and it takes a while to get our underwear back on.

“That was…”

“Wow.” I can’t find words to explain the pleasure he gave me. I reach for his hand and intertwine my fingers with his.

How could I have not known a connection like this ever existed? How could I deprive myself from a true connection with a man for years. Adam never made me feel this way. The only man I see existing in my life is Warren. He’s all I want, I feel like I can no longer stay away from him.

*Next morning: Ever since last night, it’s become awkward between us. Neither one of us knows what to say, so it appears silence is the only agreement. If I go into a room where he is, he leaves and goes somewhere else. But at some point, we both end up sitting on the couch, sitting in silence until he finally breaks it. “So.”

“So.”

“Are you feeling okay today?”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“Guess that’s a good question.”

“I guess.” Why does it feel so uncomfortable all of a sudden? He can tell the sadness in my face and immediately becomes worried.

“Hey. Look at me.”

I couldn’t even look at him. I’m falling in love with a man who will never be with me, ever. He leaned down and kissed me.

“What was that for?”

“Should we… turn the TV on?” He asked, clearly changing the subject.

“Okay.” As he turned it on, I detected he was still worried but didn’t want to show it.

“Anything you specifically want to watch?”

“News maybe? See what’s going on now.” Jack told me Warren likes me but it sure as hell doesn’t feel like it at all.

I slowly moved away from him without him noticing, placing my head on my knees. As he turned to the news station, the remote fell on the floor. Both of us stare at the screen in shock as a body bag is being put into an ambulance in front of my home.

“What the f**k?” He asked in confusion.

“What the f**k?” He asked in confusion.

“This has to be one of his sick jokes. This isn’t real.”

“I’m calling him.” He stands up and dials Adam’s number. It must have gone directly to voicemail because he slams it down on the coffee table, startling me.

My hand starts shaking as I lift it to the point on the screen. Warren glances over at me with both anger and concern. “Does that say…?”

In big, bold letters across the bottom of the screen, the words “Charlotte Lexington has been declared dead this morning!” flash in my face.

“I’m DEAD?!”