The Bodyguard's Fake Marriage Read online

  She looked skyward and spoke a little prayer in Greek, hoping it would be heard and that this whole thing would be over soon.

  Chapter 2

  Jake strode down the hall to Lexi’s door, tipping his head to greet Christian Rivera, one of the other three men guarding Lexi. “Hey, man. Everything quiet?” Jake asked as Chris relaxed his stance.

  “Like the day before, and the day before that, and the day before that…I don’t even know why we’re being paid to do this. This princess doesn’t need any protection. I’ve never even heard of her or her father.” Chris stretched.

  The one thing Jake didn’t like was the cavalier way the other guys treated the assignment. It wasn’t for them to question the validity of the threat. It was their job to make sure there was no threat, but he understood where Chris was coming from. Spending day after day protecting someone who didn’t seem to need protecting did make you question things.

  Jake shrugged. “I don’t know. I just do what I’m told.”

  “Money’s good. That’s for sure. And my wife loves that she doesn’t have to worry about me.”

  “I’d say that’s a good trade.”

  Chris waved as he walked away. “See you later, man.”

  “Later,” Jake said as he assumed his position with his hands clasped in front of him, trying to keep his thoughts corralled and failing.

  As much as he tried, he couldn’t stop wondering what Mr. Maheras would think if he knew what his daughter had planned. When he’d met with her father some six months ago, Mr. Maheras struck him as the type of man who loved his family above anything. Lexi and her father had a great relationship, which made the idea of forced marriage seem so out of the blue and so out of character.

  Jake never would have taken the job if he thought Mr. Maheras was the type of man to treat her like a commodity. His relationship with his daughter was one of the first things Jake dug into before ever agreeing to protect her, and what he’d found was a father who loved his daughter with genuine affection. The other thing he did, which he did before he accepted any client, was find out what kind of person he’d be guarding. Not that he wouldn’t guard someone who needed it; it just helped Jake determine the risk level.

  Lexi…Lexi had been different. From the moment he’d seen her picture, he’d felt a pull towards her—something that was already against his own personal rules. At the time he took her case, it didn’t seem so big of a risk since she was so far out of his league that she was in a different galaxy.

  In addition to her intelligence, she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever laid eyes on. She could pull off any type of clothing, from ball gowns to sweatpants. Her olive complexion and bright-blue eyes gave her a stunning model-like appearance. Add to that her compassion and desire to help those in need around her, and Jake felt compelled to guard her despite his initial feelings for her.

  Feelings. He nearly laughed aloud. The absurdity of thinking about feelings in connection with her was ridiculous since they’d hardly had any interaction. He’d gone an extra measure to maintain a professional distance, limiting direct contact with her to self-defense training. Only, now she’d asked him to marry her. Normally, his answer would have been a flat no, but when she mentioned Faustus Zikas, Jake felt he was fulfilling his promise to her father to keep her safe. In his gut, Jake knew something wasn’t right.

  When Noah Wolf, a buddy of his from the Rangers, showed him Lexi’s file, Faustus’s name stood out to Jake. Faustus Zikas was the eldest of three boys, and according to Jake’s sources, he was to split the family’s petroleum company with his two brothers. Only, his father took ill, and mysteriously, the will was changed, declaring Faustus the sole heir. There was no evidence that he’d killed his father, but the circumstances sure pointed in Faustus’s direction. Knowing that, it made Jake uneasy that Lexi could be in the man’s crosshairs.

  Jake rolled his shoulders and stretched his neck, pushing down the thoughts. At the moment, he needed to clear his head and focus.

  Just as he’d settled himself in to guard her for the night, the door to Lexi’s apartment opened, and she pulled him inside.

  “I’ve got the contract. You just need to sign, and we’ll be good to go.” She pushed him toward the sofa where a stack of papers sat on the coffee table.

  He lowered himself onto the sofa and thumbed through them. “This is a lot of paperwork for a fake marriage.”

