Okay, maybe he does. But they’re rarer than a solar eclipse.
“I caught him on his phone earlier when he was waiting for me to get ready. He wassmiling.Weird, right? He never smiles at anything,” I whisper, leaning closer to Zoey.
She mirrors my posture, whispering, “You sure notice a lot of things about the bodyguard you claim not to like.”
“Do not.” I pout.
“You’ve told me he has no personality at least ten times in the past.”
I shrug. “I’m just making the best of a bad situation. If we’re stuck together then it’d be nice to know something about him. He’s worked for Dad for over six years and the most personal thing I know is his last name.”
“And that he likes red velvet cake.”
“What?” I frown.
“The birthday cake you got for him years ago?”
I almost choke on my laugh. “Please. He got that cake because I wanted one to celebrate my first shoot as the face of the family business. Dad insisted I be eighteen before I worked for Beaufort Diamonds. It looked less self-indulgent if I wrote Denver’s name on it and claimed it was for him. The fact he wasworking with us on his birthday, and it was the same day as the photoshoot was a stroke of divine intervention.”
“Uh-huh.” Zoey smiles.
I fold my arms. “That’s all it was. Don’t mistake my craving for cake as any kind of fondness for Denver.” His name is drawn out from my lips as the woman tucks a piece of folded paper into his jacket pocket and pats it.
“You know what? I could do with a drink. Denver can get me one. It’ll make him feel useful.”
“You’ll walk past the bar to get to him,” Zoey points out.
I wave her comment away as I head across the room, making a beeline for Denver as the woman finally wanders away.
“Who was that?” I snap.
“She said her name was Tiffany,” he answers, his green gaze boring into mine as I stop directly in front of him and tilt my chin up to meet his eyes.
I wrinkle my nose as a new name for her springs to mind.Trampy Tiffany.
“What did she want?”
“Someone to accompany her to the ballet.”
“You’re not a hired escort service, did you tell her that?” I splutter. “You’re my bodyguard. God, the nerve of some people.” I cast my eyes in the direction she wandered off in, staring daggers at her back as I spot her in the crowd.
“She wasn’t suggesting she pay me.”
I snap my eyes back to Denver’s face. “She wanted a date?”
His lips thin, and he delivers a firm nod.
“But you don’t date. We agreed.”
“We did,” he replies, his eyes never leaving my face. “I won’t date while I’m assigned to you. You’re my priority.”
“Obviously,” I huff, looking around the full room as the back of my neck grows hot.
Trampy Tiffany keeps glancing our way, trying to catch Denver’s eye.
“I won’t date while I’m assigned to you.”There’s no way of knowing how long that could be. I pray as short as possible but… Trampy Tiffany is smiling now, eye-fucking Denver like he’s a piece of prime man-meat.
“I need to make a note of something! Quick!”
