THE (UNSOUGHT) BODYGUARD

TEASING THE BODYGUARD

Annika grinned, grabbed a bottle of water, closed up the fridge and leaned over the counter, facing her mother, and grabbed a banana. "Doesn't it?" she teased.

Vanshika snorted. "When I was your age, sure," the elder woman said. "Although big hair was in then, so maybe a bit longer to include the blow-out." Annika peeled her banana, and although she could feel Shivaay hovering nearby, she ignored him and glanced at Omkara.

"Hey, do you have a gun?" she asked.

His dark eyes widened ever so slightly, but he smiled broadly. "Of course."

"And how long have you been stuck dealing with my monster-I mean mother?" she asked, smirking, and took a bite of banana.

Omkara's gaze dropped to her mouth for a beat, then back up, his own smile going crooked. "Almost five years, total."

Annika seemed to ponder this as she chewed and swallowed. "And how many trips have you gone with her on, like this?" Annika asked, gesturing to the itinerary Vanshika was heavily revising.

O: "This will be the eighth."

The girl took another bite of banana and asked with her mouth full, "And you still haven't shot her yet?" She laughed as her mother shot her a dirty look.

"That's enough of that, young lady," Vanshika said sternly, as Omkara winked.

"C'mon, Mom," Annika sighed, finishing her snack, drinking some water. "Be nice to Omkara, at least. Not his fault you married a dolt."

Vanshika grinned and Annika exited the kitchen as she pulled her ponytail out. "What are your plans for today?" Shivaay asked as she stopped level with him.

"Dunno," she said lightly, and shook out her dark brown hair. "I suppose you're at ease for now. I'm going to go upstairs and get naked and then wet and hot... In the shower. I'll call if I need you." She flashed him a cocky smile as his mouth hardened at her mention of hot, wet nakedness.

Shivaay watched her go upstairs and fought the urge to follow her and assist with the showering process. After he went to his own accommodations and took a shower that relieved him of sweat but exacerbated his damnable libido, he found himself pacing his bedroom, thinking about Annika and wondering if she was still naked and wet and hot.

He was one of five young, pitiably unmarried, fellows who lived on site at the Trivedi residence in the guest house at the far edge of the property where Jigi also had his office. Omkara, who lived across the hall from himself, was thankfully six months older than himself, which helped him feel a little less old around the twenty-somethings fresh out of school who Jigi was training doing rotations. He was moving through the common room area when Omkara turned in and smirked at him. "I don't know how you do it," the dark man said with an easy smile, reclining in a chair.

"What?" Shivaay asked.

"Look all day and not touch. Least Ram got to go home to his wife at the end of the day." Omkara grinned, flashing him a knowing look.

"She's the job," Shivaay said easily, even though he didn't really believe it. Because he wanted. "And it's only for five or so more months anyway."

"And then after?" Omkara drawled. Shivaay frowned.

"Nothing after," the man said firmly. Because there would be nothing. Not now, or in the next five months, or after. If he said it enough times to himself, it might start to sink in.

"You sure about that?" Omkara asked, flipping vaguely through a gun magazine. "You know it's only against the rules when you're on the clock, right?"