  “It basically says this is marriage on paper only. What we own before the marriage is what we’ll have after the marriage. It also states your compensation of double what my papa is paying you.”

  He lifted his gaze to hers. “You didn’t ask him?”

  “No. He would have asked too many questions, and he may have fired you if he thought anything was going on. I couldn’t risk that. Plus, of the four of you, you’re my only viable option.”

  “I’m flattered.” He returned his gaze to the papers. “And how do I know you’ll have double what your father is paying me?”

  Not that he cared, really. He’d saved enough from his time in the army that he could live comfortably. He’d taken the job because she intrigued him, and she was someone the world needed. Protecting her was easy because…he liked her.

  “I have access to money. Don’t worry; you’ll get your fee. I’ll make sure of it.” She twisted her shirt in her fingers. “The second my papa finds out we’re married, he’ll probably offer you triple to get lost.”

  He chuckled. “You’re probably right about that.”

  She tilted her head. “Have you met my papa in person?”

  “Once. When I was first hired. He’s a good man.” That was the feeling Jake got when he met the man, which reinforced Jake’s initial gut feeling that something was off about Mr. Maheras forcing her to marry Faustus.

  Lexi sat on the edge of the chair closest to the sofa. “He is a good man, which makes this whole forced-marriage thing so strange. My papa loves me. So…something’s wrong.”

  “Did you ask him?”

  “I tried, but he was impossible. He’s never spoken to me with such anger in his voice. It was as though he was afraid of something, but my papa is well-known and well-respected. People like him, and I’m not just saying that because he’s my papa. He donates money to the local hospital. He’s built orphanages and schools. He’s always doing something to improve the lives of the people around him.”

  From what Jake knew, all of that was true. “Maybe you shouldn’t do this, then, and give him the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps talk to him when he arrives.”

  She shook her head. “No, you didn’t hear his voice. He’s adamant that I marry Faustus, and I won’t. Mostly, I just want to use a marriage to you to tie his hands until I can figure out what’s going on. He’s bringing Faustus with him. If I can see what’s going on, maybe I can figure out how to fix it.”

  It actually sounded reasonable, and it wasn’t like Mr. Maheras didn’t have the money to end a marriage, so he flipped to the last page and, with a flourish, signed his name. Then he stood and walked to the door. “I assume that we’ll fulfill the contract on my next shift?”

  “Yeah, and could you do me a favor?”

  “What?”

  “Cut your hair?”

  “No,” he said. He would have added a reason if he had one. Mostly, he didn’t care, and a marriage of convenience wasn’t enough to propel him to the barber.

  She stood and harrumphed. “You won’t even consider it?”

  “No.” Without another word, he stepped out of the apartment, shutting the door behind him. He took his stance and let out a breath. Married. It didn’t seem that big of a word until now.

  It was a strange thing to think that in two days he’d no longer be single—technically speaking. Relationships were too hard in his line of work. The time it took, the danger involved…it wasn’t a good situation to have a relationship when it could be used against him.

  Being married to her did complicate things even further. If he was
honest with himself, he had a crush on her, and it’d grown in the six months he’d guarded her. The more he liked her, the harder he worked to keep his distance. Letting his feelings get in the way was a good way to get both of them killed.

  Two days and too many thoughts later, Jake escorted Lexi to the front of her building where a limo waited. With a quick glance in both directions, he cleared the area and held the limo door for her. He followed her in and took the seat across from her.

  “You could talk to me, you know,” Lexi said, breaking the silence. “I mean, we are getting married.”

  That was true, but he was already struggling with keeping his distance. When her father arrived, he’d have to act married to her, and that was going to be difficult enough. “This is a business proposition. When I’m needed, I will fulfill my role. Until then, I will maintain my current assignment.” He kept his tone neutral, despite the jump in his pulse.

  Lexi switched sides. “But how will we pretend to be in love if I know nothing about you?”

