“Really. I scream like alittle girl every time I see one. Swear to any higher power you care to name.”
“Huh.” Miles looked at mefor a few moments, clearly taking his time in absorbing that information. “Well,unfortunately for you, there’ll be a few of those there, and you can’t even hitthem with your shoe because I’ll probably be related to them.”
“Are you expecting a lot ofrelations?” I asked. Miles hadn’t given me a lot of details, just to dress fora cocktail party and show up for seven.
“My cousin is hosting this,so unfortunately, yeah.”
“Why do you need me at afamily get-together?” I asked, and immediately wished I hadn’t. I wanted to go,my tongue just happened to be even dumber than my brain.
“It’s not just family,”Miles said. “Not evencloseto just family. And they’re actually notterrible, it’s just… my dad’s gonna be there and he’d wonder where you were,plus…”
He looked up, meeting myeyes. “It’snot like I have a date to go with?”
A broad grin spread over myface before I could stop it. “So I’m going as your date?”
Miles blushed, which wasalways a good look on him. I would’ve liked to make him blush more often.
“Not exactly?” he rubbed theback of his neck. “But also, kinda?”
“Hey, I get it,” I said. “I’mhot, I’m available…”
“You’re being paid…” Milesadded, smiling a shy little smile.
“Nah,” I responded. “No charge.Other than the retainer you’re paying me anyway.”
“Are you saying youwantto go as mydate?”he asked, eyes lighting up.
How could I possibly say noto that?
“Sure,” I admitted. “But youcan still introduce me as your bodyguard if you want. Especially to your dad.”
“People know I’m gay,” Milespointed out. “It’s not even slightly a secret. There’ve been national magazineprofiles on me and everything.”
“Sure, but they don’t knowyou hired a guy you hooked up with once to be your bodyguard. Being gay is fine,but that’s alittleweird.”
Miles snorted. “You really haven’tmet my family,” he said. “But point taken. I’ll tell people you’re my big,scary, surprisingly hot bodyguard.”
“I like that. You ready togo?”
“Ready as I’m ever going tobe,” he said. “You wanna drive again?”
“Yes,” I responded withouthaving to think about it. I loved Miles’ car.
I loved myowncar,too, but it wasn’t every day you got to drive a late-model BMW.
Well, unless you owned one.It probably wasn’t as exciting for Miles as it was for me.
He took his keys out of hispocket without a word of complaint, and handed them over. “Good, because Ihate driving in the city.”
“I’ll take you anywhere youwanna go, baby,” I teased. If I waskindagoing as hisdate, then he was about to get the full experience.
I hoped that wouldn’t scare himaway. I got the feeling he could do with having someone treat him like theylikedhim, but I wasn’t sure my brandof it would work all that well.
He rolled his eyes, but hewas still smiling, so maybe itwasdoing something for him after all.
“Are you always like thiswhen you’re not working?” he asked, heading for the door.
I watched him triple-checkthe lock, but didn’t say anything. Checking would put his mind at ease, and hedidn’t need me bothering him.