  He took his sunglasses off and held her gaze, mesmerized by the intensity in her stare. “All you need to know is that I’m here to protect you. I have your best interests in mind, and I will do my best to make sure you’re safe.”

  She groaned. “But what’s your favorite color? Do you like comedy or action movies? Do you like fried chicken or pizza? Where are you from? What did you do before becoming a bodyguard?”

  He couldn’t stop the smile from lifting the corners of his lips. “And telling you those things will help prove we’re in love?”

  A frustrated sigh escaped her lips, and she dropped her head against the back of the seat. “Well, no, but knowing things about each other might help it not feel so…stiff and strange.”

  “Blue, the color of your eyes. Action. Pizza. Maine. And the last one is classified. Are things less…stiff now?”

  “You’re infuriating.”

  “How? I answered your questions.”

  “Yeah, like a Pez dispenser.” She paused, visibly upset with him. “And I thought we talked about your hair.”

  He nodded. “We did. You asked me to cut it, and I declined. Talk over.”

  “Is everything going to be a tug-of-war with you?”

  “I could ask you the same thing.”

  She let out a tiny scream and took her seat across from him again. “Absolutely infuriating. How am I supposed to marry you when I want to back you over with a truck?”

  Jake held in a laugh. Making her angry was fun. Mostly because she was cute. “Perhaps you should concentrate less on marrying me and more on not marrying Mr. Zikas,” he said and slipped his sunglasses back on. “Maybe that would ease your frustration.”

  “Ease my frustration,” she grumbled and then let off a string of phrases in Greek. The way they rolled off her tongue made him glad he didn’t understand them.

  After that, they sat in tension-filled silence until they reached the San Jose Clerk-Recorder’s Office. Once they were inside and through security, she suddenly pulled him to the side near a bench and stepped onto it. She pulled his sunglasses off and put her hands on her hips.

  “Okay, I get that you’re in bodyguard mode out there, but in here, this is fiancé mode.” She waved her hand over him. “This whole Men in Black, kill-you-with-my-eyes thing needs to go.”

  “I can assure you, I’ve never killed anyone with my eyes,” he said with amusement. The angrier she got, the cuter she was. He shouldn’t be thinking that way. Not when he was already compromised and putting himself in a situation that compromised him even further.

  With a slight narrowing of her eyes, she leaned back. “Are you ever taken off guard?”

  “No.”

  “So,” she said and put her arms around his neck. “You expected that?”

  He swallowed hard. “Yes,” he lied, working to keep his voice controlled.

  She brushed her lips across his, and zings of electricity doubled his heart rate. “And that?”

  “Yes.”

  “Really?” Again, she brushed her lips across his, and he fought to maintain his composure. “You’re used to being kissed by women, is that it?” she asked, pressing her lips to his as she spoke.

  “No.” Jake pooled his remaining strength to take her by the arms and hold her back. “You shouldn’t kiss me.”

  She pinched her lips together. “You’re like a long-haired terminator. Don’t you have any emotions? Feelings? Wants or desires?”

  He held her gaze as the world around him faded. She had no idea. He’d kept himself in check since he’d taken the assignment. Forced himself to keep his distance and see her as a client. He wasn’t worthy of her. Alexandria Maheras deserved someone who didn’t have his scars, his nightmares, or his past. She needed someone better.

  “We have a schedule to keep, Ms. Maheras.”

  Pulling free, she stepped down. “It’s just as well. I’m not looking for love, and if I was, you aren’t my type.”

  If she’d meant those words as knives, she’d hit her mark. “Exactly. I’m not your type.”

  Lexi held his gaze a moment and then shook her head, rattling off something in Greek before saying, “Let’s go and get this over with.”

  “Ms. Maheras, did you think to purchase rings? You never mentioned them the other day.”

  She stopped short and turned to him with a sigh. “Great.”

  Jake opened his coat pocket and fished out two identical gold bands. “I thought you might not have thought about it, so I took the liberty and purchased them.”

  Her lips parted. “You did?”

  “Yes, I didn’t think it would look very official without rings, and while they do sell silver rings here, gold is better suited for your skin tone.”

  She tucked a piece of her softly curled hair behind her ear and picked up the larger of the two rings. “Thank you.”

  He leaned down. “I wasn’t trying to hurt you. You deserve someone much more refined than me. Someone reflective of your grace and brilliance.”

  For a second, she blinked, as though she was trying to process what he’d said. “Oh, well, thank you.” She caught her bottom lip between her teeth. “I was cruel just now, and I’m sorry.”

  Jake shook his head. “I’ve heard worse, and more than once it’s been deserved.” He smiled.

  Lexi looped her arm through his and smiled back. “I’m ready when you are.”

  Once they reached the clerk, they jumped through the hoops, used the service window, said “I do,” and slipped on their rings in what Jake considered to be the fastest wedding ever without a shotgun involved.

  It was a strange feeling. Jake knew the marriage was fake, but for some reason, making those vows meant something to him. Beyond protecting her from outside danger, he now needed to protect her from inside danger. Himself. He would have to guard how he spoke to her to keep not only his professional distance, but his heart distanced as well. The feisty little doctor had a hook in him, and in his line of work, that was a good way to die.

  Chapter 3

  Dressed in her finest gown and wearing her mother’s diamonds, Lexi paced the living room of her apartment as she waited for Jake to pick her up. It was a wonder she hadn’t worn a path in the carpet by now.

  Her papa would arrive with Faustus soon, and she and Jake would meet them at the airport. From there, they’d drive to the newest restaurant to open in the area. More than likely, her papa had paid big money to make sure they could eat there, since she’d heard it was booked until next Christmas. There was a possibility she was exaggerating, but not by much.

  The gold band on her finger glinted in the light, and she wiggled her fingers. When she came up with the plan, she hadn’t realized how odd it would feel to know she was married to someone.

  She had also spent the last two days agonizing over throwing herself at Jake, acting all “come hither” when she had no signs of any kind of hither whatsoever. She’d spent the last eight years studying to be a doctor. Dating t
ook a backseat since her grades meant everything. In fact, she wasn’t sure she remembered how to date.

  Oh, but that kiss with Jake had plagued her. A simple brush of her lips across his, and tingles rolled through her like humidity on a hot day after a rain. With the second pass, she felt a need to feel his lips again. They were so soft and perfect. Except, he wasn’t her type. Not at all. The same debate had raged since. It was like she was trying to drive herself insane.

  A knock came at the door, and she stomped over and threw it open. “What?” Her eyes widened. She’d been so lost in thought she’d lost track of time. “I mean, I’m sorry. I’ve got a lot on my mind.”

  Jake stood stone-still, sunglasses expertly perched on the bridge of his nose and a little quirk on the corner of his lips. “I can see that. I thought we’d previously discussed how you’re supposed to answer the door.”

  “I know. Check to see who it is. I’ll try to remember next time.”

  “Please do.” He pulled his sunglasses off and tucked them into an inside pocket of his coat. “You look absolutely stunning.”

  Did he just compliment her? Was she hallucinating?

  With a slight tilt of his head, he asked, “Isn’t this how you wanted me to act when I was in husband mode? We have to sell this to your father, correct?”

  “Oh, yeah.” Why was she in such a daze? She’d seen Jake plenty of times during the last six months. Yeah, but you hadn’t kissed him, her heart squealed. Yep, those perfect lips were still…perfect. “Thank you.”

  “Are you ready to leave?”

  She nodded as she took his arm and shut the door behind her. They walked in comfortable silence to the limo, and he helped her in, which was a good thing. The last time she’d worn heels was at least six months ago, and she’d never been that great in them in the first place.

  Instead of sitting across from her, he sat next to her. “Is this okay?” he asked.